canofhumdingers said:

Happy Halloween!

Cracking pics mate - nice one. Hope they - and you - enjoyed it 😃

Sorry lads - and thanks 😃

You both may need a new mouse wheel again…
 

The Index grew from the original 35 Profiles… and is now at 101 Profiles; with additional information for around 40 or so people who worked on / around the Original Trilogy films.
 

There are also a few links to articles and more indepth information re certain aspects of the films - ie, model making, visual effects, matte paintings - as well as a focus on scenes for the Mos Eisley Cantina in SW, the Walkers on Hoth and Yoda on Dagobah in ESB, and also Jabba’s Palace in ROTJ.

If anyone has any suggestions for any additional members of the film crew or more people who worked behind the scenes to be included… or for specific threads or links to be added (or any insightful books, websites, interviews, or articles for film crew profiles / info etc)… please post them below - thank you.
 

This may be of some interest…
 

The ‘365 Star Wars’ website has a category dedicated to women in Star Wars:-

http://365starwars.com/category/365-star-wars-women

^ Not just for the Original Trilogy films - but for all the GFFA movies, tv series, animated series and EU content too.

The blurb…

'365 Star Wars started out at the beginning of 2018 as 365 Star Wars Women. In this project I highlighted a new female character, actress, writer, producer, or artist from Star Wars films, TV shows, books, comics, and more every day.

At the end of the year I had (as promised) 365 posts including 42 new interviews. You can click here to see highlights of all 365 posts. I also wrote about what I learned while doing the 365 Project on Medium – you can read that here.

For 2019 I wanted to both continue to update the 365 Star Wars Women project as well as write about all aspects of the Star Wars Universe. This new site – 365 Star Wars – will include articles about 365 Star Wars Women, analysis articles, reference posts about Star Wars characters, droids, planets, and creatures, and issues of the Dantooine Digest.

The Dantooine Digest will highlight a variety of Star Wars content that caught my eye in the last week or month as well as some fun odds and ends. Think of it as more of a “What I saw and loved this week” than a collection of Star Wars news articles. Other sites cover news so well already.

If you’re looking to for a monthly overview of my writing on this site as well as the official Star Wars site (plus other projects) please subscribe to the 365 monthly newsletter.

You can also follow 365 Star Wars on Twitter (@365_StarWars), or on Instagram (@365StarWars).’
 

‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Launch Trailer’:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIl2z5wwjdA - from ‘EA Star Wars’

‘The galaxy awaits as Cal Kestis embarks upon an epic journey in hopes of rebuilding the Jedi Order. Fight for your survival, explore the mysteries of a long-extinct civilization, and become a Jedi on November 15.’
 

13las said:

Mocata said:

oojason said:

‘STAR WARS CHANGES (Part 1 of 4) — A New Hope’:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn2eD-RI-dc - from the ‘Original Thrillogy’ youtube channel
 

I haven’t had a chance to watch all of it yet - though looks promising going on the first 4-5 minutes…

(Is it by one of us from here?)
 

This really needs more views.

…I hope it doesn’t get taken down though.

Hey, thanks! That’s my vid and I appreciate the positive response in this thread. I couldn’t have done it without this site.

There’s a couple of copyright claims against it for the music (I’m assuming from the music in some scenes I let play out in their entirety). Apparently it’s just preventing me from monetizing the video? I’m new to YouTube, but that’s my understanding so far so I think it’s safe for now.

The ESB video is up now, btw. (And Jedi in the works)

Just watching your Return Of The Jedi video now - really great work in the two previous videos for Star Wars and Empire. Nice one!

And I’ll watch the Prequel video when I get some time too 😃

You should consider about making your own thread for your Star Wars Changes videos…

STAR WARS CHANGES (1 of 4) - A New Hope

STAR WARS CHANGES (2 of 4) - The Empire Strikes Back

STAR WARS CHANGES (3 of 4) - Return of the Jedi

STAR WARS CHANGES (4 of 4) – The Prequels

full size image link - https://i.redd.it/9tsjv48kv0v31.jpg

by Kyle_Everts at https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/dnpi7x/matching_poster_collection_for_a_lot_of_star_wars/

Google Drive Link - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nezc4N1HZSoCadypWqy8wdZUYnGhGDk4
 

‘Star Wars Actor Appearances’ website - http://starwarsactorappearances.blogspot.com

The blurb:-

'This is your all inclusive source for Star Wars actor appearances. From the largest con to the smallest book signing, we will bring them to you.

There are endless lists of conventions on the internet, but there has never been one place to go to find actor appearances, until now. The actors and actresses are listed in alphabetical order. Their role and in which film or series they appeared is listed below their names and the picture is their most recognizable role.’
 

It also features the film crew and people from behind the cameras of the Star Wars films too 😃
 

And also has links to some ‘sister sites’ for other sci-fi content such as BSG, Dr Who, Star Trek, Firefly, Stargate, Lost and LOTR.
 

‘Obi-Wan Kenobi: McGregor Kept the Series a Secret Longer Than You Think’:-

https://www.cbr.com/obi-wan-kenobi-mcgregor-kept-series-secret-longer/
 

'While Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi series was only announced in August, it has actually been in development for quite some time.

In an interview with Men’s Journal, star Ewan McGregor revealed that he has know about the series for the last four years! “It’s a fucking massive relief,” he said. “Because for four years, I’ve been having to lie to people about it.”’

McGregor also dropped some other nuggets, saying that the series won’t film until next summer and that it will consist of six hour-long episodes. As for story details, he revealed that “The storyline sits between Episode III and Episode IV," right after the collapse of the Jedi Order. McGregor hinted that the slaughter will be central to Obi-Wan’s arc, but stopped himself before revealing any more new information.

The Obi-Wan series is one of many Star Wars TV shows Disney+ has in the works. The Mandalorian is set to premiere on Nov. 12, the same day the streaming service launches, and an untitled series centered around Rouge One’s Cassian Andor is in development.

Written by Hossein Amini, directed by Deborah Chow and starring Ewan McGregor, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series will air on Disney+. No release date has yet been announced.’

The link to the full story at MensJournal is - https://www.mensjournal.com/features/ewan-mcgregor-cover-story/though is not working for me. Nor this one - https://twitter.com/MensJournal/status/1187338091750711296

‘This is the cover to THE RISE OF KYLO REN #2, written by me with art from @WillSliney. Out in January.
And yes, that’s Luke Skywalker and Ben Solo fighting the Knights of Ren.’

^ from https://twitter.com/CharlesSoule/status/1187359415344795648

From earlier in the month…
 

‘As announced at NYCC, in Jan 2020 Jesus Saiz and I relaunch Marvel’s STAR WARS comic with a new #1.
The story begins just after Empire Strikes Back - first 3 pages below. CHOP!
Taking Luke Skywalker from here to the confident warrior we see in Return of the Jedi? Yes, please.’

^ from https://twitter.com/CharlesSoule/status/1180226635460685825

A space for announcements or more categories etc; if needed in the future…

Original Trilogy Film Crew & People Behind The Scenes; Profiles, Info + Links…

Introduction…

Hopefully this thread will serve as a centralised ‘Useful Links’ reference - one that focuses on a number of the Original Trilogy film crew and other talented people who worked behind the scenes on the three classic, landmark and groundbreaking Star Wars films.

To be an introductory resource - featuring a short overview biography on each person (from the likes of Wikipedia etc) and links to other bios around the net - as well as further in-depth information from books, magazines, online articles, videos, and interviews etc… further detailing their respective contributions and particular aspects of the work undertaken.

It also contains links to any related threads made on the OriginalTrilogy•com over the years - about the person themselves or the projects they were working on - or have worked on since - and also features links to their own websites or other social media platforms.
 

The removal and alteration of many segments / scenes from the theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy films has resulted in much of the pioneering work, innovative craft, artistry and talent that shone through these movies set in The Galaxy Far Far Away no longer being able be to experienced.

The same iconic work that which won multiple awards & accolades, which helped change the face of modern cinema and filmmaking - essentially lost - no longer existing as a part of George Lucas’ new ‘vision’ (his “The Final Cut”) in 1997, or his later ‘vision’ in 2004, and then further ‘vision’ in 2011…
 

Unfortunately, the ILM website, Lucasfilm website and StarWars.com website do not have much content in the way of information as to the film crew, those who worked behind-the-scenes, or others who contributed to the making of the three quintessential Original Trilogy films.
 

If you have any suggestions for any additional members of the film crew - or other people who worked on the films behind the camera to be included here, or for specific OT•com threads, links, other material and sources of information to be added… please post them below.

Also, if you see any broken links or errors, please post them in here too - thank you.

Over time, the information in this thread will hopefully grow and improve with the added input, knowledge and insight from the community here…
 

Index…

1. Alan Ladd Jr
2. Gary Kurtz
3. Howard Kazanjian
4. Robert Watts
5. Charles Lippincott
6. Marcia Lucas
7. Paul Hirsch
8. Richard Chew
9. Sean Barton
10. Duwayne Dunham
11. Irvin Kershner
12. Richard Marquand
13. Lawrence Kasdan
14. Leigh Brackett
15. Willard Huyck
16. Gloria Katz
17. Ralph McQuarrie
18. Colin Cantwell
19. Norman Reynolds
20. John Barry
21. Michael Ford
22. Harry Lange
23. Roger Christian
24. Gilbert ‘Gil’ Taylor
25. Alan Hume
26. Alec Mills
27. Peter Suschitzky
28. John Mollo
29. Andrew Ainsworth
30. Ben Burrt
31. Derek Ball
32. Don MacDougall
33. Bob Minkler
34. Ray West
35. Bill Varney
36. Steve Maslow
37. Gregg Landaker
38. Peter Sutton
39. John Williams
40. Christopher Evans
41. Mike Pangrazio
42. Frank Ordaz
43. Harrison Ellenshaw
44. Phil Tippett
45. Denis Muren
46. Lorne Peterson
47. John Dykstra
48. Joe Johnston
49. Bruce Nicholson
50. Paul Huston
51. Christopher ‘Kit’ West
52. Ken Ralston
53. Brian Johnson
54. Bruce Logan
55. John Coppinger
56. John Stears
57. Grant McCune
58. Richard Edlund
59. Robert Blalack
60. Thomas G Smith
61. Scott Farrar
62. Craig Barron
63. Mark Vargo
64. Steve Gawley
65. Bill George
66. Randy Dutra
67. Chris Walas
68. Peter Kuran
69. Charles Bailey
70. Warren Franklin
71. John Knoll
72. Doug Beswick
73. Christopher Tucker
74. Jon Berg
75. Graham Freeborn
76. Kathleen ‘Kay’ Freeborn
77. Laine Liska
78. Tony Dyson
79. Frank Oz
80. Stuart Freeborn
81. Nick Maley
82. David Alan Barclay
83. Wendy Froud (nee Midener)
84. Kathryn ‘Kathy’ Mullen
85. Nick Dudman
86. Robert ‘Bob’ Keen
87. Des Webb
88. Toby Philpott
89. Mike Edmonds
90. Tony Cox
91. Timothy D. Rose
92. Simon J. Williamson
93. Deep Roy
94. Patricia McDermott
95. Rick Baker
96. Rob Bottin
97. Brian De Palma
98. Francis Ford Coppola
99. Steven Spielberg
100. Martin Scorsese
101. John Milius

Stuntmen & Stunt Coordinators:-

Colin Skeaping : Wikipedia Page : IMDB Page : StuntPod Article
Frank Henson : Autobiography : IMDB Page : Obituary
Bob Anderson : Wikipedia Page : IMDB Page : Obituary : OT.com thread
Peter Diamond : Wikipedia Page : IMDB Page : Official Website
Reg Harding : Credit List : IMDB Page : 007 Stunt Review Article
Glenn Randall Jr. : SW Canon Wiki Page : IMDB Page : Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

Poster Artists:-

Tom Jung : Wikipedia Page
Howard Chaykin : Wikipedia Page
Ralph McQuarrie (again) : Wikipedia Page
The Brothers Hildebrandt - Tim and Greg : Wikipedia Page : OT.com thread
Tom Chantrell : Wikipedia Page
Drew Struzan : Wikipedia Page : OT.com Documentary thread
Charles White III : Milner’s Blog Page : Comic Art Fans Page
Roger Kastel : Official Website
Josh Kirby : Official Website
Noriyoshi Ohrai : Wikipedia Page
Kazuhiko Sano : Star Wars Website : Official Website (both via the Internet Archive’s WayBack Machine)

The History of Star Wars Posters - 2016 article at Film School Rejects
Art Of The Title - Star Wars : 2015 article at Art Of The Title website
Evolution of the Star Wars Poster : 2016 article at Photo Secrets
Watch Star Wars Evolve Through Its Spectacular History Of Posters : 2015 article at Gizmodo
Failed Star Wars Ad Concepts : article at the From The Desk Of Charles Lippincott blog
Lucas and Frazetta : OT•com thread re Frank Frazetta’s influence on Star Wars design & poster art.

Typsetting, Font & Logo Artists:-

Ralph McQuarrie (again) : Wikipedia Page
Joe Johnston (again) : Wikipedia Page
Suzy Rice : Wikipedia Page : Revolvy Page : Website : OT.com thread
Dan Perri : Wikipedia Page : Blog : OT.com thread : Career Article

Anatomy of a Logo: Star Wars : 2013 article at Tenth Letter of the Alphabet
May The Fonts Be With You : 2015 article - by Yves Peters - at The Font Shop
The Star Wars Logo Design - by Suzy Rice : 2011 article at the Suzy Rice website. Further Reading: Part One & Part Two
Art Of The Title - Star Wars : 2015 article at Art Of The Title website
Star Wars fonts : 2005 OriginalTrilogy•com thread

Miscellaneous (mainly from the 2017 40th Anniversary Reunion; with Video Interviews):-

40th Anniversary Reunion Website - at 32ten & 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interviews at Athena Studios vimeo page.

1. Jon Alexander … Video : IMDB Page
2. Jim Bloom … Video : IMDB Page
3. Jean Bolte … Video : IMDB Page
4. Marty Brenneis … Video : IMDB Page
5. Don Dow … Video : IMDB Page
6. Sid Ganis … Video : IMDB Page
7. Ned Gorman … Video : IMDB Page
8. Ira Keeler … Video : IMDB Page
9. Neil Krepela … Video : IMDB Page
10. Jeff Mann … Video : IMDB Page
11. Kim Marks … Video : IMDB Page
12. Cory McCrum … Video : IMDB Page
13. Ease Owyeung … Video : IMDB Page
14. Randy Ottenberg Parenti … Video : IMDB Page
15. Pete Ronzani … Video : IMDB Page
16. Patricia Rose Duignan … Video : IMDB Page
17. David Scott … Video : IMDB Page
18. Patrick Sweeney … Video : IMDB Page
19. Kirk Thatcher … Video : IMDB Page
20. Leslie Dilley … Website : IMDB Page
21. Nilo Rodis Jamero … Interview : IMDB Page
22. Kevin Pike … ROTJ Location Effects Video : IMDB Page
23. Sylvia Croft … Rare Crew Book : Makeup Artist : IMDB Page
24. Bill Kimberlin … ‘Inside The Star Wars Empire’ book : ‘ITSWE’ video trailer : IMDB Page
25. John C Wash … OT•com thread : IMDB Page : Art Of The Title Bio
26. Dan O’Bannon … OT•com thread : IMDB Page : Star Wars inspiring Alien

and an ‘In Memoriam’ video, from the 40th Anniversary Reunion, of those who have sadly passed away over the years.

If there are any people or quality articles / info you would like to see included in this thread please suggest them below 😃

Closing Credits for the Original Trilogy films…

from the ‘Star Wars Comparison’ youtube channel:-

Star Wars

Empire Strikes Back

Return Of The Jedi

^ Comparisons from the 2006 GOUT DVD, 2011 blu ray, TN1’s SSE/Grindhouse Releases, & Harmy Despecialized Editions

Documentaries & Other Useful Sources of Information…

“Empire Of Dreams” … OT.com Thread 1 2 3 : IMDB Page
“From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga” … OT.com Thread : IMDB Page
“Making of Star Wars” (1977) … OT.com Thread 1 2 : IMDB Page
“Star Wars Behind The Magic” … OT.com Thread : Wikipedia Page
“Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi” … OT.com Thread 1 2 : IMDB Page
“The Making of The Empire Strikes Back” (by Michel Parbot) … OT.com Thread 1 2 : IMDB Page
“Elstree 1976 - A documentary” … OT.com Thread : IMDB Page
“77” - or “5-25-77” … OT.com Thread : IMDB Page
“The Galaxy Britain Built” … OT.com Thread : IMDB Page
“When Star Wars Ruled The World” … OT.com Thread : IMDB Page
“The People Vs. George Lucas” documentary … OT.com Thread : IMDB Page
“Star Wars Begins” : “Building Empire” : “Returning To Jedi” (Filmumentaries) … OT.com Thread - SWB BE RtJ : IMDB SWB BE RtJ

Must-See Documentaries? - a general Original Trilogy Documentaries discussion thread

It is worth checking out the An Index Thread (and more) for Star Wars Preservations… OriginalTrilogy•com thread, and the Star Wars Preservation section in general - for further documentaries, interviews, commentaries, bonus material and much more from some of the talented people from various aspects of film-making who contributed to making the Original Trilogy films.

‘The Secret History of Star Wars’ - book by Michael Kaminski (aka zombie84). : OT.com Thread 1 2 3
‘Once Upon A Galaxy - A Journal of the Making of The Empire Strikes Back’ - book by Alan Arnold
‘The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film’ - book by JW Rinzler. : OT.com Thread
‘The Making of The Empire Strikes Back: The Definitive Story Behind the Film’ - book by by JW Rinzler. : OT.com Thread
‘The Making of Return of the Jedi: The Definitive Story Behind the Film’ - book by by JW Rinzler. : OT.com Thread

^ note; Rinzler’s ‘Making Of’ books are seemingly largely based on the Lippincott ‘Making Of Interviews’ - and contain retcons & revisionism from George Lucas / Lucasfilm. As well as excluding (or downplaying) contributions from others written out of the official Star Wars history.
 

Online Sources Of Information…

• StarWarsInterviews.com - Film Crew
• StarWarsArchives.com
• Kitbashed (Origins of Star Wars website)
• StarWars.com - Behind The Scenes section
• StarWarsAfaciando - Blog
• Secret History of Star Wars - Website
• Star Wars Visual Comparisons - Twitter
• Star Wars Visual Comparisons - Blog

• Filmumentaries.com
• From The Desk Of Charles Lippincott
• Save Star Wars Website
• 10 unsung heroes behind Star Wars - at the Den Of Geek website
• Six unsung heroes of the original Star Wars - at the Little White Lies website
• The unsung women of Star Wars: buns, a dead Obi-Wan and the script doctor - at The Guardian
• Women In Star Wars; both behind and in front of the camera - at 365StarWars
 

Star Wars (1977)…

• The Untold Story of ILM, a Titan That Forever Changed Film - at Wired
• ILM and the OldSchool VFX of the Original Star Wars - at Video and Filmmaker
• The ‘Star Wars’ Cantina Scene: The Out-of-This-World Story Behind the Galaxy’s Favorite Dive Bar - at Yahoo
• Meet The Humans From The Mos Eisley Cantina - at the Star Wars website
• Mos Eisley - Productions, Aliens & Crew - at Wikipedia
• The fascinating stories of the X-Wing extras who were never stars, but were in ‘Star Wars’ - at CNet
• Why Star Wars? - at The Dissolve
• Beyond The Frame: Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope - at The ASC
• The 50 Best Minor Characters in Star Wars - at Popular Mechanics
• How ‘Star Wars’ was secretly George Lucas’ Vietnam protest - at the NY Post
• Star Wars lets the old things die - at the EW
 

Empire Strikes Back (1980)…

• Darth Vader’s Surprise Attack - ESB Review at The Washington Post
• Special Visual Effects for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - at The ASC
• Tales from The Dark Side: the making of The Empire Strikes Back - at Empire
• A Case Study for Empire Strikes Back - at ILM
• The Original Stop-Motion Imperial Walkers Were a Triumph of Craftsmanship - at Popular Mechanics
• Studio Scale AT-ST from The Empire Strikes Back - at Mystery10 (via the Internet Archive’s WayBack Machine)
• Wampa Ice Creatures - at T-bone’s Star Wars Universe
• Rare Behind-the-Scenes Photos: Empire Strikes Back - at Vanity Fair
• Yoda: The Empire Strikes Back’s big gamble - at Den Of Geek
• ‘Star Wars’ Fun Fact: Yoda Was Almost Played by This Monkey - at The Wrap
• The Empire Strikes Back is the special effects movie that hates special effects - at the EW
 

Return Of The Jedi (1983)…

• Slimy Piece of Worm-Ridden Filth - Life Inside Jabba the Hutt - at Filmumentaries
• Jabba The Hutt - Character, Puppeteers & Crew - at Wikipedia
• Max Rebo Jizz Band - Character, Puppeteers & Crew - at Wikipedia
• Return of the Jedi - Special Location Effects with Kevin Pike - at Filmumentaries
• Inside Jabba’s Palace at T-bone’s Star Wars Universe website
• The Opening of Return Of The Jedi is Weirder Than You Thought - at Polygon
• Wait, Force Ghost Yoda And Obi-Wan Were Originally In Return Of The Jedi’s Final Battle? - at CinemaBlend
• 30 years of Return Of The Jedi - at Strange Tales
• After 35 Years, ‘Star Wars’ Has Never Equalled the Creature Effects of ‘Return of the Jedi’ - at SlashFilm
• ROTJ Models and Sorcery - at The ASC
• Return Of The Jedi: Models, Matte Paintings & A Big Set - at Strange Tales
 

Awards & Anniversaries…

• Star Wars’ 10 Oscar Wins - at Live About
• Star Wars at The Oscars - at Episode Nothing
• What Academy Awards have the Star Wars films won? - at In A Far Away Galaxy
• Awards Won (via IMDB) - Star Wars : Empire Strikes Back : Return Of The Jedi
• From the Archives: Long ago and far away: `Star Wars’ vets reminisce - at The LA Times (30th Anniversary)
• Star Wars 40th Anniversary: 71 Awesome Behind-The-Scenes Photos - at Empire
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Website & 40th Anniversary Video Interviews Channel - at 32Ten & Athena Studios websites
• ILM veterans look back on 40 years of VFX magic - at Creative Bloq
• Star Wars At 40 - An Appreciation of Ralph McQuarrie (and more) - at Strange Tales
 

Model Making & Effects…

• Old jet bits, Vader’s motorbike gear, sonic oddness: Hats off to Star Wars’ creative heroes - at The Register
• The Galaxy Britain Built: Droids Darth, Vader and Lightsabers (BBC) - youtube video at The BBC
• 37 Stunning Photos of ILM Craftsmen building Star Wars models - at the SyFy website
• ILM Modelmakers Share Star Wars Stories and Secrets - at Tested
• Miniature & Mechanical Special Effects - at The ASC
• Greebles: how tiny details make a huge Star Wars universe - at Den Of Geek
• Fascinating Ways The Original Star Wars Model Makers Created Props - at BitRebels
 

Matte Paintings & Effects…

• 23 Gorgeous Matte Paintings From The Original Star Wars Trilogy - at Ranker
• How the Original Star Wars Trilogy Fooled Everyone With Matte Paintings - at Gizmodo
• The Hand-Painted Scenes of The Original Star Wars Trilogy That Made Us Believe It Was Real - at FlashBak
• The Matte Paintings of the Original Star Wars Trilogy and Their Creators - at Gizomdo
• A Rare Glimpse at the Matte Paintings From the Original ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy - at HypeBeast
• How Matte Painting Expanded the Star Wars Universe - at Film School Rejects
• Return Of The Jedi matte paintings - at Strange Things

General OriginalTrilogy•com Threads…

• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2010 thread by doubleofive - chronicling the many changes made to the OT films over the years - with multiple sources of information and links)
• Complete Comparison of Special Edition Visual Changes
• An OriginalTrilogy.com timeline thread - a history of the site and why & how it came to be…
• Who are your 25 most valuable people to the Star Wars films? (2005 thread)
• Any favorite scenes? (2011 thread)
• Favorite Special Effects (2009 thread)
• ANH screening with modelmaker Lorne Peterson…WHY ARE THEY SCREENING THE SE?? (2006 thread)
• Jedi 30th Ann. screening at Pixar… of the original version! (2014 thread)
• 70mm print of GOUT on Saturday in Academy Theater in CA! (2019 thread)

1. Alan Ladd Jr

 
Film Producer & Executive
 

About…

Alan Ladd Jr. is an American film industry executive and producer.

He started in films as an agent in 1963. In 1969, Ladd moved to London to produce, making nine films, including The Walking Stick, A Severed Head, Villain, The Nightcomers, and X Y & Zee. He returned to the States in 1973 to become Head of Creative Affairs at 20th Century Fox. In August 1976, he was promoted from worldwide production head to president of Fox’s film division.

He came to Fox President Gordon Stulberg to request consideration for making George Lucas’ Star Wars. Stulberg approved the production and they remained as Lucas’ support at times when the Board of Directors of 20th Century Fox wished to shut down production. The production was plagued by location difficulties, story problems and budgetary disagreements for a project that was mainly considered a risk to the studio. However, when Ladd saw the audience’s rapturous appreciation of the film at its first public screening at the Northpoint Theatre in San Francisco in early May 1977, he was moved to tears at seeing the unlikely production he and Stulberg had supported against all odds.

Star Wars and Alien were a few of the films produced during his tenure. But in 1979 Ladd left his position to found his own production company, The Ladd Company. He enjoyed successes with comedies such as Night Shift (1982) and Police Academy (1984), Oscar-winners Chariots of Fire (1981), The Right Stuff (1983), and Gone Baby Gone (2007). The company also produced Blade Runner (1982).

In 1985, Ladd joined MGM/UA, eventually becoming Chairman and CEO of MGM-Pathé Communications. During his tenure MGM/UA produced A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Moonstruck (1987) and Thelma & Louise (1991). Ladd reformed the Ladd Company with Paramount Pictures in 1993 where he produced The Brady Bunch Movie and Braveheart.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Alan Ladd Jr

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars Profiles - Alan Ladd Jr’ : youtube video - by HelloGreedo
• ‘How Star Wars Almost Didn’t Happen’ : article at Consequence Of Sound
• ‘Alan Ladd Jr. on Greenlighting ‘Star Wars’ & Reviving a Struggling Studio’ : article at The Hollywood Reporter
• 'Alan Ladd Jr. Documentary Proves There’s Life Beyond the Original Star Wars’ : article at Variety
• It’s Always About The Story: Conversations With Alan Ladd, Jr. : amazon link to DVD on Alan Ladd, Jr
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• LADDIE - The Man That Saved Star Wars (2014 thread)
• Who are your 25 most valuable people to the Star Wars films? (2005 thread)

2. Gary Kurtz

 
Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back Film Producer
 

About…

Gary Douglas Kurtz was an American film producer whose list of credits includes American Graffiti (1973), Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Dark Crystal (1982) and Return to Oz (1985). Kurtz also co-produced the 1989 science fiction adventure film Slipstream, which reunited him with Star Wars star Mark Hamill.

Among the many awards the film received were ten Academy Award nominations, winning six; the nominations including Kurtz himself for Best Picture, and Alec Guinness for Best Supporting Actor. The film is often ranked among the best films of all time.

The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21, 1980, becoming the most critically acclaimed chapter in the Star Wars saga and one of the most highly rated films in history. It earned more than $538 million worldwide over the original run and several re-releases, making it highest-grossing film in 1980. When adjusted for inflation, it is the twelfth-highest-grossing film in the U.S. and Canada as of 2012.

In 2010, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.”

Kurtz had moved to Britain for the production of Star Wars, and although The Empire Strikes Back would mark his last collaboration with Lucas, Kurtz elected to permanently remain in London and raise his family there.

Kurtz has claimed that he and George Lucas clashed over how to progress the Star Wars series. Kurtz claimed that after Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, Lucas became convinced that audiences no longer cared about the story and were simply there for thrills and entertainment, and began to deviate from the originally planned plotlines for Return of the Jedi, at which point Kurtz quit the series - though opposing sources state that he was fired by Lucas due to his mishandling of The Empire Strikes Back which went massively overbudget and overschedule.

Kurtz has also claimed that Lucas changed the emphasis from storytelling to prioritizing toy merchandising. In a 2010 interview for the L.A. Times, Kurtz revealed that he had become disillusioned with what he saw as the commercially-driven direction the franchise was taking, as well as the related changes that Lucas made to the plot of the third movie, which was originally much darker, and supposedly included the death of Han Solo.

