CLASSIC IMAGE: CAPTURED BY THE JAWAS!

First it was Threepio, now it's Artoo who is soon captured and in the grubby hands of those pesky little collecting critters that are the Jawas, attaching a restraining bolt to it and then sucking it up into the main hold of its massive Sandcrawler vessel. A classic moment from the original Star Wars.

Filming at a small canyon location in Tunisia called Sidi Bouhlel, located in Tozeur, on Tuesday March 30th, 1976, the key sunset scenes involving the Jawas having neutralized Artoo, and their carrying him to their Sandcrawler, would be shot (when the rushes are viewed in London later on in filming, however, the wide establishing footage of the Sandcrawler is discovered to be scratched and the film stock poor - it is decided that this will have to be mostly re-shot States-side in 1977, once extra funds are secured from Fox). 

For the overall Jawa location filming sequences/going into the Sandcrawler scaffold prop for the night shoot, the small in height cast included Kenny Baker's longtime friend/showbusiness partner Jack Purvis (listed on one call sheet as 'Head Jawa'), a French/Tunisian midget (named Mahmoud or Mahjoub?) who had been helping the film crew in the location filming, between three and seven local Tunisian children (according to call sheets), the young son of Giles Instone, manager of the British lorry drivers transporting sets and equipment to Tunisia, and Gary Kurtz’s two daughters Melissa and Tiffany. 

For the scene where Artoo is sucked up the tube into the Sandcrawler, the effect was simply achieved by dropping the empty prop down from the tube and then reversing it in post production.

The Jawas and their new capture prize.

The Jawas at work!

The originally shot footage of Artoo getting his restraining bolt.

The re-filmed restraining bolt sequence at ILM later in post production. ILM staffer/production assistant Penny McCarthy is on her knees in the Jawa robes.

CLASSIC IMAGE: 'WE'VE STOPPED!'

Their dingy plight in the Jawa Sandcrawler was surely unpleasant, but there may now be light at the end of the tunnel for our hero droids Threepio and Artoo as the vehicle stops at an unknown destination, in this scene from the original Star Wars. Note that Anthony Daniels only wears the top half of his Threepio costume in order to sit down, with clever onscreen placement of junk in front of the camera during filming on 6th July, 1976. (By the middle of studio filming onwards, the crew would do everything they can, at Daniels request, to not have the actor fully in the uncomfortable metal suit unless absolutely required.) According to the call sheet of the day's filming, Kenny Baker was ultimately not called to the studio that PM for this scene, so it is unknown who operated the two-legged version here.

The Chief Jawa for the scene was Rusty Goffe, whilst others in attendance on the set as the tiny scrap merchants included Peter Diamond's two children, Frazer (as the Jawa holding the restraining gun) and Warwick. Jack Purvis, in a filming scene change/swap with Goffe, would play the famous Gonk droid instead of a Jawa.

With thanks to Frazer Diamond for supplying key behind the scenes information. 

THE 'PHANTOM' AT TWENTY: DEATH FROM ABOVE!

The Sandpeople return!

The scourge of the desert, the humans of Tatooine hate and fear the nomadic Sandpeople, and those creatures hate the humans and aliens dwelling there with equal venom, happy to shoot at and disable the pod racing vessels as they continue their speedy pursuits. Behind the scenes, local Tunisians donned all-new Sandpeople costumes and masks dirtied down to showcase their harsh living environment, directed by one of the film's non-primary units.

With the pod racing vessel crashes piling up, it isn't long before those other little rodents of the desert, the Jawas, come out to scavenge what they can get before clean-up droids arrive. The Jawas are in great danger from the Sandpeople, however, who are soon taking pot shots at them from above the canyon, but the potential profit makes their bold efforts worth the risk in this sadly deleted scene.

The Sandpeople coordinate their attacks and victories across the mountainside.

Local Tunisians try and stay out of the heat between takes.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: FAMILIAR LITTLE PEOPLE!

Tiffany Kurtz and Jawa colleague inspect Anthony Daniels as Threepio, on location in Nefta for the original Star Wars.

To go on holiday with your parents and watch them working on a cinematic endeavour that will soon become legendary must have been exciting enough for Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz's two daughters Melissa and Tiffany, as well as mixing with old and new greats like Mark Hamill and Sir Alec Guinness, but then to actually appear in the film playing such iconic alien characters as the scruffy Jawas must have been a total blast for them back in March/April 1976, most notably during the shooting of the Jawa Sandcrawler sale start of filming at the Salt Flats of Nefta, and also as background extras in the streets of Mos Eisley (in reality, the small Tunisian Djerba fishing village) a sort time later.

