The American Library of congress has added Airplane! and what is arguably the best of the Star Wars movies, The Empire Strikes Back, to the National Film Registry in a year where both films lost key legendary figures
The great Lesley Nielsen turned from a serious actor into a legendary comic actor in Airplane! who died at the end of November and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was directed Irvin Kershner who died just one day before.
These 2 additions are joined by 23 other film which includes classics such as The Exorcist, The Pink Panther, which also lost its director, Blake Edwards, this year and Saturday Night Fever.
The creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, has two connection with the list, The Empire Strikes Back which he wrote and produced and THX1138 which was his feature film debut.
The full list of additions is as follows: - Airplane! (1980) - All the President's Men (1976) - The Bargain (1914) - Cry of Jazz (1959) - Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967) - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - The Exorcist (1973) - The Front Page (1931) - Grey Gardens (1976) - I Am Joaquin (1969) - It's a Gift (1934) - Let There Be Light (1946) - Lonesome (1928) - Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) - Malcolm X (1992) - McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) - Newark Athlete (1891) - Our Lady of the Sphere (1969) - The Pink Panther (1964) - Preservation of the Sign Language (1913) - Saturday Night Fever (1977) - Study of a River (1996) - Tarantella (1940) - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) - A Trip Down Market Street (1906) -