"“I could see where things were headed. The toy business began to drive the empire. It’s a shame. They make three times as much on toys as they do on films. It’s natural to make decisions that protect the toy business but that’s not the best thing for making quality films.”

Kurtz has expressed his dissatisfaction with Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Kurtz was particularly displeased with Lucas’ decisions in Return of the Jedi to resurrect the Death Star and to change the plot outline from one that ended on a “bittersweet and poignant” note to one having a “euphoric ending where everyone was happy”.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Gary Kurtz

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars Profiles - Gary Kurtz’ : youtube video - by HelloGreedo
• ‘Star Wars Producer Gary Kurtz Dies at 78’ : article at Variety
• An Interview with Gary Kurtz : 2002 article / interview with Ken Plume, at IGN
• ‘Star Wars Producer Blasts Star Wars Myths’ : 2014 article at Mashable
• ‘Gary Kurtz: The Hidden Force Behind Star Wars’ : 2017 interview at Film Editing Pro
• ‘Celebrating 40 Years of Star Wars with Producer Gary Kurtz’ : youtube video at Skywalking Through Neverland (starts at 30m 30s into video)
• Kurtz / Joiner Archive - Preserving Film History : website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Quotes from Gary Kurtz (2005 thread)
• Interview with Gary Kurtz (very good) (2004 thread)
• New Gary Kurtz interview! (2006 thread)
• Important Behind The Scenes Info on the Original Trilogy - from London Film & ComicCon - Sept '07 (2007 thread)
• Gary Kurtz L.A Times article (2010 thread)
• Gary Kurtz Blasts ‘Star Wars’ Myths (2014 thread)
• Anatomy of Star Wars Masterclass w/ Gary Kurtz & Sandy Lieberson (2011 thread)
• R.I.P. Gary Kurtz (2018 thread)

3. Howard Kazanjian

 
Producer
 

About…

Howard G. Kazanjian is an American film producer known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Kazanjian also was Vice President of Lucasfilm, Ltd., and is a published non-fiction author.

Kazanjian’s early credits include being First Assistant Director on Alfred Hitchcock’s Family Plot and Second Assistant Director on Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. He later worked with director Robert Wise on his production of The Hindenburg.

Kazanjian moved into film production rather than directorial work at Hitchcock’s suggestion and is most notable for having served as executive producer on Raiders of the Lost Ark and producer on Return of the Jedi, two of the biggest films of all time. For Jedi he came up with the idea of shooting the production under a fake name, Blue Harvest, in order to forestall any attempts at price gouging by suppliers. Blue Harvest was purported to be a horror film with the tag line “horror beyond imagination”. Hats and T-shirts were printed up for the crew to wear and to further add to the authenticity of the ruse.

Kazanjian is also recognized as an uncredited producer on The Empire Strikes Back, replacing producer Gary Kurtz midway through the production.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Howard Kazanjian

Sources Of Information:-

• Howard Kazanjian Interview : article at Star Wars Interviews
• Howard Kazanjian Q&A - Prop Store’s Vintage Toys and Collectibles : youtube video at The Prop Store
• Howard Kazanjian: Producing & Directing : article at The ASC
• Howard Kazanjian: Interview : article at Jedi Temple Archives
• 40th Anniversary Video Interview with Howard Kazanjian : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• Amazon website search for books on / from Howard Kazanjian
• What History Has Taught Me: Howard Kazanjian : article at True West Magazine
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Howard Kazanjian (2005 thread)
• New interview with JEDI Producer Howard Kazanjian (2009 thread)
• Revenge vs. Return (2011 thread)

4. Robert Watts

 
Production Manager, Associate & Co-Producer
 

About…

Robert Watts is a British film producer who is best known for his involvement with the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series.

Watts began working in the film industry in 1960, after two years’ National Service. His first film work was as a runner on the Boulting brothers production A French Mistress. Watts earned his union membership during two years as a runner, and later production manager, at a company based at England’s Shepperton Studios which made TV commercials and documentaries. He then returned to feature films as a second assistant director on the film Man in the Middle.

During the 1960s, Watts worked extensively as a production manager and location manager, including on Darling (1965) starring Julie Christie and Dirk Bogarde, the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice and Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

Watts was employed by producer Gary Kurtz as production supervisor on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, having met Kurtz several years earlier in Los Angeles. Watts then enjoyed a long collaboration with George Lucas and Lucasfilm, working as associate producer on The Empire Strikes Back and co-producer on Return of the Jedi; and as associate producer on Raiders of the Lost Ark and producer on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

He also worked on other Steven Spielberg-presented productions including as producer on Who Framed Roger Rabbit and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, and with Spielberg’s long-term producer Frank Marshall on Marshall’s second feature as director, Alive.

His half-brother is Jeremy Bulloch.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Robert Watts

Sources Of Information:-

• Robert Watts - A Life in Film : vimeo video at the Filmumentaries website (Jambe Davdar)
• Star Wars Production Designer Norman Reynolds and Producer Robert Watts : youtube video at the BBC
• Interview with Robert Watts : interview at Star Wars Interviews
• Star Wars interview: Robert Watts : interview at SciFi Now Magazine (via the Interner Archive’s WayBack Machine)
• Robert Watts on producing Star Wars, Indiana Jones and more : article at Den Of Geek
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Robert Watts - A Life In Film (2018 thread)
• The making of The Empire Strikes Back (Michel Parbot) (2007 thread)
• Celebration VI (thread)

5. Charles Lippincott

 
Star Wars Advertising & Publicity Supervisor
 

About…

In many ways Lippincott could be said to be the man responsible for the modern face of movie merchandizing, as the first head of merchandizing for George Lucas’ Lucasfilm and the Star Wars film series. This could be said to include the eventual creation of all modern expanded universes for such properties as Star Wars, Aliens, etc.

Lippincott’s other film publicity and advertising credits have included Flash Gordon, Judge Dredd (which he also produced), and Comic Book Confidential (which he wrote and produced), which starred Star Wars’ Mark Hammill.

Surrounding the release of the original Star Wars in 1977, Charles Lippincott was hired by George Lucas’s production company, Lucasfilm Ltd., as marketing director for Star Wars. As 20th Century Fox gave little support for marketing beyond licensing T-shirts and posters, Lippincott was forced to look elsewhere.

He secured deals with Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Marvel Comics for a comic book adaptation and with Del Rey Books for a novelization. A fan of science fiction, he used his contacts to promote the film at the San Diego Comic-Con and elsewhere within fandom. Wary that Star Wars would be beaten out by other summer films, such as Smokey and the Bandit, 20th Century Fox moved the release date to Wednesday before Memorial Day: May 25, 1977. However, few theaters ordered the film to be shown. In response, 20th Century Fox demanded that theaters order Star Wars if they wanted an eagerly anticipated film based on a best-selling novel titled The Other Side of Midnight.

Little Star Wars merchandise was available for several months after the film’s debut; only Kenner Products had accepted Lippincott’s licensing offers. Kenner responded to the sudden demand for toys by selling boxed vouchers in its “empty box” Christmas campaign. Television commercials told children and parents that vouchers within a “Star Wars Early Bird Certificate Package” could be redeemed for toys “between February 1 and June 1”.

^ abridged from the Xenopedia - The Alien vs. Predator Wiki Page for Charles Lippincott

‘The Making Of Star Wars’ book, by JW Rinzler - is based on the Lippincott’s Making Of Interviews and Lippincott’s Archives - more here

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars marketing man Charles Lippincott on the real force behind the franchise’s success’ : article at The Drum
• ‘Star Wars Q&A From 1976 Is a Reminder of a Time Long Ago When Blockbusters Didn’t Yet Rule the Galaxy’ : article at IndieWire
• ‘That time Richard Pryor ran the Star Wars Bar’ : article at Force Material
• Charles Lippincott - Marketing Star Wars : article / interview at Rebel Force Radio
• Facebook Page
• Blog - From the Desk of Charles Lippincott
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)
• Star Wars 1977 convention pictures (2013 thread)
• Buttercup Valley, Arizona 1982 - Pics! it did happen! (2011 thread)
• Favorite Star Wars Book? (2010 thread)

6. Marcia Lucas

 
Film Editor
 

About…

Marcia Lou Lucas (née Griffin) is an Oscar-winning American film editor who was most well known for her work on the early 1970s films of Martin Scorsese. Lucas won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 1977 for Star Wars (1977) which was written and directed by her first husband, George Lucas. She returned to edit Return of the Jedi (1983), but decided to divorce George by the end of the year, citing his workaholism.

Their first project was THX 1138 (1971) for which Marcia served as an assistant editor. Reflecting on the film’s commercial failure, Marcia stated, “I never cared for THX because it left me cold. When the studio didn’t like the film, I wasn’t surprised. But George just said to me, I was stupid and knew nothing. Because I was just a Valley Girl. He was the intellectual.”

When principal photography had wrapped on American Graffiti (1973), George had wanted Marcia to edit the film, but Universal Pictures executive Ned Tanen insisted on hiring Verna Fields, who had just finished editing Steven Spielberg’s The Sugarland Express (1974). However, Fields worked on the first rough cut of the film before she left to resume work on What’s Up, Doc? (1972). For the next six months, Marcia edited American Graffiti alongside her husband and sound editor Walter Murch to its contractual runtime of 110 minutes. In 1974, Marcia Lucas and Fields were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for their work on American Graffiti.

After American Graffiti was released, Martin Scorsese asked Marcia to edit his first studio film, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974). Sandra Weintraub recalled, “We knew her, and we liked her, and she was in the union. It was good for her to get away from George and his house. Here she was, a wonderful editor working on her husband’s films. I don’t think she got taken seriously.” As Marcia was editing the film in Los Angeles, George joined her and sequestered himself in a hotel room as he wrote the first draft for Star Wars (1977). In his fourth draft of Star Wars, George had originally written for Obi-Wan Kenobi to survive his lightsaber duel with Darth Vader by retreating through a blast door that would slam shut behind him. However, Marcia suggested to her husband that he should kill off Kenobi and have him act as a spiritual guide to Luke.

Before Star Wars entered post-production, George did not consider that Marcia would work on it as she expected to give birth after editing Taxi Driver (1976), but the pregnancy was unsuccessful. Instead, George hired British union editor John Jympson to cut the film while they were in England. Horrified by the first rough cut, George fired Jympson and replaced him with Marcia. She was tasked to edit the Battle of Yavin sequence, in which she drastically diverted from the originally scripted shot sequence.

George estimated that “it took her eight weeks to cut that battle. It was extremely complex and we had 40,000 feet of dialogue footage of pilots saying this and that. And she had to cull through all that, and put in all the fighting as well.” While editing the sequence, she warned George, “If the audience doesn’t cheer when Han Solo comes in at the last second in the Millennium Falcon to help Luke when he’s being chased by Darth Vader, the picture doesn’t work.”

As Marcia edited the Death Star assault, Lucas brought in editor Richard Chew to restructure the rough cut. As the workload grew too burdensome, Lucas hired Paul Hirsch as the film’s third editor. Shortly after Christmas 1976, Marcia left Star Wars to work on Scorsese’s musical drama New York, New York (1977) as Irving Lerner had died before he finished editing the film. At the 50th Academy Awards, Marcia Lucas won the 1977 Academy Award for Best Film Editing with Chew and Hirsch.

Following the success of Star Wars, Marcia decided to place her career on hold in order to raise a family. During the meantime, she supervised the completion of the interior design and decoration of Skywalker Ranch. In 1982, Marcia came onboard Return of the Jedi (1983) as the film’s third editor alongside Duwayne Dunham and Sean Barton. When asked of her contributions to the film, George described the scenes in which she helped edit as the emotional “dying and crying” scenes.

Marcia’s last film credit was as producer of 1996’s No Easy Way.

In an interview, Mark Hamill cited Lucas for her contributions to Star Wars. In Mythmaker: The Life and Work of George Lucas, filmmaker John Milius described Marcia Lucas’s contributions to Milius’s own films and those of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese, calling her one of the best editors he knew.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Marcia Lucas

Sources Of Information:-

• In Tribute to Marcia Lucas : article at The Secret History Of Star Wars
• How Star Wars was saved in the edit : youtube video by RocketJump
• ‘The woman behind Star Wars: How Marcia Lucas gave us the Original trilogy’ : article at The Metro
• 40th Anniversary - Video Interview with Marcia Lucas : video by Athena Studios
• Jedi Beat #9 - The Woman Behind the Success of Star Wars : audio blog at Force Center
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• 3 ways George Lucas’ wife saved Star Wars (2011 thread)
• The Academy Award winning editing of Episode IV (2006 thread)
• Marcia Lucas Speaks! (2017 thread)
• Star Wars 40th Reunion (2017 thread)
• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)

7. Paul Hirsch

 
Film Editor
 

About…

Paul Hirsch is an American film editor with over 40 film credits since 1970, best known as one of the premier filmmakers to come out of the New Hollywood movement, collaborating with directors like Brian De Palma, George Lucas, George A. Romero, and Herbert Ross. He won an Academy Award and Saturn Award for his work on the original Star Wars, which he shared with Richard Chew and Marcia Lucas.

A native of New York City, and son of painter Joseph Hirsch, after graduating from Columbia he began to pursue a career in editing. In the late 1960s, while editing trailers in NYC, he was introduced by his brother, Charles, to then unknown filmmaker Brian De Palma. Their collaboration has yielded eleven feature films. He is of Jewish descent.

He was also the first person to win the Saturn Award for Best Editing twice, first for Star Wars in 1977 and then Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in 2011.

He has edited over 35 feature films, including The Empire Strikes Back, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Mission: Impossible, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Footloose, Carrie, Falling Down, Phantom of the Paradise, Obsession, Blow Out, The Secret of My Success, Steel Magnolias and Ray, for which he received a second Academy Award nomination in 2005 and the American Cinema Editors’ award for Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical). He has also worked with Duncan Jones on Source Code and Warcraft.

Hirsch rarely watches movies other than his own more than once. However, he cites that the musical An American in Paris and the science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey are worthy of repeat viewing.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Paul Hirsch

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Carrie’ Editor Paul Hirsch on Working with George Lucas, Brian De Palma : article at Variety
• Paul Hirsch on ‘Star Wars’: Thinking We Were Making a Film for Kids, We Made a Film for the Kid in All of Us : article at Cinephilia Beyond
• MGU Interview : youtube video at Movie Geeks United
• ART OF THE CUT with Oscar winner, Paul Hirsch : interview at ProVideoCoalition
• EditFest London: A One-on-Conversation with Paul Hirsch : youtube video at American Cinema Editors
• Paul Hirsch: Interview : article at From Script To DVD
• Interview : Paul Hirsch : article at MovieHole
• Amazon link for A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away: My Fifty Years Editing Hollywood Hits book by Paul Hirsch
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Academy Award winning editing of Episode IV (2006 thread)
• Lucasfilm: Beyond Star Wars and Indiana Jones (2019 thread)

8. Richard Chew

 
Film Editor
 

About…

Richard Chew is an American film editor, producer, and cinematographer, best known for his Academy Award-winning work on Star Wars (1977), alongside Paul Hirsch and Marcia Lucas. Other notable films include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Risky Business (1983), Waiting to Exhale (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), and I Am Sam (2001). His career as an editor and cinematographer of a variety of films spans more than four decades.

Starting with his camera and editing work on documentaries, such as The Redwoods, an Oscar winner for Best Short Documentary in 1967, he eventually transitioned to editing feature films as co-editor on Francis Coppola’s The Conversation, Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and George Lucas’s Star Wars.

During his varied career, he has edited films for actor-directors such as Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, and Forest Whitaker. Other writer-directors with whom Chew has worked include: Cameron Crowe, Paul Brickman, Bruce Joel Rubin, and Emilio Estevez.

Chew was Oscar-nominated for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He also won British Oscars (BAFTA) as co-editor on both The Conversation and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. His work on Shanghai Noon was nominated for Best Feature Comedy by American Cinema Editors.

At various times throughout his editing career, Chew has taught and lectured with the goal of enhancing audience appreciation for the cinema arts. For over thirty years, he has appeared at art schools and colleges, churches, and community groups.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Richard Chew

Sources Of Information:-

• ART OF THE CUT with Oscar-winning editor, Richard Chew, : article at Pro Video Coalition
• EditFest LA: Richard Chew - Inside the Cutting Room : youtube video at American Cinema Editors
• Cutting with a Conscience: Richard Chew : interview at CineMontage
• Amazon website search for books on / from ?
• EditFest: ‘Star Wars’ Editor Urges More Diverse Stories in Film : article at The Hollywood Reporter
• “Star Wars: A New Hope” Editor Richard Chew : audio interview at AnchorFM
• Success Is Not Inevitable: How Good Editing Saved Star Wars : article at DIY Photography
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars: The Lucas Film Edit (aka ‘How Star Wars was saved in the edit’ video) (2017 thread)
• BFI preserving OOT!! (2006 thread)

9. Sean Barton

 
Editor
 

About…

Sean Barton is a British film editor working on commercial film editing since the late 1960s . Since the late 1970s, he has been cutting cinema and television films. He has been involved in more than 40 productions so far. In 1991 he staged a film with Panga (Curse III: Blood Sacrifice).

Sean Barton has worked on many features in a wide variety of genres. His most notable credits include the conclusion of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi, the cult classic Quadrophenia, based on The Who album, and the acclaimed thriller Eye of the Needle. He also edited Jagged Edge, starring Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close, sci-fi horror The Fly II and Hearts of Fire, which starred Bob Dylan and Rupert Everett. Sean’s credits also include the Jason Statham action films Chaos and Tracker.

^ abridged from the London SigGraph Page for Sean Barton

Sources Of Information:-

• Q & A with Sean Barton : interview at The CallSheet
• What Does a Film Editor Do With My Script? : article at ScriptMag
• Sean Barton talks ‘Quadrophenia’ : youtube video at HighBrow
• LinkdIn Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• BFI preserving OOT!! (2006 thread)
• ROTJ is the best Star Wars film… (2013 thread)

10. Duwayne Dunham

 
Film Editor
 

About…

Duwayne Robert Dunham ( is an American director and editor of film and television, as well as an Adjunct Professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

He is best known for his collaborations with George Lucas and David Lynch, serving as editor on Return of the Jedi and Blue Velvet. After being hired for Lynch’s series Twin Peaks, he was promoted to director and made his debut with the second episode of the series. He subsequently directed the films Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and Little Giants, and numerous television films for the Disney Channel including Halloweentown, The Thirteenth Year, Ready to Run, Right on Track, and Tiger Cruise.

In 2018, he reunited with Lynch to edit all 18 episodes of the Twin Peaks: The Return revival series. During the 1978 San Anselmo Country Fair in San Anselmo, CA, Dunham became the first person to portray Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett, the character’s public debut.

For his work on Twin Peaks, Dunham won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1990.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Duwayne Dunham

Sources Of Information:-

• Duwayne Dunham Discusses Twin Peaks, Working With Both Lynch & George Lucas : article at 25 Years Later
• 40th Anniversary Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• A Conversation with Film Maker Duwayne Dunham : youtube video at Storyboard Art
• ART OF THE CUT with Duwayne Dunham : article at Pro Video Coalition
• The First Real Appearance Of Boba Fett : article at the Star Wars website
• Duwayne Dunham: In Pursuit Of Perfection : article at Star Wars Insider
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Return of the Jedi - your opinion? (2010 thread)
• ROTJ is the best Star Wars film… (2013 thread)

11. Irvin Kershner

 
The Empire Strikes Back Director
 

About…

Irvin Kershner was an American director, actor, and producer of film and television.

He gained notice early in his career as a filmmaker for directing quirky, independent drama films, while working as a influential lecturer at the University of Southern California. Later in his career, he transitioned to high-budget blockbusters such as The Empire Strikes Back, the James Bond adaptation Never Say Never Again, and RoboCop 2. Through the course of his career, he received numerous accolades, and was nominated for both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Palme d’Or.

Kershner is best known as the director of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the immediate sequel of the 1977 hit film Star Wars. Kershner was a surprising choice for such a movie. According to Kershner himself, he once asked writer-producer George Lucas, “Of all the younger guys around, all the hot-shots, why me?” Lucas replied, “Well, because you know everything a Hollywood director is supposed to know, but you’re not Hollywood.”

Kershner, who was an appealing directorial candidate to Lucas because of his focus on character development, was first reluctant to direct the film. When asked by Lucas to work on the project over lunch, Kershner refused. Kershner’s agent was told about the meeting and encouraged him to take the job. Kershner later discussed his motivations: “I was grabbed by the fairytale which Lucas invented and wanted to be part of keeping it alive.” Of his cinematic style, Kershner has said, “I like to fill up the frame with the characters’ faces. There’s nothing more interesting than the landscape of the human face.”

Kershner didn’t return to direct Return of the Jedi (1983), having spent almost three years of work on The Empire Strikes Back. He was replaced by Richard Marquand. However, Kershner stated in retrospective that he would have accepted to direct one of the films of the Star Wars prequel trilogy had they been produced sooner, as Lucas originally estimated the first of them to be released in 1988 rather than in 1999.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Irvin Kershner

Sources Of Information:-

• Irvin Kershner, Hollywood Director, Dies at 87 : article at The NY Times
• The real hero of The Empire Strikes Back: how director Irvin Kershner fought George Lucas for the soul of Star Wars : article at The Telegraph
• Interviewing the Director Of Empire Strikes Back : article at the Star Wars website
• Visual History with Irvin Kershner : video interviews for the DGA
• Vintage Interview: Irvin Kershner: 4th November 2007 : article at Fantha Tracks
• Once Upon A Galaxy - The Making Of Empire Strikes Back : book by Alan Arnold
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)
• George Lucas jealous of Irvin Kirshner’s Star Wars? (2007 thread)
• Is “Empire Strikes Back” really George Lucas’ least favorite? (2012 thread)
• The making of The Empire Strikes Back (Michel Parbot) (2007 thread)
• Irvin Kershner has passed away (2010 thread)

12. Richard Marquand

 
Return Of The Jedi Director
 

About…

Richard Marquand was a Welsh film director, best known for directing 1983’s Return of the Jedi. He also directed the critically acclaimed 1981 drama film Eye of the Needle and the 1985 thriller Jagged Edge.

By the late 1960s, Marquand had begun a career directing television documentaries for the BBC, where he worked on projects such as the 1972 series Search for the Nile and an edition of One Pair of Eyes (1968), about the novelist Margaret Drabble who had been a friend of his at Cambridge. He collaborated with the celebrated foreign correspondent James Cameron on a long-running series called Cameron Country for BBC television and also with John Pilger on a series of films for ITV. In 1979, Marquand incorporated many of his documentary techniques in his biographical television movie Birth of the Beatles. He directed several films specifically for children including the 1977 Emmy winning Big Henry and the Polka Dot Kid.

On the strength of his direction of the 1981 feature, Eye of the Needle, Marquand was hired by writer-producer George Lucas to direct Return of the Jedi. In his commentary track on the DVD, Lucas explains that Marquand “had done some great suspense films and was really good with actors. Eye of the Needle was the film I’d seen that he had done that impressed me the most, it was really nicely done and had a lot of energy and suspense.”

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Richard Marquand

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘A Jedi Tribute To Richard Marquand’ : youtube video by Rob Wainfur
• ‘Richard Marquand and his Star Wars contribution’ : article at Coffee With Kenobi
• ‘Star Wars: Life growing up in the Jedi’s glow’ : 2018 article at the BBC
• ‘Richard Marquand interview: Return Of The Jedi’ : 2013 article at Den Of Geek
• Return of the Jedi’s Richard Marquand remembered by son audio interview at the BBC
• ‘In Appreciation Of: Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand’ : 2017 article at Before The Cyborgs
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Interview With Richard Marquand Director of Return of the Jedi (June 1983) (2011 thread)
• Rinzler writes about Marquand in Blueprints (2011 thread)
• What was the point of hiring Richard Marquand in the first place? (2016 thread)
• Director’s Cuts? (2004 thread)

13. Lawrence Kasdan

 
Writer
 

About…

Lawrence Edward Kasdan is an American screenwriter, director and producer. He is best known as co-writer of The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, and Solo.

He has been nominated for three Oscars: twice for Best Original Screenplay for The Big Chill and Grand Canyon and once for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Accidental Tourist. He is the father of directors Jake Kasdan and Jonathan Kasdan, and the father-in-law of musician Inara George.

Upon graduation, Kasdan was unable to find a teaching position, so he became an advertising copywriter, a profession he did not enjoy, but remained in for five years, earning a Clio Award for his work. Kasdan began his career in Detroit, later relocating to Los Angeles where he began to write screenplays.

Kasdan’s introduction into the film business came in the mid-1970s when, after being rejected 67 times, his script for The Bodyguard was sold to Warner Bros. as a vehicle for Diana Ross and Steve McQueen. The script became stuck in “development hell” and became one of several screenplays successively called “the best un-made script in Hollywood”; it was eventually produced as a 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner.

After he sold his screenplay Continental Divide to Steven Spielberg, George Lucas commissioned Kasdan to write the screenplay for Raiders of the Lost Ark, based on a story written by Philip Kaufman and himself. Lucas then hired Kasdan to rework some dialogues of his screenplay for his Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Kasdan made his directing debut with Body Heat (1981), which he also wrote. Lucas later commissioned Kasdan again to rework the dialogue for his screenplay for Return of the Jedi (1983).

Kasdan is known for both writing and directing his films, which have ranged from Westerns and romantic comedies to thought-provoking dramas.

From 1994 to 2003, he made a set of films that, in contrast to the hits he had in the 1980s, failed to break the bank in receipts; among these films were Wyatt Earp and Dreamcatcher, the latter based on the Stephen King best seller. The exception was 1995’s French Kiss, which grossed $100 million.

He made cameo appearances as the lawyer of River Phoenix’s character in I Love You to Death, the director of Steve Martin’s character’s latest action film in Grand Canyon, and in James L. Brooks’ comedy As Good as It Gets as the fed-up psychiatrist of Jack Nicholson’s novelist. In 2001, Kasdan was the recipient of the Austin Film Festival’s Distinguished Screenwriter Award. In 2006, Kasdan received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement from the Writers Guild of America.

Kasdan directed the 2012 dramedy Darling Companion, starring Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline.

In October 2013, it was announced that J. J. Abrams had taken over screenwriting duties for the seventh episode of the Star Wars saga, The Force Awakens, working alongside Kasdan, following the departure of Michael Arndt. After his involvement with Solo: A Star Wars Story, he left the Star Wars universe.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Lawrence Kasdan

Sources Of Information:-

• Q&A: Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan on the past, present and future of ‘Star Wars’ : article at LA Times
• The man with the golden pen: Lawrence Kasdan : article at The Independent
• WG Festival 2016: The Craft and Career of Lawrence Kasdan : youtube video at Writers Guild Foundation
• Lawrence Kasdan Regis Dialogue with Scott Foundas : youtube video at Walker Art Centre
• Star Wars Scribe Lawrence Kasdan Wanted to Kill Han Solo in ROTJ : article at Vanity Fair
• A Portrait of a Scoundrel and a Young Man: Writers Discuss Solo : article at the Star Wars website
• Lawrence Kasdan will retire from Star Wars after the Han Solo movie : article at Empire
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• George Lucas using co-writers (2005 thread)
• Did GL take too much credit? (2004 thread)
• Putting The Original-Original Trilogy’s Prequel Story together (2008 thread)
• Leigh Brackett’s first draft of Empire (2010 thread)
• ROTJ Script help (2005 thread)

14. Leigh Brackett

 
Writer
 

About…

Leigh Douglass Brackett was an American writer, particularly of science fiction, and has been referred to as the Queen of Space Opera. She was also a screenwriter, known for her work on such films as The Big Sleep (1946), Rio Bravo (1959) and The Long Goodbye (1973). She also worked on an abandoned draft of The Empire Strikes Back (1980). She was the first woman shortlisted for the Hugo Award.

Often referred to as the “Queen of Space Opera”, Brackett also wrote planetary romance. Almost all of her planetary romances take place in the Leigh Brackett Solar System, which contains richly detailed fictional versions of the consensus Mars and Venus of science fiction from the 1930s to the 1950s. Mars appears as a marginally habitable desert world, populated by ancient, decadent and mostly humanoid races; Venus as a primitive, wet jungle planet, occupied by vigorous, primitive tribes and reptilian monsters. Brackett’s Skaith combines elements of her other worlds with fantasy elements.

Though the influence of Edgar Rice Burroughs is apparent in Brackett’s Mars stories, her Mars is set firmly in a world of interplanetary commerce and competition. A prominent theme of her stories is the clash of planetary civilizations; the stories illustrate and criticize the effects of colonialism on civilizations that are either older or younger than those of the colonizers. Burroughs’ heroes set out to remake entire worlds according to their own codes; Brackett’s heroes (often antiheroes) are at the mercy of trends and movements far bigger than they are.

