Side-chain polymethactylates, side-chain polyimides, and main-chain polyimides containing chalcone derivatives were synthesized in order to investigate the photo-alignment behavior of liquid crystalline (LC) molecules in the LC cell fabricated from the polymer film irradiated with linearly polarized UV (LPUV) light under different conditions. The side-chain polyimides and the main-chain polyimides containing the 6FDA (4,4 '-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene)-diphthalic anhydride) derivative are soluble in organic solvents and fusible, while the main-chain polyimides with the BPDA (4,4 '-biphthalic anhydride) derivative show only fusibility. Only the polymethacrylate and main-chain polyimides with the BPDA derivative demonstrate a smectic A phase. The mixture of 4-cyano-4 '-n-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) and dichroic dye was filled in the LC cell. In the LC cell using the polymethacrylate film irradiated in the LC state and the side-chain polyimide film irradiated above glass transition temperature, 5CB was easily aligned parallel to the electric vector of incident LPuV light, while 5CB in the LC cell using the irradiated main-chain polyimide film was aligned perpendicular to the electric vector of incident LPUV light.