Original Trilogy news & articles thread: online write-ups on the OT films, cast and crew

Nice thread!

Harrison Ford’s Star Wars gun blasts record as it sells for over $1 million at Guinness World Records
 

'A blaster gun used by Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy has made its way into the record books as the most expensive prop gun sold at auction.

The BlasTech DL-44 Heavy Blaster, made for Harrison Ford’s character, was picked up at auction for a whopping $1,057,500 (£904,342).

Sold at Rock Island Auctions, in Illinois, USA, the gun was the only survivor of the three original props made for A New Hope in 1976.

It’s one of the three “hero props” – meaning it was a high-detail master version used for close-up shots and publicity images - made by London props house Bapty.

The basic components of the gun were chosen by Star Wars set director Roger Christian and were assembled by armourer Carl Schmidt.’

Forgotten Artist Marilee Heyer Discusses Working on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi at IGN
 

'Marilee Heyer helped design Princess Leia’s iconic bikini in Return of the Jedi… but she’s still fighting for recognition 40 years later.

During an interview with SFGate, the artist and illustrator explained her struggle for recognition after being left out of numerous books and exhibits about the legendary costume.

“I would like to be remembered if this is my legacy,” she explained. “If this is what I’m most noted for, I want to make sure I’m getting credited when I’m no longer around. I view my artwork like my children. You have to be able to send them out and give them the tools they need to fight.”’
 

From December 2022:
 

Richard Miller Dies: Sculptor Behind Princess Leia’s Gold Bikini Was 80 at Deadline
 

'Richard Miller, the Industrial Light and Magic sculptor that helped create Princess Leia’s gold bikini costume for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, died December 8. He was 80.

Miller’s close friend and colleague Fon H. Davis confirmed the news in an Instagram post.

“I am heartbroken to hear my friend, colleague and incredibly talented sculptor, Richard Miller has passed away,” he captioned. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work, laugh, and be grumpy, at times, with him. I really appreciate having this picture Marrianne Heath sent me last Christmas. That’s the smile I like to remember. I also miss Grant very much today. We would have gotten together to remember Richard. Hug your friends today.”

Almost a year ago, Miller had taken to Twitter to share a tidbit from the Princess Leia bikini saying, “I sculpted the Princess Leia bikini back in 1981 for Return of the Jedi. Fun fact: It was quite uncomfortable on Carrie so I glued leather to the interior so she could move around more freely.”’

Emre1601 said:

Star Wars Creator George Lucas Had A Simple Reason For Not Directing The Empire Strikes Back

https://www.slashfilm.com/1194844/star-wars-creator-george-lucas-had-a-simple-reason-for-not-directing-the-empire-strikes-back
 

‘One of the more common misconceptions about “Star Wars” is the idea that creator George Lucas directed and wrote the entire original trilogy. That idea leads people to wonder how the guy who created something as good as “The Empire Strikes Back” could later go on to make something so terrible with the prequels. How could Lucas’ films have fallen so far in quality so quickly?

The answer, of course, is that it was Irvin Kershner who directed “Empire,” and the screenplay was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. (“Return of the Jedi,” meanwhile, was directed by Richard Marquand.) Lucas oversaw the production and provided the stories for 5 and 6, but as a whole, the “Star Wars” original trilogy seemed to work as well as it did because of Lucas’ limited involvement. Even with the first film, which Lucas did write and direct, he was dealing with a lot of limitations that prevented him from getting too self-indulgent. Actors pushed back against his clumsy dialogue, and the editors made major cuts and changes to help with the film’s pacing.

Time has shown us that the less directly involved Lucas is with a “Star Wars” film, the better, but his decision to let Kershner direct “Empire” had a much simpler reason behind it. “I hate directing,” he told Rolling Stone in a 1980 interview. “It’s like fighting a fifteen-round heavyweight bout with a new opponent every day. You go to work knowing just how you want a scene to be, but by the end of the day, you’re usually depressed because you didn’t do a good enough job … It was easy to let go of directing.”

