Monday 20 February 2017

'STAR WARS' AT 40: THE QUICKEST OF BATTLES...


It's now become classic art used in countless areas of STAR WARS related media- Jerry Vandersteldt's superb painting of Obi-Wan Kenobi, lightsaber raised, within one of the Death Star corridors after having dispatching Imperial Stormtroopers- a scene that never happened onscreen that would have been cool to see, before the old Jedi Master's ultimate struggle with former pupil Darth Vader.

And intriguingly, back in 1976, a scene like that very nearly happened- it was certainly in one of the fourth draft shooting scripts (dated 1/1/76) that was changed before principal photography at Elstree Studios from April onwards, as Peter Mayhew revealed in 2015 on TWITTER via his fascinating weekly page scans of his earliest script for what was then known as THE STAR WARS.

Here's the scene:

SCENE A106. INT. MAIN PASSAGEWAY - DEATH STAR

Ben moves swiftly down the Death Star passageway to where four troops are guarding an intersection. Ben walks right up to the officer in charge.

OFFICER: Your sanction.

The guards start to lower their weapons, but before they can fire, Ben has moved through them swinging his deadly blade, cutting the troops to ribbons. The old Jedi swiftly continues along the passageway and disappears.

What a shame it never made it to filming, though Ben was certainly adept at ducking in and out of corner alcoves!

Artist's website: Vanderstelt Studio

1987 Sir Alec Guinness interview on STAR WARS: BBC Arts - BBC Arts, Sir Alec Guinness talks Star Wars in 1987

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