After the Mariner missions proved there was no life on Mars, she never returned to her solar system. When she started to write planetary romance again in the 70s, she invented a new solar system outside our own.

Shortly after Brackett broke into science fiction writing, she wrote her first screenplays. Hollywood director Howard Hawks was so impressed by her novel No Good from a Corpse that he had his secretary call in “this guy Brackett” to help William Faulkner write the script for The Big Sleep (1946). The film was written by Brackett, William Faulkner, and Jules Furthman, and starred Humphrey Bogart. It is considered one of the best movies ever made in the genre.

After getting married, Brackett took a long break from screenwriting. When she returned to screenwriting in the mid-1950s, she wrote for TV and movies. Howard Hawks hired her to write or co-write several John Wayne pictures, including Rio Bravo (1959), Hatari! (1962), El Dorado (1966), and Rio Lobo (1970).

Brackett worked on the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back, the first Star Wars sequel. The film won the Hugo Award in 1981. This script was a departure for Brackett, as until then, all of her science fiction had been in the form of novels and short stories. George Lucas said that he asked Brackett to write the screenplay based on his story outline. Brackett wrote a finished first draft titled “Star Wars sequel”, which was delivered to Lucas shortly before her death from cancer on March 18, 1978; however, her version was rejected and two drafts of a new screenplay were written by Lucas and, following the delivery of the screenplay for Raiders of the Lost Ark, turned over to Lawrence Kasdan to rework some dialogues. Both Brackett and Kasdan (though not Lucas) were given credit for the final screenplay. Brackett was credited in tribute despite the fact that she wasn’t involved in the final result of the film.

Laurent Bouzereau, in Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, said that Lucas disliked the direction of Brackett’s screenplay, discarded it, and produced two more screenplays before turning the results over to Kasdan. io9’s co-founder Charlie Jane Anders has written that while “It’s fashionable to disparage Brackett’s contributions to Empire”, “it’s not true that none of Brackett’s storyline winds up in the final movie — the basic story beats are the same.”

For over 30 years, Brackett’s screenplay could only be read at the Jack Williamson Special Collections library at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico and the archives at Lucasfilm in California. However, Brackett’s abandoned screenplay was officially published on February, 2016. In this draft, there was a love triangle between Luke, Leia and Han Solo. Yoda was named Minch, Luke has an hidden sister named Nellith, Lando Calrissian was known as Lando Kaddar, Anakin Skywalker was still a distinct character from Darth Vader and appears as a Force ghost on Dagobah, and also Han Solo at the end of the script is leaving to search for his uncle Ovan Marek, the most powerful man in the universe after the Emperor Palpatine.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Leigh Brackett

Sources Of Information:-

• The Astounding Leigh Brackett : article at Library Point
• The Women of Space Westerns : article at the Space Westerns website
• Star Wars: Leigh Brackett and The Empire Strikes Back You Never Saw : article at Den Of Geek
• The Star Wars Sequel Screenplay : pdf of screenplay at ScyFiLove
• They mocked her “science fantasy.” Then she wrote Empire Strikes Back : article at Gizmodo
• Leigh Brackett: A Terrific Writer Ahead of Her Time just as She Was Ahead of Her Colleagues : article at Cinephile Beyond
• The Future Is Female - Leigh Brackett : article at Womens SF
• Amazon links to books on / by Leigh Brackett
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Leigh Brackett’s first draft of Empire (2010 thread)
• “Star Wars 2” Audio Drama of the Leigh Brackett script to ESB (2015 thread)
• Do the Star Wars movies contain evidence that Lucas makes it up as he goes? (thread)
• Official Star Wars newsletter from 1978 (2006 thread)

15. Willard Huyck

 
Script Editor
 

About…

Willard Miller Huyck, Jr. is an American screenwriter, director and producer, best known for his association with George Lucas.

Huyck and Lucas met as students at the film school of the University of Southern California, and became members of Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope group of filmmakers. Along with his wife Gloria Katz, Huyck worked on writing the screenplays of films including American Graffiti, Lucky Lady, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Radioland Murders, and performed uncredited work on the original Star Wars.

He also directed four films he co-wrote with Gloria Katz: Messiah of Evil, French Postcards, Best Defense, and Howard the Duck. The latter film is considered to be one of the worst films ever made and earned Huyck a Razzie nomination for Worst Director at the 7th Golden Raspberry Awards, though it has since become a cult classic.

Huyck married Katz in 1969. They remained married until her death in 2018. They had one daughter, Rebecca, born in 1983.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Willard Huyck

Sources Of Information:-

• Willard Huyck: Oscar-nominated Screenwriter and Director : article at IES Abroad
• Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck’s Best Defense Against Critics Is Their Screenwriting Track Record : article at People
• Writers of Doom! Quint interviews Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz! : article at Aint It Cool News
• George Lucas Finds a Fowl-Weather Friend : article at Rolling Stone
• Remembering Messiah of Evil : youtube video interview at Damon Packard
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck’s work on SW (2011 thread)
• George Lucas using co-writers (2005 thread)
• Who are your 25 most valuable people to the Star Wars films? (2005 thread)

16. Gloria Katz

 
Script Editor
 

About…

Gloria Katz was an American screenwriter and film producer, best known for her association with George Lucas.

Along with her husband Willard Huyck, Katz created the screenplays of films including American Graffiti, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Howard the Duck.

Though uncredited, Katz and Willard secretly edited Lucas’s Star Wars script, as she performed as a script doctor for Lucas. Katz and Huyck are responsible for a lot of humor and the development of Princess Leia’s iconic character in the Star Wars script. She died from ovarian cancer in 2018 at the age of 76.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Gloria Katz

Sources Of Information:-

• Interview: Screenwriter Gloria Katz on Her Secret Star Wars Script Polish : article at The Mary Sue
• Beyond George Lucas: Writers of the Star Wars Saga : article at The Secret History Of Star Wars
• The unsung women of Star Wars: buns, a dead Obi-Wan and the script doctor : article at The Guardian
• American Graffiti’: A Sentimentally Affectionate Look at America : article at Cinephile Beyond
• Obituary - Gloria Katz: Screenwriting wit behind films such as ‘American Graffiti’ and characters such as Princess Leia : article at The Independent
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck’s work on SW (2011 thread)
• George Lucas using co-writers (2005 thread)
• Who are your 25 most valuable people to the Star Wars films? (2005 thread)

17. Ralph McQuarrie

 
Conceptual Designer and Illustrator (and also Matt Painting Artist)
 

About…

Ralph McQuarrie is the artist who transformed George Lucas’s rudimentary concepts and earliest scripts into lush, vivid images of intergalactic expanse and light-saber combat that became the visual core of the Star Wars saga.

He also contributed to some of the many matte paintings used in the theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy films.

McQuarrie had a hand in some of the most successful science-fiction and adventure films of the 1970s, '80s and early '90s. He created the original drawings for the mother ship in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ (1977) and the spaceship for Mr. Spielberg’s ‘ET’ (1982). He also did conceptual art for ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981), ‘Star Trek IV’ (1986), ‘Batteries Not Included’ (1987) and ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993), as well as for the original ‘Battlestar Galactica’ TV series.

In 1986, he shared an Academy Award for visual effects for the movie ‘Cocoon’.

But Mr. McQuarrie was best known as the concept artist for the Original Trilogy films; Lucas’s tale of cosmic civil war against the evil regime of Emperor Palpatine had been rejected by both United Artists and Universal when Mr. McQuarrie was brought on board. After Mr. Lucas placed before him illustrations from comic books and several pages from an early script for the first ‘Star Wars’ film, Mr. McQuarrie came back with a dozen full-color renditions of Mr. Lucas’s imaginings.

Mr. McQuarrie’s paintings, most of them in gouache, would be pivotal in persuading the board of directors of 20th Century Fox to finance the first film in the series, and to distribute the others under the production of Lucasfilm Ltd.

‘These paintings helped George get the movie approved by Fox because it gave them something to visualize, instead of just a script,’ said Steve Sansweet, then director of fan relations for Lucasfilm.

^ abridged from the complete 2012 NY Times article on the passing of Ralph McQuarrie

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars Profiles - Ralph McQuarrie’ : youtube video - by HelloGreedo
• ‘Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master’ : youtube video - by transitionpictures
• ‘Ralph McQuarrie obituary’ : 2012 article at The Guardian
• Amazon website search for content from Ralph McQuarrie
• ‘The Art of Ralph McQuarrie Archives’ - @RMcQArchives : twitter page
• Ralph McQuarrie : wikipedia page
• Ralph McQuarrie : website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Visual Design of SW (2012 thread)
• Ralph McQuarrie Website (2006 thread)
• Ralph McQuarrie SW Art Site (2015 thread)
• The legend is gone - Ralph McQuarrie 3/3/12 (2012 thread)

18. Colin Cantwell

 
Conceptual Designer and Illustrator
 

About…

Cantwell was one of the first people George Lucas brought on board to work on what was then called “The Star Wars.” He was introduced to Lucas by Hal Barwood, who was working on American Graffiti. Cantwell invited Lucas over to his house and showed him his Steampunk-like “Superiority Machines,” which led Lucas to believe he was right for the project. Lucas had also admired Cantwell’s work on ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.

Lucas gave him a copy of “Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode I: The Star Wars,” and Cantwell set to work on the project. Lucas tasked Cantwell with designing several vehicles and ships including the X-Wing, Y-Wing, TIE/LN Fighter, Stardestroyer, Imperial Cruiser, Death Star, Landspeeder, Sandcrawler, Millennium Falcon, and T-16 Skyhopper. Cantwell started by sketching several drawings, based on brief conversations with George. He then took those designs and penciled concept art, which would be shown to studio executives along side Ralph McQuarrie’s art. Cantwell created these colored-pencil works to lift George’s spirit and enthusiasm for the project after being rejected by several studios.

He also created several prototype models, based on his sketches, using a process called “kitbashing.” This involved taking pieces from several model kits to add detail to a new model. When creating his models and art, Cantwell knew that he had to design ships so that the audience could tell the difference between the ships of the good guys and bad guys.

He also came up with the names of X-Wing and Y-Wing.

^ abridged from the Wookieepedia Page for Colin Cantwell

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Video Interview with Colin Cantwell on Star Wars Prototypes & Never Publicly Shown Concept Art’ : article at originalprop
• ‘He kept his Star Wars legacy a secret for decades. At 85, the sci-fi pioneer is ready to step out’ : article at theknow
• ‘Star Wars Death Star’s famed feature was a complete accident’ : article at sfgate
• Twitter : Website 1 : Website 2
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Visual Design of SW (2012 thread)
• Fantastic Interview with Colin Cantwell, Original Star Wars Prototypist! (2014 thread)
• Pre-MaQuarrie “illustrations” for Star Wars (NASA, Flash Gordon, Frazetta, etc.) (2016 thread)
• 1975 Ship Models - Visible for 1st time (2019 thread - by Colin Cantwell)

19. Norman Reynolds

 
Production Designer
 

About…

Norman Reynolds is a British production designer and film director, best known for his work on the original Star Wars trilogy and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Reynolds also worked on Mission Impossible (1996).

He directed two episodes of the Emmy Award winning Amazing Stories TV series, “The Pumpkin Competition” and “Gather Ye Acorns”. He was a second unit director for Alive and The Exorcist III.

He got his start working in the U.K. division of MGM Studios’ art department. He went on to work with other British studios until 1976, when he became an art director. His first film in that capacity, The Incredible Sarah, netted him an Oscar nomination.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Norman Reynolds

Sources Of Information:-

• Star Wars: The man who designed the films’ ‘look’ : article at the BBC
• Design Classic! - interview with Norman Reynolds : article at Star Wars Insider
• Star Wars Production Designer Norman Reynolds talks to the BBC : youtube video at the BBC
• Star Wars Production Designer Norman Reynolds and Producer Robert Watts talk to the BBC : youtube video at the BBC
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The making of The Empire Strikes Back (Michel Parbot) (2007 thread)
• The legend is gone - Ralph McQuarrie 3/3/12 (thread)

20. John Barry

 
Production Designer
 

About…

Born in London, Barry worked as an architect with experience in stage design. He entered the film business as a draughtsman on the epic Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra in 1963. He went on to assist art director Elliot Scott on the 1960s spy television series Danger Man, which starred Patrick McGoohan. His first project as art director was on the 1968 film Decline and Fall… of a Birdwatcher.

Barry then became production designer on the Clint Eastwood action film Kelly’s Heroes in 1970. Barry was offered the job of designer by Stanley Kubrick for his never-completed film Napoleon, working on the project for a week. Kubrick hired him again as production designer on A Clockwork Orange in 1971. He was production designer on the 1973 science fiction film Phase IV.

He worked on the fantasy musical The Little Prince in 1974. Following a recommendation from Scott, George Lucas travelled to Mexico where Barry was working on Lucky Lady and hired him as production designer for Star Wars. Barry thought the allotted time of seven months to design and build the film’s sets was just enough and he took the job. He later worked on Alexander Salkind’s Superman and Superman II. Following these box office hits Barry was given the chance to direct his own project, the science fiction film Saturn 3. During filming, Barry fell out with the movie’s star Kirk Douglas and was replaced by Stanley Donen.

He was soon hired by George Lucas as a second unit director on The Empire Strikes Back. On 31 May 1979, two weeks into filming, he collapsed on-set and was hospitalized with a 104-degree temperature. He died at 2 A.M. on 1 June from meningitis. His memorial was held on 11 June at St Paul’s Church, Grove Park, London; Barry was cremated that day.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for John Barry

Sources Of Information:-

• John Barry, Designer, Won Academy Award For 'star Wars’ Film, Dies : article at NY Times
• Star Wars Wins Art Direction: 1978 Oscars : youtube video at the Oscars
• Production designer John Barry discusses the process of design : youtube video at Muppet
• Star Wars At 40 (part 6) - Production Design : article at Strange Tales
• Episode 154 – John Barry and the Force of Star Wars Production Design : audio podcast at Blast Point Podcast
• Saturn 3: the 1980s’ weirdest sci-fi movie? : article at Den Of Geek
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Complete Comparison of Special Edition Visual Changes (2010 thread)
• The Visual Design of SW (2012 thread)

21. Michael Ford

 
Set Design
 

About…

Born in southern England, Ford trained as an illustrator at Goldsmiths College, London. He worked as a scenic artist before “drifting into” the film industry via commercial television. His first film credit was Man in the Moon (1960); among his first major projects were The Anniversary (1968), with Bette Davis, and Kelly’s Heroes (1970).

In 1982, Ford was a co-recipient of the Academy Award for Best Art Direction for his contributions as set decorator to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). This was preceded by a nomination for The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and followed by nominations for Return of the Jedi (1983) and Empire of the Sun (1987). He won his second Academy Award in 1998 for his work on Titanic (1997). Ford also served in a design capacity on the James Bond films The Living Daylights (1987), Licence to Kill (1989) and GoldenEye (1995).

He died in 2018 at the age of 90.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Michael Ford

Sources Of Information:-

• Oscar-winning British set decorator Michael Ford dies aged 90 : article at Screen Daily
• The Flower Arranger : article at SteynOnline
• Star Wars At 40 (part 6) - Production Design : article at Strange Tales blog
• Amazon website search for books on / from ?
• Michael’s Paintings website : Gallery of paintings at Michael’s Paintings
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Visual Design of SW (2012 thread)
• Ranking the Star Wars films (2016 thread)

22. Harry Lange

 
Set Design
 

About…

Harry Hans-Kurt Lange was a German film production designer and art director.

Lange was born in 1930 in Eisenach, Thuringia. After World War II, Thuringia became part of Soviet-controlled East Germany; Lange went across the border to West Germany, where he studied art before moving to the United States in 1951. Upon arriving in the United States, Lange worked in advertising. During the Korean War, Lange worked for the U.S. military, illustrating flying manuals.

Subsequently, he began working at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency and then headed the future projects section at NASA, working on spacecraft designs alongside Wernher von Braun. Whilst at NASA, Lange met the author Arthur C. Clarke, who introduced him to the film director Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick offered Lange a job at his production company, using his astronautical design experience to produce authentic prop and set designs for a project Kubrick and Clarke were working on entitled Journey to the Stars. The project was renamed as 2001: A Space Odyssey (released in 1968), and the film’s design team, including Lange, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction. Although 2001 lost to Oliver!, Lange and his team did win the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design in that year.

Although best known for 2001, Lange worked on a number of well-known films during his career. He was art director for the James Bond film Moonraker, and an astronautical consultant on Superman II. He worked on the three first Star Wars films, as an art director and set decorator for The Empire Strikes Back (for which he was again nominated for the Art Direction Oscar) and Return of the Jedi respectively; he also worked on the original Star Wars, although his work was uncredited. He worked as a production designer on two films for the Jim Henson Company: The Great Muppet Caper (1981) and The Dark Crystal (1982). He was also production designer for the last Monty Python film Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Harry Lange

Sources Of Information:-

• Turning sci-fi into fact : article at the BBC
• Sketches for 2001 found space in the garage : article at The Telegraph
• Obituary: Harry Lange: Oscar-nominated film designer : article at The Independent
• Prop Store to auction original Star Wars concept art and production stills : article at Seen It
• Star Wars and the Modernism of 2001 : article at Star Wars Modern blog
• Amazon link for ‘The 2001 File: Harry Lange and the Design of the Landmark Science Fiction Film’ book
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Visual Design of SW (2012 thread)
• Awesome Star Wars art (2016 thread)

23. Roger Christian

 
Set Design
 

About…

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^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for ?

Sources Of Information:-

• Roger Christian on Forging the lightsaber, Han’s blaster & more… : article at the Star Wars website
• Roger Christian, original Star Wars designer, recalls making movie magic : article at CBC
• Meet Star Wars Set Decorator and Academy Award Winner Roger Christian : youtube video at GuelphPublicLibrary
• Roger Christian on building Star Wars : youtube video at q on cbc
• The Man Who Literally Built ‘Star Wars’ : article at Esquire
• Roger Christian’s Work on Star Wars and Alien : article at Tested
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Man Who LITERALLY Built Star Wars (2014 thread)
• The Visual Design of SW (2012 thread)
• Return of Black Angel (2013 thread)

24. Gilbert Taylor (aka Gil Taylor)

 
Cinematographer
 

About…

Gilbert Taylor, B.S.C. was a British cinematographer, best known for his work on films such as Dr. Strangelove, A Hard Day’s Night (both 1964), Repulsion (1965), The Omen (1976), and the original Star Wars (1977). In the course of his career, he collaborated with directors like Roman Polanski, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, and Mike Hodges. He was nominated for two BAFTA Awards, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Society of Cinematographers.

A neighbour offered Taylor, aged 15, a job as a camera assistant to William Shenton, a cinematographer working for Gainsborough Studios at their Islington base. In 1929, Taylor worked on the studio’s final two silent films. Shenton took Taylor to Paris where he worked on two more silent films, before returning to Gainsborough. Soon he was working at Elstree for British International Pictures, where he was clapper loader on the Alfred Hitchcock film Number Seventeen (1932). Despite his junior status, formally a second camera assistant, Taylor was entrusted with some of the special effects work, including the use of mattes, to disguise the roofs of badly maintained buildings.

During six years service in World War II as an officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, he became an operational cameraman flying in Avro Lancaster bombers, documenting the damage after British bombing raids. Taylor recalled: “This was requested by Winston Churchill, and my material was delivered to 10 Downing Street for him to view. He was keen for the public to see what our lads were doing. I did 10 of those operations, including raids on Cologne and Dresden”.
 

“Strangelove was at the time a unique experience because the lighting was to be incorporated in the sets, with little or no other light used”. Concerning the war room set designed by Ken Adam: “Lighting that set was sheer magic, and I don’t quite know how I got away with it all”. He continued: “Much of it was the same formula based on the overheads as fill and blasting in the key on faces from the side”. Although Kubrick and Taylor had a rapport, he found the director to be autocratic. An easier project to work on was the Richard Lester film with The Beatles which was heavily improvised.

With Lester, Chris Pizzello wrote in 2003, Taylor “adopted a roving, multiple-camera technique (aided by new, versatile 10:1 zoom lenses) so that the Beatles could move about freely and not worry about technicalities like hitting marks. This fast, fresh brand of filmmaking was a perfect fit for the film’s tiny budget, tight schedule and simple black-and-white aesthetic”. Taylor and five other operators on the film used hand-held Arriflex cameras. “The key is not to hold the camera completely still”, he once commented “but to let it ‘breathe’ with you, to move with it”.

His work on Dr Strangelove led Roman Polanski to seek Taylor for Repulsion (1965). In committing to the Polish director’s first English-language film, Taylor rejected the opportunity to work on a Bond film (Thunderball) because he thought Polanski “was a very interesting guy”. According to Polanski in his 1984 autobiography, Repulsion’s executive producer Michael Klinger “protested that Gil Taylor was one of the most expensive cameramen in the business, but I held out for Taylor and I got him”. Taylor said his “aim was to get a stronger negative and good shadows in the final print. The shadows are what make good movies”.

Their collaboration continued with Cul-de-sac (1966) and Macbeth (1971), the third and last film he shot with Polanski. According to Ronald Bergan, “although shot in colour”, Macbeth, “is as near to black and white as possible, with its grey, misty landscape”. Taylor received BAFTA nominations over two consecutive years for the first two collaborations.

Taylor’s later films include The Omen (1976), and Star Wars (1977). On Star Wars, he established principles about visual aesthetics which have been maintained in the later films in the series. He told Mark Newbold in 2005:

“I wanted to give Star Wars a unique visual style that would distinguish it from other films in the science fiction genre. I wanted Star Wars to have clarity because I think space isn’t out of focus, also I was mindful that there was an enormous amount of process work to be done in America with Dykstra after we had finished shooting in England, and a crisp result would help this process”.

Taylor found George Lucas an elusive person to consult, leading Taylor to make his own decisions as how to shoot the picture after multiple readings of the script. Differences of opinion between the director and cinematographer led to 20th Century Fox, for whom Taylor had shot The Omen, intervening to retain him on the picture. After the experience of working on Star Wars, Taylor decided he would never work again with Lucas.

Taylor was a founder member of the British Society of Cinematographers, receiving their lifetime achievement award in 2001. He received an international award from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in 2006.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Gilbert Taylor

Sources Of Information:-

• A Long Time Ago … : article at Slate
• Shadows Make Good Movies : article at the British Cinemarographer
• Gilbert Taylor, BSC is given the spotlight with the ASC’s International Achievement Award : at the ASC
• Gilbert Taylor Tribute : youtube video at Nose Army
• Gilbert Taylor obituary : article at The Guardian
• Gilbert Taylor, director of photography on Star Wars, dies aged 99 : article at Episode Nothing
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Gilbert Taylor RIP (2013 thread)
• Dracula 1979 - The original theatrical color version (2008 thread)

25. Alan Hume

 
Cinematographer
 

About…

Alan Hume, BSC was an English cinematographer.

Hume arrived at Denham Film Studios in 1942, and worked for Cineguild Productions during the late 1940s. His early credits, prior to being called up to the Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War, included Oliver and The First of the Few (1942). Post-war, he served as a camera operator for Great Expectations (1946), Madeleine (1950) and The End of the Affair (1955).

During the 1960s, he was director of photography for the successful Carry On comedy films, beginning with 1961’s Carry On Regardless; eventually, Hume alternated with Ernest Steward in the position of the series’ regular director of photography.

Hume’s other cinematographic work during the 1960s included the horror films The Kiss of the Vampire (1962, for Hammer Films) and Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965, for Amicus Productions). Among his later films were Checkered Flag or Crash (1977), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Return of the Jedi (1983), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985), Runaway Train (1985), A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and Shirley Valentine (1989).

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Alan Hume

Sources Of Information:-

• Shooting Star Wars: The Cinematographers of the Franchise : article at Film School Rejects
• Alan Hume on “Return of the Jedi” : youtube video at Henderson Film Industries
• Hero Of The Week: Alan Hume : article at Carry On Fan
• Audio Interview with Alan Hume : audio at History Project
• Alan Hume obituary : article at The Guardian
• Amazon link for A Life Through the Lens: Memoirs of a Film Cameraman book by Alan Hume
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Why did they use Arriflex cameras on Return of the Jedi rather than Panavision cameras? (2015 thread)
• Making of Return of the Jedi (the book) Thread (2011 thread)

26. Alec Mills

 
Cinematographer
 

About…

Alec Mills is a retired British cinematographer and was the main unit camera operator on Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.

He started in the film industry at Carlton Hill Studios in London at the age of fourteen, and went on to work extensively for Disney as a camera assistant throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s before getting his break as camera operator on The Saint television series (1966-68). In 1969, he was camera operator on his first James Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and went on to operate on another four films in the series (The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy) before becoming director of photography on The Living Daylights and License to Kill.

Mills was the principal director of photography on some twenty-one films before retiring from active film-making in 2001, having also directed two films (Bloodmoon and Dead Sleep) in Australia. Following his retirement he became a tutor at the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield, England, before writing his autobiography, Shooting 007 and other Celluloid Adventures, which was published by The History Press on 1st July 2014.

^ abridged from the Wookieeipedia Page for Alec Mills

Sources Of Information:-

• Alec Mills - Technical Master : article at British Cinematographer
• Alec Mills BSC by David A Ellis : interview at Chester Cinemas
• Shooting Star Wars: The Cinematographers of the Franchise : article at Film School Rejects
• Why The Empire Strikes Back Owns the Star Wars Series : article at Wired
• Amazon link for Shooting 007 and Other Celluloid Adventures book
• Wrap Shot: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service : article at The ASC
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Why did they use Arriflex cameras on Return of the Jedi rather than Panavision cameras? (2015 thread)
• George Lucas auteur theory a crock of Bull (2010 thread)

27. Peter Suschitzky

 
Cinematographer
 

About…

Peter Suschitzky, A.S.C. is a British cinematographer and photographer. Among his most known works as director of photography are The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Empire Strikes Back, and Mars Attacks! and the later films of David Cronenberg. He has also collaborated with directors John Boorman, Ken Russell, Bernard Rose, and Tim Burton.

Suschitzky has been the recipient of four Genie Awards for Best Achievement in Cinematography, and a David di Donatello Award for Best Cinematography. He is featured in the book Conversations with Cinematographers, published by Scarecrow Press. He is married to Ilona Suschitzky.

In 2015 he was selected to be a member of the jury for the International Critics’ Week section of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

Suschitzky was born in London, England - the son of BAFTA Award-nominated cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky. Although music was his passion, he chose to pursue a career in cinematography while studying at Institut des hautes études cinématographiques in Paris, France. He became a clapper boy at age 19 and a camera operator at age 22.

Among his first films as DP was It Happened Here, a mockumentary-style World War II film about life in the United Kingdom, following a hypothetical Axis victory in World War II. The film was shot on handheld, 16mm film in order to give it a gritty, realistic look inspired by wartime newsreels. Due to the film’s independent nature and unusual subject matter, its production lasted a total of eight years.

In 1975, Suschitzky shot The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a comedy musical film that, while initially unsuccessful, has since become a massive cult film, with regular midnight screenings attended by dedicated, cosplaying fans. He shot the 1977 biopic Valentino for director Ken Russell, for which he received a nomination for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Cinematography. Three years later, he would lens the second entry in the long-running Star Wars film series, The Empire Strikes Back, considered to be the best in the series.

Suschitzky replaced Mark Irwin as director David Cronenberg’s regular director of photography, beginning with the 1988 film Dead Ringers, for which he won a Genie Award for Best Cinematography. He would go on to win three more Genies in his collaborations with Cronenberg on the films Naked Lunch, Crash, and Eastern Promises.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Peter Suschitzky

Sources Of Information:-

• Time & Space - Peter Suschitzky : article at British Cinematographer
• The cinematography of The Empire Strikes Back || Peter Suschitsky || Case Study : youtube video at CookeOptics TV
• Peter Suschitzky - at the ASC re ESB : article at The ASC
• The spectator should disappear into the works’ – an interview with Peter Suschitzky : interview at Apollo magazine
• Behind the Lens: Peter Suschitzky & After Earth : article at Creative Cow
• Amazon website link for ‘Wolf Suschitzky - Films’ book
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• George Lucas auteur theory a crock of Bull (2010 thread)
• Gilbert Taylor RIP (2013 thread)

28. John Mollo

 
Costume Designer
 

About…

Mollo’s interest in military uniform shaped his career and he became a respected authority on European and American uniforms. He wrote several carefully researched books on European and American military uniform, including Uniforms of the American Revolution (1975) and Into the Valley of Death: The British Cavalry Division at Balaclava 1854, often in collaboration with his brother Boris and with illustrator Malcolm McGregor.

