Hear the name “George Lucas” and Star Wars immediately comes to mind. But six years before Luke, Leia, and Han started their campaign to defeat the Empire, Lucas took viewers on a trip to another sci-fi landscape.

THX 1138 has the important distinction of being the first feature-length movie written and directed by George Lucas. The sci-fi thriller was released 50 years ago on March 11, 1971. It starred Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Don Pedro Colley, Maggie McOmie, Ian Wolfe, Marshall Efron, and Sig Haig.

It’s set in the dystopian future of the 25th century where personality and identity have virtually been stripped. People have designations rather than names, are given drugs to suppress their emotions, and are controlled and monitored by the android police force. Things run smoothly until the man, THX 1138, and the woman, LUH 3417, rebel against the system.

The movie originated from Lucas’ student film Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, which he completed in 1967 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. It was produced by Francis Ford Coppola at Warner Bros. and American Zoetrope with the expectation that it would kick off a film franchise. Lucas wrote the first full-length script then Walter Murch was brought in to help write the final draft.

Since most of the cast needed to shave their heads for the movie it was turned into a publicity stunt to promote the movie. Actors were filmed having their heads shaved in odd venues then the footage was turned into a promo featurette.

THX 1138 received mixed to negative reviews upon its release and was a commercial flop. It was praised for the visual effects and esthetic, but several reviewers felt that the storyline was too simple and not as creative as a sci-fi movie should be.

The movie was rereleased in 1977, following the success of Star Wars, but it still did not gain traction. Years later as the Star Wars legacy got bigger and bigger, Lucas fans gave THX 1138 another chance and the movie has since developed its own cult following.