LONDON FILM AND COMIC CON 1st and 2nd SEPTEMBER 2007   Compiled by Scott Weller     With thanks to Ian Trussler for additional information   Intriguing new information has come to light on the making of the STAR WARS films, and we thought we’d share it with you-please feel to pass it on to people (but do let ‘em know about STAR WARS AFICIONADO as well!!)-as no one at the OFFICIAL STAR WARS MAGAZINE, published by TITAN MAGAZINES in the UK, could obviously be bothered to get out of bed on either days to attend the convention and interview the guests-many of whom were first time attendees to conventions and signings!! We thought we’d do TITAN’s job for them!!! And we’re not even licensed, or even being paid, to do it!!   This info is for all STAR WARS FANS-Enjoy!!     GUESTS NOTES   GARY KURTZ (PRODUCER-STAR WARS AND THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK)   The Producer revealed that, as well as his Second Unit work on the Blockade Runner for STAR WARS at ELSTREE, he also directed shots of Imperial officer/Stormtroopers on alert during the DEATH STAR attack and recalls filming the scenes where one of the gun emplacements blows up from Rebel fire. He may also have directed the scene where the TIE pilots rush to their fighter bays, but he can’t confirm for sure.   He re-confirmed that, due to lighting, film and technical difficulties, the JABBA THE HUTT/ DOCKING BAY 94 scene, despite no problems with the actor’s performances, was scrapped shortly after filming, and after three attempts to shoot the footage had been done with Ford, Mayhew and Declan Mulholland. This confirmation tells us that Lucas never planned to go back and have a stop motion puppet added on after filming. The footage had already been scrapped and the important plot info about the relationship between Han and Jabba passed on to Greedo in Post Production. Kurtz does not like that scene put back in the SPECIAL EDITON, finding it irrelevant.   Kurtz thought that the recent JW Rinzler MAKING OF STAR WARS book was okay for an “official” book-was surprised by some of the photo choices, however. He also revealed that at least half of the original on set photography negatives for the film shoot, including his and John Jay’s work, went missing/were lost, and that many of the photos we see in the magazines even today were first printed from the surviving high quality proof sheets!! The stolen duplicate transparencies from the STAR WARS offices in April 1977 were also never recovered.   For the re-mastering of STAR WARS for the SPECIAL EDITION, Kurtz recalls that scenes on the negative were so badly scratched that they had to use the best quality material possible from the remaining worldwide theatrical prints used in cinemas twenty years earlier. It was a difficult job finding good quality prints and Kurtz was heavily involved in this work-even loaning LUCASFILM his own personal print of the movie for one scene which was heavily damaged on the original.   Before RETURN OF THE JEDI, Kurtz had looked at the idea of the spacecraft visual effects for STAR WARS being done with early computer rendering, but in the mid 70’s, it just wasn’t possible and there wasn’t enough memory storage space in those early machines. Additionally, Kurtz cannot recall any experiments with Japanese Bunraku puppetry-something that has previously been mentioned in STAR WARS lore by Richard Edlund- but the process was used, against blue screen, for a couple of shots involving puppets in LABYRINTH.   Some of the end cast credits for the film are incomplete due to mistakes via the film’s original UK production office in 1976, which is why some actors aren’t mentioned (like who the actor was that portrayed Red Ten) and why some actors have incorrect spellings.   Backing up some of what George Roubicek revealed at CELEBRATION IV US, Kurtz confirmed that more incidental material on the Blockade Runner, for the beginning of STAR WARS, was shot during the Imperial attack than what appeared in the final film. What exactly that all was he can’t remember but more material was shot.   Kurtz is currently working on a new character drama set during WORLD WAR II, which he is very excited about and which should start filming next year. He’s also working on a new STAR WARS project, concerning the unsung heroes behind the scenes who worked on the first film, including John Barry, ILM and other people who haven’t received the credit they should have for the success of the original film. This will not be available commercially, but will be available to fans (probably as a DVD) at some point in the next few years. A book of Gary Kurtz’s on set photographs for STAR WARS and EMPIRE hasn’t been ruled out, though this is not a priority to Kurtz at the moment.     The REVENGE OF THE JEDI original storyline was a several page outline born from events that had been created from Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan’s screenplay for EMPIRE. It was never more than outline before he and Lucas had their falling out over the ROLLERCOASTER ADVENTURE movie that Lucas wanted the finale film to be, and which he perceived audiences would want to see, rather than the bitter sweet ending that Kurtz had originally planned for with Lucas. Kurtz also didn’t like the fact that the film was starting to be a giant toy movie/promotion.   PAUL JERRICHO (IMPERIAL AT-AT PILOT-EMPIRE)   The actor confirmed that he played the part for four days at ELSTREE on a full 360 degrees built set. As ever, the Stormtrooper costume was extremely hot and heavy to wear. And, as ever, the actors reacted to nothing on the view screen. His scenes were directed by Kershner.     CHRISTOPHER MALCOLM (ZEV-REBEL SNOWSPEEDER PILOT-EMPIRE)   A really nice guy, at his first convention, the actor revealed that the replacement camera used for Snowspeeder cockpit blue screen filming had previously been used on GONE WITH THE WIND- such was the film’s status that people on set would often come by just to touch the legendary camera that had filmed the landmark movie!! As previously mentioned in STAR WARS AFICONADO, it took a long time to film scenes in the cockpit due to blue screen lighting problems. Malcolm also confirmed that actor Eugene Lipinsky did indeed play a Rebel Snowspeeder pilot whose scenes were cut from the film, but that’s all he could remember on that score (any one out there got any ideas as to who he would have played?). Malcolm may also have had a scene showing how he got his facial injury before being felled by a Walker, but, again, he can’t recall for sure anymore.   