1930's Space Opera

I'm asking around so as to get the most opinions, about the possibilities for the creation of a full blown, sci-fi space opera epic ala Star Wars, Dune etc, in the late 1930s?

Assuming the ideas were there (those for lightsabers were around in writing around the mid 30s and those for complex starships, fighters etc, i'm not sure), what could such a film/trilogy have looked like, with the technology of the day? How, for instance, would you animate a lightsaber?

Was extensive modelling of ships etc, possible?

Those giraffes you sold me, they won't mate. You sold me queer giraffes.