'STAR WARS' AT 40: RED LEADER'S FINAL COMMAND...

Image: STARWARSARCHIVES.COM

His proton torpedo run in the Death Star trench unsuccessful, and with no surviving wingmen to protect him, Red Leader soon finds himself at the end of Darth Vader's targeting computer. Initiating Luke into action for his replacement trench run, the brave leader's starboard engine damage suffers further attack from the lethal and merciless TIE pilot, sending him crashing down to the surface of the planet killer...

https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/classic-image-end-of-red-leader.html

Filming Red Leader's demise at ILM: https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/star-wars-at-40-death-star-surface.html

UPDATE: From the Revised Fourth Draft script of 19th April, 1976, Red Ten (played onscreen by Robert O'Mahoney) died in space, following Red Leader out from the torpedo surface detonation. It's quite possible that Mahoney filmed his death scene in the cockpit at Elstree against a star background rather than blue screen (as both options were used in studio), hence in the finished film, when his character's demise was instead changed to the inside of the Death Star trench, a substitute pilot's death - Red Twelve - was used  (noticeable for his different helmet, if you pause the moment).

https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/behind-scenes-red-flight-at-elstree.html

'STAR WARS' AT 40: RED LEADER CALLS HIS SQUAD...

Approaching the Death Star for their attack, Red Leader has his pilots signal in their battle readiness for a classic scene. Stalwart British character actor, and no stranger to UK sci-fi TV appearances in the early seventies, Drewe Henley would give the brave Red Leader a mix of experience and hotheadedness (in agreement with George Lucas), with the character's later trusting his kinsman instincts about Luke in giving the boy command of the back-up trench run fighter flight adding weight to a small but important role.

Red Leader... in sandals!

Henley enjoying the good weather outside the Elstree soundstage, along with Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels, then filming landspeeder scenes.

The British cast (mostly American redubbed in post) X and Y-wing pilot actors filmed their scenes during the then blistering record breaking Summer of 1976. So hot was it filming in the singular cockpit frame at Elstree, and against starfield lights and blue screens, that sweat could be seen on the pilot visors (resulting in cosmetic changes being made to them), whilst Henley got the chance to wear some comfortable sandals and sunbathe between studio calls!

https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/behind-scenes-red-flight-at-elstree.html

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Fighter pilot filming at Elstree: https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/behind-scenes-red-flight-at-elstree.html

https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/star-wars-at-35-artoo-detoo-rebel-pilot.html

GOODBYE, DREWE HENLEY...

Presumably one of the key pilot leaders responsible for the success of the Rebels first space ship-to-ship conflict against the Empire, Red Leader (later known as Garven Dreis) would go on to lead the eventual against-all-odds battle to destroy the gargantuan battle station known as the Death Star. Though he perished at the skilled hands of Darth Vader, the man he once saw fly the skies as Anakin Skywalker, he did at least recognise the potential of the young boy who succeeded in his leadership stead: Luke Skywalker!

STAR WARS AFICIONADO was sorry to hear of the recent sad passing of popular film and TV actor Drewe Henley, the man who brought Red Leader to such interesting and heroic life despite only a specific section of on-screen appearance time.

BEHIND THE SCENES: RED FLIGHT AT ELSTREE

In his cramped cockpit at Elstree Studios, ten to twelve feet of the studio floor, during the height of the soaring 1976 British summer, actor Drewe Henley (still being annoyingly mispelt as "Drewe Hemley" in the original STAR WARS end cast listing as of the 2011 restored Blu-ray!) films his scenes as Red (originally Blue) Leader of the key X-wing squadron attacking the Death Star.

Below are a selection of cockpit images of the fighter pilots taken by Script Supervisor Ann Skinner during that shoot, which were displayed at last year's BFI exhibition and are now back in their Special Collections. Sadly not included in the exhibition but also shot were colour cockpit Polaroids of Jack Klaff as "John D", Robert O'Mahoney as Red Ten, and a pilot specifically marked as Red Twelve, who I cannot confirm was actor John Chapman (who played the character for the background Rebel briefing room scenes) as the image was ultimately too blurred below the helmet. However, when matched with what's seen in the finished film, the unique helmet markings of Red Twelve definitely confirm that this pilot's fiery death was substituted over Red Ten's (O'Mahoney) during the US editing of the trench run sequence in post production.

Red Leader (Drewe Henley). 

Red Two- Wedge (Denis Lawson).

Red Three - Biggs (Garrick Hagon).

Red Six- Porkins (William Hootkins).

Red Twelve's demise (played by Christopher Matthews but for this pyrotechnics scene by stuntman Reg Harding). This footage was instead used for Red Ten's onscreen death during the film's editing.

A shot of Wedge's helmet on the set.

With the droids accompanying the pilots, Skinner's hand-written continuity notes indicate Red Ten had a B/W domed droid, John D's was script-noted as having a "scar" and was a white top droid with R5 head, and Porkins (also referred to in the continuity script as "Piggy") had a white Artoo with taller type head- 2 red stripes around the top. There was also a cream/green-painted Artoo head listed. Skinner's continuity script additionally has Red Twelve's "standing by" confirmation line.

With thanks to Ann Skinner and the BFI Special Collections.

STAR WARS: The Complete Saga auf Blu-ray: Actor Interviews: Ewan McGregor HD - YouTube

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE END OF RED LEADER...

He may be one of the Rebel Alliance's best pilots, but even Red Leader (Drewe Henley, filming this scene against blue screen) is no match for the bold and terrifying skills of the now zeroing in for the kill Darth Vader- in the ultimate sense of irony, a man he once flew with, when he was known as Anakin Skywalker...

SCENES WE WANT ON BLU-RAY: FIGHTER PILOT TALK

It'd be great if we could finally see on Blu-ray the complete version of the pre-Death Star battle talk between Luke, Biggs and Red Leader (as played by Drewe Henley), where the latter mentions having previously flown with Luke's father- a line of dialogue omitted by a sneaky Rebel trooper walk past edit in THE SPECIAL EDITION of STAR WARS in 1997 (but available to read in its entirety in the MARVEL comic of 1977) presumably so as not to contradict anything that might have been coming up concerning Anakin Skywalker in the then to be filmed Prequels. As we now know, the line didn't clash at all- Red Leader, who's in his early forties at least, could have been a young pilot fighting in the Clone Wars near the end of the conflict somewhere in the galaxy, so I say it should be re-instated in full!

Filming the scene at Shepperton Studios in Summer 1976.

Let's also hope that, with the newly revised version of the original film, that they can at least bother to get Drewe Henley and Denis Lawson's names spelt correctly this time on the end credits-a mistake that has endured on the film since 1977!

UPDATE 16/9/2011. This scene finally made it intact on to the Blu-ray! Sadly, LUCASFILM still didn't correct the cast credits. 


Check out British journalist Ben Falk's enjoyable deleted scenes feature relating to Biggs, plus a great interview with the actor who played him, Garrick Hagon, here: Star Wars on Blu-ray…Plus Biggs Darklighter Speaks! (y’know, that guy with a ‘tache who gets shot down at the end) | BEN FALK