DEEP ROY (WALKING YODA-EMPIRE, NUMEROUS ALIENS-JEDI)   Not much info apart from the fact that he just loved working on EMPIRE and RETURN OF THE JEDI and had a great time with everybody. Adored working with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp on WILLY WONKA, which was one of the most demanding parts he’s ever played and also liked working with Gillian Anderson on THE X-FILES.   AL LAMPERT (COMMANDER JIR-STAR WARS)   Another really nice guy. When asked why it’s taken so long to attend a convention, he replied that he had never been asked!!! As far as he was aware, all of his scenes filmed were in the final movie and nothing was cut. His part in STAR WARS was just after he had competed work on SPACE:1999. Lampert was aware of the time pressure to try and finish the movie, recalled the slightly flimsy Blockade Runner corridor set, and remembered when George Lucas had to pull the plug on the shoot when they run out of off money. Even at that time, the film had certainly not been finished in Lucas’s eyes.   VASS ANDERSON (REBEL TECHNICIAN-STAR WARS)   Only appeared as a Rebel technician in STAR WARS, he did not appear on EMPIRE. Was on set for a week’s filming.   SYD WRAGG (IMPERIAL OFFICER-STAR WARS)   Playing the officer who talked to Tarkin briefly before Princess Leia is brought into the war room, Wragg revealed that he did have a line of dialogue that he said to Peter Cushing before being motioned away. The line was something like “All Imperial ships are ready” he recalled. Wragg, having greatly enjoyed working with Ford, Fisher, Hamill and Peter Cushing, would also go on to work on several James Bond films, including the epic THE SPY WHO LOVED ME-released in 1977- and SUPERMAN THE MOVIE (playing one of the Kryptonian elders, and recalling how Marlon Brando always used to read his dialogue off cue cards!!). Having taking up Karate, he also taught Gareth Hunt how to fight as Mike Gambit in THE NEW AVENGERS, as well as Joanna Lumley as Purdey (Wragg recalled that, being her first major TV role, Lumley was very shy at first). He also worked on THE SWEENEY teaching fighting moves to Dennis Waterman, who would later go on to MINDER, with George Cole, as well) and THE PROFESSIONALS TV series, again teaching the leads how to do Karate.   Wragg is also seen walking the corridors of the DEATH STAR in some scenes, like where Han and Luke escort Chewie, whilst disguised as Stormtroopers.   RALPH BROWN (RIC OLIE-EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE)   Unaware that his friend, Ray Winstone, had also auditioned for the part of Ric Olie and was considered for the pilot by Robin Gurland after previously thinking of him for several insect like creatures (??) for EPISODE ONE. Though he liked the filming experience (especially being in the fighter cockpit for the space battle scenes), and working with Jake Lloyd, who he thought was fun, Brown was not a fan of the finished movie or of the experience of working with George Lucas.   Prior to the release of THE PHANTOM MENACE, Brown, who had a film premiering at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, when asked by a journalist about working on STAR WARS told reporters that Lucas was “a man lacking in human decency.” When this quote ended up in the NEW YORK TIMES, Lucas and LUCASFILM were immensely unhappy with Brown, who would not be invited to the film’s London premiere.   QUENTIN PIERRE (NUMEROUS ROLES –STAR WARS, EMPIRE AND JEDI)   Having previously worked at PINEWOOD on both seasons of SPACE: 1999, which he found boring to work on, Pierre would be hired for STAR WARS by Stunt Co-Ordinator Peter Diamond, and would also be Billy Dee Williams stand in on EMPIRE (as well as playing a Bespin security guard (one of the two who escorts the carbonised Han Solo to SLAVE ONE)). For STAR WARS, Pierre would do a lot of stunt work as a Stormtrooper (there was, at first, some film scheduling problems with the SPACE: 1999 production office, but eventually things were sorted out). Pierre was also hired specifically by LUCASFILM for JEDI, and was also one of the Royal Guards for the film (he was one of them for the deleted scene in JEDI with Vader Force-choking Moff Jerjerrod as well). The Emperor’s Royal Guard costume was difficult to walk in and all the actors in the red robes had to make certain that there was enough spacing between them as they walked so that they didn’t fall over each other. Pierre also hinted that with his likeness on one of the action figure cards that there was a bit of a stink over the use of his image- it looks like he or his agent may have tried to get extra money for the use of his face.   MAROLYN TURK (BEEDO-RETURN OF THE JEDI)   A former double for actress Glen Close on British filmed movies including the two 101 DALMATIONS movies and HAMLET, and with 300 feature film credits to her name as a background artist, Marolyn, playing the Rodian Beedo, would strike up firm friendships with the majority of other actors in the masked costumes on the Jabba’s Palace set and would go on over the years to correspond with many of them regularly. Sadly, one close friend of Turks, who had worked on JEDI, sadly died.   The Rodian costumes, and several others, were originally built for men but the size 10 frame better suited the female form. To avoid claustrophobia, Turk would often push the eyes of her mask. Both Turk and the numerous other actors in the monster make ups got on extremely well with the main cast and, in between takes, Turk, with Mark Hamill, would come up with mind games to ease the boredom of setups.   STEPHEN SPEIRS (CAPTAIN TARPALS-EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE).   