Steven Spielberg Published This Awesome Ad Congratulating George Lucas When 'Star Wars' Beat 'Jaws' - And Started A Tradition

It's been well documented that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are close friends, so when Lucas' "Star Wars" eclipsed Spielberg's "Jaws" as the all-time box office leader back in 1977, Spielberg took out a full page ad in Variety congratulating his old pal.

The ad has R2D2 from "Star Wars" reeling in the giant shark that terrorized beach-goers in "Jaws." Spielberg also writes a brief inscription saying that Lucas' "hyperspace performance package really did the trick" and signs it "your pal, Steven."

Check out the vintage, full-page ad below:

Once Spielberg's "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" reclaimed the box office throne in 1982, Lucas returned the favor by taking out his own full page ad in Variety.

Lucas kept the tradition alive taking out this full-page ad when, in 1998, James Cameron's "Titanic" sunk the re-issue of "Star Wars" to become the top box office movie of all time.

"It was an extremely gracious gesture," Cameron said in a recent Reddit AMA. "I sent him a thank you note after."