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What's the beef with Prowse? — Page 2

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SpaceOddity said:

Chewtobacca said:

There was a very similar thread before.

Ah, sorry about that.

No worries!  I thought that the other might be interesting to read, and we might as well carry it on, but this one seems to have taken off anyway, so... :-)

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LexX said:

thecolorsblend said:

I would've thought if anybody had been considered a loose cannon, it would've been Anthony Daniels following his "the storytelling always gets subsumed" remark. That couldn't have won him any points with LFL.

I think Daniels is very close to LFL, without it he wouldn't be anything. He's been C-3PO in all things, cartoons, ads, Star Tours and all kinds of advertising things. And without him there really isn't 3PO at all so it's not like LFL has a choice. He's the only one in all the movies, too.

Yeah, it'd be harder for LFL to snub Daniels than Prowse. At the very least, they would've had to find someone who could do a convincing C-3PO voice imitation. Anyway, it is strange that some actors get a free pass from LFL when people like Prowse don't.

Harrison, Carrie and Mark have all made subtle - and not so subtle - jabs at Lucas over the years, but LFL knows it would be impossible and laughable to somehow retaliate against them. Harrison, in particular, can definitely get away with saying stuff like how Han Solo was an idiotic character and that ROTJ sucked and was basically made to sell toys, etc. Harrison can get away that, but someone like Gary Kurtz can't.

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adywan said:

Easterhay said:

That doesn't mean a thing.  Lucas is a multi-billionaire (soon to be "merely" a billionaire); is he known for a "Hollywood lifestyle"?  No.

 

Maybe Prowse doesn't hang out in Hollywood simply because he's quite a curmudgeon and doesn't get on with people?

 

And yes, bingowings, "really".  What, he turns up at conventions to sign photos of himself as The Green Cross Code Man?  He's known as the man who played Darth Vader.  And he exploits that to the very end.  That's his perogative.  But to publicly diss Lucas and then be so vocal with his negativity, he shouldn't really be surprised to have such a public snubbing from Lucas.

 

Anyway, what's the money that Lucas owes him? 

Well actually when i first met Dave Prowse was when he was doing the Green Cross code promotional tour early 80s. He was the one of the most genuine and nicest person i had ever met. He was dressed as the green cross code man and signing autographs (free). My Dad started talking to him mentioning how much of a huge star wars fan i was. Dave said that he was just about to go for his break and would we like to come back to his trailer and he will sign a Darth Vader picture for me (again for free). Now this was his own time when he was on a break. He chatted to us for ages, posed for photos and signed autographs for me and my brother. He was just about to start work on ROTJ and i asked him what it was going to be about and he said that he couldn't tell me anything. But he invited my whole family down to London for the day and treat us all to a meal and he will see if we could meet the cast. He gave us both his home address and his gym address so we could contact him. Now there was no ego with this guy at all. Unfortunately George Lucas put a stop to it, even though we wouldn't have been near the sets. He didn't give any reason apart from the security that surrounded the film. He couldn't apologise enough, but i completely understood that it was beyond his control. We conversed for the next couple of years but not once did he say anything bad against George Lucas. I saw the piece in the paper about the leaked information and asked him about it. Now his name was cleared but he did say that he wasn't enjoying the filming but said no more. He asked me to send my autograph book and that he would get the casts autographs at the premier as he wouldn't see them until then.

But he then wasn't invited to the Premier.

I really think that Jedi was the turning of GL. He has snubbed DP ever since and the reason he was banned from C5 was because GL himself was going to be there.Even though the reporter gave the true identity of the leak he just didn't back down and treated DP like crap.

Everytime i have met him since he has been the same person, even when he was so ill he couldn't walk, but came to the event because he didn't want to let the fans down.

Now he had always signed his Vader pics as "Dave Prowse is Darth Vader", the same as other actors did around that time , including non star wars. It seems this way of signing an autograph has been twisted to make it mean something it is not. Now if he had signed the pics as " Dave Prowse IS Darth Vader" then that would be different.

