fans own, i've got that one beat. someone on another SW board I frequent actually suggested that Lucas put Chewie into Episode III so that Yoda could use the force to communicate with Obi-Wan and tell him that Chewie was a good wookiee, thus helping Obi-Wan to trust Chewie when he meets him in the Mos Eisley cantina in EpIV.

THAT is the most ludicrious attempt at a PT-OT tie-in--and justifying lucas' strategic employment of OT touchstones in the PT for marketing purposes--I have ever heard, and probably ever will hear.