Mollo’s specialist knowledge put him in demand as an advisor to war film productions. He was engaged as advisor for the movies Charge of the Light Brigade (1966) and on Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975), ensuring the historical accuracy of the military uniforms worn by actors.

Mollo subsequently moved into costume design, working as advisor on military films such as Nicholas and Alexandra. In 1975, for his first film, Mollo unexpectedly found himself working not on a historical military drama but in a genre he had no knowledge of: science fiction. He was commissioned by a young filmmaker named George Lucas to devise uniforms and outfits for a fantasy space war film, Star Wars. When asked at the time by a friend about the project, Mollo said that he thought it was a “sort of a space western and one of the heroes is a dustbin”.

Lucas’s project envisioned a cast of heroes battling an evil Galactic Empire, and he briefed Mollo to design costumes that would not resemble the stereotpyical “spacey” look of earlier science fiction productions such as Flash Gordon — " I don’t want the audience to notice any of the costumes. I just want to see light versus dark." The aim was to make Lucas’s fantasy universe appear authentic — Mollo considered that his total ignorance of science fiction was advantageous in achieving this. Lucas provided Mollo with sketches and concept art by Ralph McQuarrie to work from, working McQuarrie’s designs for Imperial stormtroopers and the malevolent character of Darth Vader into functional costumes for actors to wear. McQuarrie’s image of Darth Vader had developed from Samurai armour, and Mollo built up a costume using a combination of clerical robes, a motorcycle suit, a German military helmet and a gas mask from Bermans and Nathans costumiers in Camden Town. Mollo intentionally designed the uniforms of Imperial officers to resemble German Nazi officers’ uniforms; by contrast, the heroes of the film were dressed in costumes resembling Wild West outfits.

One of Mollo’s biggest challenges on Star Wars was to create a plethora of exotic aliens to feature in the Mos Eisley Cantina scene. Mollo worked with George Lucas to compile a chart of visual designs for a range of character types. He collaborated with make-up artist Stuart Freeborn, who designed the masks and prosthetics to match each of the costumes, along with Doug Beswick, Rick Baker and Phil Tippett.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for John Mollo

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘John Mollo: Costume designer who brought Star Wars to life’ : article at The Independent
• John Mollo : Colour & Authenticity In The Star Wars Universe - by Brian Alinger : article at the Star Wars website
• The Craft of Costumes: Star Wars and Clothing : article at Film School Rejects
• Designing An Empire: The John Mollo Archive : youtube video by Bonham Auctioneers
• John Mollo interview : article at the Star Wars Interviews website
• Star Wars Costumes: Original Trilogy : book by Brandon Alinger
• Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars : book by Trisha Biggar
• Amazon website search for books by John Mollo (many on military history uniforms)
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars: The Costume Thread (2016 thread)
• OT Plot Development Analyses (2012 thread)
• The Visual Design of SW (2012 thread)

29. Andrew Ainsworth

 
Costume & Prop Designer
 

About…

You may not know the name, but Andrew Ainsworth is the creator of one of the most iconic images of the 20th century – the original Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet. Working out of his shop situated on the quaint, leafy Twickenham Green, Ainsworth began his career in the ’70s as a prop maker for films and has since become one of the leading exponents of products made via plastic moulding techniques.

He has worked on titles such as Superman, Alien, Flash Gordon, and Star Wars, as well as for TV and live events, helping with key effects work and all manner of sci-fi themed props and costumes. Ainsworth’s key innovation when it came to devising the Storm Trooper mask was devising a way to produce lots of them (plus the full body armour) very quickly and at very little expense. And it wasn’t just the Stormtroopers – Ainsworth produced head-gear and armour for innumerable characters, some of whom didn’t make the final cut.

^ from LittleWhiteLies.com article on Andrew Ainsworth

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars Profiles - Stormtrooper Helmets’ : youtube video - by HelloGreedo
• ‘The “Real” Stormtrooper Helmets & Armor’ : article at StarWarsHelmets
• ‘George Lucas loses Stormtrooper legal fight’ : article at the BBC
• Shepperton Design Studios (and OriginalStormtrooper.com) Website
• Creating the original Stormtrooper : youtube video at originalstormtrooper
• Creating the original Stormtrooper armour : youtube video at originalstormtrooper
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Lucas to sue Star Wars designer (2008 thread)
• Lucasfilm v. Ainsworth (Stormtrooper Costume) - UK Supreme Court (2011 thread)
• Do You Have Favourite Stormtrooper? - ‘The Empire Strikes Door’ documentary

30. Ben Burrt

 
Sound Designer
 

About…

Benjamin Burtt Jr. is an American sound designer, film editor, director, screenwriter, and voice actor. He has worked as sound designer films including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), WALL-E (2008) and Star Trek (2009).

Burtt is notable for popularizing the Wilhelm scream in-joke and creating many of the iconic sound effects heard in the Star Wars film franchise, including the ‘voice’ of R2-D2, the lightsaber hum, the sound of the blaster guns, and the heavy-breathing sound of Darth Vader. Burtt was also the sound editor for WALL-E and performed the vocalizations of the titular character as well as other robots in the film.

Burtt has won four Academy Awards, two of which are Special Achievement Academy Awards. He has also directed numerous documentary films and was the editor of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Burtt pioneered many aspects of modern sound design, especially in the science-fiction and fantasy-film genres.[3] Before his work in the first Star Wars (now known as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) in 1977, science-fiction films tended to use electronic-sounding effects for futuristic devices. Burtt sought a more natural sound, blending in “found sounds” to create the effects. The lightsaber hum, for instance, was derived from a film projector idling combined with feedback from a broken television set, and the blaster effect started with the sound acquired from hitting a guy-wire on a radio tower with a hammer.

In the Star Wars series, part of R2-D2’s beeps and whistles are Burtt’s vocalizations, also made using an ARP 2600 synthesizer, as are some of the squawks made by the tiny holographic monsters on the Millennium Falcon spacecraft. In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), Burtt’s provided the voice for Lushros Dofine, captain of the Invisible Hand cruiser. The heavy breathing of Darth Vader was created by recording Burtt’s own breathing in an old Dacor scuba regulator.

Burtt has a reputation for including a sound effect dubbed “the Wilhelm scream” in many of the movies he has worked on. Taken from a character named “Wilhelm” in the film The Charge at Feather River, the sound can be heard in a large number of films, including in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope when a stormtrooper falls into a chasm and in Raiders of the Lost Ark when a Nazi soldier falls off the back of a moving car.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Ben Burrt

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars Profiles - Ben Burrt’ : youtube video - by HelloGreedo
• Ben Burrt interview - at 40th Anniversary of Star Wars : vimeo video - by Athena Studios
• Ben Burrt Interview 1 : Ben Burrt Interview 2 : articles at FilmSound
• Star Wars: Episode IV sound design explained by Ben Burtt : youtube video at Indepth Sound Design
• Star Wars Sound Architect Ben Burtt Finds Himself in the Outer Rim : 2017 article at Vanity Fair
• Amazon website search for books by Ben Burrt
• Skywalker Sound - Profile
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Ben Burtt’s “Special Effects: Anything Can Happen” (2006 thread)
• Star Wars sound mixes (2013 thread)
• Ben Burtt Quits… (2005 thread)
• Ben Burtt redeems himself…he doesn’t like CG effects replacing a good story (2008 thread)
• The Tie Fighter Sound (2018 thread)
• What’s Your Favorite Version of the Krayt Dragon Call? (2011 thread)

31. Derek Ball

 
Production Sound Mixer
 

About…

Derek Ball was born in 1930 in Islington, London, England as Derek John Ball.

He is known for his work on Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), For Your Eyes Only (1981) and A View to a Kill (1985).

Ball won an Oscar for ‘Best Sound’ category for his and Don MacDougall, Ray West, and Bob Minkler’s work on Star Wars (1977).

He died on July 26, 1988 in Berkshire, England.

^ abridged from the IMDB Page for Derek Ball

Sources Of Information:-

• Star Wars’ 10 Oscar Wins : article at Live About
• Star Wars Wins Sound and Visual Effects: 1978 Oscars : youtube video at Oscars
• ‘Best Sound’ 1978 Oscar Speech : info at Oscars
• Derek Ball info at BFI : info at BFI
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Beru’s voice (2011 thread)
• Star Wars sound mixes (2013 thread)

32. Don MacDougall

 
Production Sound Mixer
 

About…

Don MacDougall was born as Donald W. MacDougall.

MacDougall won an Oscar for ‘Best Sound’ category for his and Derek Ball, Ray West, and Bob Minkler’s work on Star Wars (1977).

One of the first films in which Don MacDougall was involved as a sound engineer, was the animated film The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat in 1974. It followed in 1975 the musical film Funny Lady, for MacDougall received an Oscar nomination in the category “Best Sound”.

Two years later, two more nominations followed in this category, one for Close Encounters of the Third Kind , and another for Episode IV - A New Hope by George Lucas.

Overall, he worked on more than 130 cinema and television films as a sound engineer, in the 1990s, he took over this role in several television series, including Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium and Sister Island.

^ abridged & translated from the JediPedia Page for Don MacDougall

Sources Of Information:-

• An Honor To Be Nominated: Star Wars : article at Jahn Kes Electric Theatre
• Star Wars Wins Sound and Visual Effects: 1978 Oscars : youtube video at Oscars
• ‘Best Sound’ 1978 Oscar Speech : info at Oscars
• Wikipedia Page
• BFI Page for Don Macdougall : info at BFI
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• So how bad is the 2011 Star Wars sound mix really? (2014 thread)
• The best audio, and differences between the many audio tracks available? (2015 thread)

33. Bob Minkler

 
Production Sound Mixer
 

About…

Bob Minkler was born on August 31, 1937 in Glendale, California, USA as Robert Alan Minkler.

He is known for his work on Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), TRON (1982) and Hair (1979).

Minkler won an Oscar for ‘Best Sound’ category for his and Derek Ball, Ray West, and Don MacDougall’s work on Star Wars (1977).

He was married to Patty Minkler. He died on October 11, 2015 in Oregon, USA.

^ abridged from the IMDB Page for Bob Minkler

Sources Of Information:-

• You Show Good Taste: STAR WARS at the '78 Oscars : article at Star Wars at the Movies
• Bob Minkler, Oscar Winner for Sound Mixing on ‘Star Wars,’ Dies at 78 : article at Variety
• Bob Minkler dead: Oscar-winning Star Wars sound mixer dies at 78 : article at EW
• Star Wars Wins Sound and Visual Effects: 1978 Oscars : youtube video at Oscars
• ‘Best Sound’ 1978 Oscar Speech : info at Oscars
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Isolating Music and Voices in Star Wars (2013 thread)
• Sound mix options? Where?! (2004 thread)

34. Ray West

 
Production Sound Mixer
 

About…

One of the first films in which Ray West was involved as a sound engineer was Episode IV - A New Hope by George Lucas, which was released in cinemas in 1977.

For his work on sound for Star Wars, he was nominated for Best Picture Oscar together with Don MacDougall, Bob Minkler and Derek Ball, and received the award, as well as the British Academy Film Award in this category.

In total, West also received twelve Emmy nominations for his more than 70 film and television productions to date, of which he received the award twice. West worked after Star Wars including two films from the Star Trek series, the movie drama The Mask and some television series, including an episode of the crime series Miami Vice.

Most recently, West worked as a mixed sound mixer in the action movie Sniper, released in 1993.

^ abridged & translated from the Jedipedia Page for Ray West

Sources Of Information:-

• Star Wars - End Theme, by sound engineer Ray West : article at God’s Jukebox
• Ray West, Oscar-Winning ‘Star Wars’ Sound Mixer, Dies at 90 : article at Variety
• Star Wars Wins Sound and Visual Effects: 1978 Oscars : youtube video at Oscars
• ‘Best Sound’ 1978 Oscar Speech : info at Oscars
• Bafta Page
• Wikipedia Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• OT Sound Mixes (2017 thread)
• Now it’s just getting ridiculous - Obi Wan’s new howl (2010 thread)

35. Bill Varney

 
Production Sound Mixer
 

About…

Harold William “Bill” Varney was an American motion picture sound mixer. A two-time Academy Award winner, Varney shared the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. Varney also received Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing nominations his collaborative sound mixing on Dune in 1984 and Back to the Future in 1985.

One of Varney’s earliest projects was a film focusing on singer Joan Baez during the 1950s. Baez’s father was a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Varney relocated to southern California in 1961, where he produced educational films for Encyclopædia Britannica.

Varney transitioned to film and television sound mixing in 1972. He worked on approximately 85 productions over the next twenty-five years. He worked at The Samuel Goldwyn Company for fourteen years, until he joined Universal Pictures in 1985.

He received Oscar nominations for Dune in 1984 and Back to the Future in 1985. Additionally, Varney was nominated an Emmy Award for his sound work on the 1977 television miniseries, Roots.

Varney’s numerous film credits included The Last Waltz in 1978, Grease in 1978, Ordinary People in 1980, Poltergeist and My Favorite Year, both released in 1982, and Dragonheart in 1996.

By 1998, he had risen to become the Vice President of Sound Operations for Universal Pictures. That same year, Varney collaborated on the sound re-editing for the 1958 Orson Welles film, Touch of Evil. Welles had been replaced from the film during its post-production, and was never allowed to cut Touch of Evil the way he had originally intended. Rick Schmidlin produced the re-edit for Universal Pictures based on a 58-page lost memo written by Welles a year before the film was released. Varney spearheaded the sound restoration for the 1998 directors cut re-release of Touch of Evil. Varney used “digital processing to bring the 40-year-old soundtracks to a new level of clarity,” according to Walter Murch, who worked as the sound editor and sound mixer for the 1998 re-release.

Varney retired from Universal Studios in 2001 and moved to Fairhope, Alabama in 2003.

Varney died on April 2, 2011, of congestive heart failure in Fairhope at the age of 77.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Bill Varney

Sources Of Information:-

• Bill Varney dies at 77; Oscar-winning sound mixer : article at the LA Times
• Bill Varney obituary : article at The Guardian
• The Empire Strikes Back Wins Sound: 1981 Oscars : youtube video at Oscars
• 1981 Oscar Acceptance Speech for ESB Sound : article at Oscars
• The Force Defeated: Remembering “The Empire Strikes Back” on its 35th Anniversary : article at The Digital Bits
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Empire Strikes Back audio/70mm Dolby mix (2015 thread)
• ESB/ROTJ Audio Mixes (2009 thread)

36. Steve Maslow

 
Production Sound Mixer
 

About…

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Steve entered the entertainment industry in late 1969 as a roadie with a local group called the Strawberry Alarm Clock that hit it big with their national hit, “Incense and Peppermint.” From there he went into the recording industry learning and becoming a recording engineer, working with dozens of groups including Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and A Taste of Honey. With these two groups Steve was awarded a gold record, a platinum record and a platinum album, for “Oh What A Night (December 1963)” and “Boogie Oogie Oogie.”

By late 1978 opportunity knocked once more and Steve entered the film business and immediately became immersed with work on such films as “The Last Waltz (1978),” “10 (1979)”, “Hair (1979)”, “More American Graffiti (1979)”, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)”, and “The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)”.

Steve was awarded the first of three Academy Awards in 1981 for Best Sound for “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)”, and again in 1982 for “Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).” 1984 saw another nomination for “Dune (1984)”. Another Academy Award was given in 1995 for “Speed (1994)”," which also gave him his first British Academy Award. 1996 I was again nominated for the film “Waterworld (1995),” 1997 nominated for “Twister (1996)” and in 2001 nominated for “U-571 (2000)”."

Recent films worked on include “The Town (2010)”, “The Conjuring (2013)” and “The Great Gatsby (2013)”.

^ abridged from the IMDB Page for Steve Maslow

Sources Of Information:-

• Exclusive Interview with Steve Maslow : article at Designing Sound
• Steve Maslow On Working With George Lucas : youtube video at Matt Price
• Sound Chat EP004 - Steve Maslow Re Recording Mixer : youtube video at Matt Price
• The Empire Strikes Back Wins Sound: 1981 Oscars : youtube video at Oscars
• 1981 Oscar Acceptance Speech for ESB Sound : article at Oscars
• Wikipedia Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Hopefully the last 70mm vs. 35mm ESB audio differences thread (2012 thread)
• ESB 70mm Soundtrack - 1980 in-theatre recording (2011 thread)

37. Gregg Landaker

 
Production Sound Mixer
 

About…

Gregg was born in 1951 to a second generation sound family. His first job, as a film cleaner at Disney Studios, eventually led him to run the dub stage machine room. Gregg has worked as a television and film mixer for several studios including Universal Studios, Goldwyn Studios and currently Warner Bros. Studios.

Gregg has earned great praise for his talent in the sound industry, earning him award nominations from the Motion Picture Academy, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and Cinema Audio Society. Gregg has won the Oscar for Best Sound for the films "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), “Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)”, “Speed (1994)” and “Dunkirk (2017)”. He has also won B.A.F.T.A awards for Best Sound on the features “JFK (1991)”, “Speed (1994)” and “Dunkirk (2017)”.

Gregg’s most recent works as a re-recording mixer include “RED 2 (2013)”, “The Conjuring (2013)”, “Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)”, “The Hangover Part III (2013)”, and “The Dark Knight Rises (2012)”.

^ abridged from the IMDB Page for Gregg Landaker

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Dunkirk’ Sound Mixer Gregg Landaker Retiring After 207 Features : article at THe Hollywood Reporter
• ‘Interstellar’ Sound Designers on How They Create Sound Effects : youtube video at Made In Hollywood
• [Gregg Landaker at the Oscars](https://oscars.fandom.com/wiki/Gregg_Landaker: interview at Oscars wiki
• The Empire Strikes Back Wins Sound: 1981 Oscars : youtube video at Oscars
• 1981 Oscar Acceptance Speech for ESB Sound : article at Oscars
• Wikipedia Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Empire Strikes Back mono mix - GOUT sync & Comparison MP3 (2013 thread)
• Empire Strikes Back Soundtrack Restored and Rescored Demo project (2014 thread)

38. Peter Sutton

 
Production Sound Mixer
 

About…

Peter Sutton is known for his work on Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and Labyrinth (1986).

Peter’s career began at the age of 16 working as a Clapper Loader on ‘The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse’ following in his father’s footsteps. He then went on to work in Reeds Colour Labs in Wardour Street where he obtained his Union Card and began his long standing association with Samuelson Film Services. He freelanced for over 40 years in film and television.

Peter’s job took him around the world working with many modern greats. Loyal and well respected by his peers and colleagues, he was nominated for numerous accolades; the pinnacle of his career receiving an Academy Award for Best Sound in 1980 for ‘The Empire Strikes Back’.

Throughout his latter years, Peter suffered with numerous health problems not least becoming an amputee at the beginning of 2007. He bravely faced every obstacle in his way however over recent months his health deteriorated resulting in his final stay in hospital. In true Peter style he fought courageously but once diagnosed with Leukemia lost his final battle.

Peter passed away peacefully on Sunday August 24th 2008 at 7pm surrounded by his family. He leaves behind his wife Glynis, daughter Emma, son Jonathan, sister Jenifer and father Reg.

^ abridged from the Just Giving Page for Peter Sutton

Sources Of Information:-

• The Empire Strikes Back Wins Sound: 1981 Oscars : youtube video at Oscars
• 1981 Oscar Acceptance Speech for ESB Sound : article at Oscars
• How Many Academy Awards Did The Empire Strikes Back Win In 1980? : article at At Tha Movies
• Just Giving Page
• Peter Sutton: BFI Page : info at BFI
Wikipedia Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• 70 mm print of the Empire Strikes Back Differences (2005 thread)
• ESB 70mm Soundtrack - 1980 in-theatre recording (2011 thread)

39. John Williams

 
Musical Composer
 

About…

John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. Widely regarded as one of the greatest American film composers of all time, he has composed some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scores in cinematic history in a career spanning over six decades. Williams has won 24 Grammy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, he is the second most-nominated individual, after Walt Disney.

In 2005 the American Film Institute selected Williams’s score to 1977’s Star Wars as the greatest American film score of all time. The Library of Congress also entered the Star Wars soundtrack into the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Williams has composed for many critically acclaimed and popular movies, including the Star Wars series, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones series, the first two Home Alone films, Hook, the first two Jurassic Park films, Schindler’s List, and the first three Harry Potter films. Williams has also composed numerous classical concertos and other works for orchestral ensembles and solo instruments.

He has been associated with director Steven Spielberg since 1974, composing music for all but five of his feature films. Other works by Williams include theme music for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, “The Mission” theme used by NBC News and Seven News in Australia, the television series Lost in Space and Land of the Giants, and the incidental music for the first season of Gilligan’s Island.

Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl’s Hall of Fame in 2000, and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. He has composed the score for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office (adjusted for inflation).

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for John Williams

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars’: How John Williams Helped Created An Epic : article at UDiscoverMusic
• How one man changed the landscape of film music : article at The Conversation
• Steven Spielberg, George Lucas praise lifetime award winner John Williams : article at The Guardian
• Amazon website search for books by / on John Williams
• John Williams at the BBC
• Biography.com Profile
• JWFan Network Website
• John Williams Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• John Williams vs. Prequel Trilogy (2011 thread)
• The music of the Original Trilogy vs the music of the Prequel Trilogy (2012 thread)
• Star Wars - The Temp Track (2010 thread)
• John Williams says IX will be his last (2018 thread)

40. Christopher Evans

 
Matte Painting Artist
 

About…

Christopher Leith Evans (commonly credited as Christopher Evans or Chris Evans) is an American artist, digital matte painter and visual effects art director for major motion pictures. Evans’ paintings are characterized by a highly realistic representation of landscape, architecture, and the human figure.

Evans was born in 1954 in Bremerton, Washington, to Virginia Joan (née Bartholomew) and Alan Edward Evans. As a child, Evans was encouraged by his parents to express himself through drawing and painting. In high school, he joined the staff of the school newspaper, drawing cartoons and caricatures, writing and illustrating articles and taking photographs. Inspired by a teacher, Evans began to focus his academic career on art, traveling to Europe upon graduation and viewing classical art in museums in Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and England.

While his family members supported his artistic endeavors as a youngster, when Evans applied to college he was encouraged to seek an education preparing him for a “real job”. He began classes at UCLA as an art history major, but continued to paint in his free time. Upon showing his work to his art history professors, Evans was encouraged by them to change his major area of study, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1977 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting, sculpture and graphic arts. He continued his studies and received a Master of Fine Arts from the same university in 1980.

Shortly after college, Evans watched the film The Empire Strikes Back. Impressed by the film’s portrayal of the Cloud City, he submitted samples of his work to George Lucas’ company, Industrial Light & Magic, and was offered a position as a matte painter.

Evans subsequently became the head of the matte painting department at ILM, where he continued to work until 1989, contributing to such films as Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, The Dark Crystal and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. While at ILM, Evans was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Willow, and was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for his work on The Ewok Adventure.

After leaving ILM, Evans joined Matte World Digital, where he worked as a digital matte painter and art director, contributing to films including Titanic, The Green Mile and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Christopher Evans

Sources Of Information:-

• Chris Evans: Memory Alpha Info : article at Memory Alpha
• Reddit AMA - January 2015 : interview at Reddit
• 40th Anniversary Interview with Christopher Evans : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• How the Original Star Wars Trilogy Fooled Everyone With Matte Paintings : article at Gizmodo
• 23 Gorgeous Matte Paintings From The Original Star Wars Trilogy : article at Ranker
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)
• Return of the Jedi cut-scene (2010 thread)

41. Mike Pangrazio

 
Matte Painting Artist
 

About…

Michael Pangrazio (commonly credited as Mike Pangrazio) is an American art director in the feature film industry best known for his matte painting work on Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Empire Strikes Back. As traditional and digital matte artist, he created some of the most famous matte paintings in movie history. His best known painting is the Raiders of the Lost Ark warehouse interior set-extension at the end of the movie

After graduating high school Pangrazio worked as scenic artist for a television network, which was a euphemistic term for “bucket boy”, as he was charged with cleaning paint buckets, dirty brushes and other menial tasks. He subsequently performed these tasks for a small Hollywood effects studio, before he met Joe Johnston of Industrial Light & Magic. It was through him that he was hired in 1978 at ILM. Lacking any experience, conceptual artist and matte painter Ralph McQuarrie taught him the craft of matte painting, a trade he learned in the course of three years.

The backdrops from most of the stop-motion shots from the Imperial Walker/Hoth sequence from The Empire Strikes Back (1980) were painted by Pangrazio. The final shot of the government warehouse from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) which was painted on glass by Pangrazio at Industrial Light & Magic, and combined with live-action footage of a government worker pushing the crate up the center aisle. The integration of the live action lighting and painted lighting effects is said to be the best matte painting achievement in filmmaking history. He was also responsible for the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Pankot Palace, Cliff and the Village, as well as most Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) matte paintings.

After leaving ILM, Pangrazio co-founded Matte World Digital with Craig Barron in 1988. Barron and Pangrazio continued to work with the crew at ILM on notable matte-painting scenes in several classic feature films.

Pangrazio moved to Oregon with his family in 1994 in order to pursue his children’s book illustration career. He contributed images to numerous book publications.

In 2004 Pangrazio returned to the film industry and joined a world leading visual effects studio Weta Digital in New Zealand as Art Director. He has since supervised such blockbuster installments as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and Bridge to Terabithia (2007). One of his most recent projects was to re-design the Walt Disney cinematic logo which plays before every Walt Disney picture since 2006.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Mike Pangrazio

Sources Of Information:-

• AWN - FMX 2016 Professional Spotlight: Michael Pangrazio : youtube video at Animation World Network
• Industrial Light & Magic - Traditional Matte Paintings (rare footage) : youtube video at Thomas Thiemeyer
• Audio Interview with Mike Pangrazio : interview at A Gypsy Life
• Matte painting supervisor Michael Pangrazio discusses the variety of matte paintings in ROTJ : youtube video at Muppet
• The Magic Of The Originla Trilogy Matte Painting Artisits : article at SWNN
• Raiders of the Lost Ark – Matte Painting
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Making of The Empire Strikes Back (2010 thread)
• Modern SE Revisionism (2011 thread)

42. Frank Ordaz

 
Matte Painting Artist
 

About…

Frank P. Ordaz grew up in southern California. At the age of 12, he studied with portrait artist Theodore N. Lukits. It was at the Lukits Academy that Frank was introduced to the academic method of painting from plaster casts and from life. He was later mentored by landscape painter Sam Hyde Harris who was noted for his tonal quality of light.

Frank attended the University of Southern California and graduated from the Art Center College of Design in 1980. He began painting for George Lucasʼ special effects company, Industrial Light and Magic, where he worked on Oscar winning motion pictures including E.T. and Return of the Jedi. In 1986, he was recognized with an Emmy for his matte paintings in The Ewok Adventure.

In 2006, Frank was selected by First Lady Laura Bush to be the featured artist for the White House Easter Egg Roll. Formerly hung in her East Wing office, his painting is now in the permanent collection of the George W. Bush Library.

As a juried Artist Member of the California Art Club, Frank has participated in the Gold Medal Show, and has received awards from the International Art Renewal Competition. His paintings hang in many private collections throughout the United States.

Frank is known primarily for his luminous landscapes, bravura portraiture, and compelling figurative work in oil paint. He has participated in many group shows and his landscapes dominated his one man show, “Landscapes of the American Myth” at the John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis, CA in 2016.

He has continued the tradition of early California Artists in painting in the field and learning firsthand the qualities and mysteries of light. Frank also has a passion for art history and the artist’s place in the continued evolution of painting styles and perceptions. His paintings are a celebration of life and the profound influence of light in animating our emotions and responses to our environment. Frank is most interested in the iconic and cinematic qualities of the landscape Image. He is drawn to the romantic allure of the Pacific Ocean as well as the spiritual qualities of the Southwest.

Frank is married to Jana and has two grown boys. He feels it has been a wonderful life.

^ abridged from the Biography Page at Nancy Dodds Gallery for Frank Ordaz

Sources Of Information:-

• 40th Anniversary Interview with Frank Ordaz : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• The paintings of Star Wars matte painter Frank Ordaz : article at Gizmodo
• Episode 126: Frank Ordaz - Pay Me No Mind : youtube video interview at Sketch Zone
• Artist Spotlight - Frank Ordaz : interview at Fine Art Views
• Frank Ordaz matte painting study - ROTJ : article at The Prop Gallery
• A Look at the Matte Painters Who Created the Lifelike Scenery for the ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ Films : article at Laughing Squid
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• StarWarsLegacy.com - The Official Thread (2004 thread)
• The 1978 Star Wars Storybook and Color Grading reference (2019 thread)

43. Harrison Ellenshaw

 
Matte Painting Artist
 

About…

Harrison Ellenshaw is an American matte painter, following his British-born father Peter Ellenshaw.

