I have absolutely no proof for this so feel free to ignore this post, but the bootleg version I used to watch on my VCR in the early 90’s was a bit different. During the chasm jump Luke first missed, then Leia kissed him, then he tried again, this time he made it and Leia kissed him again, “for luck”. I remember thinking it’s funny what a young guy can do when he’s “properly motivated”. The second difference was during the meeting before the Death Star attack. After the wamp rats comment Luke and the pilot next to him shook hands and introduced themselves. And I’m pretty sure the guy introduced himself as “Wedge”, and I was pretty confused that there are 2 different pilots named Wedge. The third and last change I remember was the third Biggs scene right before they go inside the ships. I was very confused when back in 1997 I found online a list of SE changes and this scene was listed there - to me, it was always a part of the movie. I actually had a feeling that it originally was a bit longer.
The tape doesn’t exist anymore, I replaced it with the first official VHS tapes when they were released here and later with the SE tapes, so I have absolutely no proof that these are something else than messed up memories, but if you want a rumour list, here are mine.
Ben Burt has said that the missed throw was never shot, and he never did sound effects for it (he was asked just last week at a conference).
People often believe they saw this, but there is simply no way. I have looked at almost every conceivable version of the scene on the original film releases, the VHD, the VHS, The LD, the CED, the Fox original PAL test LDs, the bootleg in cinema recordings, the U-Matic tapes from the original HBO broadcasts, the Derran Super8 release, the other Super8 release with the original crawl, the armed forces 16mm release. In all cases there is no sign of a splice or even a place where a splice would be.
When I ask people whose memories are ‘crystal clear’ on this scene, and get them to PM me how the scene played out (i.e. exactly the scene in order, the throw, then what. Did it cut to a close-up of the hook missing, or was it a wide shot, was there a reaction shot from Luke or not, did you see the hook fall into the abyss or not, did you see luke re-spool the rope, or did he press a button and have it retract, did Leia react, how long did this all take etc.) funnily enough, everyone’s “Storyboard” of the sequence of events is radically different.
If I ask in an open forum, and someone posts a sequence of events, then funnily enough, everyone remembers that exact sequence occurring.
I’ve spoken to editors and actors over the years, as well as people in duplication, and now (via proxy) asked Ben Burtt, and in every case, they say it never happened, and that the extended Tattoine scenes absolutely didn’t happen, after the extremely rough cut of it was put together as a daily to placate Coppola, when they watched it, with no score, sound FX and optical FX not done, they all hated it, and that was the last time that was ever seen. The visual effects, scoring and sound effects didn’t proceed any further, and no even vaguely high quality version was ever made. (If they had done a release, the credits would have had to have been re-done to include Koo Stark).
People do have memories of seeing this, but people also have memories of an entire film that never existed.(https://www.thisisinsider.com/does-the-movie-shazaam-exist-2016-12)
If someone ever comes forward with a bootleg, I’ll put on a stormtrooper suit and dance to “Sorry” by Justin Bieber*
Memory is a horrible thing, it seems so very real, I had a memory of a line being in Star Wars that never was, (it was in the comics, which though I don’t remember reading them, it’s probably where I picked it up), but the early Biggs scene, and the throw-and-miss I can see no evidence for ever being seen in public, and an emormous amount of evidence against it.
[*This is a genuine promise. I’d love to be wrong, and will absolutely strut my Stormtrooper stuff if I am]