Flash Gordon Serials
In addition to The Hidden Fortress, the original plot of Star Wars credits the old Flash Gordon serials of the 1930s. The use of the opening title crawl to explain the current plot – or, in the case of the sequels, what went on in the interim – is a direct reference to the serial style, which used title cards or narrators to remind the audience of what had happened in the previous chapter. The use of ray guns, and much of the sci-fi imagery comes directly from Flash Gordon and its fellow serials, including Buck Rogers. Just as the Indiana Jones films will reference the adventure serials of the 1930s and 40s, so did Star Wars give homage to the sci-fi ones.
The plot of the Flash Gordon serials was even more influential on the overarching plot of A New Hope. In the Flash Gordon story, Flash (Luke) and Prince Barin (Han) fight the evil Ming the Merciless (the Emperor) on a hostile planet (the Death Star) in a battle between the rebel and imperial forces. The use of technology alongside traditional “magic” in Star Wars represents a further development of Flash Gordon-style sci-fi. Prior to the making of Star Wars, Lucas even tried to gain the rights to the Flash Gordon serials, but was unable to secure them and so went on to create Star Wars as a sort of version of Flash. Nevertheless, the basic plot is still there, recalling the fact that Lucas managed to combine any number of influences into the production of his grand, and unique, space opera.