> Actually, it was nine stories, not twelve, but apparently, Lucas had written up rough screenplays for all of them, and started with Episode IV BECAUSE he could see that it would make a good movie -- action and adventure and such.

We'll probably never know for sure. I've heard this account, and I've also heard that the "A New Hope" story came to him first, and the backstory, as well as the future story, was fleshed out around it, and it wasn't until later that the thought of actually filming the backstory occured to him. I'm more inclined to believe this latter telling, as I tend to doubt that Lucas truly had all nine stories in his head right from the start. In fact, I highly doubt he *ever* had stories for episodes 7-9 in his head.

But who knows? The story of the development of Star Wars is so wrapped up now in speculation and modern legend that we will probably never know.