Tuesday 1 November 2016

BEHIND THE SCENES: INSIDE THE DEATH STAR HANGAR CONTROL ROOM

Peter Sumner and Malcolm Weaver on set. Image: Ann Skinner/BFI

Before getting his head bashed in from a mighty wookiee paw, and his colleague receiving a deadly laser blasting (later cut for the SPECIAL EDITION re-release), Peter Sumner's Imperial officer Pol Treidum, alongside moustached stuntman/background artist Malcolm Weaver, take a break in filming on the Death Star hangar bay control room set at Elstree, during May/June 1976, in continuity Polaroid images taken by Script Supervisor Ann Skinner that were displayed at the BFI in 2014.

Small version of image showing Malcolm Weaver's floor positioning for filming continuity. Image: Ann Skinner/BFI.
Console and weapons rack. Image: Ann Skinner/BFI.
Set reference image featuring the console dressing work of noted UK art director Harry Lange.

These weren't the only colour Polaroids that Miss Skinner took from the filming on that set. So far unseen within the BFI's Special Collections are a shot of Artoo emerging from the supply cupboard door (with Threepio on far left moving out of shot,) an obscured and very dark image of a Stormtrooper by a massive storage container/set dressing prop near the rising door entrance, and a wide shot looking towards the Docking Bay Falcon cockpit, with three Stormtroopers at the far left of the shot- not too dissimilar to the outtake image below.

An unused angle of the Falcon in the Death Star hangar, from an early cut of STAR WARS.

With thanks to Ann Skinner and the BFI.

"TK-421, why aren't you at your post?"

UPDATE (24/11/16): AFICIONADO was sorry to hear the sad news of Australian actor Peter Sumner's passing:

Peter Sumner dead: Star Wars actor dies at 74 | EW.com

Interview: Star Wars 100 Interviews: Peter Sumner - Imperial Whacked by a Wookiee - YouTube

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