Arena Season 1, Episode 83

Cinema: The Force is with us? - Part 2/Howard Hawks · BBC Four · Wednesday, January 25

The Force is with us? Star Wars - the biggest and fastest money-maker in the history of the movies - has opened in Britain at last. What on earth - or in heaven - has caused the phenomenal success of this galactic romp-cum-morality tale? Gavin Millar talks to the producer Gary Kurtz, the designer John Barry and to Mark Hamill who plays the young hero Luke. Howard Hawks died this Christmas. His career spanned the history of Hollywood. As well as designing and racing sports cars, motor-bikes and aeroplanes he wrote, directed and produced every kind of Hollywood movie. The Big Sleep, Red River, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Bringing up Baby are amongst the best examples of their genre. Gavin Millar talked to him at his home in Palm Springs just before his 80th birthday.