Registry selects 25 films

Associated Press

BALTIMORE

Darth Vader proclaiming he’s Luke Skywalker’s father and Tony Manero preening in his underwear are among the images that will be preserved by the Library of Congress as part of its National Film Registry.

The 25 films selected this year include “The Empire Strikes Back,” the 1980 sequel to “Star Wars” that many critics and fans consider the best of George Lucas’ six “Star Wars” films.

While Lucas didn’t direct “Empire” — he entrusted it to the late Irvin Kershner — he got another film selected for the registry: the student short “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB.”

The Library of Congress announced the selections early Tuesday. The goal of the registry, which began in 1989, isn’t to identify the best movies ever made but to preserve films with artistic, cultural or historical significance.

This year’s selections also include “Saturday Night Fever,” John Badham’s 1977 disco musical starring John Travolta.

The complete list is as follows:

“Airplane!” (1980) “All the President’s Men” (1976) “The Bargain” (1914) “Cry of Jazz” (1959) “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB” (1967) “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 & 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” (1966) “Tarantella” (1940) “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945) “A Trip Down Market Street” (1906)