Tack said:
Does it have the alternate take of "Princess, we'll find Han. I promise." from the original 70mm mix?
No, there is probably a lot more subtle differences in the 16mm audio not mentioned in my post but all the major ones should be listed there.
Tack said:
So, why exactly hasn't a ESB 70mm preservation started yet?
You'll have to ask Lucasfilm.
Tack said:
Is it because we don't have 100% information, or is it just a lack of time?
Joking aside, the simple answer is that initial release prints of ESB contained a slightly different cut of the film with minor visual effects differences including different wipes and dissolves, we have the info but you cannot restore or preserve something you don't have access to. An in-theatre audio recording has surfaced, that's all. You could make a sort of half-assed reconstruction but it would be pointless IMO.
Haven't been able to find any info regarding this but I still find it entirely possible that the 70mm prints that was prepared for foreign markets later that year could've contained the "final cut". I saw ESB in 70mm in Sweden later that year but I can of course not recall if it contained the different editing nor different audio seen and heard on American 70mm prints. I've seen british folks say they heard some of those lines listed in my post when they saw it back in '80, true or not we cannot say for sure what this mono mix really is, it's entirely possible it reflects the final English mix prepared for European exhibition or a '81 or '82 re-release mix.
I think we possibly could have an early cut on 70mm and a final cut on 70mm which also means two different mixes. Only a theory, that any additional info regarding 70mm ESB is impossible to come by speak against my theory though. You would think something would have been documented on the numerous re-releases if new prints were made containing differences. Apparently there was even 35mm prints shown at drive-ins in May '80, which means 35mm prints with the early rare cut of the film.
Empire was released in at least five different formats in its original release:
1) 70mm six-track Dolby-encoded magnetic
2) 70mm six-track non-Dolby-encoded magnetic
3) 35mm with optical mono soundtrack
4) 35mm with optical Stereo Variable Area (Dolby) soundtrack
5) 35mm with mag-optical soundtrack (magnetic 4-track + optical mono)
Five different formats, not necessarily five different audio mixes... but all this can make your head spin. I'm pretty sure there are some collectors out there who owns the rare cut of ESB. Who knows, maybe some day...