He started his career at Walt Disney Studios. He later joined George Lucas’s effects studio Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), where he produced many of the matte visual effects backgrounds for the films Star Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). He then returned to Disney to work on the film Dick Tracy (1990), and eventually headed Disney Studio’s effects department, Buena Vista Visual Effects (BVVE).

He was also visual effects supervisor for _Tron _(1982), where he had the distinction of being the first person to have that credit in a film.

He and his father were nominated for an Academy Award for their work on Disney’s film The Black Hole (1979).

Harrison Ellenshaw is now pursuing his passion for fine art painting.

His son Michael Ellenshaw has directed a short film while his sister Lynda Thompson is also a visual effects artist.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Harrison Ellenshaw

Sources Of Information:-

• Spotlight – Harrison Ellenshaw : interview at CineFex
• How Painters Made ‘Star Wars’ Seem so Real : article at Inverse
• 40th Anniversary Interview with Harrison Ellenshaw : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• A Tribute to Artist Harrison Ellenshaw : youtube video at Disney Fine Art
• The Ellenshaw’s Peter and Harrison - Disney Family Album : youtube video at Sam’s Disney Diary
• Matte Shot - a tribute to Golden Era special fx : article at NZ Pete’s Matte Shot
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Mos Eisley matte painting - best colour corrected image (2019 thread)
• The Death Star trench run (2017 thread)

44. Phil Tippett

 
Optical Effects Guru
 

About…

Phil Tippett is an American movie director and Oscar and Emmy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and producer, who specializes in creature design, stop-motion and computerized character animation.

Over his career, he has assisted ILM and DreamWorks, and in 1984 formed his own company, Tippett Studio. His work has appeared in movies such as the original Star Wars trilogy, Jurassic Park, and RoboCop. He is currently involved with his ongoing Mad God stop-motion series, which were funded through Kickstarter.

In 1975, while still working at Cascade Pictures, Phil Tippett and Jon Berg were hired by George Lucas at Industrial Light & Magic to create a stop-motion miniature chess scene for the original Star Wars film. When Star Wars was being released on theatres, in 1977, Tippett was approached by Joe Dante and Jon Davison to create the fish for Roger Corman’s Piranha (released in 1978, although Tippett was not credited in the film). That year, 1978, Tippett headed the ILM animation department with Jon Berg for The Empire Strikes Back (released in 1980). For this film, Tippett co-developed the animation technique called go motion to animate the sinister AT-AT Imperial Walkers and the hybrid alien tauntauns.

In 1981 Tippett continued using go motion for Dragonslayer, and received his first Academy Award nomination for the extraordinarily realistic dragon animation. By 1983, Tippett led the famed Lucasfilm creature shop for Return of the Jedi for which he was awarded his first Oscar in 1984.

In 1984, Tippett Studio was born when Tippett left ILM and set up a studio in his garage to create a 10-minute experimental film called Prehistoric Beast. The realism of the dinosaurs it depicted and the film’s reflection of contemporary scientific theory led to the 1985 CBS animated documentary Dinosaur!. The next year, in 1986, Dinosaur! granted Tippett Studio its first award, a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects, for the animated dinosaur sequences.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Phil Tippett

Sources Of Information:-

• My Life In Monsters: Meet the Animator Behind Star Wars and Jurassic Park : youtube video - by Vice
• Mad Dreams and Monsters - Phil Tippett Documentary TRAILER : youtube video by Stan Winston School
• Phil Tippett’s Film Props and Special Effects Legacy : youtube video by Adam Savage’s Tested
• Phil Tippett: Following His Imagination To The Stars And Beyond : 2018 article at VFXV Magazine
• Star Wars 40th Anniversary Interview with Phil Tippett : vimeo video by Athena Studioa
• Interview with Phil Tippett : article at the Star Wars Interviews website
• Brilliant Effects Master Phil Tippett Sheds Some Light on George Lucas’ Star Wars-Tinkering Mind : article at the Movies website
• Amazon website search for books by / on Phil Tippett
• Website : Twitter : Facebook : YouTube
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Phil Tippett’s : Mad God (2012 thread)
• Video Profile on Visual Effects Legend Phil Tippett (2016 thread)
• Jedi 30th Ann. screening at Pixar…of the original version! (2014 thread)
• 40 at 40: Interviews from the 40th anniversary reunion on May 27th, 2017 (2017 thread)

45. Denis Muren

 
Visual Effects Supervisor
 

About…

Dennis Muren, A.S.C is an American film special effects artist and supervisor. He has worked on the films of Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and George Lucas, among others, and won nine Oscars in total: eight for Best Visual Effects and a Technical Achievement Academy Award.

After earning his associate’s degree, Muren began working as a visual effects artist full-time. In 1976, Muren was hired at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), then an upstart visual effects studio founded by George Lucas. Lucas’ and ILM’s first film, Star Wars, was released in 1977 to wide critical and public acclaim and was the highest-grossing film of all time up until that point. In 1985 he worked on the visual effects of the Disney theme park’s Captain EO the American 3D/4D science fiction film starring Michael Jackson, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and the executive producer was George Lucas.

Muren has been an important voice for pioneering new technologies in special effects. Muren spearheaded ILM’s move from models and miniatures to CGI for the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Jurassic Park was the breakthrough that convinced George Lucas that technology had advanced enough to make the Star Wars prequels. Director Peter Jackson was similarly inspired by Jurassic Park’s technical breakthrough to begin planning and pre-production on the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) and King Kong (2005). Muren also contributed effects work on three Jurassic Park sequels: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and Jurassic World (2015) and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).

In June 1999, Muren was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the first visual effects artist to ever be so recognized. He has also been a recipient of nine Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Visual Effects and a Technical Achievement Academy Award, the most of any living movie-maker.

Muren continues to work as Senior Visual Effects Supervisor and Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Denis Muren

Sources Of Information:-

• How Dennis Muren’s Failure Led To 9 FX Oscars : article at Hollywood Into To
• Visual Effects Pioneer Dennis Muren Receives Lifetime Achievement Award : article at Variety
• Star Wars’ Dennis Muren interview: Motion capture and visual effects’ future : article at Shack News
• Dennis Muren: ‘I know we were doing something different’ : article at the Star Wars website
• 9-Time Oscar-Winner Dennis Muren to Keynote VIEW Conference 2018 : article at Animation World Network
• Dennis Muren – Still Playing it Unsafe : article at Cinefex
• Dennis Muren Answers Star Wars Fans’ Questions - Extended Interview : youtube video at the Star Wars channel
• ILM Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Question about LD 1993 to DVD Transfer (2006 thread)
• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)
• Extras on SW laserdiscs and not on DVD or BD… (2013 thread)

46. Lorne Peterson

 
Optical Effects Guru
 

About…

Lorne Peterson is one of the founding members of Industrial Light & Magic. He was hired by George Lucas to help create the models for the first Star Wars movie in 1975.

In 1978, Peterson was invited by Lucas to oversee the entire production of models for The Empire Strikes Back. His signature is evident on nearly every model used in the original trilogy.

Peterson’s work is also showcased in the entire Star Wars saga, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Jurassic Park, Men in Black, Galaxy Quest, and the Pirates of the Caribbean films. He was honored with an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for the special effects work in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

^ abridged from the Simon & Schuster Biography Author Page for Lorne Peterson - and his book ‘Sculpting A Galaxy’

Sources Of Information:-

• Industry Insider with Lorne Peterson : article at Press Reader
• Sculpting His Journey: An interview with Star Wars model maker Lorne Peterson : article at Fields Edge
• ILM Modelmakers Share Star Wars Stories and Secrets : article at Tested
• Interview with Lorne (episode 35 : audio interview at Talking Bay 94
• Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the “Star Wars” Model Shop: Inside the “Star Wars” Model Shop : book by Lorne Peterson
• Star Wars 40th Anniversary Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• Lorne Peterson at Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019 : youtube video at Fantha Tracks
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Whose arm? (2012 thread - re Obi-Wan making good with a lightsaber in The Cantina scene in Star Wars '77 - with visit and info provided by Lorne Peterson himself)
• ANH screening with modelmaker Lorne Peterson…WHY ARE THEY SCREENING THE SE?? (2006 thread)
• The Millenium Falcon and its missing conceptual development (2011 thread)

47. John Dykstra

 
Special Effects Supervisor
 

About…

John Charles Dykstra, A.S.C. is an American special effects artist, pioneer in the development of the use of computers in filmmaking and recipient of three Academy Awards, among many other awards and prizes. He was one of the original founders of Industrial Light & Magic, the special effects and computer graphics division of Lucasfilm. He is well known as the special effects lead on the original Star Wars, helping bring the original visuals for lightsabers, space battles between X-wings and TIE fighters, and Force powers to the screen. He also led special effects on many other movies, including Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, Stuart Little, X-Men: First Class, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2.

n 1975, when George Lucas was recruiting people for the special effects work on Star Wars, he approached Douglas Trumbull, but he was unavailable as he was about to start working on Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Trumbull pointed Lucas towards Dykstra. Lucas formed his own special effects company, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), based in warehouse premises in Van Nuys, and appointed Dykstra to supervise the new team. This led to the development of the Dykstraflex motion-controlled camera, which enabled many of the film’s groundbreaking effects to be produced. The system was made possible by the availability of off-the-shelf integrated-circuit RAM at relatively low cost and secondhand VistaVision cameras.

However, tensions arose between Dykstra and Lucas, the latter complaining that too much time and money was spent on developing the digital camera systems and that the effects team did not deliver all the shots that he had wanted causing the production to run behind schedule. These tensions would reportedly culminate with Dykstra’s dismissal from ILM following Lucas’ return from principal photography in London. Regardless, following the release of Star Wars, Dykstra and his team won Academy Awards for best special effects and special technical achievement.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for John Dykstra

Sources Of Information:-

• Star Wars 40th Anniversary Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• John Dykstra interview : article at the ASC
• John Dykstra interview : article at the IMNO
• ‘Youth and ignorance’ drove eye-popping ‘Star Wars’ effects : article at CNet
• John Dykstra, ASC: VFX Then and Now : article at Creative Cow
• Q&A: John Dykstra, the special effects pioneer who made us believe in ‘Star Wars’ : article at Pop Culture Mag
• The Original DykstraFlex Camera In Action! : youtube video at Toxic Crayon
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Cool article about/interview with John Dykstra (2010 thread)
• John Dykstra Interview Circa July 1977 (2011 thread)
• Fox/Lucasfilm vs Battlestar Galactica (2013 thread)
• 70mm print of GOUT on Saturday in Academy Theater in CA! (2019 thread - John Dykstra introduced the screening)

48. Joe Johnston

 
Effects Illustrator and Designer, Visual Effects
 

About…

Joseph Eggleston Johnston is an American film director and former visual effects artist best known for such effects-driven movies as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Jumanji (1995) and Jurassic Park III (2001). These movies include a number of period films such as_ The Rocketeer_ (1991), The Wolfman (2010), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Johnston also directed the biographical drama October Sky (1999).

Much of the work at the beginning of Johnston’s screen career combined design and special effects. He began his career as a concept artist and effects technician on the first Star Wars film, directed by George Lucas, and was art director on one of the effects teams for the sequel. His association with Lucas would later prove fruitful, when he became one of four to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Johnston continued to work on many films as an effects expert.

He was also associate producer on fantasy Willow, and production designer on two mid-80s TV movies which featured the Ewoks seen in Return of the Jedi.

Johnston is also author of Star Wars novel The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense, which ties into Return of the Jedi.

In 1984, Lucas gave Johnston a sabbatical, with salary, and paid his tuition to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Johnston left after a year, saying he “was asked not to return” because he “broke too many rules”.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Joe Johnston

Sources Of Information:-

• Joe Johnston’s Original ‘Star Wars’ Boba Fett Designs Resurface : article at CBR
• Never-Before-Seen Star Wars Storyboards Show The Original Trilogy Anew : article at Gizmodo
• Star Wars Concept Art Is Still Awesome 35 Years Later : article at Nerdist
• Legendary Filmmaker Joe Johnston Reflects on Designing ‘Star Wars’ and Directing Robin Williams : article at Yahoo
• Joe Johnston - News & Biography : collection of articles at Empire
• The Empire Strikes Back Sketchbook : book by John Dykstra, Nilo Rodis-Jamero & Diana Attias
• Star Wars 40th Anniversary Interview with Joe Johnston : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• Twitter
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Joe Johnston (2012 thread)
• Joe Johnston wants to make a Boba Fett movie (2011 thread)
• The original inspiration for Star Destroyers? (2008 thread)
• Starlog Magazine at archive.org (2013 thread)
• The original Marvel Star Wars series (2018 thread)

49. Bruce Nicholson

 
Optical Photography Supervisor
 

About…

Bruce Nicholson is a visual effects artist who has won 2 Academy Awards for The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and also nominated for Poltergeist (1982).

Nicholson was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and entered the film business in 1974 after attending film school at UCLA and Sherwood Oaks Film School.

He was hired at ILM to work on the original Star Wars (1977) after working at a small optical effects facility, Ray Mercer & Co. He remained at ILM for 19 years, and then went on to work for Sony Imageworks, Digital Domain, Rhythm & Hues, and Tippett Studios as a Compositor and Visual Effects Supervisor on nearly 50 films.

He has taught Visual Effects at Academy of Art University, and is actively engaged in independent filmmaking. Nicholson is married to the Set Decorator Gretchen Scharfenberg.

^ abridged from the IMDB Page for Bruce Nicholson

Sources Of Information:-

• Animation Instructor Bruce Nicholson Adds Cinematography Courses to His Repertoire : article at Academy Art U News
• The Empire Strikes Back Receives a Special Award: 1981 Oscars : youtube video at the Oscars
• Star Wars Visual Effects Pioneers Highlight The Academy’s “Galactic Innovations: Star Wars and Rogue One” Event : article at We Are Movie Geeks
• Faecbook Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• 70mm print of GOUT on Saturday in Academy Theater in CA! (2019 thread)
• Rob Bottin (2012 thread)

50. Paul Huston

 
Assistant Cameraman: miniature and optical effects unit / model maker: miniature and optical effects unit
 

About…

Paul Huston joined Industrial Light & Magic for the first Star Wars film doing work as a story board artist and modelmaker. Since then he has worked at ILM as a modelmaker, cameraman and visual effects art director. He has worked extensively with the ILM matte department throughout his career and has played an integral role in the transition from traditional matte to digital matte painting.

As a senior digital matte artist, he supervises the work of other matte artists. Huston has earned two Emmy Nominations and an Emmy Award for Highest Achievement in Visual Effects as a digital matte artist for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles; and in 1993 won an Association of Independent Commercial Producers/Museum of Modern Art (AICP/MOMA) Production Design Award for his work on British Petroleum’s “Elevator.”

In January of 1994, Huston worked on the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition in creating new shots for scenes in Mos Eisley and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s house on the Dune Sea.

Huston painstakingly matched his Special Edition artwork with the original print of Star Wars to allow new CG creatures, characters, and vehicles to populate scenes in the way George Lucas originally intended.

In 2003 he received the Visual Effects Society - Best Matte Painting in a Theatrical Motion Picture Award for his work on Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.

Huston graduated with honors from the University of Colorado College of Environmental Design, with minors in English and Fine Art. His post-graduate work was done at the Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles and at the Academy of Art College, San Francisco.

^ abridged from the StarWars.com Biography Page for Paul Huston (via the Internet Archive’s WayBack Machine)

Sources Of Information:-

• Interview with Paul Huston : article at the Star Wars Interviews website
• Paul Huston on Making Models & History for Star Wars : article at the Star Wars website
• Paul Huston And The Magic Of Visual Effects For The First Star Wars : article at Model-Spce.es (in Spanish)
• New Doc ‘Raiders, Raptors and Rebels’ Celebrates 40 Years of ILM : article at Cartoon Brew
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars 40th Reunion (2017 thread)
• Vintage clip from an documentary about ILM’s various matte paintings, with Paul Huston (2010)

51. Christopher ‘Kit’ West

 
Mechanical Effects
 

About…

Kit West was a British special effects artist who was most known for his work in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi.

West was responsible for the “old school” mechanical effects on Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Return of the Jedi (1983). On the latter, he oversaw all the robots, including the radio-controlled R2-D2, and received a BAFTA award. West shared the visual effects Oscar for Raiders with Richard Edlund, Bruce Nicholson and Joe Johnston.

When the first Star Wars movie was released, the special effects done by ILM set a new standard. The people responsible for these effects won many awards over the years, including an Oscar for Raiders of the Lost Ark and a BAFTA for Return of the Jedi. One of the people that won these two awards is effects wizard Kit West, who was responsible for the mechanical effects in both movies. During his career - that spans five decades - he has worked on many popular movies including Dune, Stargate and Young Sherlock Holmes.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Kit West

Sources Of Information:-

• Interview with Kit West : article at Star Wars Interviews website
• Kit West, Oscar-Winning Effects Artist on ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ Dies at 80 : article at The Hollywood Reporter
• Oscar-winning special effects guru and East Sheen native Kit West dies aged 80 : article at R&W Times
• Raiders of the Lost Ark Wins Visual Effects: 1982 Oscars : youtube video at the Oscars
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Shifting Tone of Star Wars (2012 thread)
• Return of the Jedi - your opinion? (2010 thread)

52. Ken Ralston

 
assistant cameraman: miniature and optical effects unit
 

About…

Kenneth “Ken” Ralston is an American visual effects artist, currently the Visual Effect Supervisor and Creative Head at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Ralston began his career at the seminal commercial animation and visual effects company, Cascade Pictures in Hollywood, where he worked on over 150 advertising campaigns in the early 1970s.

In 1976, he was hired at Industrial Light & Magic by Dennis Muren to help George Lucas create the effects for Star Wars. He remained in ILM for 20 years before joining Sony Pictures Imageworks as president. Ralston is best known for his work in the films of Robert Zemeckis.

Ralston has won five Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, including a Special Achievement Oscar for the visual effects in Return of the Jedi (1983), and regular awards for his work on Cocoon (1985), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Death Becomes Her (1992) and Forrest Gump (1994). He was nominated three more times for Dragonslayer (1981), Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Alice in Wonderland (2010).

Ken has contributed to several DVD commentaries:-

King Kong (1933) - with visual effects creator Ray Harryhausen
Mighty Joe Young (1949) - with visual effects creator Ray Harryhausen and actress Terry Moore
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) - with director Robert Zemeckis, producer Frank Marshall, associate producer Steve Starkey, screenwriters Jeffrey Price and Peter Seaman
Contact (1997) - with visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum
Cast Away (2000) - with cinematographer Don Burgess, visual effects supervisor Carey Villegas, sound designer Randy Thom

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Ken Ralston

Sources Of Information:-

• 40th Anniversary Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• ‘Return of the Jedi’ and ‘Roger Rabbit’ VFX Supe Ken Ralston Reflects on the State of the Industry : article at Cartoon Brew
• VES Names Acclaimed Visual Effects Pioneer Ken Ralston Recipient of VES Lifetime Achievement Award : artcle at VES
• Growing a Studio – Ken Ralston Talks VFX at Imageworks : article at Animation World Network
• Ken Ralston Interview : youtube interview at Schoolism
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Executor VHS Set (2006 thread - re commentary)
• Question about LD 1993 to DVD Transfer (2006 thread - re commentary)

53. Brian Johnson

 
special visual effects
 

About…

Born Brian Johncock, he changed his surname to Johnson during the 1960s. Joining the team of special effects artist Les Bowie, Johnson started his career behind the scenes for Bowie Films on productions such as _On The _Buses, and for Hammer Films. He is known for his special effects work on TV series including Thunderbirds (1965–66) and films including Alien (1979), for which he received the 1980 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (shared with H. R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Dennis Ayling and Nick Allder). Previously, he had built miniature spacecraft models for Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Johnson’s work on Space: 1999 influenced the effects of the Star Wars films of the 1970s and 1980s. Impressed by his work, George Lucas visited Johnson during the production of the TV series to offer him the role of effects supervisor for the 1977 film. Having already been commissioned for the second series of Space: 1999, Johnson was unable to accept at the time.

He did, however, work on the sequel: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), whose special effects were recognised in the form of a 1981 Special Achievement Academy Award (which Johnson shared with Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren and Bruce Nicholson).

Johnson has won Academy Awards for both Alien (1979) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). He was further nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Dragonslayer (1981). In addition, Johnson is the recipient of a Saturn Award (for The Empire Strikes Back) and a BAFTA Award (for the 1986 sequel to Alien, Aliens).

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Brian Johnson

Sources Of Information:-

• Most Effective - Brian Johnson : article at British Cinematographer
• Interview: Brian Johnson – Hollywood SFX Legend : article at Dutch Girl In London
• Catacombs Credits Guide: Special Effects - Brian Johnson : article at Space1999.net
• Interview With Brian Johnson, Special Effects Artist (Special to the OPB) : article at Original Prop Blog
• In detail - ILM C-3PO Oscar statuette gifted to Brian Johnson for The Empire Strikes Back : article at The Prop Gallery
• Facebook Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Official babyhum Release Thread (2005 thread)
• ** Alien Makers I & II ** (2010 thread)

54. Bruce Logan

 
second unit photography: miniature and optical effects unit
 

About…

A versatile, two-time Emmy-winning Writer/Director. A Director/Cameraman of commercials specializing in Comedy, Action and Special Visual Effects. He’s a two time winner of advertising’s most coveted award, a Golden Lion at the Cannes film festival, and has several Superbowl spots to his credit. Multi-faceted, he is also a Screenwriter, Director of Photography, Visual Effects Director, championship winning race car driver and a licensed pilot.

Bruce Logan’s love of outstanding imagery started in his late teens, when London-born Logan was hired by Stanley Kubrick to work under Douglas Trumbull on 2001 A Space Odyssey. From his work on classics such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Tron, Airplane and Firefox to Batman Forever and The Rookie - special effects have become second nature to him as a tool in his story-telling sensibilities, and scenes such as Johnny Depp’s acid road trip in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Soon involved in more elements of the filmmaking process, Bruce became a Director of Photography on music videos for artists as diverse as Madonna, Prince, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith and The Go-Gos as well as features such as Star Trek:The Movie, Tron, I Never Promised You A Rose Garden and Jackson County Jail.

^ abridged from the Lynn Santer Biography Page for Bruce Logan

Sources Of Information:-

• Interview with Bruce Logan : article at Star Wars Interviews website
• Special Effects Jedi Who Blew Up The Death Star : article at the Star Wars website
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• Zacuto Live - Q&A with Bruce Logan : youtube video at Zacuto
• Website : Blog
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars Original Trilogy Theatrical and Home Video Trailers Deconstruction (2010 thread)
• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)

55. John Coppinger

 
animatronics engineer
 

About…

John Coppinger is an English sculptor and was one of the design and fabrication supervisors for the environmental creatures in The Dark Crystal. Models that he produced for the film include those of walking trees for a swamp sequence, and he supervised the creation of moving flowers, flying seeds, a giant swamp creature, and the crystal spiders on Aughra’s mountain.

Also with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, Coppinger worked on the computer-generated models for the film, Babe, on sea creatures for the mini-series The Odyssey and others.

Beyond Henson, Coppinger was instrumental in designing Jabba the Hutt for Return of the Jedi and performed as a Wookiee Senator in Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. He has also worked on Return to Oz with many of his Dark Crystal colleagues, The Fifth Element, and Harry Potter.

While continuing to make models for films and museums, Coppinger has added author to his resume, publishing his first novel in 2008.

^ abridged from the Dark Crystal Biography Page for John Coppinger

Sources Of Information:-

• Jabba Jabba Hey! : article at Introspective Magazine
• John Coppinger Interview : article at Star Wars Interviews
• SW Interview: John Coppinger : article at SciFi Now
• Interview with John Coppinger - Animatronics Engineer : article at TheForce net
• Interview With John Coppinger Scientific Model-Maker, Sculptor And Animatronic Designer : article at BlastZone Online
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Episode VII Cast List Announced (2014 thread)
• ROTJ is the best Star Wars film… discuss! (2013 thread)

56. John Stears

 
Visual Effects
 

About…

John Stears was a British two-time Academy Award-winning special effects expert. he created James Bond’s lethal Aston Martin DB5, Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, the Jedi Knights’ lightsabers, the endearing robots R2-D2 and C-3PO as well as a host of other movie gadgets and special effects.

Stears added his inventions to the first eight James Bond thrillers, won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1965 for Thunderball, and shared another Academy Award in 1977 for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

He created some of the most famous scenes in the movies. He blew up the villain’s Jamaican hideout at the end of Dr. No (1962), and for Goldfinger (1964), he created Agent 007’s Aston Martin DB5, featuring bullet-proof windows, revolving license plates, forward-firing machine guns, a rear oil-slick dispenser and a passenger-side ejector seat.

He also created an avalanche for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) and built flying cars for the musical film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and the Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).

Stears grew disenchanted with the Bond franchise, and vowed never to do another one. He complained that the “team spirit” had gone. Stears expressed great regret that Kevin McClory couldn’t get his rival Bond film, Warhead, into production, as Stears wanted to work on that film.

In 1976, Stears received a telephone call from George Lucas, who had been a great admirer of the Bond films, who wanted to know if he was interested in creating mechanical and electrical effects for a film that he had written, Star Wars. Stears accepted the offer.

For Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Stears created the robots R2-D2 and C-3PO, Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, the Jedi Knights’ lightsabers, and the Death Star. Stears was also credited, along with John Dykstra, for the original film’s climactic aerial dogfight.

In 1978, producer Harry Saltzman hired Stears to direct the “shrunken man” epic film The Micronauts. The troubled project had been in pre-production for many years and saw many directors come and go; ultimately the film never made it into production.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for John Stears

Sources Of Information:-

• John Stears: the man who built R2-D2 : article at Episode Nothing
• The Oscar Winning special effects of John Stears : youtube video at Gareth Stears
• Revolvy: John Stears : article at Revolvy
• 1975/6 – R2-D2 (from Star Wars) – John Stears : article at CyberneticZoo
• John Stears; Special Effects Genius Behind 007 and R2-D2 : article at the LA Times
• Obituary: John Stears : article at The Independent
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• “Making of Star Wars” (1977) taped from ABC?? (2007 thread)
• Confused about O-OT Lightsaber Colors (2012 thread)

57. Grant McCune

 
Visual Effects & Chief Model Maker
 

About…

Grant McCune was an American special effects designer whose entry into Hollywood was the uncredited creation of the great white shark in the 1975 film Jaws. His efforts there led to work on a series of major films, including his design of the robots in the Star Wars films, winning an Oscar in 1977 for his efforts in the first film in the series.

McCune attended California State University, Northridge where he earned his undergraduate degree in biology and met his future wife. McCune was able to use his scientific training when he and Bill Shourt were hired in 1975 to work on creating the iconic shark in the movie Jaws, marking his start in Hollywood, though he was uncredited.

He was subsequently hired to work on the Star Wars movies as the franchise’s chief model maker, responsible for the design details of the robots (such as R2-D2) and alien characters in the films. He and his team earned an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 50th Academy Awards for Star Wars. He received a second Oscar nomination for his work on the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture. As a partner at Apogee Productions, McCune’s work was featured in such films as Caddyshack before founding his own firm, which was hired to work on such movies as Speed and Spider-Man.

Interviewed by Popular Mechanics magazine in 2009, McCune described how one uses a photographer’s eye in designing miniatures, using perspective and surface details to make the objects appear as realistic as possible.

A resident of Hidden Hills, California, McCune died at his home there of pancreatic cancer at the age of 67 on December 27, 2010. He was survived by his wife, Katherine, as well as by a daughter and a son.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Grant McCune

Sources Of Information:-

• A Long Time Ago, in a FX Shop Far Away….A Tribute to Grant McCune, Star Wars World Maker : article at The Rogue
• 4 Questions for Star Wars Modelmaker Grant McCune : article at Popular Mechanics
• Grant McCune’s Blockade Runner on Display at SDCC : 2015 article at Jedi News
• Our Story: McCune Masterworks : youtube video at McCune Masterworks
• Grant McCune obituary : article at The Guardian
• Grant McCune, saying good bye to a dear friend :article at Johnny Eaves’ blog
• The Prop Store - Nostromo Project (Alien ship model) : youtube video at The Prop Store
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Grant McCune dies at age 67 (2010 thread)
• “Making of Star Wars” (1977) taped from ABC?? (2007 thread)
• Another Trilogy DVD Release Screw Up? (2005 thread)

58. Richard Edlund

 
Visual Effects
 

About…

Richard Edlund, A.S.C. is a multi-Academy Award-winning US special effects cinematographer.

