AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: HERE COMES THE RECEPTION COMMITTEE...

Disembarking the Falcon to a quiet and eerie atmosphere, Han Solo and his party are wary at the reception committee now arrived to welcome them to Cloud City, led by the Baron Administrator himself, Lando Calrissian...

Establishing storyboard showing Lando making his approach to the newcomers.

In order to make up time on the delayed filming schedule (and before Harrison Ford has to return to the US), it is decided, whilst set building is still going on for the Dagobah swamp, that a portion of the Star Wars Stage will be used to create the Bespin Cloud City landing platform 327, with a small area of set (including a long walkway/ entrance area), built around the existing Millennium Falcon, with a huge black backing/blue screen area erected mostly behind it (to be replaced later in the year with a matte painting/model background which will be added in post production). To give the scene further outdoor believability, the stage doors are opened to let in natural light. For several close in shots, with Lando talking to Han and his group, only the bottom half of the Falcon prop is shown (as it was beginning to be dismantled due to Dagobah filming schedule needs), with stills photographer Keith Hamshere, not wanting to give the game away about the set, having to be very careful in his publicity photography taken of the scenes involving the main characters in front of the ship. For the later scenes, showing Leia and her party escaping Bespin, in a firefight with Imperials, the Falcon’s underside would be fitted with pyrotechnics that were detonated during the action (the laser blasts hitting the hull being added on in post production).

Lando, with Lobot and his security aides in an unseen angle shown in an earlier film trailer.

Classic image taken between on set filming scenes.

The landing platform built around the Millennium Falcon prop- note the sky panorama behind its landing struts, and the remains of a Hoth Echo Base background.

A wary Solo goes out to meet his old buddy.

Ford enjoys a little dance clowning on set.

Hamill and Ford have fun with Eric Idle at the star's house during Empire's London filming, whilst Idle was in Tunisia filming Life of Brian.

On the DVD commentary for Empire, Carrie Fisher relates that during some of the London filming, she stayed at a house rented from Monty Python star/comedian/writer Eric Idle. Idle and the Pythons were filming Life of Brian at the time, then on location in Tunisia. Upon return Idle held a small party, including Fisher, his friend Harrison Ford and the Rolling Stones, of which he served them a potent liquor (which the Pythons had been distributing to extras on their film, to help boost morale) called Palm Wine, but also referred to as "Tunisian Table Cleaner". They all resultantly stayed up most of the night drinking and having more fun than they should have. The off camera jolly first scenes ultimately shot the next day at Elstree were Han and Leia's arrival at Cloud City, of which the actress later recalled the reason why she and Ford had been so 'happy'. Idle was later said to be pleased that he had a small hand in how the finished film turned out!

Ralph McQuarrie works on the establishing exterior matte painting at ILM.