Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB (1967)

Director:

George Lucas

Writer:

George Lucas (writer)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Short

Plot:

While monitored and pursued, a man races to escape through a futuristic labyrinth.

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Futuristic | Computer | Student Film | Surveillance

Cast

Dan Natchsheim	...	1138
Joy Carmichael	...	7117
David Munson	...	2222
Marvin Bennett	...	0480
Ralph Stell	...	9021

Also Known As:

THX 1138 4EB (USA) (short title)
Elektronický labyrint THX 1138 4EB (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Ilektronikos lavyrinthos THX 1138 (Greece) (TV title) [el]

Runtime:

15 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG

Filming Locations:

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

University of Southern California (USC)

Trivia:

The title character is always referred to by his full name spoken one character at a time: either 1) Tee, aich, eks, one, one, three, eight, four, ee, bee - 2) the "one, one" spoken as "eleven" or "one, one" is apparently incorrectly spoken as a single "one" In the remake he is usually called just "Thex" as a phonetic pronunciation of the THX prefix.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the credits where George Lucas is mentioned as the director, a piece of transparent tape is visible on the left side of the screen.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope (2004) (V)

The Beginning...

In the late 1960's, Hollywood was starting to go downhill. Movies were being made to please an older audience and not branch out towards a younger audience and just get more people. It was in California that the revolution would take place. This student film was one of the starting points in the right direction.

A young man attending USC by the name of George Lucas made a little film that would change his life and others around him. He called it Elecrtic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB. It is only 15 minutes long but it gets across a message that was just right for the time. That rebel yell that the people were waiting to scream out. To rise up against authority. This film was the launch pad for Lucas and his career as a film maker.

Electric Labyrinth is about one man's escape from the grip of oppression in a futuristic society. He and everyone else it seems is under surveillance and the only way to get out is to run. THX 1138 is the name or title of the man on the run. Although the movie is short, it seems like we connect to the person. We all feel like just running away sometimes. Although we don't know much about the man, we feel for him. All attempts at stopping his man seem futile. They can dish out anything, but little can stop the determination of someone.

This is what would spawn a feature length production of the film starring Robert Duvall as THX 1138 and also would help Lucas on his way to directing bigger things like American Graffiti and what would make him a house hold name...Star Wars. In 15 minutes Lucas was able to shock the cinema world and help change the industry to what we see it as today. This little project would lead to advances in movie making, editing, and overall appeal of a movie. Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese, and many more were part of the revolution in cinema that would bring people back to the theaters.