Impressed with his work in the London National Theatre’s production of GUYS AND DOLLS, Speirs filming duties as Captain Tarpals were very lengthy and in a manner not unlike the process that was used to film Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks on set (in those dark days before CGI characters had been firmly cemented on screen). Additionally, the voice over/adr work for the character also went on for a lengthy period, with new lines of dialogue and other character ideas for the character coming up. Steven enjoyed working with George Lucas.   WILLIAM HOYLAND (IMPERIAL COMMANDER IGAR-ENDOR GARRISON AT-AT-RETURN OF THE JEDI)   Hoyland recalls that he and Mark Hamill, in costume, got stuck for three hours in the specially built elevator in the studio soundstage to take the actors/crew to the walkway/gantry next to the AT-AT. The scene where Luke has handed himself over to the Imperials, with Hoyland presenting his lightsaber to Vader, was filmed by Richard Marquand. Due to the delay with the lift, however, the days filming was in serious danger of going over schedule, resulting in Marquand being a bit sharp with some of the other actors on the scene in the rush to get things completed. Hoyland recalls that Mark Hamill was extremely nice to work with.   JIM DOWDALL (STORMTROOPER IN STAR WARS, BESPIN GUARD IN EMPIRE STRIKES BACK).   Dowdall, whose work includes numerous JAMES BOND films, A BRIDGE TOO FAR (made after his STAR WARS filming at ELSTREE), HANOVER STREET/FORCE TEN TO NAVARONE (both working with Harrison Ford), and DOCTOR WHO, the stuntman/actor remembers how uncomfortable the Stormtrooper outfits were. Braving the rain on the 1977 Saturday morning of the UK cast and crew screening of the movie, Dowdall, almost reluctant at going, travels there on his new Harley Davidson and is soon amazed by the film, recalling that, with the opening shot, all of the cast and crew got up and applauded the incredible sequence. Unfortunately, he could not recall any of the possible scenes of Stormtroopers taking away/ killing the Bespin residents when they evacuate in EMPIRE.   ROBERT ENGLUND (WILLIE IN “V THE SERIES” AND FREDDY IN THE “NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET” FILMS)     As seen in a photograph in the MAKING OF STAR WARS book, Robert Englund visited the ILM team in San Fernando Valley, and was a friend of effects man Dennis Irving, the brother of Amy Irving-who would later marry, and divorce, Steven Spielberg. Englund would bring food over to the ILM team during their hard work at the Thanksgiving holidays, and was also a friend of Hamill- Englund and his girlfriend would let the young actor stay over at their apartment from time to time as Hamill’s was in such a bad state.   Englund, auditioning for the part of the surfer character in APOCALYPSE NOW, turned up unshaven and wearing a tight military shirt, where, though passed on for APOCALYPSE with Francis Ford Coppola, was recommended to Lucas to try out for the Han Solo role as the actor looked quite tough.   JOHN FORGEHAM (THE OFFICER AT THE BEGINNING OF STAR WARS WHO, SEEING THE ESCAPE POD, SAYS: “THERE GOES ANOTHER ONE”)   Forgeham, whose career as an actor spans nearly forty years, got the part of the Imperial gun officer when his agent called him saying that there was a small part on STAR WARS. Knowing it was only a days work, and living in nearby Borehamwood at that time, Forgeham takes on the part arriving on the specially built set and reacting to blue screen, The scene, which was shot with another actor (whom Forgeham thinks he knew from working on the UK soap opera CROSSROADS (someone named David?)) was not shot by Lucas-Forgeham thinks it was Second Unit (probably the Monday after the July filming of STAR WARS was halted). After the filming, Forgeham was happy to frequent the well stocked ELSTREE STUDIOS bar!!!   Forgeham also confirmed that his friend Ken Hutchison was indeed in the movie-playing one of the Imperial officers in the conference room scene with Vader and Tarkin. Hutchison is also listed, according to Pablo Hidalgo as being present on the call sheets for the Blockade Runner filming-could he have played the same Imperial Officer in one of the cut scenes? As happened with other actors on the filming of STAR WARS, he may have been on the call sheet for that filming but might not have appeared that day (which was several months after the Cushing filming), replaced with another actor (could Al Lampert have replace the actor listed for the Blockade Runner filming-Constantin De Gregory?)   At the convention, Forgeham went over to meet and shake hands with Gary Kurtz and was amazed by the worldwide STAR WARS fans in attendance to see him.   TRACEY EDDON (STUNT WOMAN-RETURN OF THE JEDI)   As well as being Leia and Threepio’s stunt double as Yuma, Eddon also unhappily played an Imperial Stormtrooper for one of the Endor battle scenes filmed at the Redwoods. She was coerced into doing it as they had run out of stunt men to occupy the suits, and, when putting it on, said she looked ridiculous.   Tracy Eddon’s father was the late Ed Eddon, who appeared in the Blockade Runner scenes in STAR WARS-Ed (Eddie) Eddon was the silver haired Rebel trooper with blue eyes who had two close ups before he was killed by Stormtroopers. Tracy’s mother is Sadie Edon, also a stunt woman, who was in STAR WARS, playing the cantina alien Reegesk.   Eddon, still a working stunt actress, enjoyed being on JEDI, working with the cast, and was impressed with the specially built Sail Barge set on location. She doesn’t recall playing an Endor Rebel Commando when I asked her-it may well have been Wendy Leech in the posed group photo taken on the DEATH STAR set with Mark Hamill.   Colin Skeaping played Luke for the scene where he and Eddon, as Leia, swing over to the Sand Skiff.   SADIE EDON (REEGESK-THE CANTINA ALIEN-IN STAR WARS)   Sadie, whose surname is spelt Edon, previously a regular stunt woman on the JAMES BOND films, remembers that the filming of her scenes on STAR WARS were one day only on the cantina set. None of the regular background artists wanted to wear the suit and Edon braved the extremely hot costume (she really couldn’t wait to get out of it by the end of the filming). She also recalled, however, that she was paid a good sum of money at the time for wearing the costume.   Sadie, now retired, thinks Harrison Ford is gorgeous!!

