Friday 30 August 2019

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: AGE CONCERN!


In a scene ultimately truncated in the completed film, Anakin buys some local fruits from his old friend Jira at her market stall. With Jira's aching bones predicting an upcoming sandstorm, Anakin briefly notices Qui-Gon's hidden 'laser sword" (a reference going back to the earliest scripts of the original Star Wars), knowing both what the device means and represents, and now who the mystery adult stranger really is.

Filmed on location, here is the deleted earlier part of the scene, which established Anakin's friendship with the kindly Jira (played by British actress Margaret Towner):

EXT. MOS ESPA - STREET - FRUIT STAND - DAY

ANAKIN and the GROUP stop at a fruit stand run by a jolly, but very poor, old lady named JIRA.

ANAKIN: How are you feeling today, Jira?

JIRA: The heat's never been kind to me, you know, Anie!

ANAKIN: Guess what? I've found that cooling unit I've been searching for. It's pretty beat up, but I'll have it fixed for you in no time, I promise.

JIRA: You're a fine boy, Annie.

ANAKIN: I'll take four pallies today (to Padme) You'll like these...

ANAKIN reaches in his pocket and comes up with three coins. he drops one. QUI-GON picks it up, revealing for a moment, his lightsaber.

ANAKIN: (Cont'd) Whoops I thought I had more... Make that three I'm not hungry

The wind picks up. SHOP OWNERS are starting to close up their shops as JIRA gives them their pallies.

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