Probably should’ve kept letting go

'Not to pile on George Lucas even more than he’s already been, but considering how successful the approach for “Empire” turned out, one can’t help but wonder what the prequels would’ve looked like has Lucas stayed on as the story advisor and let someone else take over the script and direction. Instead, Lucas had complete control over both throughout all three prequel films, and unlike with “A New Hope,” there were far fewer constraints holding him back from his worst creative instincts.

It’s hard to hold this all against him too much though, because “Star Wars” as a decades-spanning franchise wouldn’t exist without him. Even beyond the surprise success of “A New Hope,” so much of what allowed “Empire” to surpass its predecessor was the creative freedom Lucas gave Kershner and the rest of the crew. Rather than cater to studio demands, Lucas made the bold choice to fund the movie himself, a decision that could’ve easily ruined him if things turned out differently.

“They were supposed to shoot [the Hoth scenes in Finse] in two weeks and they shot it in months,” Lucas later explained in a 2020 interview. “So it created a lot of havoc. We were projected to go way over budget and I’d already borrowed all the money that I could.” As the production continued to go over budget and behind schedule, Lucas borrowed even more money from a different bank to keep things running smoothly. It was insanely stressful, but no one today can say it wasn’t worth it. Lucas may not have directed the franchise’s best film, but he was a vital part of what allowed it to be so great in the first place.’

Awful article, and full of misinformation.

Darth Vader, the problematic fanzine fave of 1977 at Polygon

Fandom latched onto Vader back when he was just ‘Darth’
 

'When Star Wars hit theaters in 1977, fans had no idea it would be a trilogy, let alone remain a household name 45 years later. But they knew they had seen something special, and they wanted more. So they created their own extended universe. Fan zines with art, fiction, and discussion of the movie thrived long before any official sequels or spinoffs. Most focused on the heroes — Luke, Han, Leia, and Obi-Wan were all popular. But others were drawn in by the film’s enigmatic villain, Darth Vader.

Nowadays, the Sith Lord is a pop culture icon. But 1977 was three years before “I am your father.” A New Hope (though it wouldn’t be called that until its theatrical rerelease in 1981) gave almost no details about the man in the mask. In fact, Vader only gets a little under 10 minutes of screen time. He strides around the Death Star with ominous music playing and kills rebels, Empire bureaucrats, and Obi-Wan with equal dispassion.

But there was a hint at something deeper. Fans seized on the fact that, according to Obi-Wan, Vader had killed Luke’s father. With the lie now becoming infamous, it’s hard to remember that it was once all fans had to go on when thinking about the history of the Jedi and the Sith.’

Omni said:

Emre1601 said:

Star Wars Creator George Lucas Had A Simple Reason For Not Directing The Empire Strikes Back

https://www.slashfilm.com/1194844/star-wars-creator-george-lucas-had-a-simple-reason-for-not-directing-the-empire-strikes-back
 

‘One of the more common misconceptions about “Star Wars” is the idea that creator George Lucas directed and wrote the entire original trilogy. That idea leads people to wonder how the guy who created something as good as “The Empire Strikes Back” could later go on to make something so terrible with the prequels. How could Lucas’ films have fallen so far in quality so quickly?

The answer, of course, is that it was Irvin Kershner who directed “Empire,” and the screenplay was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. (“Return of the Jedi,” meanwhile, was directed by Richard Marquand.) Lucas oversaw the production and provided the stories for 5 and 6, but as a whole, the “Star Wars” original trilogy seemed to work as well as it did because of Lucas’ limited involvement. Even with the first film, which Lucas did write and direct, he was dealing with a lot of limitations that prevented him from getting too self-indulgent. Actors pushed back against his clumsy dialogue, and the editors made major cuts and changes to help with the film’s pacing.

