CLASSIC IMAGE: GRAND DESIGNS...

In their primary conference room on the Death Star, Darth Vader and Governor Tarkin discuss the current situation linked to Princess Leia and the Rebel Base, in a scene from the original Star Wars.

Though equals in service to the Emperor, the former Expanded Universe history suggested that Vader was sent by his Master to act as a kind of watchdog on Tarkin in case he got too big for his boots in commanding the ultimate weapon. In the original film, however, you never get that feeling- Vader and Tarkin are comrades in evil, and Vader in some ways takes order from Tarkin. But, in a March 1976 pre-filming draft script for Star Wars released a few years back by Peter Mayhew (online via Twitter), they have one scene in the conference room where Tarkin briefly outlines his idea to Vader of eventually wrestling control of the Empire from the Emperor. Some of the dialogue from this Scene 97 eventually carried over into the revised final draft shooting script (notably the dialogue linked to the return of Obi-Wan), but some didn't...

SCENE 97 - DEATH STAR CONFERENCE ROOM

Darth Vader paces the room as Governor Tarkin sits at the far end of the conference table.

TARKIN: This operation will secure my place on the Emperor's council. With the right maneuvering I could be Emperor. The rebel base will soon be destroyed. I've sent a scouting unit ahead, we should get confirmation soon. What's bothering you?

VADER: A tremor in the force. A slight thing, but it's almost like being in the presence of my old master.

TARKIN: The Jedi, Ben Kenobi? He must be dead by now?

VADER: Perhaps, it's just a feeling.

TARKIN: The Jedi movement is dead. You, my friend, are all that's left of their wizard ways.

Their is a quiet buzz on the comlink and Tarkin answers.

There was a further additional line filmed but not used once Tarkin discovers that Leia has lied about Dantooine. He chillingly says to Vader:

"I'll find that hidden fortress if I have to destroy every star system in the sector!'

The line is also present in the Alan Dean Foster novelisation.

Intriguingly, the Brian Daley radio adaptation of the film has a scene where Admiral Motti plants the idea of further ambition for control in Tarkin's mind. Perhaps Daley had seen the earlier draft script and incorporated the idea, as he would so successfully in expanding other scenes and character moments for the eventual thirteen-part drama.

'SOLO': A PERFECT TEAM!

Latest international poster for Solo: A Star Wars Story.

"As I live and breathe," Jessa scoffed. "Have we finally seen Han Solo doing something unselfish? Are you going soft? Who knows, you may even pick up a little morality one day, if you ever wake up and get wise to yourself."

Han stopped, his leer gone. He glared at her for a moment, then said, "I already know all about morality, Jess. A friend of mine made a decision once, thought he was doing the moral thing. Hell, he was. But he'd been conned. He lost his career, his girl, everything. This friend of mine, he ended up standing there, whilst they ripped the rank and insignia off his tunic.The people who didn't want him put against a wall and shot were laughing at him. A whole planet. He shipped out of there and never went back."

She watched his face become ugly. "Wouldn't anyone testify for your friend?" she asked softly.

He laughed sourly. "His commanding officer committed perjury against him. There was only witness in his defense, and who's going to believe a Wookiee?"

An intriguing backstory from the beginning of the STAR WARS Expanded Universe created by Brian Daley (with Lucasfilm) for the still-great Han Solo at Stars' End, back in 1979- the first of a trilogy of then all-new original adventures. Now, nearly twenty years later, we're getting our first solo Han Solo cinematic adventure, and we're all looking forward to seeing it. Let's hope some of those intriguing elements from 1979 might make it to the screen's official history for everyone's favourite star smuggler, and his quirky and loyal first mate, when Solo: A Star Wars Story debuts this Summer.

'SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE' AT 20: WHO'S FLYING THE FALCON?

Together, they're not quite the "Plan B" you'd expect for a major rescue operation, but Threepio and Artoo, despite their constant but lovable bickering, are just about competent enough to handle the delicate controls of the Millennium Falcon and race through the packed Coruscant skylines to spirit their human friends away from the clutches of Black Sun, in a fun moment from Steve Perry's SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE story, artistically realized by the Hildebrandt Brothers for the spin-off's best-selling TOPPS cards run of 1996/1997.

