GOODBYE, TERRY RICHARDS...

Terry Richards as the Cairo Swordsman in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Image: LUCASFILM.

His time and training for what was to have been an epic fight using his Scimitar blade against Indiana Jones trusty whip may have been scaled back and ultimately cut from the film, but the resultant changes to popular stuntman Terry Richards playing of that evil sword wielding thug with the beard and the deep hearted laugh, during the superb Cairo market scenes of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, instigated and improvised by a diarrhoea ravaged Ford and a keen to keep to keep to his filming schedule director Steven Spielberg, soon became the stuff of movie legend, and continues to generate mirth and admiration from audiences young and old audience wherever and whenever the movie is shown.

Richards playing the Wampa during shooting for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Richards, who passed away this week, had a career beyond INDY, of course, with a legion of classic action and adventure movies and TV credits to his name, especially notable within the James Bond series. But STAR WARS/LUCASFILM fans will further appreciate and recognise his talents, again if only for deleted scene legend, for his encapsulation within the bulky and awkward to manoeuvre Stuart Freeborn created Wampa costume at Elstree Studios during filming of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK in April 1979, for several pyrotechnics linked sequences showing the snow creature breaking into the Hoth established Rebel base and victimising poor little Artoo Detoo, before finally succumbing to human weaponry firepower.

Certainly a character in the film industry and its stunt profession, Richards passing has added to the sad and continued roll-call of disappearing movie history talent...

BBC News - Terry Richards: UK stunt man dies aged 81