Entertainment

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

FILE - "Star Wars" action figures Darth Vader, right, and Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, left, are displayed in this April 7, 1999 file photo, with Princess Leia Organa in her ceremonial dress in front of other packaged characters from the new film. (AP Photo/ Victoria Arocho, File)

"Star Wars" action figures are joining centuries-old dominoes in the U.S. National Toy Hall of Fame's class of 2012, announced Thursday.

"Star Wars" action figures went on the market after the 1977 release of the classic movie. The figures of Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and others were sold until 1985 and again from the mid-1990s to today.

Museum officials said their phenomenal popularity inspired other toy makers to tie their products to movies and television series, and they noted the toys' appeal extends to adults, who continue to collect them.

Dominoes originated in China in the 1300s and appeared later in Europe in a slightly different form.

The two toys beat out plastic green army men, the board game Clue, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Lite-Brite, the Magic 8 Ball, the pogo stick, sidewalk chalk, the electronic game Simon, the tea set and Twister.

To date, 49 toys have been chosen for the hall of fame. They range from classics, like Play-Doh and Slinky, to the less obvious, like the stick and cardboard box.

Officials at the Toy Hall of Fame say anyone can nominate a toy, and thousands of suggestions come in every year. An internal committee of curators, educators and historians chooses the finalists, and then a national selection committee votes for the winners.

Longevity is a key criterion for getting into the 14-year-old hall.