INFORMATION FROM CELEBRATION EUROPE 2007   Compiled by Scott Weller (with thanks to Ian Trussler for additional info)     John Mollo started his work as Costume Designer on STAR WARS in December 1975 and finished in May 1976. Of the two films he worked on, EMPIRE was the hardest for him, due to the challenge of having to top the first film and also due to the fact that George Lucas wasn't around for a lot of the crucial costuming decisions-Mollo had greatly enjoyed working with Lucas on STAR WARS and the relationship wasn't the same with Irvin Kershner on EMPIRE. British Darth Vader mask sculptor Brian Muir remembers being involved in the detailing and construction of Threepio's hands for one scene, recalling Anthony Daniels coming into the ELSTREE workshop one lunch time during filming so that moulds could be done of the actor’s hands for the creation of the metal ones. Mark Hamill revealed that both he and Harrison Ford were very protective of he characters they played during the making of the films. On EMPIRE, Harrison wasn't happy with the news that the MILLENNIUM FALCON had previously been owned by somebody else. Robert Watts recalled that the huge stage at Shepperton Studios for the Award Ceremony and X-wing hangar had previously been used for the epic early British sci-fi movie THINGS TO COME. Joe Viskocil's favourite explosion amongst the many that he created for the first film is the destruction of the last TIE fighter during the sentry ships attack on the FALCON. Viskocil would also work on the pyrotechnic explosion scenes of the Walkers for EMPIRE. Re-confirming what Julian Glover has previously indicated, the ramming of Hobbie's Snowspeeder into Veer's Walker was never filmed. Only the explosion for the head of the Walker, which became another Imperial Walker destroyed by Luke Skywalker, rather than Veers, was shot. Michael Culver's scenes as Captain Needa were shot in a week-just another part for the jobbing actor. Angus McInnes, Gold Leader in STAR WARS, confirmed that all his scenes shot for the movie were in the finished picture-there was nothing cut. On WITNESS he actually performed the dangerous stunt in which Harrison Ford traps his corrupt cop character in the grain tank-having pretty much been told that he no other choice but to do it by the director/production people!! John Scoleri and his people behind the beautiful Ralph McQuarrie book are now in negotiations to do something linked to Joe Johnston's work for ILM. Warwick Davis revealed that, when he was cast as the then un-named Wicket, all the Ewoks had already been found for the London ELSTREE studios filming and that they had not planned on having any others. Patricia Carr, assistant to Robert Watts (who can be seen in the REVENGE OF THE EWOK film), however, saw talent in Warwick and hired him. Though J.W. Rinzler is not aware of any good archive material within LUCASFILM on the creation of the Darth Vader costume in 1976 (from a conversation AFICIONADO had with him at CELEBRATION IV), documentary film footage DOES exists, previously used in a SKY TV 1999 UK documentary on STAR WARS, of the face and half body casts of Dave Prowse with the costume being worked around them. Vader sculptor Brian Muir, and his enthusiastic wife, re-confirmed that this footage still exists. Due to some incorrect/lack of information in the recently published MAKING OF STAR WARS book, a retraction regarding Brian Muir's work will appear in any future re-print/new editions of the book. For the scene in STAR WARS, shot in Tunisia, where Artoo follows Threepio into the Lars Homestead igloo, it was originally filmed that Artoo would follow behind Threepio, but when the robot controlled droid constantly kept ramming into Anthony Daniels posterior whilst in costume, the scene was eventually filmed with Threepio side by side with the little droid as they came to the end of the location exterior set.  Jay Laga’aia revealed that, for EPISODE III, Lucas was apparently quite insistent that he be available for filming on certain dates but this proved difficult for the actor due to his stage commitments to THE LION KING musical that he was also in at the time in Australia. Eventually, a compromise was reached but by the time of the film’s release, pretty much all of his footage shot for the movie never made the final cut!! By the way, did anyone speak to David Ankrum, the original voice of Wedge for STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE? Anyone got any info on him?

IN CONVERSATION WITH J.W. RINZLER   Compiled by Scott Weller   (with thanks to Ian Trussler and Chris Baker for additional info)   The STAR WARS AFICIONADO MAGAZINE team got the chance to talk to J.W. RINZLER in the FAN CLUB lounge at CELEBRATION IV. Impressed with his recently released MAKING OF STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE, we managed to ask him some burning questions that we thought needed to be covered, and glean some additional information that we think you might find interesting:     1. That no photos or information exists in the LUCASFILM ARCHIVES on the creation of the Vader mask/main costume. Very few behind the scenes shots available in the LUCASFILM ARCHIVES of Dave Prowse as Darth Vader from A NEW HOPE.   2. Of all the photos taken for the films, A NEW HOPE is the one that is the least represented in the archives with few discs of images compared to the two sequels that followed it and the Prequels.   3. Very little was documented of the pre-production build up to filming. With the film being green lit for filming so late in the day by FOX, no one was thinking properly about creating any visual documentation. Additionally, so much documented information from that period is not in the archives (either lost, destroyed or in private collections).   4. There were also very few images of behind the scenes production personnel in the LUCASFILM ARCHIVES, with Rinzler having particular trouble finding good images of British Special Effects Technician John Stears (we at AFICIONADO can attest to this-we had great trouble finding images for our MAKING OF STAR WARS issue as well!!)   5. According to Rinzler’s information, the on set photographer (we assume he means John Jay) was not present for every day’s filming- apparently only handling a certain batch of days a week. For some sections of the book where filming of certain scenes was not apparently covered, Rinzler had no choice but to use screen grabs (kindly supplied to him by his friend John Knoll-some of which were from the SPECIAL EDITION and had been used in Knoll’s own 365 DAYS book). From information AFICIONADO has, however, we believe that Jay was present throughout the location and ELSTREE/SHEPPERTON filming. There were other photographer so the set as well, like David Steen and Terry O’Neill, who may not have been around for the full filming (often handling the posed studio pictures), so I’m wondering if there is some understandable confusion there on Mister Rinzler’s part.   6. A longer, full length transcript version of Alan Arnold’s ONCE UPON A GALAXY: THE MAKING OF EMPIRE STRIKES BACK book exists, which is a possibility to be used when Rinzler ultimately begins work on his own MAKING OF EMPIRE edition (something that looks very likely, after he has completed work on his INDIANA JONES book, as sales of the MAKING OF A NEW HOPE book have been very encouraging, alongside several very positive reviews).   