Edlund was born in Fargo, North Dakota and raised in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. After first joining the United States Navy, he developed an interest in experimental film and attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts in the late 1960s. On the strength of a couple of short films, he was picked by John Dykstra to work as first cameraman at the embryonic Industrial Light & Magic on the production on Star Wars for which he shared an Academy Award.

Edlund continued to work with Dykstra on Battlestar Galactica but was invited back by George Lucas to work on The Empire Strikes Back. Edlund’s considerable technical challenge on this film was to optically composite miniatures against a white background resulting in a second Academy Award. Edlund also did distinguished work for Lucas and ILM on Raiders of the Lost Ark and Poltergeist.

In 1983, following the completion of Return of the Jedi, Edlund set up his own effects company, Boss Films, whose credits include Ghostbusters, Big Trouble in Little China, Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October, Cliffhanger, Outbreak and Air Force One. Boss Film Studios was one of the first traditional effects houses that successfully transitioned from “tangible world” visual effects, to computer generated imagery, with many notable CGI artists beginning their careers at Boss.

Aside from film-work, Edlund also developed and manufactured the Pignose portable-style guitar amplifier (co-designed by Wayne Kimball).

Edlund is married to Rita Kogan, the only daughter of entrepreneur Michael Kogan.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Richard Edlund

Sources Of Information:-

• The force behind the original “Star Wars” magic: VFX legend Richard Edlund : article at Medium
• The visionary zeal — the nuts and bolts — the blood, sweat and tears : 4 page article at The ASC
• Richard Edlund, ASC: From the Navy to Star Wars : article at ASC Magazine
• Interview with Richard Edlund : article at Computers in Entertainment
• The secrets behind Star Wars’ special effects : article at Creative Bloq
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interview with Richard Edlund : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• Special Effects - Vintage 1984 documentary on SFX : youtube video at Cinema Garmonbozia
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The GOUT crawl (2011 thread)
• Favorite Special Effects (2009 thread)

59. Robert Blalack

 
Visual Effects
 

About…

Robert Blalack is a mass-media visual artist and producer. One of the founders of Industrial Light & Magic, he received the Visual Effects Academy Award for his work on the original Star Wars. He also received the Visual Effects Emmy for his work on the television motion picture The Day After. He produces and directs USA and international mixed-media TV commercials, location-based theme park rides, and his independent, experimental feature films.
 

In June 1975, George Lucas chooses John Dykstra to supervise the Visual Effects for Star Wars. Dykstra asks Blalack to help him build the Star Wars VistaVision Visual Effects facility. As one of the founders of Industrial Light & Magic, Blalack’s responsity is to create crucial ILM VistaVision Photographic Optical Composite and Rotoscope Animation production pipelines that will mass-produce a record 365 VistaVision-to-35mm Panavision anamorphic Visual Effects composites.

No modern VistaVision photographic blue screen pipeline exists when ILM is founded. The modest Budget of Star Wars dictates that Blalack gather obsolete VistaVision optical composite equipment, modernize and debug each mechanical and optical component, devise methods to mass-produce 365 Visual Effects composites, design the Rotoscope Department, and hire and train the Optical Composite and Rotoscope crew. Blalack supervises the design and fabrication of the world’s first and only aerial-image diffraction-limited VistaVision-to-35mm optical composite system. The Star Wars 365 VistaVision Visual Effects shots contain 1,250 original VistaVision color negative elements, from which are generated more than 10,000 RGB Black & White Color Separations, mattes and other intermediate VistaVision composite elements. All of these VistaVision Visual Effects composite elements are photographed and composited during the final seven months of the Star Wars production.

Blalack receives the 1978 Best Visual Effects Academy Award for his work on Star Wars.

At the Star Wars 40th anniversary, Blalack spoke to the assembled crew: “All of us changed the direction of filmmaking. Because of you, visions once completely impossible are now within reach. And you know it wasn’t always like that. We discovered that building ILM from scratch during production was like jumping out of a low-budget airplane, and stitching up a parachute during freefall.”
 

In 1983, Blalack designs and produces The Day After visual effects. To determine what Visual Effects the movie needs, the Praxis team creates storyboards designed to visualize the effects on the population of Lawrence, Kansas of the nuclear detonations, the blasts aftermath, radiation effects, and the missile contrails of US-launched ICBMs.

Praxis analyzes the cost of 35mm high-speed blue screen photography of real explosions designed to simulate a nuclear bomb mushroom cloud. Given the number of shots with unique mushroom clouds that must be produced within the modest production budget, Blalack decides to create both the nuclear bomb simulations and the missile contrails of the US-launched ICBMs in a Praxis Film Works, Inc. custom-built, computer-controlled water tank, where the interaction between the iconic mushroom cloud “cap” and “stem”, are each separately controlled with precision.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Robert Blalack

Sources Of Information:-

• 40 years on: Star Wars at the Oscars : article at Episode Nothing
• ‘Youth and ignorance’ drove eye-popping ‘Star Wars’ effects : article at CNet
• Pixel Days - Robert Blalack on Stage : youtube video at Chris Haderer
• ILM Veterans Reunite to Celebrate 40 Years of Star Wars : article at the Star Wars website
• Long ago and far away: ‘Star Wars’ vets reminisce : article at LA Times
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars 40th Reunion (2017 thread)
• “Making of Star Wars” (1977) taped from ABC?? (2007 thread)

60. Thomas G Smith

 
Visual Effects
 

About…

Thomas Graham Smith was ILM’s general manager for Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, as well as the producer for Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.

Smith was also the author of the coffee table book ‘Industrial Light and Magic: The Art of Special Effects’ and has contributed to biographical articles about his fellow ILM employees for Star Wars Insider.

During his 15 years making 16mm films, Smith wrote, produced and directed more than 50 titles. One of Smith’s last Britannica films was “The Solar System” (1977) narrated by legendary actor Richard Basehart.

In 1979, George Lucas hired Smith to run his visual effects unit, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). This opened the door to feature films. While running ILM he oversaw the visual effects for many successful films in the early 1980’s, including: “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” (1981), "E.T." (1982), “Return Of The Jedi” (1983), “Poltergeist” (1982), and two Star Trek films, “The Wrath Of Khan” (1982), "The Search For Spock" (1984). In 1985 Lucas asked him to produce an ABC two-hour movie of the week, “The Ewok Adventure” (1984). The following year Smith produced a second Ewok special for ABC, “Ewoks: Battle Of Endor” (1985). Both films earned Smith Emmy nominations.

^ abridged from the Wookieeedia Page for Thomas G Smith

Sources Of Information:-

• Visual effects pioneer Tom G. Smith visits WIU : article at WIU Relations
• Of Light and Magic: A Conversation with Thomas G. Smith : youtube video at COFACWIU
• 40th Anniversary Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• Industrial Light and Magic: Art of Special Effects : book at Amazon
• ‘Star Wars’: How the Ewoks Came to TV 31 Years Ago : article at Yahoo
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars 40th Reunion
• THE ARRIVAL: Special Edition (seeking a team up) (2006 thread)

61. Scott Farrar

 
effects cameraman
 

About…

Farrar joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1981 as a camera operator on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In 1985, Farrar received an Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects for his work on Cocoon, and two years later he was promoted to Visual Effects Supervisor for Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Scott Farrar was also a special-effects cameraman for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Farrar’s ability to carry out the vision of filmmakers has earned him several additional honors including Oscar® nominations for Backdraft in 1991, A.I. Artificial Intelligence in 2001 and _The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005. Farrar earned British Academy Award nominations for his breakthrough work on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and his futuristic environments in Minority Report.

In 2007, he received an Oscar® nomination for Best Visual Effects for his work on Transformers. Farrar was also the Visual Effects Supervisor on Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Farrar has continued his tradition of working with big name directors on blockbuster franchises including Marc Forster and Gary Ross. This year he completed the fourth installment in Michael Bay’s billion dollar franchise, Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Prior to coming to ILM, Farrar worked as a freelance cameraman in Los Angeles. In 1975, he was invited to visit the set of the then unknown Star Wars and saw the first motion control system in action. Inspired by what he saw, he began work for Robert Abel and Associates, and eventually for Doug Trumbull working on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

A California native, Farrar received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Fine Arts in Theater Design with an emphasis in Film from the University of California at Los Angeles.

^ abridged from the ACS SigGraph Page for Scott Farrar

Sources Of Information:-

• Siggraph: ‘Star Wars’ VFX House ILM Looks Back on 40-Year History : article at The Hollywood Reporter
• Scott Farrar - Senior VFX Supervisor - View Conference 2014 : youtube video at The Art of VFX
• ILM’s Scott Farrar on Transformers, and the Transformation of Digital Effects Work : article at Studio Daily
• How They Put 8,500 Digital Zombies in a Single World War Z Scene : article at Wired
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• VES Info: Scott Farrar : info at VES
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Favorite Special Effects (2009 thread)
• Star Wars 40th Reunion (2017 thread)

62. Craig Barron …

 
Matte Photography Assistant & miniature and optical effects unit
 

About…

Craig Barron is an American visual effects artist, currently Creative Director at Magnopus, a Los Angeles media company that produces augmented and virtual-reality experiences.

Working at Industrial Light & Magic on such films as The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and later at his own VFX studio, Matte World Digital, on Zodiac, Alice in Wonderland and Hugo, Barron has contributed to the effects on more than 100 films. He is an Emmy Award recipient for By Dawn’s Early Light and received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects on Batman Returns. In 2009, he won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Barron began working at ILM in 1979, hired at age 18 by Richard Edlund to work with Neil Krepela and Ralph McQuarrie in the matte painting department. Then the youngest person at the studio, he eventually worked in the camera department, compositing matte-painted effects for scenes in landmark visual-effects films including The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. From 1984 to 1988 he was matte photography supervisor, working to combine matte paintings and miniatures with live-action photography. This included going on far-away locations often with matte painters Michael Pangrazio or Chris Evans to design and photograph matte shots requested by various productions. On Willow (1988), Barron’s last film at ILM, he was credited as director of matte photography.

Over the course of his career, Barron has become a film historian, author, lecturer and University educator with a focus on the history of visual effects produced in classic films, before and after the digital age.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Craig Barron

Sources Of Information:-

• Cinefex 35th Anniversary Pt. 1 : youtube video at Visual Effects Society
• Craig Barron on the Technology of “Forbidden Planet” : youtube video at Bilal Mustapha
• Robbie The Robot and Forbidden Planet alive at the Academy : article at The Hal Blog
• Oscar Winners Craig Barron, Mike Fink Among New Visual Effects Society Fellows : article at The Hollywood Reporter
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• Amazon link for the The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting book, by Craig Barron
• Magnopus Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Death Star trench run (2017 thread)
• Star Wars 40th Reunion (2017 thread)

63. Mark Vargo

 
optical line-up: miniature and optical effects unit
 

About…

Mark Vargo is a special effects artist, as well as a cinematographer. He was nominated at the 57th Academy Awards in the category of Best Visual Effects for his work on the film Ghostbusters. He shared his nomination with John Bruno, Richard Edlund and Chuck Gaspar.

Mark also worked on the optical lineup for Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return Of The Jedi (1983).

Vargo worked at ILM from 1979 to 1983 contributing to the efforts in the optical department that won that company 4 consecutive Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects.

On May 1, 2018 Vargo assumed the role of “Cinematographer in Residence” and Associate Professor at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Mark Vargo

Sources Of Information:-

• A specially designed anamorphic reducing lens and computer-controlled optical printer : article at The ASC
• Mark Vargo: Interview : interview at Evane Richards
• Do or Do Not: How I Launched My Career with Star Wars : article at Premium Beat
• How to Composite with a Blue Screen Like Lucas in the '80s : article at No Film School
• An array of How To and Info Videos from Mark Vargo : article at Premium Beat
• Film School with Mark Vargo, ASC: A Tale of Two Meters : youtube video at ReelWestMontana
• Film School with Mark Vargo, ASC: Grip it Good : youtube video at ReelWestMontana
• ASC Interview : interview at The ASC
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The process of actual FILM editing - negatives, interpositives etc (2016 thread)
• Ghostbusters: We’re Ready to Believe You (2005 thread)

64. Steve Gawley

 
Model Maker & Visual Effects
 

About…

Steve Gawley (born 1952) is a special effects artist who was nominated at the 62nd Academy Awards in the category of Best Visual effects for his work on the film Back to the Future Part II. His nomination was shared with John Bell, Michael Lantieri and Ken Ralston.

He is perhaps best known for doing the models on films such as the Back to the Future trilogy. He also worked on the models of the Disneyland attraction Star Tours, as well as the voice of the Red Leader.

Steve Gawley was a model maker and modelshop supervisor on many films, including both Star Wars trilogies and the Star Tours attraction. He also appeared as a Death Star trooper in Star Wars and as Red Leader in the Star Tours ride film. Both roles were uncredited.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Steve Gawley

Sources Of Information:-

• Suit & TIE: The origin of Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter : article at Force Material
• Star Wars Blueprints for Original Vehicles hits Auction : article at TMZ
• Steve Gawley and Lorne Peterson Interview with StarWars.com | Celebration Anaheim : youtube video at the Star Wars website
• Steve Gawley: Nerf Herders : info at Nerf Herders
• The Untold Story of ILM, a Titan That Forever Changed Film : article at Wired
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• 1975 Ship Models - Visible for 1st time (2019 thread)
• Ship identification help (2017 thread)

65. Bill George

 
Model Maker & Visual Effects
 

About…

During his teens, Bill George was a dedicated and talented model maker. He used to forage through the dumpsters outside the Van Nuys, Los Angeles facility of Industrial Light & Magic, hoping to find souvenirs.

In 1979, he began his career, building miniatures for Greg Jein in Los Angeles.

In 1981, he joined Industrial Light & Magic. Over the years, he has worked in a variety of capacities. He has been a model shop supervisor, art director, matte painter and visual effects supervisor.

Some career highlights include miniature construction and design on Blade Runner, art direction and design for five Star Trek feature films, directing over thirty television commercials at ILM and overseeing model construction on Ghostbusters II and Alive.

In 1988, George received the Best Visual Effects Academy Award for his work on Innerspace.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Bill George

Sources Of Information:-

• Star Wars Episode VI: B-Wing Fighter Model Featurette : youtube video at mranderson00001
• Exclusive: ILM Legend Bill George Returns to ‘Star Wars’ With ‘Resistance’ : article at SlashFilm
• SWCC 2019: 9 Highlights from the ILM Model Workshop : article at the Star Wars website
• Sci-Fi Airshow with Bill George : Dailymotion video at Wired
• ILM’s Bill George Shares Video of Intricate USS Enterprise Model Repainting Process : article at TrekCore
• A Talk With ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Bill George About I Am Number Four : interview at Why So Blu
• ILM Website Profile : info at ILM
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• B-Wings in ROTJ, editing epiphany (2011 thread)
• 70mm print of GOUT on Saturday in Academy Theater in CA! (2019 thread)

66. Randy Dutra

 
Creature Design & Visual Effects
 

About…

Randal M. Dutra is a special effects artist who is known for his motion picture work on Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Robocop (1987), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi (1983) and War Of The Worlds (2005).

Dutra’s first major cinematic sculpting job was in 1982: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi’s “Rancor Pit Monster”.

Dutra had been working with Phil Tippett for 10 years before Jurassic Park (1993) presented itself. He had a long history as a key sculptor, creature designer, puppet fabricator and lead animator for Tippett. Seven years before Jurassic Park, in 1984, Dutra applied all of these disciplines to his work on the documentary Dinosaur.

He is also a two-time Academy Awards Oscar nominee in the category of Best Visual Effects for his contributions on The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and War Of The Worlds (2005).

^ abridged from the IMDB Page for Randy Dutra

Sources Of Information:-

• The Rancor : article at Monster Legacy
• The oral history of the Dinosaur Input Device or: how to survive the near death of stop-motion : article at VFX Blog
• The Jurassic Park of Randal M. Dutra : article at IONOK
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Full Scale Rancor Build - Teaser Trailer Documentary (2012 thread)
• Deleted scenes on BD (2011 thread)

67. Chris Walas

 
Creature Design & Visual Effects
 

About…

Chris Walas (born 1955) is an American special effects/make-up artist and film director.

His main body of work is with special effects in a wide variety of movies from science fiction to action-adventure. His work on The Fly led to his directorial debut on The Fly II.

He also won an Academy Award for Special Effects Make-up on The Fly and is well known for his creation of the Gremlins. Walas was also partially responsible for creating the famous sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the Nazis melt from the intense heat created by the Ark of the Covenant.

Walas created false heads for Ronald Lacey, Wolf Kahler, and Paul Freeman.

He was credited as a Creature Consultant for Return Of The Jedi.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Chris Walas

Sources Of Information:-

• Talking With Creature Effects Legend Chris Walas : article at the Star Wars website
• Chris Walas. A master of his craft : article at Retro Domination
• Gremlins: the Empire reunion : article at Empire
• WonderFest 1994 Chris Walas Interview : youtube video at The Mad Painter
• WonderFest 1993 Bob Burns & Chris Walas : youtube video at The Mad Painter
• The Apes of Frankenstein - fake homage trailer : youtube video at Chris Walas
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Mega Madness: The Ultimate Gremlins Companion (2008 thread)
• Must-See Documentaries? (2012 thread)

68. Peter Kuran

 
Visual Effects
 

About…

Film director, visual effects artist, and producer. Industrial Light and Magic, animation supervisor, 1978-82; Visual Concept Entertainment, founder, 1982—; worked on visual effects for films, including Addams Family, Men in Black, RoboCop, and Beetle Juice; director and producer of films, including Trinity and Beyond, Nukes in Space, Atomic Journeys: Welcome to Ground Zero, Atomic Filmmakers: Behind the Scenes, and Nuclear Rescue 911: Broken Arrows & Incidents.

Peter Kuran got his start in the film industry in 1976 working on George Lucas’s landmark film Star Wars as an animator. By the time of its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, he was working as the animation supervisor.

In 1982 Kuran started his own company, Visual Concept Entertainment, and subsequently embarked on a successful film career.

^ abridged from the Encyclopedia Website Page for Peter Kuran

Sources Of Information:-

• From ‘Star Wars’ to ‘RoboCop’: VFX Artist Peter Kuran : youtube video at KGW News
• CreativityNext 2017: Peter Kuran : youtube video at CreativityNext
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• VCE Films - about Peter Kuran : info at VCE Films
• Peter Kuran: Bringing Hollywood to history : article at The Bulletin
• Amazon link for How To Photograph an Atomic Bomb book - by Peter Kuran
• The Atomic Cannon - by Peter Kuran : youtube video at TitusFlavius79
• Facebook Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Original Trilogy: Luke’s lightsaber color (2015 thread)
• Favorite Special Effects (2009 thread)

69. Charles Bailey

 
Model Maker
 

About…

Charles Bailey is best known for his on Star Wars (1977), Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return Of The Jedi (1983). He also worked on the three Indiana Jones films, and two of the three Back To The Future films.

Bailey is also known for his work on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Starship Troopers (1997) and Star Trek Generations (1994), as well as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) and Attack Of The Clones (2002).

^ abridged from the IMDB Page for Charlie Bailey

Sources Of Information:-

Seeing Is Believing with ILM: Charlie Bailey : article at UC Goers Hollywood (pdf)
• ROTJ Model Making : article at The ASC
• SWAU Graphcast #10: Legendary Film Model Maker Charlie Bailey : youtube video at SWAU Graphcast
• ILM Modelmakers Share Star Wars Stories and Secrets : article at Tested
• ILM Model Making Masters Of The Universe : article at the Star Wars website
• 40th Anniversary Video Interview with Charlie Bailey : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)
• More Miniatures and models in each Star Wars prequels than entire OT (2014 thread)

70. Warren Franklin

 
Visual Effects
 

About…

Warren Franklin is an American visual effects manager, supervisor and producer who is credited on multiple features and TV series.

Warren launched his career on features like The Empire Strikes Back, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Warren worked on feature films with directors Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and others before becoming general manager at Industrial Light & Magic in 1984. Warren helped manage a variety of big budget feature productions at ILM over the next 15 years.

Warren’s vfx credits include E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Witches of Eastwick, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and others.

Presently Warren is Executive Producer and CEO at Rainmaker Entertainment, a visual effects and long form CG animation company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Warren Franklin

Sources Of Information:-

• Bantha Tracks article: 1984 - World SciFi Convention : at Jedi Temple Archives
• 40th Anniversary Reunion Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• VES Info on Warren Franklin : article at VES
• Interview with Catherine and Warren Franklin, CEO of Rainmaker Entertainment part 1/3 : youtube video at AutoDesk
• Twitter Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)
• Any favorite scenes? (2011 thread)

71. John Knoll

 
Visual Effects Supervisor (Yes, technically he did not work on the Original Trilogy films in the era in which they were made)
 

About…

John Knoll is an American visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer (CCO) at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). One of the original creators of Adobe Photoshop (along with his brother, Thomas Knoll), he has also worked as visual effects supervisor on the Star Wars prequels and the 1997 special editions of the original trilogy. He also served as ILM’s visual effects supervisor for Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact, as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Along with Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Allen Hall, Knoll and the trio’s work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest earned them the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Knoll has been praised by directors James Cameron, Gore Verbinski, Guillermo del Toro, and Brad Bird. Del Toro, who worked with Knoll for the first time on Pacific Rim, stated “He basically has the heart of a kid and the mind of a scientist, and that’s a great combination.”

Knoll is also the inventor of Knoll Light Factory, a lens flare generating software inspired by his work at Industrial Light and Magic.

John Knoll helped pitch the story of Rogue One, a feature film set in the Star Wars series, and worked as writer and executive producer of the film.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for John Knoll

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Star Wars Profiles - John Knoll’ : youtube video - by HelloGreedo
• The Star Wars Saga’s Secret Weapon: A Visual Effects Nerd with a Big Story to Tell : article at Vanity Fair
• John Knoll Talks ILM, Disney, ‘Star Wars’ and Tough Times in the VFX Industry : article at Animation World Network
• Creating the Worlds of Star Wars: 365 Days : book by John Knoll & JW Rinzler
• Meet John Knoll, the Creative Genius Who Brought Rogue One to Life : article at Wired
• Lucasfilm Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Creating the Worlds of Star Wars - 365 Days, by John Knoll (2010 thread)
• John Knoll says Rogue One has about 1,700 vfx shots, placing it roughly halfway between RotJ (at 950) and ROTS (at 2,400) (2017 thread)
• The Visual Effects Society Unveils “50 Most Influential Visual Effects Films of All Time” (2007 thread)
• Intriguing new info on Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy deleted scenes gleaned from Celebration IV (2007 thread)

72. Doug Beswick

 
Makeup, Visual Effects & Cantina Alien
 

About…

Doug Beswick is known for his work on Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Aliens (1986) and Darkman (1990).

Doug Beswick had seen many movies when he was growing up, but it wasn’t until he saw “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” that he was amazed and awestruck of the images on the screen. The all to familiar question “How’d they do that?” plagued his mind for months and he took it upon himself to find the answers.

Doug remembers, “We didn’t have all of the magazines and books back then that people have today. The main source of my research was a magazine called “Famous Monsters of Film Land.” It’s in this magazine that Doug read about Ray Harryhausen and the technique he used to create his inspiring effects Stop Motion Photography.

Doug recalls his first few attempts at this film making process. His version of a Sinbad movie, that he shot in regular 8mm and called “Phantom Island”, gave him results that he was, to say the least “not as impressing as images from the silver screen”. Regardless Doug took this film, his demo reel, and used it in an attempt to get a job as an apprentice stop-motion animator.

His first interview with Jim Danfourth at Cascade Pictures, the studio that animated the Pillsbury Doughboy, went well, but he didn’t get the job. Jim recommended Doug see a man named Art Clokey, the creator of a show called “The Adventures of Gumby” at Clokey Productions. Doug went in with his demo reel, had a meeting with Mr. Clokey that went well, but he didn’t get that job either!

Doug took a job as a box boy in a super market, while waiting for the phone to ring. Three months later it did. Doug was offered a job, building props on a stop motion animated show called “The Adventures of Davey and Goliath” for $2.12 1/2 cents an hour / $85.00 a week. After working with animators like Ray Peck and Peter Klieno, Doug was taught the rules and tricks of the trade and 2 years later he became a full time animator making $5.00 an hour.

^ abridged from the Cantina Pictures Bio Page for Doug Beswick

Sources Of Information:-

• What Makes Doug Beswick SO Great! : article at Monster History 101
• Doug Beswick Japanese SFX Museum Laserdisc Interview Mechanical Puppet Effects : youtube video (in Japanese) at William Forsche
• Interview with Doug Beswick : vimeo video at Elijah Drenner
• 9 Things You May Not know About Aliens In Star Wars : article at the Star Wars website
Blood, Sweat and Latex: ‘Aliens’ Pulls Me Back In : article at Film School Rejects
• Rare and Wacky Behind-the-Scenes Photos of the ‘Star Wars’ Cantina : article at Yahoo
• Nerf Herders: Doug Beswick : article at Nerf Herders
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Rob Bottin (2012 thread)
• Visited some Star Wars filming sites (2016 thread)

73. Christopher Tucker

 
Makeup Artist
 

About…

Christopher Tucker is a British make-up artist for theatre and film. He specializes in the creation of prosthetic make-up for horror films. Among his notable works are the make-up effects for The Elephant Man, The Company of Wolves and the stage musical The Phantom of the Opera.

Tucker began experimenting with artificial noses when he was asked to perform in the opera Rigoletto. The results were well received, and in 1974 he abandoned a career in opera and became a full-time make-up artist.

Tucker’s earliest credited work is the make-up for the 1970 film of Julius Caesar, starring Charlton Heston and Sir John Gielgud. He was also responsible for aging the characters in the BBC series I, Claudius. During 1975-76, he was part of the team that created the make-up and prosthetics for the iconic Mos Eisley Cantina scene in Star Wars.

In 1980, Tucker was hired to create the prosthetics that would transform John Hurt into the hideously deformed Joseph Merrick in David Lynch’s film The Elephant Man. According to his website, “The head had 15 different sections, some of them overlapping never done before [sic], made in foam and silicone rubber. It took seven hours to apply.” An appreciation of the work involved led to the creation of the Best Make-up category at the Academy Awards run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which was first awarded in 1981.

In the early 1980s, at the prompting of photographer Jay Myrdal, he fashioned the prosthetic which considerably enhanced the natural endowments of porn star Daniel Arthur Mead, who later gained notoriety under his pseudonym, Long Dong Silver.

In 1983, he transformed Terry Jones into the fantastically obese Mr Creosote in Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.

In 1984, he developed original forms of werewolf transformation in The Company of Wolves, in which a man is seen to tear his own skin off, after which his features elongate as he becomes a wolf, and in which a wolf emerges from another man’s throat. Tucker attempted to create sequences in which men turned into wolves, rather than turning into creatures which were wolf-like, and the skin-tearing sequence was achieved by the actor initially removing a latex prosthesis from his own face, and as the transformation progressed, using three dummy figures, called Bert 1, 2 and 3.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Christopher Tucker

Sources Of Information:-

• Christopher Tucker: The man with the masks : article at Live Mint
• Finding Christopher Tucker: The Man Who Made the Ramsay Horror Masks : article at Harper Broadcast
• The ‘Star Wars’ Cantina Scene: The Out-of-This-World Story Behind the Galaxy’s Favorite Dive Bar : interview at Yahoo
• John Hurt and make-up artist Christopher Tucker talk about The Elephant Man (1980) : youtube video at Eyes On Cinema
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Retro Star Wars Thread (2016 thread)
• When/Why did you become an OT purist? (2012 thread)

74. Jon Berg

 
Visual Effects
 

About…

Jon Berg is a special-effects artist and occasional actor for the Star Wars saga. He appeared as an actor in the cantina scene for Star Wars.

Berg began working for Cascade Pictures producing TV commercials. This company also hired Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett, both of whom would eventually work for Industrial Light & Magic.

Working as production assistant, Berg went to the set of Jack Hill and Juan Ibáñez’s House of Evil (1968), a Mexican-American production, where he had a chance to meet horror star and his personal idol Boris Karloff. Berg retains a fond memory of this meeting.

Berg’s first confirmed job was uncredited: He worked on sci-fi B-movie The Further Adventures of Major Mars (1976), and then as miniature builder for The Crater Lake Monster (1977), although this time he was credited, alongside colleague Tippett.

Berg worked as a stop-motion animator, as Harryhausen did before him, for Star Wars (1977). He moved different creatures, especially in the famous cantina scene, and he was also supposed to act as different aliens. Although uncredited, he is known to have played Momaw Nadon, the “Hammerhead”; and also one of the arguing Duros. He may have played one of the cantina band members, particularly Tech Mo’r, the ommni box player; however, this role is unconfirmed and even today a polemic question among experts.

