TServo2049 said:

The irony of all this is that complete versions of the original 1977 film presumably still exist in Lucasfilm's possession. Maybe not ones in good enough quality to intercut with the original negative, but this claim that NO elements exist is BS.

It may be dirty and damaged from years of use, but the early interpositive that was used for the Japanese Special Collection laserdisc and other 80s home video transfers (the one with the big film cement blobs at almost every shot change) must still exist. From what I can tell, it still existed, with virtually intact color, in 1995. I am positing this because the collectible 70mm film cells seem to have come from that source. I finally found one on eBay that is the last frame of a shot, and the seller put in an enlarged scan of it. There is clearly a cement blob there - can someone check it against the JSC?

Splice glue match Technidisc/THX LD's source.

JSC:

Technidisc SWE:

Even the 1997 Special Edition "restoration" used an interpositive in order to restore certain scenes back then.