BEHIND THE SCENES: BUILDING DAGOBAH!

Potential filming in either the Florida swamps or the Phillipines, so as to represent the 'Bog World' of Dagobah, proved too problematic and potentially dangerous for The Empire Strikes Back's production team, who instead elected to make the strange and atmospheric environment within the UK and Europe's largest all-new soundstage at Elstree - the aptly crowned Star Wars Stage, during July 1979.

The end results seen on the screen were more than spectacular and memorable.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: THE MAGIC OF YODA!

900 years old and as wise as ever: the inimitable Yoda.

“I wanted for him to be the kind of character you can find in fairy tales and mythology. A character that is usually a frog or a needy old man. In his path the hero sees this poor, insignificant person. The lesson the hero must learn is that he had to respect everybody beyond their physical appearance, since there may be the key to his success. He's a weird creature with a froggish look, half a meter tall. I wanted the public to see him as a funny creature, not as the most powerful of all the Jedi. I was looking for the opposite of anyone you would expect, since the Jedi based their beliefs in a philosophical idea, instead of a physical concept.” 

George Lucas on Yoda - 1997 interview

Inside Yoda's small home interior at Elstree, Lucas observes a dummy version of the character manipulated by Oz. 

Oz confers with Lucas, Kershner and Kurtz about the puppet.

The detailed puppet created by Stuart Freeborn and his team, though another was also created by Nick Maley and equally used on screen.

Oz manipulates the puppet with his small team at Elstree during August/September 1979.

Mark Hamill's acting skills help bring further believability to the character of Yoda, especially in this important scene with Luke, which also features the spectral voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Continuity Polaroids taken for reference.

With the film's release from May 1980 onwards, Yoda's visage is no longer a secret, with a special press release and photos sent out fully introducing the unique new character to the saga.

BEHIND THE SCENES: A HOME FIT FOR JEDI!

As a hideous rainstorm hits the area around them on the muddy world of Dagobah, Luke Skywalker enters the unique home of the mysterious and mercurial vagabond who has agreed to introduce him to the legendary Jedi Master known only as Yoda. Soon enough, Luke soon gets a big surprise with this upcoming encounter... 

A lovely pair of 1978 prelim set concept sketches for Yoda's hut within the ambitious first sequel to Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and another fine showcase for the talents of the film's respected British Production designer, Norman Reynolds.

Star Wars Aficionado was saddened to hear of Mister Reynolds passing in news released today (April 6th, 2023), though his iconic and legacy building production design work on the Original Trilogy and Raiders of the Lost Ark, amongst many other notable subsequent film ventures, will live on...

Star Wars: The man who designed the films' 'look' - BBC News

Norman Reynolds at work on The Empire Strikes Back, his first Star Wars production as responsible Production Designer.

Norman Reynolds: 1934-2023 • Lucasfilm

Star Wars: Oscar-winning production designer Norman Reynolds dies - BBC News

CLASSIC IMAGE: TWILIGHT OF A JEDI MASTER...

He's come back to fulfil his promise to Yoda in completing his training, but the old Jedi Master is sadly weak and dying, but not before he confirms the shocking revelation of Luke's parentage, in a classic and sad moment from Return of the Jedi.

Frank Oz interview:

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/aug/30/frank-oz-on-life-as-fozzie-bear-miss-piggy-and-yoda-id-love-to-do-the-muppets-again-but-disney-doesnt-want-me?fbclid=IwAR232TURohcMvAImn9tgiDE8-F_NC3NjU49qnFCmpsPgzpL3rbCZuxQC07Q

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: DEPARTING DAGOBAH!

Luke's X-wing fighter swiftly departs the murky realms of Dagobah as seen in this great composite image (merging background and foreground matte paintings of the low orbit view) that was also conceived as an image for movie publicity purposes by ILM. Interestingly, though the two-stage matte painting was used on film, prior to that the originally planned departure sequence was intended to show more detail on the surface of Dagobah, via a collection of highly detailed painted plates that were assembled and photographed.

