AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: COSTUMED EPIC!

An early over jacket design for Luke in his X-wing fighter garb on Hoth. All art by John Mollo.

Thrilled with the unexpected success of Star Wars, and even more thrilled to receive an esteemed Academy Award for his work on the film, British Costume Designer John Mollo was back to work the day after his win (3rd April, 1978) to work on The Empire Strikes Back, revising and improving certain old characters and fractional costumes, and, more importantly, creating lots of new wardrobe items large and small for the scenes set on the ice planet Hoth and the 'Art Deco' styled Cloud City at Bespin.

Mollo with Natalie Wood and Darth Vader (Kermit Eller) at the 1978 Academy Awards event.

Mollo would be working alongside new director Irvin Kershner, whom he ultimately didn't have quite as strong a relationship with in comparison to George Lucas back in 1976, allegedly with some new work often frustratingly being altered many times by Kershner in the pre and production phases of the sequel.

Early Rebel soldier and snowtrooper concepts.

Imperial Snowtrooper design.

The Rebels: Luke, Han, fighter pilot and snow trooper.

Leia, Rebel Command Crew and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Empire: Darth Vader, Imperial Trooper, TIE fighter pilot.

The Empire: General Veers in AT-AT outfit, Imperial technician and officer.

EPISODE VIII: 'FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION...'

Recent trade adverts congratulations for the Oscar nominees of The Last Jedi.

Congratulations to John Williams and the UK/US teams behind the scenes of The Last Jedi, via their four recent Oscar nominations recognizing their great work. Enjoy the night (of which Mark Hamill will be one of the ceremony hosts, returning to the Academy Awards stage after forty years!), and let's hope for some wins.

Mark Hamill on the Oscars ceremony 2018:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43263573

'STAR WARS' AT 40: MUSICAL EXCELLENCE!

At the famous EMI recording studios of Anvil Studios, Denham, John Williams conducted score for the epic Death Star battle, brought to vivid, dizzying and exciting life by the renowned London Symphony Orchestra, is mixed and recorded, part of ninety minutes of music score recorded across fourteen intense and wonderful sessions in March 1977, that would surprise, thrill and delight George Lucas, now truly seeing his artistic entertainment vision come to life via Williams' superb themes and sweeping romanticism, watching and hearing alongside Gary Kurtz and Carrie Fisher (who attended at least one day of the recording and was notably played back the Princess Leia theme by a very happy Lucas).

Originally, Lucas was to have used Gustav Holst's 'Planets' suite themes with the film, in the same kind of way that Kubrick used classic music so successfully with 2001: A Space Odyssey. But once Lucas had been introduced to his new friend in John Williams via Steven Spielberg, the opportunity to do an all-new symphonic score for the film, with a wonderful accompanying swashbuckler feel/quality to it, was ultimately too good an idea to pass up. Certainly, when ILM were under strain in late March/April 1977 to complete the film's effects, their spirits were soon raised when Lucas played them parts of the previously recorded, highly impressive and emotive soundtrack.

Mark Hamill recalls the original score: http://variety.com/2018/film/news/mark-hamill-on-star-wars-music-composer-john-williams-1202659494/

John Williams winning his Academy Award in 1978. Image: OSCARS.ORG.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: 'FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION...'

A selection of FOX trade ads promoting STAR WARS for Oscar consideration in 1978.

It's a more than well know fact that the Academy Awards organisation and its many diverse member voters in Hollywood aren't all that fond of the realms of science fiction and fantasy, but in 1977 even they couldn't ignore the immediate stratospheric box office success and overall impact with the general worldwide public that STAR WARS had made. When the time came for the Variety film news trade paper and other titles of similar ilk to begin putting out their showbiz advertising campaigns paid for by film companies for the 1978 Oscar ceremony, a proud 20th Century Fox was eager to push for STAR WARS to get award consideration in all the departments it could. At the end of the day, though, and as expected, STAR WARS ultimate wins saw the vital human element of the film ignored, though it pretty much won all the technical awards everyone expected, as well as a Special Achievement Award in sound effects editing.

"STAR WARS" AT THE 1978 OSCARS

Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels and the remote controlled Artoo at the 1978 Academy Awards. Image: ABC TV/A.M.P.A.S.

With the world enjoying the aftermath of the 83rd Academy Awards last night-and congratulations to Natalie Portman on her Best Actress win for BLACK SWAN (though she'll probably be more determined than ever now to distance herself from any connection to STAR WARS!) - here's a very good quality nostalgia clip from the CINEMATRIX website showing the 50th ACADEMY AWARDS from 1978, where STAR WARS won seven Oscars but failed to win Best Picture (I'm still in shock from that result, even thirty plus years on!). Watch Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels and Artoo Detoo having fun with comedy legend Bob Hope, and presenting Ben Burtt's well deserved OSCAR, at:

http://index.hu/kultur/cinematrix/ccikkek/2011/02/26/star_wars_oscar/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvQ-ktdG5WE

Special Sound Oscars for Close Encounters and Star Wars: 1978 Oscars - YouTube

A selection of personal memorabilia linked to the event, from the collection of Anthony Daniels, that was auctioned in 2024.

Carrie Fisher at the event:

I Was Carrie Fisher’s 1978 Oscar Date: Spielberg, Lucas and a 3 a.m. Afterparty With John Belushi – The Hollywood Reporter