Figure:E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Action Figure

In the earlier sci-fi universe populated by enemy Martians out to destroy the world, nothing would have been more alien than the lovable, huggable "E.T., the Extra Terrestrial" of Steven Spielberg's popular 1982 movie by the same name. Yet the "little squashy guy" did what all the scarier creatures could not: conquer the world. Contrary to the cold alien invader of years past, E.T. displayed a wealth of human emotion that carried viewers' hearts away. Spielberg's E.T. tells the remarkably human story of an alien left behind on a mission to Earth. Discovered by Elliott, the lost and lonely child of divorced parents, E.T. helps Elliott gain confidence, and Elliott helps E.T. return home, saving him from the heartless intrusions of adults. The movie became the biggest moneymaker of its time, surpassing even "Star Wars" (1977). Licensed by Universal City Studios, Inc., this plastic action figure manufactured by the LJN Toy Company was part of a major new trend in the toy industry that continues today: since the late 1970s, the majority of toys purchased by the middle class have been spin-offs of major motion-picture characters. Spielberg was one of the leaders in the new marketing strategy.