This scene was also cleverly referenced by an unhappy Han Solo in Brian Daley's audio adaptation of RETURN OF THE JEDI, also released in 1996, which brought in other Expanded Universe ties within its six enjoyable episodes.

SOUND WARS! 35 YEARS OF THE 'STAR WARS' RADIO DRAMA.

Anthony Daniels is clearly enjoying his reprisal of Threepio, whilst Bernard Behrens makes a point to Perry King and Mark Hamill, in vocal character as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, for the original audio adaptation of STAR WARS, by Brian Daley, for America's NPR and aired in 1981. A thirteen episode serial with great production values (and brilliant re-use of Ben Burtt's sound design) that continues to be fondly remembered and acclaimed by fans to this day, now celebrating its 35th Anniversary. I make it a point to listen to the production every year, and its always great fun- especially all the great additional material linked to deleted scenes, long before their eventual arrival on Blu-ray.

That Time NPR Turned 'Star Wars' Into A Radio Drama — And It Actually Worked : NPR

Promotional material for the original thirteen-episode series.

FACEBOOK page: Star Wars Radio Series

Star Wars: The Complete Trilogy: Amazon.co.uk: George Lucas: 9781598875805: Music

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF 'HAN SOLO AND THE LOST LEGACY'

Original cover art by William Schmidt.

Having fought and escaped the tyranny of the evil Corporate Alliance in two previous adventures, daring and charismatic space smuggler and dedicated believer of free enterprise, Han Solo, with his trusty furry friend and co-pilot Chewbacca, are now just about carving out a living for themselves, and getting in and out of a few scrapes, within the far Outer Rim areas belonging to the ominous Tion Hegemony, a sector long ignored by the grasp of the Empire. But when another yet deal goes pear-shaped, it isn’t long before the duo join forces with an old friend and his small band to locate and acquire the thousand years lost ancient treasure of space pirate Xim the Despot, believed to be located on a now legendary missing ship in the depths of space. But getting to all that fortune and glory surely isn’t going to be easy, especially when they’re pursued by a fearsome trio of mining colony rogues- a lethal brother and sister combo, encounter a race of primitives worshipping alien technology and are forced to battle a generations deactivated army of robots now given a new purpose in destruction!

The third and final adventure in the late, great Brian Daley’s Han Solo Trilogy may be the weakest overall, but it still satisfies as a conclusion, especially with its lead-in to the pair’s fateful meeting with the rebellion. And there’s still more great material to be found and enjoyed here than in many of today’s STAR WARS novels. It certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome at a briskly moving 180-page count. The characterizations of our often luckless but resilient heroes, whom the author clearly has such a genuinely soft spot for, continue to be on the money, once more accompanied by the Daley created, story driven necessity characters of droid Bollux (now name changed and known as “Zollux” in the UK edition) with his super computer with attitude symbiote, Blue Max, for a story whose elements celebrate genres like the heist-thriller and the kind of chases and action hearkening back to the classic films of Steve McQueen, sprinkled with more than a little bit of the 1930’s cliffhanger serials that would inspire RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK- right down to a scene not too dissimilar to the opening scenes of TEMPLE OF DOOM- where our heroes travel down a snow-capped mountain!

 

Hungarian cover art for the HAN SOLO AND THE LOST LEGACY paperback.

Links to the aforementioned EPISODE IV appear in other parts of the book, too: the zippy seeker weapon used by Luke for lightsaber training, plus a kind of foreshadowing of Threepio and the Ewoks as Zollux becomes an almost God-savoured figure by a group of primitives worshipping wreckage belonging to Xim the Despot.

There are also some intriguing new planetary environments, whilst the villains, including a wily and fast-on-the-trigger-finger bounty hunter- Gallandro- hired to find Solo by the Corporate Alliance, are many and varied. The emergent robot army, sinister and bulky in firepower to anything seen with the Battle Droids of the Prequels, provide a memorable and action-packed finale. And let’s not forget the obligatory plucky heroine that scoundrel Solo gets to flirt with in his pre-Leia days. Oh, and there’s a unique alien historian resembling a centipede. What’s not to like!