The assembled surface view plates at ILM.

Dagobah low orbit matte painting by Joe Johnston.

https://www.starwars.com/news/empire-at-40-5-amazing-matte-paintings-from-star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: "THERE IS ANOTHER..."

"Now, matters are worse..."

Luke Skywalker has departed Dagobah against his Jedi Master Yoda's advice. "Now, matters are worse", but new hope in the struggle against the Empire may come from elsewhere, via the mysterious revelation made by Yoda of 'The Other', a dramatic story idea/jeopardy plot device deliberately created by Lucas to let the audience know that Luke Skywalker might not necessarily survive the arduous and dramatic events ahead...

On set, only Yoda was captured on film on the Dagobah set at Elstree - Sir Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan was added onto the shot in later filming. A scene of the X-wing lifting off was abandoned, and instead this effective moody shot showing the take-off lights over and above Yoda was replacement-used to better effect.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: FRIENDLY WARNINGS!

Production painting for the departure scene by Ralph McQuarrie.

The vision of his captured friends has been deliberately crafted and intensified by Darth Vader to lure Luke Skywalker to the 'City in the Clouds', and he's succeeded. Against the advice if the wise Master Yoda and the unexpected physical appearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke now prepares to abandon his training, jet off Dagobah and try to help his friends at Bespin. 

Now, matters are indeed worse, as depicted in this great production painting art by Ralph McQuarrie.

Ivor Beddoes storyboards for the departure scene showing Luke loading his equipment.

In filming of the scene around August 1979, Sir Alec Guinness was not yet available to play Obi-Wan Kenobi (of which contractual negotiations were still being confirmed) - his character added on during later-to-be-shot insert filming, resulting in a member of the crew voicing Kenobi's dialogue in the esteemed actor's absence. An hilarious little incident also saw Hamill sneakily bitten by a snake he was handling hen removing it from one of the X-wing fighter engines pods, the actor hilariously referring to the bite as "a little love peck"!

Luke confers with Yoda in deleted dialogue before attending his X-wing.

Luke is warned that patience is needed or he could find himself becoming 'an agent of evil'.

Luke removes a snake from the fighter engine. Behind the scenes it gave the actor 'a little love peck' bite! 

Sir Alec Guinness filmed his scenes with Irvin Kershner separately from Yoda during one day's lucratively paid filming at Elstree in September,1979. Note the lighting stand-in wearing Obi-Wan's cloak.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: PREPARING TO DEPART!

Outside Yoda's hut, an X-wing fighter pilot suited Luke Skywalker confers with his Master, presumably discussing how he must leave him to try and rescue his friends, in this gorgeous production painting by Ralph McQuarrie.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: LEVITATION - PHASE TWO

Luke's training reaches its next stages and is proving successful to the watching Yoda, before visions of Han and Leia in trouble, in pain, shatter the boy's powers of control and concentration.

A blonde-wigged Colin Skeaping and Peter Diamond watch over the supported Mark Hamill on set.

Hamill's legs would be supported over a scaffold prop, watched over by on set resident stuntmen Colin Skeaping and Peter Diamond, whilst a Kenny Baker-less Artoo shell, with a remote control operated dome, would be lifted into the air, followed by a lightweight version dropped when Luke accidently releases his Force power.

B/W image variation publicity image from 1980.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: "I DON'T... I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"

Stunned by Yoda's abilities in the Force and the rescue of his X-wing fighter, Luke discovers that his belief in the Force and his potential gifts for using it still have a very long way to go, in this classic scene.

A selection of scenes showing Luke examining the X-wing alongside Artoo (who starts hose watering the ship down in a filmed but deleted follow-on moment). 

Deleted alternate footage, intriguingly showing reaction shots of a more surprised (and a more shocked) Luke towards Yoda and his abilities:

More behind the scenes images from the August, 1979 filming.

Frank Oz with Yoda in between takes.

Rehearsal or alternate take footage shot of a non-jacketed Luke reunited with his X-wing fighter.

George Lucas on set during the filming of the sequence.