BEHIND THE SCENES: MONSTERS OF THE EMPIRE!

An unknown Imperial extra, Dave Prowse and Ron Beck on the Death Star hangar bay set. Image: Ann Skinner.

The one true inhabitant of the Darth Vader costume, Dave Prowse, is given a final check over by Wardrobe supervisor Ron Beck before filming on the immense Death Star hangar (known on the sheet as the 'Death Star - Main Forward Bay') set on Stage 3 at Elstree Studios, for the inspection of the mysteriously abandoned Millennium Falcon vehicle. It was shot on Wednesday May 26th, 1976. The above image was a continuity polaroid taken on set by Script Supervisor Ann Skinner.

Miss Skinner's earliest 1976 pre-filming typed character and costume details for Darth Vader specifically list him as a ""Dark Lord of the Sith, at 7 feet tall, "Sc(ene). A3: face obscured by flowing robes and grotesque breath mask", with "LIGHTSABER", and a "Right hand to the Emperor"".

Dave Prowse's first shot sequence as Vader, prior April, was in actuality the now legendary deleted/The Holiday Special re-worked scene with Leslie Schofield's Chief Bast (originally scripted to have been a Stormtrooper Commander conferring with Vader).

STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: CHIEF BAST

The same Imperial extra, Prowse, an unknown behind the scenes man, and Ron Beck.

Vader and Chief Bast (Leslie Schofield) in deleted scene BA53, properly revealed on the 2011 Blu-ray set.

Heavy commuter traffic in the heart of the Death Star.

With thanks to Ann Skinner and the BFI. Additional thanks to Chris Baker.

CLASSIC IMAGE: MASTER LUKE, WHERE ARE YOU?

Hiding from Imperials, near a technical alcove within the Death Star Hangar Bay housing the Millennium Falcon, Threepio and Artoo await news on their fugitive human masters, whom they've recently saved from death in the Trash Compactor.

"There were times when I didn't know how some of the actors could say their lines with a straight face. If I had a bad line I can hide behind the mask. I remember particularly the line, "Listen to them R2, They're dying and it's all my fault." Even with the mask on I cringed. But the only way to do it is over the top, to ham it up, and I quite like the way it came out."

Anthony Daniels - 1980 interview quote

Check out this fine feature on the evolving look over the years of Threepio: Original C-3PO and other Droids

And this lovely tribute from Brian Muir to the late Liz Moore, the British talent who worked on the golden droid's original sculptings: Liz Moore - a tribute - Brian Muir Vader Sculptor