CLASSIC IMAGE: THE ONE-MAN ARMY!

Above the infamous and dreaded Sarlaac Pit of the Dune Sea, the unstoppable force that is Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker fights on against Jabba's mercenaries, jumping from one sand skiff to another, in a superb aerial shot from the classic action sequence of Return of the Jedi.

BEHIND THE SCENES: DUNE SEA DROID!

Wednesday 24th March, 1976. Part of a busy day of location principal photography linked to the Dune Sea sequences, filming begins in La Grande Dunes west of the film’s production base, at Nefta, in the eerie yet stunning desert area for the scene where Threepio shuffles by an extinct alien creature's remains - a fiberglass skeleton copy of a Sauropod creature that had originally been constructed for use in the ELSTREE STUDIOS filmed 1975 UK Walt Disney film One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing. A large prop, found deep in the Elstree warehouse by set decorator Roger Christian and colleagues, the remains would, ultimately, be abandoned to the desert due to transport practicality problems once filming in Tunisia is completed. Also shot that day is the harried droid's sighting of a far distant Jawa Sandcrawler (achieved via a small matte painting of the horizon obscure vehicle handled by ILM in late 1976).

Unfortunately, as location photography progresses, so too do the worsening weather conditions, as fierce sandstorms soon arrive to hit the area, and specially made goggles are supplied to shield everyone from the terrifying, strapping high velocity winds. Natural elements such as sand would also play a part in the chaos, clogging the film cameras and ruining other important equipment. A planned location site to have incorporated a matte painting, handled by the second unit, would ultimately be abandoned by 5.57 PM due to bad light.

This image is presented here in the original way it was shot, as Threepio waves and cries out to the possible transport atop a distant sand dune.

Norman Reynolds and colleague make adjustments to Threepio's suit as the weather worsens on location.

The original Dinosaur bones on the Elstree parking area, before transport to Tunisia.

The small matte of the Jawa Sandcrawler, we assume by Ralph McQuarrie.

BEHIND THE SCENES: THE ALTERNATE 'DESERT RATS'!

Before the First Order! Image: LUCASFILM.

On a soon windy, sand-blowing location day in Tunisia, George Lucas directs two of the local populace playing Stormtroopers, for the important scene where the Tatooine desert patrol finds the derelict Blockade Runner escape pod.

The troopers armour gets some special element "stressing". Image: LUCASFILM.

For this particular take, a close-in shot of the troopers conversion the white epaulet padded Stormtrooper didn't need to wear the full costume.

Lucas goes through the scenes with the troopers.

Below is Script Supervisor Ann Skinner's continuity Polaroid image for the rehearsal of this scene, which was presented at a special exhibition at the BFI in 2014. Unseen but residing in the BFI Special Collections Archive are two additional colour Polaroids: one showing the orange epaulet trooper from the rear, the other of the white epaulet trooper without foot armour.

Stormtrooper rehearsal. Image: Ann Skinner/ BFI.

Skinner's typed character/costume/prop notes from early 1976, taken from a pre-filming script:

STORMTROOPER: Weapons. Gunbelt with lights in it. Length of cable. Comlinks in ear and in belt. Zappers for robots.

With continued thanks to Ann Skinner and the BFI.

SPECIAL EDITION CLASSIC IMAGE: BEN'S HOME

We continue our series of 1997 SPECIAL EDITION fixes that actually work and enhance the Classic Trilogy films with this great ILM matte painting/ model combo of "old hermit" Ben Kenobi's home out in the dangerous climes of the Dune Sea on Tatooine. I love the original close-in 1976/77 shot of the small real-life fisherman's hut representing it in Djerba, Tunisia (with the Landspeeder parked outside) but this new addition, with the accompanying lone moisture vaporator, works well, I think.

Filming the model at ILM, and with the final matte background composite.

SPECIAL EDITION CLASSIC IMAGE: BANTHA TREK!

Our celebration of great scenes/imagery from THE SPECIAL EDITIONs continues with this fun shot from RETURN OF THE JEDI showing a Bantha herd in its natural habitat within the Dune Sea prior to Jabba's Sail Barge being seen heading to the Pit of Carkoon. It's a lovely little moment/add on to the film which shows us a bit more of these intriguing creatures, often used for transport by Sandpeople, as well as adding another bit of evocative mystery and beauty to the landscape of Tatooine.