▁film ▁was ▁in ▁production , ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁respond ed ▁to ▁prom ot ional ▁ad s ▁placed ▁by ▁ 2 0 th ▁Century ▁Fox ▁for ▁advance ▁ticket ▁sales ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁but ▁a ▁year ▁later , ▁when ▁the ▁studio ▁followed ▁up ▁by ▁ma iling ▁them ▁order ▁forms , ▁only ▁a ▁very ▁small ▁percentage ▁bought ▁tick ets . ▁Sales ▁were ▁higher ▁for ▁Wed nes day ▁mat ine es ▁than ▁for ▁Saturday ▁night s , ▁indicating ▁that ▁a ▁cru cial ▁component — you ng ▁adult s — w ould ▁not ▁be ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁picture ' s ▁audience . ▁The ▁film ▁opened ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁with ▁little ▁advance ▁sale ▁and ▁good - to - medi oc re ▁reviews . ▁ ▁Star ! ▁was ▁a ▁commercial ▁disappoint ment ▁in ▁its ▁initial ▁run , ▁suffering ▁about ▁ 2 0 ▁minutes ▁of ▁studio - request ed ▁and ▁director - appro ved ▁cut s ▁while ▁still ▁in ▁its ▁road show ▁engag ements . ▁Hop ing ▁to ▁rec oup ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁estimated ▁$ 1 4 ▁million ▁cost , ▁ 2 0 th ▁Century ▁Fox ▁executive ▁Richard ▁Z an uck ▁decided ▁to ▁do ▁some ▁primitive ▁" market ▁research " ▁( testing ▁three ▁titles : ▁" Music ▁for ▁the ▁Lady ", ▁" Th ose ▁W ere ▁the ▁Happy ▁Days " ▁and ▁" Star ! ") ▁before ▁withdraw ing ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁The ▁studio ▁proceeded ▁to ▁substantial ly ▁cut ▁and ▁re