Berg continued with science-fiction and horror films in the late 1970s, being credited as the only visual-effects artist (model sculptor) for Michael Rae’s Laserblast (1978) and as the only special-effects artist in Joe Dante’s Piranha (1978). In the latter movie, he worked with special-effects legend Chris Walas.

He returned to the Star Wars saga for The Empire Strikes Back (1980), again as a stop-motion animator, although he was not officially billed for that part.

After that, he worked again with Chris Walas for Matthew Robbins’ Dragonslayer; Berg is credited as a “dragon consultant.”

Berg returned to George Lucas’ crew for Return of the Jedi (1983) as a creature consultant. The following year, John Korty’s TV movie The Ewok Adventure (1984) featured special effects by Berg and Star Wars colleagues Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett and Michael Pangrazio. All of them got an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects, although shared with other TV movies and series. The book Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Special Effects (1986, Thomas G. Smith) says that Berg also portrayed the Gorax in the movie.

In 1984, Berg also worked as a consultant or advisor on other movies, including Joe Dante’s Gremlins (again with Walas); Peter Hyams’ 2010, for Entertainment Effects Group; and Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters, again for Entertainment Effects Group.

During the early 1990s, Berg created monsters. He made robots for Irvin Kershner’s Robocop 2 (1990) (with Howie Weed working for him), and then was a technical advisor for David Cronenberg’s fantasy Naked Lunch (1991). He then made molds for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

His experience with Burton would be useful more than ten years after that, when he joined the Star Wars saga for a fifth time, working as model maker in the sixth installment of the saga, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005). In the meantime, Jon Berg has also been responsible for creating the statue used for the Fan Film Awards, and he was also credited as guest animator in the short Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II.

Berg is currently active as a special-effects artist.

^ abridged from the Wookieeipedia Page for Jon Berg

Sources Of Information:-

• Star Wars 100 Interviews: JON BERG as Bith Band Member & other Cantina Creatures : youtube video at Sci Fi Central & Pop Collectibles
• Star Wars 100 Interviews: JON BERG on Cantina & Chess Creatures. Part 1 : youtube video at Sci Fi Central & Pop Collectibles
• 40th Anniversary Video Interview : vimeo video at Athena Studios
• SW Celebration VI: Behind The Scenes Of The Cantina : article at the Star Wars website
• Star Wars at 35: Celebrating Cantina Creatures : article at Star Wars Aficiando
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• “Let the Wookie Win!” Circa April 1978 (2011 thread)
• George Lucas: Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist… (2019 thread)
• Favorite Special Effects (2009 thread)

75. Graham Freeborn

 
Makeup Artist
 

About…

Graham Freeborn was the chief make-up artist for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. His mother Kay Freeborn, dad Stuart Freeborn and daughter Michelle Freeborn were also makeup artists.

His first job was uncredited on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

Graham also worked on Superman (1978), Superman 2 (1980), The Keep (1983), Life Force (1985), Highlander (1986), and Shanghai Surprise (1986).

Graham Freeborn died in 1986.

^ abridged from the Wookieepedia Page for Graham Freeborn

Sources Of Information:-

• Graham Freeborn, by Nick Maley : article at Those Yoda Guys website
• Chief Ugnaught (Jack Purvis) mask : article at The Prop Gallery
• How high can Weird Al kick? Making the Star Wars Day Cantina Videos : article at the Star Wars website
• Rocky Horror Wiki: Screen Credits for Graham : info at Rocky Horror Wiki
• WTF - Kinder Surprise Commercial (which Graham worked on) : youtube video at videoisunrelated
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars make-up artist (and designer of Yoda) Stuart Freeborn dies aged 98 (Graham’s father - 2013 thread)
• Whose arm? (2012 thread)

76. Kathleen ‘Kay’ Freeborn …

 
Makeup Artist
 

About…

Kay Freeborn was a make-up artist for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Her husband Stuart Freeborn and son Graham Freeborn were also makeup artists.

Mrs Freeborn also worked on Young Winston (1972), Spectre (1977), Top Secret! (1984), & King David (1985), Steaming (1985) & Haunted Honeymoon (1986).

Kay died in 2012.

^ abridged from the Wookieepedia Page for Kay Freeborn

Sources Of Information:-

• The Best of Star Wars Insider, Volume 2: Kay Freeborn : article at Google Books (for Star Wars Insider)
• Rare and Wacky Behind-the-Scenes Photos of the ‘Star Wars’ Cantina : article at Yahoo
• Star Wars Insider Article - A Star Wars Family Legacy: A tribute to the Freeborn Family : article at Tom Spina Designs (re Star Wars Insider: April 2013 Issue)
• SW at 40: The Freeborn Monster Factory : article at Star Wars Aficionado
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars make-up artist (and designer of Yoda) Stuart Freeborn dies aged 98 (Kay’s husband - 2013 thread)
• The Star Wars: The Lost Workprint (Version 4 in Production) (2013 thread)

77. Laine Liska

 
Model Builder & Cantina Alien
 

About…

Laine Liska is a makeup artist who worked on Star Wars. Liska and Rick Baker designed masks for aliens in the movie’s Mos Eisley cantina scene. His contributions include the masks of Muftak, Hem Dazon, Myo, and Feltipern Trevagg. Liska also portrayed the characters Muftak and Nalan Cheel in the cantina scene.

Laine Liska is known for his work on Battlestar Galactica (1978), Masters of the Universe (1987), Alien³ (1992) and Flight of the Navigator (1986).

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Laine Liska

Sources Of Information:-

• Rare and Wacky Behind-the-Scenes Photos of the ‘Star Wars’ Cantina : article at Yahoo
• The Morphing Artist: From Stop-Motion to CGI : article at VFX HQ
• Nerf Herders: Laine Liska : info at Nerf Hersers
• Lost Art of Laine Liska : article at agraphafx
• Alien 3 Behind the scenes : youtube video at Zygomatic Arch
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Rob Bottin (2012 thread)
• When/Why did you become an OT purist? (2012 thread)

78. Tony Dyson

 
Droid Maker
 

About…

Anthony John “Tony” Dyson was a British SPFX designer, best-known for working on the R2-D2 droid props used in the Empire Strikes Back and subsequent films in the Star Wars film series.

Born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire he visited the private Stratton House School in Abingdon.

He started special effects studio The White Horse Toy Company. He was commissioned to fabricate the rebuilt R2-D2 props for the Star Wars sequel, the Empire Strikes Back, based on the designs of Ralph McQuarrie, John Stears and others. His team built around eight units, many of which were operated by remote control. Two were used by Kenny Baker, and two were stunt double models made for the scene where the droid was shot from the swamp onto the shore on Dagobah.

Dyson also created robotics and props for Superman II, Moonraker, and Dragonslayer. He also worked on Saturn 3.

In the 1990s, he moved to Malta and founded Turn Page Studios in St. Paul’s Bay. He died on the island of Gozo.

Dyson was knighted in the Byzantine Order of the Holy Sepulchre for promoting philanthropic, cultural and ecumenical activities.

In 1985, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a Sony commercial featuring a John Cleese look-alike robot.

In 2013 he was honored with the title of Honorary Professor MBA in multimedia for the Stichting Euregio University in the Netherlands.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Tony Dyson

Sources Of Information:-

• Tony Dyson tribute : article at Live About
• R2-D2’s builder Tony Dyson talks A.I., drones and why everyone needs a little robot in their house : article at GeekWire
• Tony Dyson & R2-D2 : article at RobotShop
• WeRobot 2015 KEYNOTE: An Evening with Tony Dyson : youtube video at Tech Policy Lab University of Washington
• Tony Dyson Interview at Daytona 2050 : youtube video at WDSC TV-15
• Tony Dyson: R2-D2’s ‘father’ on bringing robots to life : youtube video at Campaign Asia
• R2D2 creator Tony Dyson dies - and Star Wars fans pay tribute to the man behind the famous droid : article at The Telegraph
• R2-D2 Creator Tony Dyson Dies At 68 : article at Popular Mechanics
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Tony Dyson has passed away
• R2D2’s Beeps in Return of the Jedi (2014 thread)
• R2D2’s gender (2011 thread)

79. Frank Oz

 
Voice & Puppeteer
 

About…

Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz) is an American actor, puppeteer, director and producer. He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in The Muppet Show, and Cookie Monster, Bert, and Grover in Sesame Street. He is also known for the role of Yoda in the Star Wars series, providing the voice for the character in several films and television series.

Jim Henson had originally been contacted by Lucas about possibly performing Yoda. Henson was preoccupied and instead suggested Oz to be assigned as chief puppeteer of the character, as well as a creative consultant. Oz performed the puppet and provided the voice for Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).

Oz also provided the voice of the computer-generated imagery (CGI) Yoda in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). Oz had a great deal of creative input on the character and was himself responsible for creating the character’s trademark syntax.

His work as a director includes Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), What About Bob? (1991), In & Out (1997), Bowfinger (1999), The Score (2001), Death at a Funeral (2007), and an episode of the US TV series Leverage (2011).

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Frank Oz

Sources Of Information:-

• Frank Oz, the actor and director who voiced Jedi Master Yoda, Miss Piggy and Cookie Monster : article at VintageNews
• Frank Oz on why Yoda really speaks like that : video article at the BBC
• 5 Creative Truths from the Real Life Yoda, Frank Oz : article at No Film School
• Frank Oz FULL Conversation at Star Wars Weekends, Voice of Yoda, Miss Piggy, Disney World : youtube video at MouseSteps / JWL Media
• Frank Oz on ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, Yoda, and the Backlash : 2018 article at Collider
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Yodaspeak: A Study In Yoda’s Speaking Patterns and Their Frequency in the Star Wars Movies (2011 thread)
• Yoda talking in OT vs PT, way different (2006 thread)

80. Stuart Freeborn

 
Make-up Design
 

About…

Stuart Freeborn was an English motion picture make-up artist. He has been referred to as the “grandfather of modern make-up design” and is perhaps best known for his work on the original Star Wars trilogy, most notably the design and fabrication of Yoda.

Freeborn’s earliest work in the film industry was designing the controversial hair and make-up worn by Alec Guinness, while at Denham Studios as Fagin in Oliver Twist. Freeborn’s most famous work is creating the make-up for all of the characters in the Star Wars trilogy, including Chewbacca and Yoda; he based Yoda on his own face and partly on Albert Einstein. He oversaw the design of the original Jabba the Hutt puppet used in Return of the Jedi, as well as the creation of the Ewoks.

Freeborn was also the make-up artist on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, where he created the humans/apes for the “Dawn of Man” sequence. He worked on Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, handling Peter Sellers’ multiple lead roles. He also worked with Sellers in several other films, including Heavens Above!, Mr. Topaze, The Mouse that Roared, and Soft Beds, Hard Battles and he was the make-up visual supervisor in the Superman films.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Stuart Freeborn

Sources Of Information:-

• Stuart Freeborn, Yoda’s maker, dies : article in The Guardian
• Stuart Freeborn Remembered : article at the Star Wars website
• Goodbye, Stuart Freeborn : article at Star Wars Aficionado
• ‘Do Or Do Not’ : Yoda Documentary - by Jambe Davdar
• Stuart Freeborn Documentary Part I : Part II : youtube videos by nadsatmedia
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Star Wars make-up artist (and designer of Yoda) Stuart Freeborn dies aged 98 (2013 thread)
• Searching for an obscure “making of” clip (2005 thread - re Yoda and Stuart Freeborn)
• Really creepy Puppet Yoda…

81. Nick Maley

 
Makeup & Special Effects
 

About…

Nick Maley is a special effects make-up artist known for his work on Yoda in the Star Wars film series. He has worked on a total of 53 films including Superman, Highlander, and Krull. He is sometimes referred to as "That Yoda Guy” for his work on the creation of Yoda for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the 1982 film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He now operates the “That Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit” (formerly called “Planet Paradise”) on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean. His museum houses many pieces of movie memorabilia spanning almost nine decades of film. He uses his museum as a front for his non-profit foundation, encouraging kids to follow their dreams.

Maley became interested in film at an early age. His father was an actor and he watched makeup artists back stage while growing up. In his earlier years, he worked on school plays where he did the makeup for the actors.

Some of Maley’s earliest work includes the 1970 version of Julius Caesar with Charlton Heston. He later met Stuart Freeborn who hired Maley for the original Star Wars film, helping make Yoda’s head, hands, and feet. Maley also worked with Freeborn and others on various creatures that made up the Cantina scene for the film. He also worked on The Empire Strikes Back, which he described as his favorite movie to work on. He is also a writer, creating the screenplay for the 1981 film Inseminoid. He created the script in four days along with his wife Gloria, also supplying the makeup for the characters in the film.

Maley is originally from London but moved to Sint Maarten in 2007 with his wife Gloria, and opening the Planet Paradise movie exhibit. The exhibit features versions of various Star Wars characters and other memorabilia from his work in the film industry. He is also an artist and painter whose works have been featured across 18 different countries in museums and galleries.

Maley was honored by Lucasfilm in 2016. The same year he also rebuilt a replica Yoda using the same principles as the original.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Nick Maley

Sources Of Information:-

• Saving Yoda : website
• Yoda Lives : website
• ‘Building of Yoda for the Classic Star Wars trilogy’ : youtube video - by Nick Maley
• Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit at TripAdvisor (ratings & info)
• The Do or Do Not Outlook: 77 Steps to Living an Extraordinary Life : book by Nick Maley
• youtube : website : facebook : twitter
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Yoda: CGI vs Puppet (2011 thread)
• Yoda & Emperor PT vs OT (2005 thread)
• CGI Yoda for TPM (2005 thread)

82. David Alan Barclay

 
Puppeteer
 

About…

David Alan Barclay is a British puppeteer who had worked on some projects of The Jim Henson Company. He has been at the cutting edge of animatronic puppetry since 1979. Barclay is a Master Puppeteer, Animatronic Designer and Supervisor, a CG key frame Animator, and Director and Producer of animatronic and animation projects for film and television.

At age four, he performed marionettes, glove and rod puppets with his parents, Ann and Michael who formed Pex Puppet Theatre focusing their acting talents on live puppetry. When he was seven, Barclay performed traditional Punch and Judy at the British Puppet Guild, for documentary cameras. Throughout his childhood, he designed built and performed dozens of his own puppets and continued performing Punch and Judy into his late teens.

He worked for other live puppet companies, Jactito, directors James and Joan Barton, and Cap and Bells, director Violet Philpott. His first work in front of camera was a brief appearance as a large dog in the British classic comedy series The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show. This was in 1978 for Thames TV.

In July 1979 he was offered the position of make up assistant working for Stuart Freeborn on the second Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back. The main challenge was a state-of-the-art hand puppet named Yoda, and Barclay assisted building duplicate parts, seaming the foam latex head skins, etc., but when Wendy Midener Froud became allergic to something on the set, he was drafted in as a puppeteer. Dave performed the cable controlled facial movements for Muppet master Frank Oz, the chief puppeteer.

When Oz had to return to New York City to shoot Sesame Street, as the production had run over, Oz nominated Barclay to take over as chief puppeteer for Yoda. Barclay was then invited to become the first British puppet maker on a new adventurous project by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal.

In November 1979, he joined a handful of Henson’s American puppet makers, to develop puppets that would finally become the entire cast of the movie. And so started the long term relationship and desire to push the envelope in animatronic performance art.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for David Alan Barclay

Sources Of Information:-

• ‘Do Or Do Not’ : Yoda Documentary - by Jambe Davdar
• Those Yoda Guys website - profile
• Dave Alan Barclay Interview : article at Star Wars Interviews website
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Yoda: CGI vs Puppet (2011 thread)
• Yoda & Emperor PT vs OT (2005 thread)
• The Celebration Europe Feedback Thread (2007 thread - re Barclay appearance at the event)

83. Wendy Froud (nee Midener)

 
Fabricator & Sculptor
 

About…

Wendy Froud (née Midener) is an American doll-artist, sculptor, and puppet-maker. She studied art and music at Interlochen Center for the Arts[2] before attending the Center for Creative Studies’ College of Art and Design, where she graduated with a BFA in Fine Arts with a focus on fabric design and ceramics

She is best known for her work creating Yoda for the 1980 film Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and creatures for the Jim Henson films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Froud became a puppet-maker, designer and sculptor for the Jim Henson Studios in New York, where, after receiving one of her puppets as Christmas gift from The Muppets art director, Jim Henson invited her to work on his latest film project, The Dark Crystal. Froud designed and sculpted the film’s two lead characters, gelflings Jen and Kira. She also worked on a number of other Henson projects including The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie and Labyrinth.

Froud was part of the team responsible for developing and building the character Yoda for Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Overseen by Stuart Freeborn, Kathy Mullen, David Barclay and Frank Oz helped to operate the complicated mechanics and puppeteer the first Yoda - Froud working the ears, Barclay working the eyes, as Oz puppeteered the head and left hand, and Mullen the right hand. Froud was given a choice for her film credit between Fabricator or Puppeteer, not both.

Nick Maley, who worked with Froud, under Stuart Freeborn recalled that: “Wendy’s contribution creating the character was second only to Stuart who was overseeing ALL the creatures. If I remember correctly, she modeled Yoda’s hands and feet and single handedly fabricated the “stand-in Yoda”, made entirely from cut foam, which was used to line up shots during camera setup. I do remember her spending some time working on the clay model of Yoda’s head too. But that was for a small part of the 5 months Stu spent on the modeling stage.”

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Wendy Froud

Sources Of Information:-

• 'The making of Yoda - part I : article at CineSecrets
• ‘What did Wendy Froud / Wendy Midener contribute to Yoda’s creation and development?’ : web thread at RPF Fandom
• Wendy Froud profile : at Revolvy
• ‘Those Yoda Guys’ website - profile
• World of Froud website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Yoda: CGI vs Puppet (2011 thread)
• Yoda & Emperor PT vs OT (2005 thread)

84. Kathryn ‘Kathy’ Mullen

 
Puppeteer
 

About…

Kathryn Mullen is an American actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects.

Mullen began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat. She also voice directed Dog City for Nelvana, worked as a designer for The Muppet Movie, a performing assistant for Yoda on The Empire Strikes Back, and was one of the creators of Between the Lions. While reprising Gaffer for several Muppet movies, she also performed Mokey Fraggle and Cotterpin Doozer on Henson’s Fraggle Rock. She performed the Gelfling Kira in the movie The Dark Crystal, Allegra on Allegra’s Window, and Leona the Lion on Between the Lions.

Kathy Mullen, with her husband, former Muppet designer Michael K. Frith, founded “No Strings” along with emergency aid worker Johnie McGlade. The company originally created a film for children in Afghanistan, warning of the dangers of land mines. In the film, “The Story of the Little Carpet Boy,” one puppet loses several limbs before he learns to avoid land mines completely. Since the first film, No Strings has gone on to create films for children in need in areas including Africa, Haiti, Madagascar, Sudan, and Syria. In 2016 No Strings was awarded the 2016 Adela Dwyer-St. Thomas of Villanova Peace Award from Villanova University.

In 2013, Kathryn Mullen attended Dragon Con with Karen Prell and Michael K. Frith as part of the 30th Anniversary of Fraggle Rock where Kathryn Mullen performed Mokey Fraggle while Karen Prell performed Red Fraggle.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Kathryn Mullen

Sources Of Information:-

• The making of Yoda - part II : article at CineSecrets
• Yoda’s Right Hand - interview : article at No Strings
• 'Kathryn Mullen: Puppetry and Media : youtube video at dustormagic
• Those Yoda Guys website - profile
• The Muppet Master Archive Outlet : article at AstronoGlow
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Yoda: CGI vs Puppet (2011 thread)
• Yoda & Emperor PT vs OT (2005 thread)

85. Nick Dudman

 
special makeup effects
 

About…

Nick Dudman is a British make-up effects and creature designer for motion pictures.

Dudman and his team have created the make-up effects and the animatronic creatures in the Harry Potter films, garnering BAFTA Award nominations for six of the eight films in the series.

Dudman got his start working on the Jedi master Yoda as a trainee to famed British make-up artist Stuart Freeborn, on The Empire Strikes Back. After apprenticing with Freeborn for four years, Dudman was asked to head up the English makeup laboratory for Ridley Scott’s Legend. He subsequently worked on the makeup and prosthetics for such films as Mona Lisa, Labyrinth, Willow, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman, Alien 3 and Interview with the Vampire, among others.

In 1995, Dudman’s career path widened into animatronics and large-scale creature effects when he was asked to oversee the 55-man creature department for the Luc Besson film The Fifth Element, for which he won a BAFTA Award for Visual Effects. Since then, he has led the creatures/make-up effects departments on several blockbusters, including Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns and consulted on the Costume effects for Batman Begins. Dudman designed the animatronics for Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men.

In 2007, he was awarded the Genie Award for Best Makeup by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television for his work on Beowulf and Grendel. In 2013 Dudman was made an honorary fellow of Arts University Bournemouth. Dudman was in March 2015 nominated for the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards in the Category Best TV Make-up/Creature SFX.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Nick Dudman

Sources Of Information:-

• Saving Yoda : article at the Saving Yoda website
• The Making Of Yoda - Part III : article at CineSecrets
• It’s Just An Illusion - interview : article at WarPaint Magazine
• Discover the secrets behind Creature Effects with Nick Dudman & Warwick Davis : youtube video at All Central Florida
• Those Yoda Guys website - profile
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Yoda: CGI vs Puppet (2011 thread)
• Yoda & Emperor PT vs OT (2005 thread)

86. Robert ‘Bob’ Keen

 
specials effects, make-up, model builder
 

About…

Robert “Bob” Keen is a British film director. He has directed eight films, including The Lost World, but he has also written screenplays, as well as working on special, visual and make-up effects.

He has been nominated for six Saturn Awards, all for best make-up, including for his work on Hellraiser and Candyman.

Before joining the School of Filmmaking’s Visual Effects and Immersive Media department, Bob Keen worked in the film and television industry for over 40 years and was involved in over 250 films and television projects, including “The Empire Strikes Back,” "Superman," "Alien," “Event Horizon,” “Hellraiser” and “Dog Soldiers.”

Additionally, he has directed eight feature length films and has been Second Unit Director or Effects Director on more than 30 projects.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Bob Keen

Sources Of Information:-

• Those Yoda Guys website - profile
• Profile : at the UNCSA
• Yoda: The Empire Strikes Back’s big gamble : article at Den Of Geek
• Practical-ly Perfect: Celebrating the Special Effects of HELLRAISER : article at Daily Dead
• Top 5 80’s Monster Makeups : article at The Makeup Armoury
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Yoda: CGI vs Puppet (2011 thread)
• Yoda & Emperor PT vs OT (2005 thread)

87. Des Webb

 
Wampa - Empire Strikes Back
 

About…

Des Webb is known for his work on Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Morons from Outer Space (1985) and Blackadder (1982). He died on May 21, 2002 in London, England.

When acting in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) he could not bear the heavy suit of snow monster he had to wear, and suffered from heat exhaustion. Most of the intended scenes for the “Ice Creature” (initially the Ice Creatures), were removed from the final version of the movie.

^ abridged from the IMDB for Des Webb

Sources Of Information:-

• Wampa Ice Creatures : article at T-bone’s Star Wars Universe
• Wookieepedia: Des Webb : article at https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Des_Webb
• Behind the scenes of the Wampa ice creature attack from The Empire Strikes Back : youtube video at Eyes On Cinema
• Original Wampa Scene | The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [DeEd, Blu-ray, GOUT, Renegade] : youtube video at Star Wars Comparison
• Nerf Herders Profile: Des Webb : info at Nerf Herders
• 6 things you may not know about Wampas : article at the Star Wars website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Deleted, altered, and alternate material project (2012 thread)
• Deleted scenes on BD (2011 thread)

88. Toby Philpott

 
Puppet Performer - Jabba
 

About…

Toby Philpott is an English puppeteer best known for his work in motion picture animatronics during the 1980s in such films as The Dark Crystal and Return of the Jedi.

Born into a family of entertainers, Philpott dropped out of school and traveled the world during the 1960s, squatting in various locations and surviving off money he earned from his work as a street performer, which included juggling, fire eating, magic shows, clowning and acrobatics. He began his film career after Jim Henson personally selected Philpott to work on the 1982 fantasy film The Dark Crystal, in which he worked side-by-side with Henson.

The next year, Philpott was approached to serve as one of the puppeteers controlling Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi. Philpott controlled the left arm, head, tongue and body of the giant Hutt puppet. Philpott would lend his puppetry skills to other such movies as The Company of Wolves (1984), Labyrinth (1986), Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) before leaving the film industry.

Reflecting upon his movie career, Philpott describes himself as a “street juggler that got lucky”.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Toby Philpott

Sources Of Information:-

• Inside Jabba : article at Jabba At Home website
• Slimy Piece of Worm-Ridden Filth : video documentary at Filmumentaries
• “Have a little fun, make a little money, do a little good.” : article at NoFitState
• Vintage Interview: Toby Philpott: 7th August 2005 : interview at Fantha Tracks
• Toby Philpott Interview : interview at Yildizsa Vaslari website
• SW 100 Interviews TOBY PHILPOTT - A man INSIDE Jabba : youtube video at Sci Fi Central & Pop Collectibles
• Twitter
• Jabba at Home website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• The Celebration Europe Feedback Thread (2007 thread)
• Filmumentaries.com shorts (2015 thread)

89. Mike Edmonds

 
Puppet Performer - Jabba & Actor
 

About…

Mike Edmonds is an English actor with dwarfism, known for his role as Little Ron in the children’s television show Maid Marian and Her Merry Men.

Edmonds can also be seen dancing in the Men Without Hats music video “The Safety Dance” as a dwarf jester, wearing a shirt for their Rhythm of Youth album.

Edmonds has also appeared in several films, including Flash Gordon (1980), The Dark Crystal (1982), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Edmonds played the role of Og in the Terry Gilliam film Time Bandits (1981).

In Return of the Jedi, (1983) he performed as the Ewok Logray as well as the operator for Jabba the Hutt’s tail.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Mike Edmonds

Sources Of Information:-

• Binary Sunset interview Mike Edmonds, aka Logray The Ewok Medicine Man : article at Fantha Tracks
• Mike Edmonds : Logray The Ewok Medicine Man : interview at Binary Sunset
• Weak-minded fool: The puppeteering behind Jabba the Hutt : article at CNet
• Star Wars 100 Interviews: MIKE EDMONDS - Under Logray’s Skin : youtube video at Sci Fi Central & Pop Collectibles
• Under the Radar: The Mike Edmonds Story : info from IMDB
• Under the Radar: The Mike Edmonds Story at Raindance Film Festival : article at Jedi News
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Return of the Jedi Appreciation Thread (2015 thread)
• Jedi Con 2008: Behind The Scenes Cast & Crew Info on Star Wars Filming & Other Bits (2008 thread)

90. Tony Cox

 
Puppet Performer assistant - Jabba & Actor
 

About…

Joseph Anthony Cox is an American actor known for his roles in Bad Santa, Me, Myself & Irene, Date Movie, Epic Movie and Disaster Movie. He is also known for his role in George Lucas’s Willow, as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi and as The Preacher in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. Cox also appeared in various music videos.

Cox was born in Uniontown, Alabama, the son of Henrietta Cox-Penn and Joe Cox. He spent his childhood in Uniontown, with his grandmother and grandfather, Lottie and Henry Jones. By the age of 10 he became an avid drummer. He met his future wife, Otelia, during high school. They were eventually married in 1981 when Cox was 23 years old.

After graduation from high school, Cox attended the University of Alabama and originally planned to study music. Cox said in a 2003 interview with Jet magazine, “I played by ear. It was exactly like in Drumline. I played against some of the drummers from the school, and they didn’t have anything on me. I just couldn’t read music.”

Shortly thereafter, Cox decided to pursue acting after watching Billy Barty, a dwarf who was an actor and also founder of the organization Little People of America. Encouraged by relatives and friends, he moved to Los Angeles at age 18. He began taking classes at the Merrick Studio School of Acting with Scriptwriter De De Tillman and soon began working in commercials, film, and television roles. He is better known for his roles in Bad Santa where he played Marcus, the brains of a safe cracking team, and in Date Movie where he played a parody of Dr. Hitch from Hitch. As second lead to Billy Bob Thornton, Cox’s role in Bad Santa in which his character gradually changed from the main character’s friend to his adversary. Cox reprised his role as Marcus in Bad Santa 2, released in 2016.

Cox also appeared on the TV show Martin in the first season, playing the character Bennie, in which he helps his friend Trey, played by Bushwick Bill, beat up Tommy played by Thomas Mikal Ford, over Tommy allegedly “stealing” his ex-girlfriend.