Now Anthony Daniels on the other hand is the most egotistical and arrogant ass i have ever met. He was at Memorabilia a few years ago and we went with my daughters young sister, who was about 8 at the time. She was memorised that she was seeing C-3P0 and she took her camera along with her.  Now i had met him a couple of years before and queued for a couple of hours to get his autograph and i asked him if i could get a picture taken with him and he agreed. Now the person that was taking the picture forgot to put the flash on and it didn't take (this was one of his PAs by the way) I said the flash didn't go off and can she take another one, but AD just said "oh that'll do. If you want another picture you'll have to buy another autograph". I couldn't belive it.

Now going back to the next time he was there, we couldn't afford an autograph but i got her to a good spot where she could take a picture of him that the queue didn't block sight of him. He looked over and spotted her trying to take a picture, he turned his back and signalled over to one of his PAs but continued to have his back turned to us. Next thing we know the PA came over and put her hand in front of the camera and said that he won't have any pictures taken of him unless we buy an autograph. Well screw that. She was so upset. That's no way to treat a little kid. But here's a guy that was talking to one of the fans about episode 2  and really slagging off GL because he had got strapped into a puppet harness for days to film "naked" 3P0 only to have the scenes cut from the film and have to re-film it in the grey costume.

Even when DP was asked about the snubbing by GL in "Bring Back Star Wars" he was very gracious about it and not once slagged off GL

I think it's a case of if GL falls out with you he holds a grudge for life.

Thanks for a really illuminating post.  Maybe I can relate to GL because, I too, hold a grudge for life!  Not an attractive quality, I'll give you that.

 

All I know is, everything I've read from David Prowse regarding the prequels is negative.  Now, if I'd created something new, something that I was proud of - as Lucas must surely be about the prequels - and all I heard was negativity from someone to whom I'd given a licence to make money then I'd be a bit hacked off, too. 

 

For what it's worth, I've always disliked Anthony Daniels.  I don't think there's one person more up their own backside than he is.  The way he behaved towards Kenny Baker - who's a lovely guy - was appalling and smacks of a sense of inflated worth. 

 

Maybe I've been uduly harsh on David Prowse, and for that I apologise.  I just get sick of the constant sour grapes. 

That's some bad hat, Harry
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Bingowings said:

Easterhay said:

Well, for one, your reply, bingowings was so predictable it doesn't warrant a reply.  Other than this: over half a man's wealth is over half a man's wealth.  It is academic how much wealth that man has.

The Widow's Mite is clearly something you have no agreement with.

Half of not much is clearly a greater sacrifice than half of quite a lot.

It's generous of Lucas to give what he does compared with many of the money hoarders in the industry but it is more generous to give the same proportion when you have much less to start with.

I don't hate Lucas, I don't even dislike him, without Lucas none of us would be on this forum for one thing but I do hate pettiness and stamping out Prowse's claims for residual payments and pulling stunts like banning the guy from conventions is petty for a company and a man as wealthy as Lucasfilm and Lucas.

As is not releasing a restored OT with every box set release of the films.

We can all be pious and worthy when we're outside of the fence, though.  In my country, for example, in the late seventies the rich were taxed about eighty-to-ninety percent of their earnings because the country was in recession.  Ergo, they left the country and it took a capitalist prime minister to entice them back.  If you've come from nothing, and someone says "Give me more than half of what you earn" you say "No".  You've earned your wealth - and yes, those of us who work in the arts do get paid a lot, but the fact is we go without whilst we make a name for ourselves for a long time.  So, really, the big bucks that we end up earning is a kind of payback.

 

Now, Lucas is an independent filmmaker.  He fronted the cash to realise his vision.  So if he's a wealthy man, good luck to him.  And he's giving over half back to fund education now.  That's a massive commitment.  You and I will never know that kind of money.  Ever.  So cut him some slack, yes?

 

If Prowse is legitimately owed money then of course he should be paid back.  But he should also know when to shut up.  And he's made some ill-advised comments, that have been well circulated, that prove that he doesn't know when to shut up.

That's some bad hat, Harry
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 (Edited)

Easterhay said:

Bingowings said:

Easterhay said:

Well, for one, your reply, bingowings was so predictable it doesn't warrant a reply.  Other than this: over half a man's wealth is over half a man's wealth.  It is academic how much wealth that man has.

The Widow's Mite is clearly something you have no agreement with.

Half of not much is clearly a greater sacrifice than half of quite a lot.