7. In some instances, the best behind the scenes information came from Lucas and his lawyer (who kept very precise notes on the creation of the first film, and the director’s relationship with TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX).   8. A full cast list for A NEW HOPE exists in the LUCASFILM ARCHIVES but there is no pressure for them to release the information.   9. The Midichlorians reference in the character notes of the hardback edition was not added on to ease pressure on Prequel criticisms. Rinzler confirms that this was in Lucas’s original reference material/commentaries given to Carol Titelman in 1977/78 (of which Threepio’s original origin, as having come from the planet Affa, would later be confirmed by Anthony Daniels to Presenter Chris Kelly in the UK 1980 edition of the Children’s film-making television programme CLAPPERBOARD.   10. For reasons unknown, possibly timing (as he was not present for all the filming-traveling to and from the States), Charles Lippincott did not interview the enigma that was Sir Alec Guinness, or Peter Cushing (who was only on set filming for a select period of days in early May). Additionally, other actors, such as Dave Prowse, weren’t either. In some cases, Rinzler had to use quotes from other sources, from 1976/77, for Alec Guinness, and later 1990’s quotes for Peter Cushing.   11. The full script for REVENGE OF THE JEDI (RETURN OF THE JEDI) exists in the archives. There are no plans to release it at this time.   12. As far as Rinzler is aware, the LOST CUT that was featured in David West Reynolds STAR WARS INSIDER article back in 1998/99 is the FIRST ROUGH CUT and was never apparently intended as a real version of the film (we don’t know what to make of this info-John Jympson, who was hired, and later fired, for his work on the FIRST ROUGH CUT was an acclaimed film editor at that time-why would Lucas hire someone so prestigious to work on a ROUGH CUT?)   I offered Mister Rinzler, who kindly gave an excellent talk and was an extremely nice guy, a copy of the MAKING OF STAR WARS AFICIONADO special issue (which contains behind the scenes information not in his book which I thought might help fill in some of the information gaps in the LUCASFILM ARCHIVES) but, for understandable legal reasons, he was not able to accept it.

NEW STAR WARS-CUT SCENES INFORMATION   By SCOTT WELLER   Ever on the hunt for more information on the missing scenes of the STAR WARS SAGA, STAR WARS AFICIONADO managed to discover some fascinating new gems at CELEBRATION IV that we thought people would REALLY want to know about….   GEORGE ROUBICEK (COMMANDER PRAJI)   Playing Commander Praji in A NEW HOPE (the Imperial character who tells Vader of the escape pod jettisoning down to Tatooine), the veteran British film and television actor, in only his second convention appearance, revealed that he had worked on the film for three days in total (of which one day was spent waiting in his dressing room and not being used at all!!). He also recalled that the filming of his scenes was very fast and that the crew were under great pressure to get it all done, with the white corridor wall set behind him, whilst talking to Vader and actor Al Lampart, being so delicate that you couldn’t get too near it or lean against it in case it fell down!! Additionally, due to time factors, no stills photographs of his character were taken on set (the reason why his autograph picture is from a high quality screen grab). The big news, however, was his revelation that he had additional sequences to the one seen on screen, including a death scene on the Blockade Runner which was filmed!!! Our good friend Skot at STARWARSHOLIDAYSPECIAL.COM confirmed to me at the convention that he had previously seen storyboards on the Blockade Runner in which a hidden Rebel soldier/s pops out of hiding and guns down an Imperial Stormtrooper/s. Could this scene have been filmed and involved Commander Praji? It seems the most likely explanation. A shot was recently unearthed in STAR WARS INSIDER which showed Vader watching three captured Rebels (one injured and being supported by his colleagues) being escorted away by Stormtroopers-could this have been part of that scene-could a small hidden group of Rebel soldiers carried on the fight before the Blockade Runner was totaled by the Imperials?   Asking Roubicek if he played one of the officers who watched the escape pod blasting away from the Blockade Runner, the actor replied that he wasn’t in this scene with the now revealed John Forgeham, so that means there is one unidentified actor, whose face isn’t seen, in that sequence.   ANTHONY FORREST/GARRICK HAGON   One of the main highlights of the convention was meeting Anthony Forrest, who played both Fixer (during filming at Tunisia and Elstree) and an Imperial Stormtrooper (at Djerba for the scene where they stop Luke and his party in the Landspeeder).   Now a film producer, Forrest’s recollections of the STAR WARS filming were impressive and highly detailed and he was an excellent convention guest. On the cut scenes side, Forrest revealed that, for the scene where Fixer, Camie and Biggs follow Luke outside Toshi station and check out the sky, where Biggs debunks Luke’s theories of an overhead space battle, that the sequence continued on inside the Toshi power station afterwards and that it didn’t just end with Camie casually throwing the binoculars back to an offended Luke.   Of the previous introduction sequence, in which Luke is re-united with Biggs, Garrick Hagon would also reveal that the sequence wasn’t just filmed in wide shot-that there were also filmed insert shots of Biggs, Deak and Windy playing the intergalactic pool game as well!!!   Of the Stormtrooper scene shot in Djerba, Forrest revealed exclusively at CELEBRATION that he played the lead Stormtrooper who is given the Jedi mind trick by Ben Kenobi. Basically, his playing the part was a last minute thing as Guinness decided that he wanted to act opposite another actor in the Stormtrooper costume rather than a Tunisian extra. In a quick piece of thinking, Lucas asked a sun bathing Anthony Forrest at the hotel if he would don the Stormtrooper costume as a favour to him and Sir Alec Guinness. Forrest was only too happy to oblige for the scene. The only problem being that the Stormtrooper costumes shoulder and shoulder pad sections were extremely heavy, weighing down on his sun burnt shoulders inside the costume. Forrest also recalls how raw and uncomfortable the Stormtrooper costumes were then, with very rough inside edges (Robert Watts, also at CELEBRATION IV, would later go on to state that the Stormtrooper costumes built by people like the 501 LEGION were much better than anything built for the actual STAR WARS films!!)   