AFICIONADO RATING: Tightly constructed, crisply written and a great read. 3.5 out of 5. 

THE TRUE SOUND OF 'STAR WARS' - BRIAN DALEY's 1981 ODYSSEY RETURNS!

Back to delight your listening senses: the original STAR WARS RADIO DRAMA. Images: HIGHBRIDGE AUDIO.

As much a part of our STAR WARS experience and heritage as George Lucas's original 1977 cinematic masterpiece, Brian Daley's brilliantly written and staged six and a half hour radio drama adaptation of the film, which first aired on NPR in America in 1981 and on the UK's BBC Radio 4 a short time later, remains as compelling and exciting to listen to as ever, especially in the way it added character and story material to the drama so successfully alongside Ben Burtt's supreme and innovative sound design. Plus, of course, there was the ultimate selling point of an enthusiastic Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels, returning to reprise their iconic roles of Luke Skywalker and C-3PO.

Anthony Daniels and Mark Hamill at the original studio recordings.

Now, HIGHBRIDGE AUDIO are re-releasing the stellar original adaptation in a new and exclusive limited run (7,500) MP3-CD, available in two special covers: the "Light Side" and "Dark Side", featuring some lovely showcase art from Matt Busch and Randy Martinez respectively (correspondingly available to the package cover as included TOPPS card). There's also a half-hour look at the making of the radio drama (including interviews, radio promos), and a lovely 12-page booklet featuring images from the recording sessions and the original movie.

You haven't "seen" STAR WARS until you've heard it!

The "Dark Side" cover to the release.

Audio excerpt: http://www.highbridgeaudio.com/media/sound/9781622313259.mp3

Rediscover the sound experience of the all-time classic here:

Star Wars: The Original Radio Drama - Topps Collectors' Editions - Details - HighBridge Audio

Star Wars: A New Hope - The Original Radio Drama, Topps "Light Side" Collector’s Edition by George Lucas - Original Radio Broadcast - HighBridge Audio

Star Wars: A New Hope - The Original Radio Drama, Topps "Dark Side" Collector’s Edition by George Lucas - Original Radio Broadcast - HighBridge Audio

With thanks to HIGHBRIDGE AUDIO for the press information.

AFICIONADO ARCHIVE: 'HAN SOLO AT STARS' END'

Here's one of the great nineties European covers for Brian Daley's eternally popular Han Solo and Chewbacca Trilogy, set before the events of EPISODE IV, and which, alongside SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE by Alan Dean Foster, began what was to become the Expanded Universe of original STAR WARS novel fiction.

Check out AFICIONADO's classic archive on HAN SOLO AT STARS' END here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B80ITjM31EVRX1JKUXFyb2hyOWs/edit?usp=sharing

AFICIONADO ARCHIVE: "REBEL MISSION TO ORD MANTELL"

Join AFICIONADO's ARCHIVE section as we take a trip back in time to Brian Daley's classic story with our Original Trilogy heroes, set between Episodes V and VI: REBEL MISSION TO ORD MANTELL!

http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3161012/ord-mantell-design-pdf-september-25-2011-3-41-pm-241k?dn=y

CLASSIC IMAGE: WIOSLEA THE SPEEDER DEALER!

Would you buy a used Landspeeder from this alien?

A close-up shot of the barely seen Landspeeder dealer Wioslea, working within the Mos Eisley spaceport, whom Luke sells his speeder to for much needed currency. In the STAR WARS Expanded Universe, the alien is a she from a race called the Vuvrian. Though at least one close image was photographed showing Luke and Obi-Wan with the creature (below), it's unknown so far (though I might be proved wrong by the upcoming Blu-ray cut scenes!) as to whether any extra footage was filmed with it, played by UK extra Barry Copping (or David Stone, as some other sources have indicated), bar the long shot moment ultimately seen in the film. Obviously, dialogue for the bartering scene would eventually be created by the late Brian Daley's for his acclaimed NPR dramatisation of the film.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the main image.

More scene info here: 
https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/behind-scenes-speeder-dealer.html