AFICIONADO CLASSIC BEHIND THE SCENES INFO - PART THREE

UK COLLECTORMANIA SHOW, MIDLANDS- 18^TH AND 19^TH APRIL 2009

By Ian Trussler

Barbara Franklin (with hand in mouth) as one of the Saurin creatures of the Cantina, from STAR WARS.  Image: KURTZ/JOINER ARCHIVE.

BARBARA FRANKLAND (ALSO KNOWN AS BARBARA DENHAM)-ONE OF THE SAURIN CREATURES OF THE CANTINA-STAR WARS

She got the role through Central Casting in London and spent about a week on set. Interestingly she mentioned her character had dialogue which was ultimately dubbed over with a creature voice/noise- she seemed a bit disappointed on this. She can't remember very much about the filming, though she mentioned also knowing other background artists Annette Jones and Mark Kirby from the film.

This was her first ever convention but she had been asked before and declined. She asked me how long conventions had been going and was surprised when I said decades. She said she was confused about the name Saurin, as that what the organizers had told her to sign as. I informed her she probably knew the character as "Crocker" on set and she instantly recognized that and wrote it down, saying she would sign her pics with that name as that what’s she knew. I explained Saurin was a name given many years later after the film was released. She said she never actually met the late Stuart Freeborn, or rather didn't remember. She was very pleasant and said she intended to do more shows now.

Oops! Michael Leader as the accident prone Stormtrooper!

MICHAEL LEADER-THE STORMTROOPER WHO BUMPS HIS HEAD-STAR WARS

I asked him right off if he was the trooper who bangs his head and he said he was. I asked if anyone on set said anything at the time and he said he was expecting them to say do another take but was surprised when no one did. He didn't want to bring attention to it as he was very conscious of the costs and tight budget on the movie and frightened he might get fired if they knew he had messed up the shot. He spent several weeks on the film, mainly running around the Death Star. Actually hating working on the film, Leader really wanted to get off it, but again didn't want to get a bad name for himself by walking out, so stuck it out. He didn't like the costume, finding it both uncomfortable and claustrophobic in the helmet, likening it to a diving helmet. He said he knew Barrie Holland (JEDI's infamous Lt. Renz) when I mentioned him and was very complimentary about him, saying Barrie had always been very good to him. He doesn't do many shows (he was very popular at this one and had a bigger line than Dave Prowse) and now that he has a regular part on EastEnders he is unlikely to get much time to do more in the near future.