COLIN HIGGINS-THE ORIGINAL WEDGE ANTILLES   As AFICIONADO first revealed way back in 2004, long before Pablo Hidalgo unearthed the information on STARWARS.COM, British actor Colin Higgins played Wedge first and was later replaced by Denis Lawson. This has now been fully confirmed with Higgins first US convention appearance at CELEBRATION IV. He also revealed that, through his own fault, he was fired from the STAR WARS set back in 1976. Being a tv actor, the young actor was inexperienced and unused to both the process of feature film-making and the language of American film scripts (and especially a script with the nature of STAR WARS, with all its technical jargon and fantasy universe descriptions), finding himself very insecure (at one point throwing up through nerves at all the problems of filming). Not correctly saying a part of his dialogue scenes with Mark Hamill (of which the actor, who had more lines than was seen in the finished movie, was unused to American parts of the dialogue), requiring several re-takes, Higgins, who was not able to speed up his line delivery for the filming (a problem that also apparently affected Alex McCrindle when playing his scenes as General Dodonna), would un-knowingly cause the film-makers a valuable loss of time and money on re-shooting, leading them to make the decision of not recalling him back to the July filming of his characters scenes in the X-Wing fighter cockpit, and replacing him with Denis Lawson instead.   Despite his enjoying the sets and costumes and the overall epic sense of the production, as well as liking the company of Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, Higgins would also cause further accidental upset when, being one of the speaking part actors, was incorrectly thought to be a background artist when he entered the actors food line during lunch break. With the angry extras, who had their own separate food line, thinking he was a background artist as well (who shouldn’t be in the same food line as the speaking part actors), the situation would also cause further friction between them, Higgins, and certain members of the production team.   Seeing the completed film at a London cast and crew preview screening in 1977, Higgins would be thrilled at how good the film was, but decidedly upset at the problems he had encountered during the 1976 filming-a situation which prevented him from making appearances at STAR WARS events until very recently.   THE JOHN KNOLL PRESENTATION   With his immense work on the STAR WARS Prequels, the STAR WARS AFICIONADO team were looking forward to seeing what intriguing photos and clips the effects producer would reveal in his presentation. And he certainly didn’t disappoint in that respect-the main presentation being of the photos he had taken during the Prequel filming, of which several shots were cut scenes. Notable highlights Mace’s office from ATTACK OF THE CLONES, an intriguing action shot of Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting over head battle droids magnetized to the ceiling on the bridge of the Invisible Hand for REVENGE OF THE SITH, and a shot of Padme wearing her famous deleted white head covering on Tatooine before departing for Geonosis, and wearing the same head gear for her arrival within the Genosian Plaza with Anakin (in the originally filmed sequence before the Droid conveyor belt action scene replaced it).

THE UNSUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS OF STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE-1976 AND 1977     By SCOTT WELLER     Since their early beginnings, it has long been an established tradition by worldwide film and television companies that on-set photographers are assigned to their forthcoming projects with the task of capturing images for future promotional purposes. Charged with the task of essentially capturing “the essence” of what’s being visually created, one or two of these hard working people would be working on the making of a motion picture or series for its duration-literally taking thousands upon thousands of pictures of the film’s critical scenes, characters and costumes for use, not only in the aforementioned movie publicity machine, but also in providing costume reference and continuity for the behind the scenes people in their daily work. These photographers not only work in the studio, they also travel with the production company wherever it goes, be it the local woods outside the studio or to the far flung reaches of the deserts of Tunisia or the barren snow lands of Antarctica- their jobs in promoting the film being just as crucial as the Directors and cinematographers themselves. And, like their illustrious colleagues, their images last just as long as the celluloid frames that play in the movie houses. One just has to browse the many film and television books out there to see the many striking and historic images these on-set photographers have captured for those movies over the years-those memorable images that we have known and loved so many times over (and how many times have the photographers captured dramatic scenes in movies more intensely and powerfully than the directors and cinematographers who shot those scenes in the first place!!).   One thing is certain, though. None of the film images of the last 100 years have captured the grandeur and mystique of those taken for that certain little saga called STAR WARS…   From the outset, respected British photographer John Jay (who sadly died last April 2005), who had previously impressed FOX and Gary Kurtz with his work for THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW and WHERE EAGLES DARE, was selected to handle the vast requirements of the film’s photography-a task that ranged from shooting all the necessary material needed for the FOX publicity machine, but also for what would eventually turn out to be the huge LUCASFILM ARCHIVE. It would be an exhaustive, but highly enjoyable job for Jay, who would shoot thousands of pictures over a five to six month period (later stills photography on the STAR WARS films would top 70-80,000 stills being captured, by Ralph Nelson Jr and Albert Clarke, in certain time periods). In addition to Jay’s sterling work, Producer Gary Kurtz, himself a respected cameraman, would also take a stunning amount of on set photography, mostly, from what we have seen in his important contributions to STAR WARS related projects over the years, black and white behind the scenes pictures-and some of the best we’ve ever seen, too!!-capturing the cast and crew of the film’s at their prime.   What you may not know is that there were other photographers -apart from those talented two gentleman- who worked on that first film (and its sequel) who have not been properly credited for their work-men who had created images that have since become just as iconic as the films themselves. Images that have been used in every promotion, of every type, since the film’s arrival in cinemas in 1977.     