BEHIND THE SCENES: FILM HISTORY IN THE MAKING...

STAR WARS Fan Club art by Ralph McQuarrie.

Today is the 39th anniversary of the original STAR WARS, yet 2016 is also the 40th amazing anniversary year in which the film started filming, under (mostly) snobbishly ignorant gazes, little press attention or studio enthusiasm, at London's Elstree Studios, and transatlantically via George Lucas's in-development effects house ILM, at what many thought was a shoddy but now iconic building/garage located at Van Nuys, California.

Here's a taster of the amazing work being undertaken in that incredible and now history-making time- some great, very rare B/W images which previously appeared on mega-fan Kevin Burton's now seemingly defunct UK website: www.swrealprops.com, which once dealt in rare props and imagery selling.

R5-D4 gets a close inspection from Luke, in one of the first scenes filmed for the movie in Tunisia. March 1976.

Mardji the Elephant is costumed to become a Bantha for additional California filming in January 1977.

UK crewman Jim Marlowe dons a Threepio suit for costume assembly reference photography.

"I think we took a wrong turn!"

The original, ultimately unused shot of the Jawa Sandcrawler filmed on location in Tunisia, replaced by additional footage at Death Valley, and with a further matte painting enhancement.

A shot of the Tusken Raider view of the canyon soon traversed by Luke's Landspeeder.

The droids wait in an alcove of the Death Star Hangar.

"What a piece of junk!"

The classic Lars Homestead location, as the sunset occurs.

The Jawas acquire Artoo on location in Tunisia- March 1976.

A close-in look at Luke's Landspeeder.

The missing Artoo is found as filming continues at the now famous STAR WARS Canyon in Tunisia.

Anthony Daniels and Mark Hamill film their soon deleted Landspeeder scene against back projection at Elstree, near the end of the film's UK shooting.

Peter Cushing's Tarkin watches a graphic-less view screen on the Death Star overbridge.

Troopers at Tunisia prepare to see the to-be-added Falcon blast off from the spaceport.

Nice shot of a droid and human extras at Ajim, Tunisia, during April 1976.

More of the Tunisian extras for the Mos Eisley spaceport scene.

Sir Alec Guinness film the tractor beam scene, in this great above the studio image.

Another image- the Death Star elevator section -  that will be enhanced with a McQuarrie matte painting

Filming at the UK's Cardington Airbase hangar for the Massassi Temple arrival on Yavin.

Han Solo blasts a TIE fighter. Storyboard: Joe Johnston.

Blue Leader is ready. Note the lost of kills!

At the Death Star equator. Storyboard:

The Death Star is approaching...

Point of view within the Death Star trench.

"All wings report in." Storyboard: Joe Johnston.

Soon a classic image on film. Storyboard: Joe Johnston.

Y-wing commander Red (later Gold) Leader is killed.

X-wing fighters almost ready for paint detailing at ILM.

Closer shot of an X-wing.

Another closer shot.

Darth Vader's striking persoanl TIE fighter.

HAPPY THIRTY-NINTH BIRTHDAY TO THE ORIGINAL 'STAR WARS'!