Yuma-filmed scene still tops decades later

On may the Fourth, fans celebrate Star Wars franchise

In 1977, George Lucas unleashed a little film on the world called Star Wars.

A reviewer for the New Yorker at the time noted, “It’s enjoyable on its own terms, but it’s exhausting, too: like taking a pack of kids to the circus.”

And yet today it’s a massive franchise that spawns multiple fronts, from film and television to Disney theme park attractions.

Without question, Disney has taken the marketing and product lines to new levels.

But the heart of the Star

Wars franchise, and its longevity, is tied to directly to the fan base.

In fact, thanks in large part to its fans, today is Star Wars Day.

Why? It’s May 4th, a day that Star Wars fans love for its play on a popular Star Wars quote. “May the Force be with you,” said by Obi Wan Kenobi.

It’s easy to see how fans applied that to May 4th, becoming, “May the Fourth be with you.”

That eventually became an official holiday in 2019, when the California state legislature voted to make May 4th Star Wars Day.

Yuma has its own ties to the Star Wars franchise. A long time ago – April of 1982, 39 years ago! – in what feels like a galaxy far, far away, filmmakers used our Imperial Sand Dunes to create the sandy hills of Tatooine.

The famous sarlacc scene in “Return of the Jedi” was filmed in the Buttercup Valley, just west of Yuma.

That scene is one of the most referenced in “Star Wars” lore, featuring one Jabba the Hut, and Princess Leia in a now-famous gold bikini. The seven minutes of footage follow Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Chewbacca as they attempt to rescue Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from Jabba the Hutt, a notorious crime lord, all aboard a giant barge.

That was years ago, yet many Yumans have their own stories of the Star Wars experience here.

Yuma’s connection to the franchise is a small one – seven minutes on screen. Yet the fandom lives on, with many fans citing the scene as one of their favorites.

In fact, in 2019, Vulture rated the top 50 scenes from the Star Wars movies, and The Sarlacc came in No. 19.

“Part monster movie, part pirate adventure, all Star Wars, Luke’s battle to save himself and his friends from ‘the almighty Sarlacc’ – a massive desert-dwelling beast we only see as a gaping maw of teeth and tentacles – is George Lucas at his throwback best.”

And it was filmed in the sand dunes just west of Yuma!

Have a terrific day, readers – and May the Fourth be with you!