AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: 'CLOSE THE DOORS...'

Bad news ahead for a waiting, worried Princess...

The night draws in and Leia's worries grow for the men in her life out on the Hoth surface. Threepio and Artoo have so far detected no signs of life outside. Rebel officer Major Derlin and his Lt. assistant inform Leia that nothing can now be done until the morning, when the adapted Snowspeeders can finally begin search and rescue operations. The shield doors to that part of Echo Base must be closed- a moment which brings emotional pain and angry despondency from Chewbacca...

Several shots of a worried Leia

Leia gets less than positive news from Threepio.

Major Derlin (John Ratzenberger) and Cal Alder (Jack McKenzie).

An angry Wookiee cries out for his friend as the shield door closes.

With principal photography on the Echo Base hangar at Elstree now commenced, the programme makers of the new UK BBC TV series The Risk Business, on which the relationship between UK/US film-making is to be examined with their launch programme (to be aired in April 1980), are present for the next few days to capture the sequence being shot and have access to the cast and crew for interviews and see the impressive sets. Michael Rod is the main presenter for the programme.

No strangers to sci-fi/fantasy, John Ratzenberger, playing Major Derlin (his voice semi-dubbed in the film) then living and working in the UK before US stardom with classic sitcom Cheers!, would appear in the likes of popular children's adventures like Warlords of Atlantis and Arabian Adventure, as well as the original two back-to-back made Superman films starring Christopher Reeve. Playing officer Cal Alder (a name given in the Expanded Universe post film release), Jack McKenzie's TV sci-fi credits would include two early episodes of Space: 1999 and, a short time after filming TESB, a third season episode of Blake's 7.

In between filming, Carrie fisher's hair gets some maintenance Sylvia Croft, as captured in the BBC's The Risk Business documentary. 

Peter Mayhew in a break between filming, alongside the remote controlled Artoo on set.

Kay Freeborn gives the Wookiee hair line some assistance.

Carrie Fisher and Anthony Daniels in rehearsal.

Major Derlin (John Ratznberger).

Ratzenberger and Mayhew clown around on set.

Jack MacKenzie as Rebel Deck Lt. Cal Alder.