AFICIONADO STAR WARS MYSTERY: KENNY BAKER IN CHICAGO!

Sometime between 1977 and 1978, Kenny Baker, in his US public appearances for the lovable droid Artoo Detoo, took part in what would apparently become a controversial STAR WARS related OLYMPIA beer promotion in Chicago, without the prior knowledge of LUCASFILM, which had the slogan: "The best thing to come out of a can since R2-D2."

Apart from the ONCE UPON A GALAXY BOOK written by Alan Arnold from 1979, and J.W. Rinzler's recent MAKING OF EMPIRE book I'd never previously seen or heard about this. An intriguing media/promotional curio between films.

"THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" - AN IMAGE EXTRAVAGANZA

Left to right: Irvin Kershner watches Ford, Fisher and Billy Dee Williams in a break before filming our heroes infamous dinner with Darth Vader. One of many great rare images in THE MAKING OF THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK book, out now in the UK from AURUM PRESS.

VANITY FAIR have a lovely picture gallery of rare colour and B/W behind the scenes images from the new THE MAKING OF THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK book by J. W. Rinzler, which is in bookstores now.

Check out the gallery (which includes the great above image) here:

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/10/the-making-of-the-empire-strikes-back-201010?currentPage=10

OBI-WAN KENOBI - THE MAN, THE JEDI

George Lucas on Obi-Wan Kenobi, talking to film publicist Alan Arnold in 1979: "The character started out as Luke's father and became the friend of Luke's father. I wanted a character who was an old warrior, very stately, a father image for Luke. He evolved out of that. He wasn't meant to be Christ-like, but rather a thoughtful and intelligent man with a noble bearing- a symbol of goodness and mystical power."

Original 1976/1977 FOX Press info for the character of Ben Kenobi.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the  main image of Sir Alec Guinness.