It's generous of Lucas to give what he does compared with many of the money hoarders in the industry but it is more generous to give the same proportion when you have much less to start with.

I don't hate Lucas, I don't even dislike him, without Lucas none of us would be on this forum for one thing but I do hate pettiness and stamping out Prowse's claims for residual payments and pulling stunts like banning the guy from conventions is petty for a company and a man as wealthy as Lucasfilm and Lucas.

As is not releasing a restored OT with every box set release of the films.

We can all be pious and worthy when we're outside of the fence, though.  In my country, for example, in the late seventies the rich were taxed about eighty-to-ninety percent of their earnings because the country was in recession.  Ergo, they left the country and it took a capitalist prime minister to entice them back.  If you've come from nothing, and someone says "Give me more than half of what you earn" you say "No".  You've earned your wealth - and yes, those of us who work in the arts do get paid a lot, but the fact is we go without whilst we make a name for ourselves for a long time.  So, really, the big bucks that we end up earning is a kind of payback.

 

Now, Lucas is an independent filmmaker.  He fronted the cash to realise his vision.  So if he's a wealthy man, good luck to him.  And he's giving over half back to fund education now.  That's a massive commitment.  You and I will never know that kind of money.  Ever.  So cut him some slack, yes?

 

If Prowse is legitimately owed money then of course he should be paid back.  But he should also know when to shut up.  And he's made some ill-advised comments, that have been well circulated, that prove that he doesn't know when to shut up.

I grew up on the picket lines under those same governments and demonstrated against Thatcher in my teens, Blair in my thirties and the current lot given half a chance.

I have very strong views about people who skip the country to avoid tax and are then allowed back in short, they shouldn't be allowed back.

I'm more than willing to cut George slack.

I think the documentary series glued into the Young Indiana Jones disc sets are the best media work he has funded for decades and I acknowledged before he didn't have to give anything away to charity and good on him for doing what he does but why should Prowse shut up when he is owed money from a very rich man, why should a very rich man stop a guy from appearing at a convention where he would be continuing to contribute to his charity work?

He would no doubt shut up when he felt he no longer had anything to make a noise about.

Just as we will shut up when we have the OUT restored and given equal place in future collected releases of the films.

When prints of the OUT aren't tracked down and seized so that George can burn his own contribution to cinema history.

It's the mixture of pettiness and cultural vandalism that people object to with Lucas, not his charity work.

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For what it's worth, I've always disliked Anthony Daniels.  I don't think there's one person more up their own backside than he is.  The way he behaved towards Kenny Baker - who's a lovely guy - was appalling and smacks of a sense of inflated worth. 

 

 After watching bring back Star Wars on channel 4 , hearing how he treated Kenny Baker ( Easterhay your right he is a lovely guy) especially after Kennys wife died gave me a dislike to this guy also.

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Bingowings said:

It's the mixture of pettiness and cultural vandalism that people object to with Lucas, not his charity work.

 Its this very reason that i have such anger against Lucas. Good on him for whatever charity work he does or will do in the future , but giving fans of the original trilogy the middle finger for asking for what we had for twenty years in an acceptable up to date quality is insulting to us all. 

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Easterhay said:

How much is he charging for his autographs nowadays?  I think he's made a very healthy living out of Star Wars and has been ultimately stupid in biting the hand that feeds him.

I have heard Dave Prowse say that attending conventions and signing autographs is basically the only thing that he is doing these days.

I have lost count of how many conventions that I have been to where Dave Prowse have been writing signatures, but I have never seen the price of his signature being very high in comparison. He is on the same level as Kenny Baker and Jeremy Bulloch who are also seen very often. Anthony Daniels charges more. I have seen background actors charge less, but not always.

Mind you, that Lucasfilm has at most one or two conventions per year, and there are many, many others. Several firms organize three conventions annually. I have heard that LFLs terms for guests are nowhere near as good as those that other convention organizers provide. The income that the autograph signers get from Lucasfilm's events can only be a fraction of what they get from doing other events.

Oh, I have heard many people talk about bad experiences with Anthony Daniels. My own impression, from meeting him at three events, including backstage, is that he is quite pedantic, and takes any job very seriously, perhaps too seriously. I have also heard Dave Prowse speak publicly about how he dislikes Anthony Daniels ...