Originally posted by: SKot

Originally posted by: Wesyeed
oh come on. I saw it with my own eyes, twice when it aired on tv.

It's a common thing. Superman when broadcast on tv had deleted scenes and stuff put back in to extend its length for whatever reason. Maybe it's the same with star wars... I don't know. But this is no urban legend... someone out there must have this on tape.

The thing is, numerous people have copies of Star Wars taped off the air from when it was broadcast at various times in various parts of the world. Many of us have watched them, specifically looking for different shots like this. And it's NOT IN THERE. Not one single person has found a copy that has a missed grappling hook shot in it. Not ever to this day. If that was shown, *twice* even, when it aired on TV... we would have found it on one of the taped copies. It's not there.

Now, I'm willing to admit the possibility that some alternate footage may have been aired during some weird one-off TV special that may not have resurfaced yet. But I'm doubtful even of that. I too have a vague recollection of Luke missing with the grappling hook, but I know it is from my reading the novel before I even saw the film. You guys who think you saw it with your own eyes... overwhelming evidence to the contrary says no. I think your mind is playing tricks on you.

Again, 50 bucks to the first person to present real, hard evidence of the missed grappling hook shot. All I hear still is talk!

--SKot

Thank you, oh voice of reason. How many star wars fans are there on the web? Well over a hundred thousand. At least fifty percent of those are involved in communities and digging up collectibles and whatnot, even just in passing, and if there is a piece of star wars footage aired or some collectable released, you can be damn sure that about fifty different people can post hard copy evidence and information about such a thing. This grappling hook thing is bogus--i don't doubt a genuine memory of it, but twenty five year old vague childhood memories are not relyable sources. In fact, just yesterday i saw a thread started by some younger fan at TF.N stating that he swore he remembered an alternate ending to TPM where they battles Maul over a river of lava or something and was wondering if anyone else saw it. Mulitple people have also posted about remembering Leia spitting on Vader in the torture chamber and of course there is the infamous case where hundreds all agreed that the Biggs footage was edited into an early 80's TV broadcast. And all of these people's so-called "memories" agreed with each other, people who had never even met. Its not uncommon. But every peice of Star Wars footage that was ever aired has been identified, analysed and posted in hard copy from multiple sources.

I am suspecting that these "rope missing" memories may stem from a behind-the-scenes program. The chasm sequence was heavily documented by the documentary crew on set and i've seen lots of footage from the making of that sequence--and i am sure when Mark Hamill had to throw the rope, he missed. Likely he had to throw it to a stage hand off camera, or a mark on the floor a few yards away--and its also likely that they may have even filmed a few takes in succession, having mark thrown, pull it back in, throw again, et cetera, to give some variations in the takes. I am guessing that a clip which may include or indicate this type of scenario is what is the impetus for all these false memories of it be included in the 1977 cut, or some obscure or unobscure TV broadcast.