STAR WARS AFICIONADO un-earths…   THE UNSUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS OF STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE   DAVID STEEN   A respected photographer who started out in the same route as other sixties photographic icons, like David Bailey and Patrick Litchfield, doing trend setting fashion shoots for popular women’s magazines followed by reportage for the various news and culture magazines of the sixties and seventies, Steen, his reputation growing as a trusted and efficient photographer, with a strong eye for composition, would be involved in numerous photo shoots for the British film industry as it neared the end of it’s first life in the late seventies. Later handling photo duties for the first two SUPERMAN films (especially in relation to the flying effects), Steen would be responsible for taking posed cast pictures of the principal STAR WARS cast members during the ELSTREE/SHEPPERTON filming at certain points between April-July 1976.   As well as shooting individual cast shots against a studio background, an un-credited Steen would shoot the classic posed shot of the Han and Luke, guns drawn, whilst Leia, wearing her “buns” and medal ceremony costume, stays near a protective Chewbacca. Over the years this image, and several others-one black and white out-take from a different angle in which the cast face directly towards camera, from the STAR WARS PRESS KIT sent to magazines and newspapers in 1977, and one slightly different, very blurred colour shot, have appeared everywhere in the press and electronically, and is one of the definitive STAR WARS pictures-appearing in the STAR WARS FAN CLUB as a poster in 1977/8 (printed by Scandecour of Sweden), and then on the covers of numerous magazines (including a recent ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY magazine last year).   Having had a brief opportunity to speak to him on his STAR WARS work, Steen revealed that he took a lot of pictures of the film, not just posed shots of the then unknown stars (for editorial use and costume reference), and not just at ELSTREE for STAR WARS, but also at BRAY STUDIOS for EMPIRE too, taking reference photos of the various models and devices built for the film (Steen recalls seeing, and photographing, some model filming being done there as well-this was all interesting news to me as I thought no model work had been attempted for the film in this country-if anyone out there has any more information on this please let me know..).   A serious, artistic photographer in his later years, STAR WARS, to Steen, was just another photo assignment, and not a very good one at that- a job that he remembers very little of with the passing of time. Having read the script at the time, which he thought was rubbish and un-decipherable, Steen, not having any power to keep his work (photos, negs and contact sheets), had signed a contract, which he regrets, with Producer Gary Kurtz in which LUCASFILM kept all of the photographic material he shot for the film (a not uncommon situation for photographers working on film sets, which has intensified and become a complicated issue with the emergence of the film star egos in the last twenty years, and due to the huge publicity demands required for the film company’s outside promotion and media interests in the wake of home entertainment products like Video and DVD). Having recently released a book on his career in photography, Steen considers it a shame that he couldn’t have had something to keep for representation of his work on STAR WARS in the book…   One thing that is very interesting to note is that, apart from the well known images, none of Steen’s work on the STAR WARS film sets seems to have surfaced anywhere else-it’s mostly John Jay’s and Kurtz’s work out there from what we know. What’s happened to Steen’s material? Was it lost at ELSTREE? Floundering in some archive at FOX? Did it make it to the LUCASFILM ARCHIVES, or is it in private hands? We know that the contact sheets for some of the posed images of the famous four cast shot are with Gary Kurtz and the Jason Joiner archive, but where’s the rest? (John Knoll revealed on the STARWARS.COM site that the LUCASFILM archive has boxes of black and whites negs and contact sheets that he looked at, for researching his 365 DAYS book, that have still not yet been revealed-could they be there in a scene not unlike the closing images of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK?) Will we ever see any more un-published, rare images? With the Saga’s upcoming anniversary, let’s hope more mysterious and fascinating pictures from the archives, especially from Steen, will be uncovered…   TERRY O’NEILL   What can I say about one of the finest photographer’s Britain has ever produced? And where to start with the people and places he’s photographed. Terry O’Neill has certainly been living a life three time’s over-he’s been traveled  the world, knows everyone that’s ever been influential, and has been in every type of situation in his photo assignments, as well as being married to one of the 1970’s most beautiful women-Faye Dunaway!! With a career spanning fifty years, O’Neil has photographed them all. Until recently, I was very surprised that, with his film set work of the early seventies, that he hadn’t been involved in shooting any material linked to a STAR WARS film. How wrong I was. It was only when I spoke to David Steen that I discovered that O’Neill had worked with him on the first two STAR WARS films as well, also handling certain studio shoots and on-set photography (including classic images of Luke in his Yavin Medal Ceremony costume holding a blaster (shot wiht Hamill one Sunday morning in 1976 during filming), and a recently unearthed image showing Hamill as Luke protecting Carrie Fisher as Leia with his lightsaber)-making a total of four photographers on set covering those first two crucial films of the saga (once again we ask-WHERE IS ALL THIS MATERIAL!! AND WHY HAVEN’T WE SEEN IT!!). Like Steen, O’Neil didn’t know what to make of the film and its script. He too thought it was going to be a load of old rubbish kids film, and, once again like Steen, he signed his material away to Kurtz.   If anyone out there can help with more information on what material O’Neill took for both films, it would be greatly appreciated…   BOB SEIDEMANN   In mid to late 1977, with STAR WARS success exploding across the globe, the demand for extra photographic material for merchandising and other promotional uses had become heightened, with more action orientated images of the main cast being required for use beyond the normal scene by scene film images being supplied by FOX/LUCASFILM. With a large poster contract deal done, it is decided to shoot more material of the main cast, who had then just come to agreement with LUCASFILM for their likenesses to be used in merchandise, for these upcoming new products (once again, LUCASFILM would have the rights to the images and would hold on to them as future costume reference pics in case the returning characters retained their distinctive costumes and look from the first film for future STAR WARS sequels).   