Time has shown us that the less directly involved Lucas is with a “Star Wars” film, the better, but his decision to let Kershner direct “Empire” had a much simpler reason behind it. “I hate directing,” he told Rolling Stone in a 1980 interview. “It’s like fighting a fifteen-round heavyweight bout with a new opponent every day. You go to work knowing just how you want a scene to be, but by the end of the day, you’re usually depressed because you didn’t do a good enough job … It was easy to let go of directing.”

Probably should’ve kept letting go

'Not to pile on George Lucas even more than he’s already been, but considering how successful the approach for “Empire” turned out, one can’t help but wonder what the prequels would’ve looked like has Lucas stayed on as the story advisor and let someone else take over the script and direction. Instead, Lucas had complete control over both throughout all three prequel films, and unlike with “A New Hope,” there were far fewer constraints holding him back from his worst creative instincts.

It’s hard to hold this all against him too much though, because “Star Wars” as a decades-spanning franchise wouldn’t exist without him. Even beyond the surprise success of “A New Hope,” so much of what allowed “Empire” to surpass its predecessor was the creative freedom Lucas gave Kershner and the rest of the crew. Rather than cater to studio demands, Lucas made the bold choice to fund the movie himself, a decision that could’ve easily ruined him if things turned out differently.

“They were supposed to shoot [the Hoth scenes in Finse] in two weeks and they shot it in months,” Lucas later explained in a 2020 interview. “So it created a lot of havoc. We were projected to go way over budget and I’d already borrowed all the money that I could.” As the production continued to go over budget and behind schedule, Lucas borrowed even more money from a different bank to keep things running smoothly. It was insanely stressful, but no one today can say it wasn’t worth it. Lucas may not have directed the franchise’s best film, but he was a vital part of what allowed it to be so great in the first place.’

Awful article, and full of misinformation.

You quoted the whole post just post to write that, but not say what you found awful or to be misinformation? Huh. I had the feeling I was on reddit for a moment 😃. Different strokes for different folks and all.

I thought it a little quirky in a couple of places, that it skimmed over some stuff that could have been explained further in more detail, and probably plays down Lucas’ involvement on ROTJ. But for a short article I enjoyed reading it. Though I’ll likely read almost anything I can get on the OT these days that doesn’t parrot George’s retconned bullshit. Thanks Emre1601.

Star Wars: Oscar-winning production designer Norman Reynolds dies

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-65200513
 

 
'Norman Reynolds, the British production designer and art director who won two Oscars for his work on Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, has died.

Reynolds, 89, worked as art director on Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977 and took over from John Barry as production designer for the sequels.

Steven Spielberg previously said Reynolds was the “creative core” of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films.

“He possessed that rare combination of humility and utter genius,” he said.

Reynolds’ notable design work included Yoda’s planet of Dagobah, the carbon freezing chamber in which Han Solo was encased in carbonite and The Emperor’s throne room.

The latter was reimagined as part of a destroyed Death Star in The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.

His influence on the Star Wars universe is still seen today with many of his designs incorporated in the look of the Disney+ series, The Mandalorian.’
 

more information is in the linked article above
 

^ Norman Reynolds with his two Oscars, which were won for best art direction on Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark

From last month about the Mark Hamill signed posters helping raise funds for Ukraine:
 

“$311, 046!!!” - https://twitter.com/MarkHamill/status/1639720548099063808

“The raffle of posters signed by @MarkHamill is over! We have raised over $311,046 towards RQ-35 Heidrun reconnaissance drones for our defenders. We’re grateful to our dear ambassador and everyone who joined in!” - https://twitter.com/U24_gov_ua/status/1639670157176889347
 

 
Well done Mark Hamill, and everyone who donated.

