Feature
Strange New Worlds Issue 9 - Jun/Jul 1993
"You've seen the movie . . . wait 'till
you hear it"
A Fable For The Mind’s Eye
Star Wars® : The Original Radio Drama
When
National Public Radio’s thirteen-part adaptation of Star Wars was first
broadcast in 1981, it generated the largest response in the network’s history: 50,000
letters and phone calls in a single week, 750,000 listeners per episode, and a subsequent
forty percent jump in the overall NPR audience.
This landmark production began when Star Wars creator George Lucas donated the
story rights to the NPR affiliate station at his alma mater, the University of Southern
California. Then came the enormous challenge of translating the intensely visual adventure
to a purely aural medium.
Noted science-fiction writer Brian Daley adapted the movie script to the special
demands and unique possibilities of radio, producing an enhanced version of the story,
with many episodes not seen in the film and a much greater emphasis on character
development. Listeners to the radio drama learn details of Luke Skywalker's youth on the
planet Tatooine and follow the story of Princess Leia before she leaves on the mission
that opens the film. Director John Madden, a veteran of numerous BBC radio dramas, guided
the cast through a demanding ten-day dialogue recording session. Then the project was
entrusted to virtuoso sound engineer Tom Voegeli. Using the original master tapes of the
movie’s Oscar-winning music and sound effects, he spent months mixing the final
stereo version of Star Wars: The Radio Drama. The result is a Star Wars that
is familiar, yet completely new — an exhilarating fable for the mind’s eye.
Heading the cast of this audio version are Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels, reprising
their film roles as Luke Skywalker and robot See Threepio. Other cast members include
Bernard Behrens as Ben Kenobi, Perry King as Han Solo, Brock Peters as Darth Vader, and
Ann Sachs as Princess Leia.
"People have said to me, ‘How can you do Star Wars on radio, having
all of those effects?" actor Anthony Daniels commented during production. "In
fact, they miss the point that it’ll be, in a way, better to do it on radio. Sound
effects are rather like smells — they’re very evocative. You can sit at home and
have the whole galaxy whizzing around your head." Director John Madden summed up the
excitement generated by this ambitious undertaking when he said, "A phrase has come
to mind in working on this project: You may think you’ve seen the movie. Wait
‘til you hear it."
NPR has just completed their rebroadcast of Star Wars: The Radio Drama. For
those who missed this presentation, the complete series is available from HighBridge
Company. In November, HighBridge Company will release the equally acclaimed radio
adaptation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Those Skywalker fans not wishing
to wait until November can hear both radio series in HighBridge’s The
Collector’s Limited Edition: Star Wars / The Empire Strikes Back Deluxe CD Set,
now available for $130.00. Individually numbered and packaged in a collector’s
slipcase, the set contains both full-length radio dramas plus 33 bonus tracks. These
include promotional spots by Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Anne Sachs; alternate
episode openings and closings; original director’s cuts of two scenes; and a half
hour documentary "The Making of Star Wars for Radio." l
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