Recommended to Lucas and Kurtz, Bob Seidemann, a rising talent in the photography world with the distinction at that time of having photographed  many of the world’s well known bands and music stars of the seventies for the acclaimed ROLLING STONE magazine, of which Lucas himself was a regular reader, is commissioned to take the photographs for the new poster/pin-ups, which, like David Steen’s posed work, has become legendary in it’s own right (appearing in countless publications like the ART OF STAR WARS, and gracing other magazine covers all around the world).   The film’s main cast (Hamill, Ford, Fisher), now over-night superstars, return to play the characters for the shoot (it is unknown, however if any shots by Seidemann are taken of the cast together-it may well have been that the actors were photographed in costumes separately and on separate days in the schedule too). In these late 1977 photo shoots, some of the actor’s appearances have changed. Mark Hamill’s face, in particular, is noticeably different due to the plastic surgery work undertaken on his features from his car crash earlier that year, and his hair is darker and longer, whilst Harrison Ford no longer has his distinctive long hair from the first film and has since had it cut short. Of the main three, only Carrie Fisher is unaffected in her pics as Princess Leia, who is now back to wearing her famous “space buns” hair style.   From storage, the costumes of the Tusken Raiders, Jawas, and an Imperial Stormtrooper are additionally photographed, and unknown models inhabit the costumes for the shoot. Of the other supporting cast, C-3PO is also photographed (we assume with Anthony Daniels in the costume), alongside and separate to the inert Artoo Detoo (and its robot three leg prop). The mighty Chewbacca is also added to the “goodies” list chosen for new photography, though the costume’s mask and mohair suit has noticeably deteriorated since its 1976 filming (we assume Peter Mayhew played the character for this session as well?). Finally, the legendary Darth Vader is captured on film, the actor inhabiting the suit being Kermit Eller, who has been bringing the costume of the Dark Lord to life in marketing and promotional campaigns throughout 1977 for both STAR WARS and into 1980 for EMPIRE.   With the success of the poster images, Seidemann would go onto create the classic photo cover celebrating the US 1st anniversary of STAR WARS-the classic images of the KENNER action figures encircling a STAR WARS logo birthday cake.   THE UNKNOWN MARK HAMILL SHOOTS   With the film on release, Mark Hamill, as well as doing the poster shoots for LUCASFILM, would also wear various character costumes for other publicity photograph purposes-namely for magazine’s that are interviewing him in the light of his success as Luke Skywalker. In mid to late 1977/early 1978, his face was appearing in all kinds of teen and young women’s magazines. Some special shoots were taken of him that we cannot identify (which were definitely taken after STAR WARS because his facial features are different to the way he looked in 1976-again, after his nose operation). Some shots show him with longer, darker hair with a prop lightsaber. I’m assuming that all of these were photographed in liaison with LUCASFILM but they don’t seem to have appeared very often until the last few years.   Again, if anyone has any more info as to who took these and when exactly, it would be much appreciated.   IF ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE HAS FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE PHOTO SHOOTS OF THE STAR WARS FILMS, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH…     THANK YOU!!

JEDI-CON 2008     NOTES FROM THE EVENT RELATING TO THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF STAR WARS   Compiled by Scott Weller   STEVE SANSWEET   He’s tried on one of the surviving Darth Vader costumes at LUCASFILM-one of the originals first worn by Dave Prowse.   With regards to some of the props sold recently in auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christies, Sansweet and LUCASFILM are very dubious as to whether the items being sold, especially from the first STAR WARS are genuine. For a start, a lot of the items sold, if they are real, were stolen from the STAR WARS film set, whilst things like the recent Obi-Wan cloak may be fake-Sansweet revealed that the stitching of the cloth in the cloak that they have at LUCASFILM is different to the one sold in auction. LUCASFILM do check the items and warn the auction houses about selling possible fakes but beyond that there isn’t much they can do about it. Prop buyers beware!!   Despite it’s thirtieth anniversary, the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL DVD will never, ever be released on DVD or any format, according to Sansweet. It’s just too awful-Sansweet hasn’t seen it for a while. Lucas apparently tried to watch it recently but gave up-he said it was just too awful to watch as well.   Asked by me whether we’ll ever see any Original Trilogy cut scenes on DVD, Sansweet replied that they are working on them at the moment-an archivist is finding them, cataloging them, and they are being restored for an eventual release (they are waiting to see what happens with BLUE-RAY and other advances in technology before they make any future decisions on STAR WARS DVD releases). Sansweet says that there are cut scenes that even he wasn’t aware of.   The upcoming CLONE WARS animated movie is indeed the first three episodes put together-though there is a special beginning section newly created to launch the story-originally it was planned that you would start in the TV series in the middle of an adventure (a la STAR WARS) but this was changed by Lucas for the theatrical versions. As well as standalone episodes, there will be two and three part episodes. There will not be future CLONE WARS animated films as far as Sansweet is aware-it is a one off to help launch the 22 episode series. They are currently projecting three seasons of the animated show, of which work has already begun on three to four episodes of Series Two already.The current projection for the live action series is still 100 episodes, of which it is hoped the third series of the CLONE WARS will be airing at around the same time.   There will eventually be complete soundtracks for EPISODES II and III. Basically, when the original CD albums were released, Williams specially selected the tracks that he wanted on them to represent the film. LUCASFILM have to wait a period and then they'll hopefully be able to quietly persuade him to givbe permission to have the whole lot released. The same with the INDY scores as well, as LUCASFILM would also like to see them released.   JEREMY BULLOCH   Though the original armour was heavy on set for filming, his shoe wear was very soft, allowing him to move/glide along the floor quite easily whilst playing the part.   Some time ago he visited LUCASFILM to see his original Boba Fett costume (which, though created for EMPIRE, was later given a new paint job for his appearance in RETURN OF THE JEDI).   BARRIE HOLLAND   Holland, got his part in JEDI after having worked with Richard Marquand on a scene that was eventually altered cut from the director’s previous film, EYE OF THE NEEDLE (Holland liked Marquand very much). Filming the “You Rebel Scum” scene, Holland a