‘The untold story of Carrie Fisher’s ‘Star Wars’ Stinson Beach photo shoot’:

In the summer of 1983, Stinson Beach hosted Princess Leia and Darth Vader for a classic set of ‘Star Wars’ photos

https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/carrie-fisher-star-wars-stinson-beach-18074251.php
 

 
'Princess Leia arrived to the beach with Darth Vader, a scruffy Ewok and one of Jabba the Hutt’s hefty henchman.

Although it sounds like the setup for a joke you’d tell Greedo over drinks at the Mos Eisley Cantina, it happened 40 years ago, when Carrie Fisher showed up to Marin’s Stinson Beach for a “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” photo shoot for Rolling Stone in the summer of 1983.

The magazine had reached out to Los Angeles-based photographer Aaron Rapoport to tackle the assignment. Despite windy conditions, a crowded beach and three costumed subjects lumbering through the sand, the shoot resulted in a classic cover photo and showcased Fisher at the height of her “Star Wars” popularity.

“Most of what drove it was Carrie herself,” Rapoport told SFGATE by phone, “because she was such an incredible person, full of positivity and energy. I have done a lot of cover shoots but this one was really different. It was very joyous.”

Amazingly, Rolling Stone only published two photos from the shoot, and the rest of the imagery went unseen for decades. Rapoport later excavated the shots from his basement to sell to Corbis around 2014, and the photos slowly found their way — through tweets, blog posts and subreddits — to “Star Wars” fans around the world.’
 

Much more from the interview and photos in the link above

Billie Lourd and Mark Hamill honor Carrie Fisher at ‘Star Wars’-themed Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony at CNN
 

 
'The late Carrie Fisher was honored by her daughter Billie Lourd and “Star Wars” co-star Mark Hamill on Thursday in a ceremony unveiling her posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The ceremony took place on May the 4th, widely known as “Star Wars” day, which The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on Thursday also declared “Carrie Fisher Day” in Hollywood as Fisher’s star was unveiled.

Lourd donned a sheath dress showcasing an image of Fisher’s iconic character Princess Leia, and was surrounded by “Star Wars” droids at the podium when she spoke about her mom.

“Leia is more than just a character, she is a feeling,” she said, later adding that “people’s love for Leia didn’t die with my mom, it continues to get passed on from generation to generation, just like my mom passed it on to me, and I am now passing it onto my children. And hopefully, they will pass it onto theirs.”

Becoming emotional, Lourd went on to say, “I feel so lucky that even though they won’t get to meet my mom, they will get to know a piece of her through Leia. And I will get to tell them that the little lady in the TV is my mommy, their grand-mommy.”

“I can’t wait to bring my kids here when they’re old enough to understand how cool it is,” she concluded.’

Also in attendance on Thursday was Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker alongside Fisher and lovingly spoke of his “space twin.”

“Carrie was one-of-a-kind who belonged to us all,” Hamill said. He added that “she was our princess,” and described her as a “gorgeous, ferociously independent take-charge woman who took our breath away.”
 

more in the linked article above.

‘Star Wars’ toy designer Mark Boudreaux dies

 
'Award-winning toy designer Mark Boudreaux, revered by “Star Wars” fans for designing the Millennium Falcon playset for Kenner Products, died May 14 at the age of 68 following a lengthy illness related to COVID-19.

Boudreaux spent 43 years designing toys, first for Kenner in Cincinnati, then for Hasbro in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, after Hasbro acquired Kenner and closed the Cincinnati offices in 2000.

He was honored as Toy Innovator of the Year in 2015 and inducted into the Toy Collector Hall of Fame. Boudreaux retired as Hasbro’s senior principal designer in 2020 and settled in Sharonville.

He was born in 1955 and grew up in Reading. After graduating from Moeller High School, he studied industrial design at the University of Cincinnati and secured a paid internship at Kenner in January 1977. A month later, Kenner made a deal with George Lucas to design toys based on his upcoming film, “Star Wars.”’
 

^ Mark Boudreaux designed the Star Wars Millennium Falcon vehicle playset for Kenner Products.