Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB

Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB
THX escaping the electronic labyrinth
Directed by	George Lucas
Screenplay by	George Lucas
Story by	Matthew Robbins (uncredited)
Starring	Dan Natschshein/Dan Nachtsheim
Music by	The Yardbirds, "Still I'm Sad" (opening credits)
Cinematography	F. E. Zip Zimmerman
Running time	15 min.
Language	English

Electronic Labyrinth: THX-1138 4EB is a 1967 social science fiction short film written and directed by George Lucas while he attended the University of Southern California's film school. The short was reworked as the 1971 theatrical feature THX-1138.

In 2010, this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

In an underground city in a dystopian future, the protagonist, whose name is "THX 1138 4EB", is shown running through passageways and enclosed spaces. It is soon discovered that THX is escaping his community. The government uses computers and cameras to track down THX and attempt to stop him; however, they fail. He escapes by breaking through a door and runs off into the sunset. The government sends their condolences to YYO 7117, THX's mate, claiming that THX has destroyed himself.

The USC program guide accompanying the film describes it as a "nightmare impression of a world in which a man is trying to escape a computerized world which constantly tracks his movements".

Lucas had had an idea for a long time "based on the concept that we live in the future and that you could make a futuristic film using existing stuff". Fellow USC students Matthew Robbins and Walter Murch had a similar idea which Robbins developed into a short treatment, but Robbins and Murch lost interest in the idea, whereas Lucas was keen to persist.

One of Lucas' USC instructors suggested an opportunity for Lucas to make the short film that he had in mind: since the 1940s, the USC film school had had a working arrangement with the US Navy, whereby Navy filmmakers attended USC for additional study. Teaching the class was not popular amongst USC staff, as the Navy filmmakers often had rigid, preconceived ideas about filmmaking, and sometimes misbehaved in class. But the Navy paid for unlimited color film, and lab processing costs, for their students. Lucas offered to teach the class, and was allowed the opportunity.