Cox also appeared in a pivotal role in the Farrelly Brothers’ movie Me, Myself & Irene, playing a Mensa International-member limousine driver who steals Jim Carrey’s character’s girlfriend.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Tony Cox

Sources Of Information:-

• Slimy Piece of Worm-Ridden Filth : video documentary at Filmumentaries
• Jabba The Hutt: Puppet : article at Puppet Wikia
• Nerf Herders: Tony Cox : info at Nerf Herders
• 30 Actors You Probably Didn’t Know Were in ‘Star Wars’ Movies : article at The Wrap
• Wookieepedia: Tony Cox : info at Wookieepedia
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Filmumentaries.com shorts (2015 thread)
• Jabba the Hutt Strategy (2008 thread)

91. Timothy D. Rose

 
Puppeteer & Actor
 

About…

Timothy D. Rose is an American actor and puppeteer.

Rose is best known for playing the role of Admiral Ackbar in the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, a role which he played again in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In addition, Rose also puppeteered the characters of Sy Snootles and Salacious Crumb in Jedi, and has been involved with other Lucasfilm and The Jim Henson Company projects, including The Dark Crystal and Howard the Duck.

He also helped in puppeteering the character of Tik-Tok in Walt Disney Pictures’ Return to Oz.

Rose also made the puppets Cosmo and Dibs for the BBC children’s series You and Me. They debuted on that show in 1983.

He also went to do Assistant Puppeteer on Barnaby Bear.

_^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Timothy D. Rose _

Sources Of Information:-

• Tim Rose: Puppets and Mon Calamaris : article at Star Wars Junk
• Tim Rose Interview: Admiral Ackbar’s Right Hand Man : youtube video at Rebel Force Radio
• Interview with Tim Rose : interview at Star Wars Interviews
• Ackbar actor on his “Spectacular” unseen death scene : youtube video at Jamie Stangroom
• Admiral Ackbar Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Admiral Ackbar deleted scenes - new Tim Rose interview (2019 thread)
• Return of the Ewok and Other Little Films (2005 thread)

92. Simon J Williamson

 
Puppet Performer
 

About…

Simon Willamson was the puppeteer for Max Rebo in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. He was uncredited.

In the 1980’s Simon was one of the leading animatronic creature performers in the UK, working with Jim Henson and George Lucas on high budget films, including playing the abovementioned Max Rebo in Star Wars VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI, as well as the Gamorrean Guard Jubnuk, who gets eaten by the pit monster, Rancor.

He also played a Mon Calamari and supported Mike Quinn’s performance as Nein Nunb by puppeteering the character’s eye blinks. Prior to that he played Ursol, The Chanter and a Garthim in Jim Henson’s groundbreaking film, The Dark Crystal.

He also puppeteered for Henson on three Muppet Movies and on Frank Oz’s Little Shop of Horrors. He later played The Robin in the BBC’s 1986 version of Alice In Wonderland, directed by Barry Letts. Less overtly physical roles followed in UK television series such as The Bill, Casualty, London’s Burning, Hannay, Waiting for God and Campion.

He has acted extensively in the theatre and radio and he has narrated over 200 hours of audiobooks. He also writes and directs. His short film, The Right Hand Man, premiered at DragonCon in 2004, where it was a finalist, and has now become the basis for a proposed television series. He is also developing the comedy feature film which won both a screenplay prize at Screenplay Festival in Los Angeles, and a pitching prize at The Raindance Film Festival, adjudicated by luminaries such as Roger Corman, Steven Woolley, Lloyd Kaufmann and Shane Meadows.

^ abridged from the Wookieepedia Page for Simon J. Williamson

Sources Of Information:-

• Interview with Simon J Williamson : audio podcast at Talking Bay 94
• Interview with Simon J Williamson : interview at Star Wars Interviews
• Simon Williamson Interview – Max Rebo : article at Cloud Riders
• Max Rebo! Exclusive Simon Williamson interview : youtube video at All Axxess Entertainment
• Twitter
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Which Star Wars actors have you met? (2015 thread)
• The Surprisingly Strange Story of “Lapti Nek” (2012 thread)

93. Deep Roy

 
Puppet Performer & Actor
 

About…

Gurdeep Roy (born Mohinder Purba), known professionally as Deep Roy, is an Anglo-Indian actor, stuntman and puppeteer. At 132 centimetres (4 ft 4 in) tall, he has often been cast as diminutive characters, such as the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, _Keense in Star Trek and subsequent films (“Kelvin Timeline”), and in television series such as The X-Files, Doctor Who and Eastbound & Down.

He studied at The Slim Wood School of Comedy and got his start in the entertainment arena in England since 1970, as a stand-up comic in local cabaret clubs. In April 1970, Deep opened on the London stage in Ray Cooney’s Miracle Worker at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea. He made his professional screen acting debut in a 1976 episode of The New Avengers, titled “Target!” as a character named Klokoe.

He made his film debut later that same year, in The Pink Panther Strikes Again, as the Italian Assassin. Another early role was as Mr. Sin, the “pig-brained Peking Homunculus”, a villain with a distinct appetite for homicide, in the Doctor Who serial The Talons of Weng-Chiang. In 1979, Roy also played a genetically engineered life form “Decima” in the first season Blake’s 7 episode “The Web”, the diminutive chess genius, “The Klute”, in the second season Blake’s 7 episode “Gambit” and he voiced the character “Moloch”, in the third season Blake’s 7 episode “Moloch”.

He has played apes in two movies: Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes and again in the Tim Burton remake of Planet of the Apes (2001) in two roles, one as a young gorilla boy and as Thade’s niece. He has worked for Burton in three other films, Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005),[3] and Corpse Bride (also 2005), where he supplied General Bonesapart’s voice.

He has performed many other roles in movies and on television, including The X-Files, Flash Gordon, Return to Oz (as the Tin Woodman), Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal as a puppeteer extra, The NeverEnding Story as Teeny Weeny, the rider of the “racing snail”, Alien from L.A., Howling VI: The Freaks as Mr Toones and Return of the Jedi as Droopy McCool.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Deep Roy

Sources Of Information:-

• Indian Origin Star Wars Actor Deep Roy: Since Becoming A Global Star, I Feel Six Feet Tall : article at Deep Roy
• Deep Roy Interview with StarWars.com | Star Wars Celebration Anaheim : youtube video at the Star Wars website
• Star Wars: The Changing Face of Sy Snootles & the Max Rebo Band : article at Den Of Geek
• Dagobah & Yoda : article at T-bone’s Star Wars Universe
• The Making of Yoda: Part 1 : Part 2 : article at NetDwellers
• Website
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Important Behind-The-Scenes Info on the Original Trilogy - London ComicCon 2007 (2007 thread)
• The Random Star Wars Pics & GIFs Thread (thread) (2019 thread)

94. Patricia ‘Pat’ McDermott

 
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
 

About…

You’ve probably never heard of the woman who turned George Lucas’s hair vision into reality, but her name is Patricia McDermott. Sadly, she isn’t even credited in the first film, but she continued her work as the chief hairstylist for “Return Of The Jedi”.

Upon first glance, the famous Princess Leia hairdo is something many people think they can recreate by splitting the hair into two pigtails, twisting it and securing with bobby pins, but that is anything but the case.

Typically when done with real hair the result looks more like a mini donut than the voluptuous hair we see in Star Wars. It is practically impossible. In order to accurately replicate this hairdo, a woman wouldn’t just need thick hair down to her waist. She would need a lot of fake hair. This is because every Princess Leia look was created with human hair hairpieces. These were two of many hairpieces seen throughout the film.

Patricia worked on many films and tv series before Star Wars - and after too, including The Prisoner, Secret Agent, Superman, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Return To Oz, Inspector Morse, and many of the Hammer Horror films.

^ abridged from the The Secret To Carrie Fisher’s Famous Star Wars Hair Buns - at the Medium website

Sources Of Information:-

• The Woman Behind the Buns: The Legacy of Carrie Fisher and Her Iconic Hairstyle : article at Modern Salon
• The unsung women of Star Wars: buns, a dead Obi-Wan and the script doctor : article at The Guardian
• Star Wars: 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Princess Leia : article at ScreeRant
• BFI Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Princess Leia hair and make up possibility (2014 thread)
• Star Wars: The Costume Thread (2016 thread)

95. Rick Baker

 
Makeup Artist
 

About…

Richard A. Baker is a retired American special make-up effects creator and actor, mostly known for his creature effects and designs. Baker won the Academy Award for Best Makeup seven times from a record of eleven nominations, beginning when he won the inaugural award for An American Werewolf in London (1981).

As a teen, Baker began creating artificial body parts in his own kitchen. He also appeared briefly in the fan production The Night Turkey, a one-hour, black-and-white video parody of The Night Stalker directed by William Malone. Baker’s first professional job was as an assistant to prosthetic makeup effects veteran Dick Smith on the film The Exorcist.

Baker received the inaugural Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work on An American Werewolf in London. He also created the werewolf creature Michael Jackson transforms into in the music video Thriller. Subsequently, Baker has been nominated for the Best Makeup Oscar ten more times, winning on seven occasions, both records in his field.

Baker worked in the second production unit for Star Wars (1977), and served as creature supervisor for the cantina sequence in The Star Wars Holiday Special. For Star Wars , he is uncredited for playing the roles of Figrin D’an and Hem Dazon in the Mos Eisley Cantina.

Baker received the 2485th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 30, 2012. The star is located in front of the Guinness World Records Museum.

Baker announced his retirement on May 28, 2015: “First of all, the CG stuff definitely took away the animatronics part of what I do. It’s also starting to take away the makeup part. The time is right, I am 64 years old, and the business is crazy right now. I like to do things right, and they wanted cheap and fast. That is not what I want to do, so I just decided it is basically time to get out. I would consider designing and consulting on something, but I don’t think I will have a huge working studio anymore.”

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page & Wookieepedia Page for Rick Baker

Sources Of Information:-

• Rick Baker Interviewed : article at the NTA website
• Rick Baker Wants to Work on the New ‘Star Wars’ Movies : 2012 article at The Hollywood Reporter
• 40th Anniversary: 9 Things You May Not Know About The Aliens In Star Wars : interview at the Star Wars website
• Star Wars’ Legendary Makeup Artist, Rick Baker, Talks Monsters, King Kong, and Cantina Masks, 1977 : youtube video at CBC
• Legendary Special-Effects Artist Rick Baker on How CGI Killed His Industry : article at Vice
• Monster-maker Rick Baker to retire, citing ‘cheap and fast’ Hollywood effects : article at The Guardian
• Amazon website search for books on / from Rick Baker
• Twitter Page
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Whose arm? (2012 thread)
• Movie Magic TV Series (2005 thread)
• The Retro Star Wars Thread (2016 thread)

96. Rob Bottin

 
Assistant Makeup Artist
 

About…

Robin R. Bottin is an American special make-up effects creator.

At age 14, he submitted a series of illustrations to well-known special make-up effects artist Rick Baker, who promptly hired him. He worked with Baker on various films but his first big solo break was The Howling, where he was called to create an on screen transformation from man to werewolf.

This managed to reach the theatres before his mentor’s similar scene in An American Werewolf in London. He also worked on the Star Wars Cantina scene creatures. He was, in fact, the tallest player in the Cantina band.

Known for his collaborations with directors John Carpenter, Paul Verhoeven and David Fincher. Bottin worked with Carpenter on both The Fog and The Thing, with Verhoeven on RoboCop, Total Recall and Basic Instinct, and with Fincher on Se7en and Fight Club. His other film credits include Legend, Innerspace and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Well respected in his field of prosthetic makeup (better known as special make-up effects), and described in 2013 as a “special effects genius”, Bottin was nominated for an Oscar in 1987 for Best Makeup, and was awarded a Special Achievement Award at the 1991 Academy Awards. He has two BAFTA nominations, and won two Saturn Awards with five further nominations.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Rob Bottin

Sources Of Information:-

• Six unsung heroes of the original Star Wars : interview at Little White Lies
• Rob Bottin: A Wizard in the World of Special Effects : article at the LA Times
• Rob Bottin Rocks! : article at Pop Matters
• Rob Bottin on Norris spider-head from “The Thing” (1982) : youtube video at William Forsche
• Cultoid Heroes – Rob Bottin – The Magician : article at Cultoid
• Rob Bottin: His Career & Disappearance : youtube video at Georg Rockall-Schmidt
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Rob Bottin (2012 thread)
• Se7en: Criterion Edition preservation set (2005 thread)

97. Brian De Palma

 
Lucas’ friend and fellow filmmaker
 

About…

Brian Russell De Palma is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, psychological thriller, and crime drama genres. His prominent films include mainstream box office hits such as Carrie (1976), Dressed to Kill (1980), Scarface (1983), The Untouchables (1987), and Mission: Impossible (1996), as well as cult favorites such as Sisters (1973), Blow Out (1981), Body Double (1984), Carlito’s Way (1993), and Femme Fatale (2002).[1]

De Palma is often cited as a leading member of the New Hollywood generation of film directors. His directing style often makes use of quotations from other films or cinematic styles, and bears the influence of filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard. His films have frequently garnered controversy for their violence and sexual content, but have also been championed by prominent critics such as Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Brian De Palma

Sources Of Information:-

• Steven Spielberg Gives ‘Star Wars’ Opening Crawl a New Origin Story : article at Too Fab
• How Brian De Palma Invented the Star Wars Opening Crawl : youtube video at Den Of Geek
• The Origin of the Crawl : article at Force Material
• This famous director told George Lucas that ‘Star Wars’ ‘didn’t make any sense’ when he first saw it : article at Business Insider
• “What Is This ****?” How Brian De Palma & Steven Spielberg Reacted to the First Star Wars Screening : article at Get BlockBuster
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• How did Brian DePalma and Lucas meet? (2012 thread)
• The ‘Independence Day Ending’ of the ROTJ SE (2016 thread)
• Did GL take too much credit? (2004 thread)
• Star Wars - International Logo Collection (2016 thread)

98. Francis Ford Coppola

 
Lucas’ friend and fellow filmmaker
 

About…

Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, film composer, and vintner. He was a central figure in the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

After directing The Rain People in 1969, Coppola co-wrote Patton (1970), earning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay along with Edmund H. North. Coppola’s reputation as a filmmaker was cemented with the release of The Godfather (1972). The film revolutionized movie-making in the gangster genre, and was adored by the public and critics alike. The Godfather won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay (shared with Mario Puzo).

The Godfather Part II, which followed in 1974, became the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Highly regarded by critics, the film brought Coppola three more Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture, and made him the second director (after Billy Wilder) to be so honored three times for the same film. The Conversation, which Coppola directed, produced and wrote, was released that same year, winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His next film, Apocalypse Now (1979), which notoriously had a lengthy and strenuous production, was widely acclaimed for its vivid depiction of the Vietnam War. The film won the Palme d’Or, making Coppola one of only eight filmmakers to have won that award twice.

While a number of Coppola’s ventures in the 1980s and 1990s were critically lauded, he has never quite achieved the same commercial success with films as in the 1970s. His best-known films released since the start of the 1980s are the dramas The Outsiders and Rumble Fish (both 1983), the crime dramas The Cotton Club (1984) and The Godfather Part III (1990), and the horror film Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992).

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Francis Ford Coppola

Sources Of Information:-

• 10 unsung heroes behind Star Wars : article at Den Of Geek
• George Lucas On Working With Francis Ford Coppola : youtube video at _ The AFI_
• The Crazy History of Star Wars : article at The New Yorker
• Ron Howard on Star Wars, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola Theory : youtube video at JP Film Talks
• Francis Ford Coppola calls George Lucas’s attachment to Star Wars franchise a pity : article at EW
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• George Lucas helped film the Godfather? (2006 thread)
• Coppola talks about Sequels & why he did Godfather III (2008 thread)
• George Lucas Interview Circa April 1977 (2010 thread)

99. Steven Spielberg

 
Lucas’ friend and fellow filmmaker
 

About…

Steven Allan Spielberg is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the founding pioneers of the New Hollywood era and one of the most popular directors and producers in film history. Spielberg started in Hollywood directing television and several minor theatrical releases. He became a household name as the director of Jaws (1975), which was critically and commercially successful and is considered the first summer blockbuster. His subsequent releases focused typically on science fiction/adventure films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Jurassic Park (1993), which became archetypes of modern Hollywood escapist filmmaking.

Spielberg transitioned into addressing serious issues in his later work with The Color Purple (1985), Empire of the Sun (1987), Schindler’s List (1993), Amistad (1997), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). He has largely adhered to this practice during the 21st century, with Munich (2005), Lincoln (2012), Bridge of Spies (2015), and The Post (2017).

He co-founded Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Studios, where he has also served as a producer or executive producer for several successful film trilogies, tetralogies and more including the Gremlins, Back to the Future, Men in Black, and the Transformers series. He later transitioned into producing several games within the video game industry.

Spielberg is one of the American film industry’s most critically successful filmmakers, with praise for his directing talent and versatility, and he has won the Academy Award for Best Director twice. Some of his movies are also among the highest-grossing movies of all-time, while his total work makes him the highest-grossing film director in history.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Steven Spielberg

Sources Of Information:-

• Lucas and Spielberg: The ultimate filmmaking friendship : article at The Spread
• The Film School Generation | Documentary (Lucas, Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg) : youtube video at Kamber Haymond
• The influence of Steven Spielberg on George Lucas and Star Wars : article at In A Far Away Galaxy
• 11 Famous Directors Explain Why They Turned Down ‘Star Wars’ : article at Indie Wire
• Why Steven Spielberg Will Never Direct ‘Star Wars’ : article at The Wrap
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Spielberg comments on digital alterations to his films (2011 thread)
• George Lucas’s worst decision (2017 thread)

100. Martin Scorsese

 
Lucas’ friend and fellow filmmaker
 

About…

Martin Charles Scorsese is an American-Italian filmmaker, actor and historian, whose career spans more than 50 years.

Part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in cinematic history. In 1990, he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation. He is a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema, and has won an Academy Award, a Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award, Silver Lion, Grammy Award, Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Directors Guild of America Awards.

He has directed works such as the crime film Mean Streets (1973), the vigilante-thriller Taxi Driver (1976), the biographical sports drama Raging Bull (1980), the black comedies The King of Comedy (1983), and After Hours (1985), the religious epic drama The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), the crime film Goodfellas (1990), the psychological thriller _Cape Fear _(1991), and the crime epics Casino (1995) and The Irishman (2019), some of which he collaborated on with actor and close friend Robert De Niro.

Scorsese’s other film work includes the biographical drama The Aviator (2004), the psychological thriller Shutter Island (2010), the historical adventure drama Hugo (2011), the religious epic Silence (2016). His work in television includes the pilot episodes of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl, the latter of which he also co-created. With eight Best Director Oscar nominations, he is the most nominated living director and is tied with Billy Wilder for the second-most nominations overall.

As a fan of rock music, he has directed several documentaries on the subject, including The Last Waltz (1978), No Direction Home (2005), Shine a Light (2008), George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011), and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for Martin Scorsese

Sources Of Information:-

• Movie movements that defined cinema: The Movie Brats : article at Empire
• Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Martin Scorsese on the Future of Movies from 1990 : article at TV Over Mind
• Scorsese Lucas and Coppola on technology in film : youtube video at Video Vault
• George Lucas’ Legendary 50th Birthday Party : article at The Hollywood Reporter
• Seven things we learned from Martin Scorsese : article at The BFI
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• AFI - The Directors (2006 thread)
• Side by Side Documentary (Digital vs Film) (2012 thread)
• Empire Strikes Back on Super8 (2014 thread)

101. John Milius

 
Screenwriter, Lucas’ friend and fellow filmmaker
 

About…

John Frederick Milius is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures. He was a writer for the first two Dirty Harry films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian, and Red Dawn. He later served as the co-creator of the Primetime Emmy Award-winning HBO series Rome.

Milius studied film at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television, which he chose because it was an elitist school that trained people for Hollywood. His classmates included George Lucas, Basil Poledouris, Randal Kleiser and Don Glut.

^ abridged from the Wikipedia Page for John Milius

Sources Of Information:-

• The Crazy History Of Star Wars : article at The New Yorker
• The Essentials: The Films Of John Milius : article at IndieWire
• Badass Writer of the Week: John Milius : article at Writer’s Bone
• John Milius: the craziest man in Hollywood? : article at The Telegraph
• ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’ Overlap More Often Than You’d Think : article at SlashFilm
• Apocalypse Now - Interview with John Milius : youtube video interview at Aleksandr Potebenko
• Movie movements that defined cinema: The Movie Brats : article at Empire
• IMDB Page

OriginalTrilogy•com links:-

• Did GL take too much credit? (2004 thread)
• Conan The Barbarian 1982 US Theatrical Edition (2011 thread)

If you have any suggestions for any additional people to be included here, or for specific threads or links to be added (or any insightful books, websites, interviews, or articles for crew profiles / info etc), please post them below.

Also, if you see any broken links or errors etc (and there’s likely to be a few!), please also post them in here - thank you.

Last updated - 6th November, 2019.

If you are new to the OriginalTrilogy•com then the following info may be of some assistance…

 
The Welcome to the OT.com; Introduce yourself in here thread is just that; a place to make your first post on here - and for more longstanding members to welcome new additions to our community.

Secondly, the About and Help sections may be of interest to you regarding this site and what the OriginalTrilogy•com is about.

Thirdly, the ’How do I do this?’ on the OriginalTrilogy.com - some info & answers to members’ queries thread should also hopefully be of some help as to many of the functions of the site, along with other related info as well.

The Announcements Section - including Site Rules & Guidelines, Fan Edit & Preservation Rules & FAQ, as well info for Signatures, Linking Policy for Downloads, and Plot Spoiler Policy (and much more) that may be of use too.

If you are having any issues with the site, have a question, an idea to improve the site, or would like to give some feedback - then these can be done in the Feedback Forum and General Assistance sections.

There are also several Index Threads pinned at the top of many respective sections of the OT•com - which may help members find various topics of discussion, fan edits, preservations and other projects etc.

To Join the OT.com Discord server! click on the link. There is also the OriginalTrilogy.com Twitter too.
 

‘‘Here We Go Again!’ Exciting Updates to Star Tours — The Adventures Continue’:-

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/10/here-we-go-again-exciting-updates-to-star-tours-the-adventures-continue/

^ Seems they are adding new locations - from TROS - to the ride. (To be added on the same date as the release of the film)
 

The linked article also gives the name of the ocean moon featured in the recent ‘Final Trailer’ for Episode IX too.
 

I love seeing this kind of stuff - fair play to all involved (and cheddar2395 ⤵️)…

^ from https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/dlsoea/we_decided_to_build_an_xwing_for_halloween_at_the/
 

^ I believe so mate - that or Microsoft is forcing another dodgy Windows Update / new operating system on him…

A nice touch…

from Ralph McQuarrie’s sketch concept art for ROTJ.

(credit to Mad_Rascal)

The last sentence - and word - spoken in the trailer… very nicely done.
 

^ 😃

Episode IX: ‘The Final Trailer’ - https://twitter.com/starwars/status/1186459349192855552

or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qn_spdM5Zg (from the official Star Wars youtube channel)

The trailer on Instagram is seemingly a little different - especially the last line of dialogue:-

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3506FnB7CF/?igshid=1nsw38rh5zrzd

‘Check out the new poster for @StarWars: #TheRiseOfSkywalker. In theaters December 20.’:-

https://twitter.com/starwars/status/1186460828087701505

Some ticket info for IX in the US…

‘Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker - Ticket Offers and Giveaways’:-

https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-tickets

Tickets for IX are now on sale in a fair few places in the US…

Episode IX IMAX poster (1 of 4) - apparently:-

A 5-second glimpse promoting ‘The Final Trailer’ to drop during Monday Night Football:-

https://twitter.com/starwars/status/1185556207836073985

A 15-second glimpse further promoting ‘The Final Trailer’:-

(contains new footage)

https://twitter.com/blogsuperheroes/status/1186350437433257984
 

‘First Reactions to ‘The Mandalorian’ Praise the ‘Star Wars’ Disney+ Show as “Completely Amazing”’:-

https://collider.com/the-mandalorian-reviews-reactions

‘The Mandalorian is good! While the first ever live-action Star Wars TV show doesn’t debut until November 12th, the first reactions to The Mandalorian have arrived online courtesy of a select few journalists who were lucky enough to watch the first 27 minutes of the show’s first episode during the press day for Disney+’
 

^ The linked article does not contain spoilers apart from what we have already seen in The Mandalorian trailers
 

‘FIRST VIEW: my new animatronic Yoda, restored from original molds’:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rObexmlEa0 - by Nick Maley
 

The blurb…

‘At last I can show what I have been working on in my spare hours this last 2 years. Meticulously assembled, this is the Yoda that you saw in clay form a year ago. Devised by compositing original relics, it is now fabricated and mechanized with a newly designed hand control allowing it to be operated by one puppeteer instead of the usual 3. It is built to take to conventions and charity events. There will be a more in depth video about it coming soon, but this is a first taste to wet your appetite. Yoda lives, once again.’

It is well worth checking out Nick Maley’s youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/cinesecrets/videos - some really insightful and informative videos on there.
 

His website, facebook, & twitter too.

According to ‘The Mandalorian Episodes Episode Air Dates Revealed’ article at SWNN…

Episode 1 — 12th November
Episode 2 — 15th November
Episode 3 — 22nd November
Episode 4 — 29th November
Episode 5 — 6th December
Episode 6 — 13th December
Episode 7 — 18th December
Episode 8 — 27th December

There is also now a The Mandalorian - SPOILER THREAD (by RogueLeader) for those that wish to discuss episodes & spoilers from The Mandalorian series.

Viewers in the UK, much of Europe and various other places won’t be able to receive the Disney+ service until sometime ‘early 2020’… so please don’t post spoilers or discuss events of any aired episodes in this thread - thank you.

From https://twitter.com/sw_holocron/status/1185730482337669120?s=20…

The directors for each episode of The Mandalorian have been revealed:

1: Dave Filoni
2: Rick Famuyiwa
3: Deborah Chow
4: Bryce Dallas Howard
5: Dave Filoni
6: Rick Famuyiwa
7: Deborah Chow
8: Taika Waititi

‘Was Luke’s lightsaber originally BLUE in Return of the Jedi?’:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTsnuW2j4Yo - from HelloGreedo

^ Includes Kazanjian, Marquand, Kasdan and Lucas and in conversation about the lightsaber colour - and potential letters over it in Starlog magazine… and the deleted scene from Return Of The Jedi showing Luke tinkering with the new green lightsaber.

A more in-depth article on the subject (and conversation between the four people above discussing it) can be found here…

‘The real reason Luke Skywalker has a green lightsaber’:-

http://www.forcematerial.com/home/2016/10/23/the-real-reason-luke-skywalker-has-a-green-lightsaber

Edit: and this curiosity video in 2009 - from an old friend…

‘Return of The Jedi - Blue Lightsaber Tests’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSD8sYRvZ3A - from davnes007
 

More retro Star Wars gaming…

https://twitter.com/LimitedRunGames/status/1182732435483701249 …

‘Now THIS is podracing! Star Wars™: Episode 1 Racer continues our @starwars retro collection and receives its Limited Run for the N64 on Friday, October 18 at 10am & 6pm EDT on http://limitedrungames.com’

https://twitter.com/LimitedRunGames/status/1182750075258376193 …

‘Hone your podracing skills in Star Wars™ Racer Revenge. This classic @starwars game gets a Limited Run for the PlayStation 4 this Friday, October 18 at 10am & 6pm ET on http://limitedrungames.com’

A shame Lucasfilm don’t link up with the likes of Criterion for a release of the Holiday Special, Droids, Ewoks, or the two Ewok theatrical films… in the same way they link up with gaming companies who want to see some old classics out there.
 

These may be of some interest:-

^ from https://www.reddit.com/r/PlexPosters/comments/di1fuq/star_wars_concept_art_now_with_tros_mandalorian - by RedHeadJedi
 

More info, and downloads to the above art - and more, here:-

https://theposterdb.com/poster/4448 & https://theposterdb.com/user/RedHeadJedi
 

‘Here’s everything Star Wars coming to Disney+ in the US on November 12’:-

https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-disney-plus-november-12

^ nothing new in there - seems to be more of a reminder for the Star Wars content we already know will be available…
 

A little surprising the 2008 theatrical ‘The Clone Wars’ film isn’t being shown on the service.

Still no more news of Disney providing a specific release date for Disney+ in the UK…

‘The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars series, only on #DisneyPlus. Coming to you early 2020.’ - https://twitter.com/StarWarsUK/status/1165147142241079296 - has been the only indicator so far.