WHIP CRACK AWAY! 'RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK' HITS 45!

Poster concept art by Drew Struzan.

I'll never, ever forget the buzz of seeing a special midnight screening in London for Raiders of the Lost Ark back in 1981, several weeks before it went on general release. The first eagerly-awaited creative team-up by Lucas and Spielberg, it blew me away with its humour, superb action, relentless pace and terrific storytelling/direction. And it was the film in which Harrison Ford truly became a super star. Forty-five years on, its aura of rollercoaster Saturday afternoon serials atmosphere always delivers the cinematic goods to me whenever I watch it. The first ones are always the best!

Back in UK cinemas this month for an all too limited release, enjoy this visual celebration of the film that started the Indiana Jones phenomenon, as Raiders celebrates its Forty-Fifth Anniversary...

Early conceptual painting for the film by acclaimed artist Jim Steranko.

The 'Dream Team' confer on location in Hawaii.

Ford, cinematographer Douglas Slocombe and Spielberg work out how to film the opening sequence.

Ford as Indy prepares to make the transfer, which proves deadly.

The trap begins!

Indiana and fellow explorer Satipo (Alfred Molina).

Gary Kurtz captures a classic pose on camera at Elstree.

Three heads are better than one in this great image with Spielberg and Alfred Molina.

One of the earliest publicity images of Harrison Ford as Indy.

Ford clowns around with Spielberg.

Filming the Tibetan bar scene.

A close-up of Karen Allen as Marion.

Not a happy reunion for Indy and Marion!

Filming the Cairo set scenes in Tunisia.

Lovely shot of Ford and Allen in the street scenes.

Conferring with Howard Kazanjian and Spielberg.

Indy uses the bull whip to great effect.

Laughs aplenty during filming.

John Rhys-Davies amuses Harrison Ford at Elstree.

Indy contemplates the Tanis Map Room's secrets.

Inside the Well of the Souls!

'Asps! Very dangerous!'

Another gorgeous image of Karen Allen.

Together again, and back in danger!

Presumably production art for Marion and Indy's escape from the main chamber in the Well of Souls.

Marion, trapped in the Well of Souls!

Surviving illness by eating canned food, Spielberg directs on location.

Lucas and Kazanjian ponder the weather?

The amazing location filming with the Nazi flying wing vehicle.

Watched by a captivated crowd of extras, Spielberg goes through some rehearsal action with Pat Roach playing a Nazi.

Indy takes a bite from the nasty German!

Then goes on horseback to purse the Ark.

Filming the superb truck chase sequence.

Indy and Marian leave Sallah and journey away with Captain Katanga (a memorable performance from  George Harris).

Michael Sheard as the deleted scene U-boat captain.

Rehearsing Indy's moment in threatening to destroy the Ark. Filmed within the legendary Star Wars Canyon.

Spielberg directs the film's key villains before their ultimate demise from opening the Ark of the Covenant!

Manipulating the Belloq puppet for his demise.

Operating the dummy Belloq at ILM.

The eerie finale sequence.

Michael Pangrazio at work on the matte painting.

Conceptual poster art.

Spielberg with one of the original release posters.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TO SOUND A RETREAT!

With the Rebel base around them shattered by ongoing Imperial heavy weaponry, bringing many losses, and their main power source about to fall, Han Solo rushes to what's left of the Command Centre determined to see Princess Leia away from Hoth as soon as possible, now that only a small amount of evacuation transports remain.

A dramatic end to this particular Rebel cell led by the Princess and Luke Skywalker after the previous positive ending to the original Star Wars. The Empire Strikes Back, by comparison, is already a different, darker kind of sequel continuance...  

DELETED SCENE: PROBOT vs WAMPA!

The ice planet Hoth is not only dangerous for its inhospitable weather conditions, but also for the deadly creatures that reside there. For example, the monstrous Wampa species, who prey on and attack from their snow camouflage anything they think they can eat. Unfortunately, one such wild beast becomes easy prey to another type of creature, an Imperial Probe Droid, which finds its icy lair and soon destroys it before moving on in its search for any signs of human Rebel activity.

A storyboard to a deleted scene from The Empire Strikes Back that was partially filmed on location in Norway with the Probot prop back in March 1979 (the Wampa likely changed to a rodent). The scene can also be found in the original Donald Glut novelisation of the film, released in 1980.

CLASSIC McQUARRIE: SENTINELS OF HOTH!

With their heavy weaponry and regular Tauntaun patrols, the Rebels maintain constant vigilance across the blue-tinted Hoth landscape, ready for action, in this lovely Thailand poster art from 1980 promoting The Empire Strikes Back, using the great Production Painting work of Ralph McQuarrie that helped make the film such a uniquely different entity to the original Star Wars.

It was an image that was also adapted and used in the Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon Marvel Comics adaptation of the iconic saga entry.  

GOODBYE, BRIAN JOHNSON...

Brian Johnson at work for ILM with the impressive Star Destroyer model newly built for The Empire Strikes Back.

STAR WARS AFICIONADO was sad to near of the passing (this past May) of the legendary British special effects talent, and Academy Awrd winner, Brian Johnson. Having worked for the likes of Gerry Anderson (on his beloved Supermarionation series) and the legendary Stanley Kubrick (on 2001), Brian was contacted in 1975 by George Lucas and Gary Kurtz to handle the effects work on the original Star Wars but was then unavailable due to his ongoing epic commitment to the visually iconic Space:1999 TV series. Thankfully, he would be available to work on the practical UK effects (and be at ILM supervising model filming duties/adding various contributions) for The Empire Strikes Back, where his long-time experience would surely prove invaluable to Lucas (whom Johnson greatly admired at that time) and his team. 

It was extremely disappointing that Johnson's work on the saga was overlooked in Lawrence Kasdan's documentary series chronicling ILM and its evolving team/s several years back, but his quality work, not just on Star Wars but all the other productions he so importantly contributed to, lives on.

At the ILM model shop with Lorne Peterson, Marc Thorpe and others.