Playing the Chief Jawa, Jack Purvis gives acting advice to Melissa and Tiffany Kurtz at the location.

Behind the scenes with mum Meredith Kurtz.

Gary Kurtz helps make an adjustment to one of his daughter's (presumably Tiffany) Jawa costumes, as Anthony Daniels is unmasked (background).

The sisters on location.

Tiffany with Mark Hamill and Sir Alec and Lady Merula Guinness in a filming break.

Youtube interview with Gary and Meredith Kurtz, with Tiffany in Jawa costume:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZAYE_ROc9o

'STAR WARS' AT 40: MORE DROID FOOTAGE REQUIRED!

Grant McCune and ILM colleagues prepare Artoo near a hastily built Rebel base control console for a needed insert scene for STAR WARS.

With STAR WARS' 1976 principal photography at Elstree having been cut several weeks short by nervous money conscious execs at FOX, later scenes needing to be completed for the movie as it was in its final editing shaping were handled either in a small downtown Los Angeles studio (as in extra Cantina creature scenes) or at ILM, as seen here, with insert scenes shot requiring several of the R2-D2 shell's, out of UK storage and soon dispatched States-side.

Artoo is plugged in by a Rebel technician, in this ILM filmed insert scene.

Joe Johnston makes an adjustment to the three-legged Artoo.

An extra shot of R2's restraining bolt being added by a Jawa  (played by the late Penny McCarthy) was filmed.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: A GALAXY OF CHARACTERS!

Welcome to 2017, and the start of STAR WARS AFICIONADO's 365 days celebrating the incredible, iconic, as superb as ever original STAR WARS (now STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE), as it reaches its amazing 40th Anniversary Year! A life without the saga is truly impossible to think about, especially now that its hardwired into the world's collective pop culture consciousness, so come with us and enjoy the days ahead...

First out of the gate are these two great pieces of unused poster art for a Coca Cola promotion, by Jerome Tarplay, circa 1978.

IT WAS FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY...

Droids, humans and Jawas gather together in the desert heat of Tunisia, a location masquerading as the binary sun orbiting world of Tatooine- as the first complex, bizarre and incredible day's filming on THE STAR WARS begins, against an immense Jawa Sandcrawler prop scaffold. Today, 22nd March, 2016, its the 40th Anniversary! And see where we are now...

More on this incredible day in film history:

STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: LAUNCHING THE LEGEND. PIC ONE: 'STAR WARS' 1976

STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: BEHIND THE SCENES: AT THE HOMESTEAD

CLASSIC IMAGE: A HOSTILE AUDIENCE!

The diverse alien court of thieves, bounty hunters, enforcers, murderers and dangerous criminals gather ominously around the newly arrived Luke Skywalker, as a tense situation, soon confrontation, builds towards violent incident with Jabba the Hutt, in this atmospheric image from RETURN OF THE JEDI.

CLASSIC IMAGE: POINTING THE WAY!

As suns-set begins on Tatooine, a friendly Jawa points the way to Anakin Skywalker as he continues his search for his mother, kidnapped and taken into the depths of the harshest of wastelands, in this lovely image taken during location filming in Tunisia by George Lucas himself, for EPISODE II.

ROTJ AT 30: A UNIQUE CROWD

Gamorrean Guards, Squid Head, and dancer Gargan (now also known as Wiebba-Wiebba), amongst others from Jabba's villainous cronies, gather to watch Luke Skywalker's tense confrontation with Jabba, in a classic moment from RETURN OF THE JEDI.

Return of the Jedi Creature History with Pablo Hidalgo | Star Wars Blog
Star Wars Mysteries: Who is Wiebba-Wiebba? | Star Wars Blog
Behind the scenes of Jabba's Palace: TWO ROTJ FIRST TIME CONVENTION SIGNERS |

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS...

What should be just a routine purchase of some used droids from a regular Jawa Sandcrawler visit, alongside his edgy Uncle Owen, soon sends moisture farmer and helping hand Luke Skywalker into an incredible adventure beyond even his young and wild daydreams.

The hero's journey begins on the desert world of Tatooine, in STAR WARS.

Check out some more rare photos of Luke with the droids inside the Lars Garage here: unseen photos from "Star Wars" : the oil bath

AFICIONADO CLASSIC BEHIND THE SCENES INFO - PART THIRTEEN

Top: Ian Trussler meets Malcolm Tierney and Rusty Goffe.  Image composition: Chris Baker.

“STAR WARS” BEHIND THE SCENES INFORMATION GATHERED FROM AUTOGRAPHICA SHOW-13^TH SEPTEMBER 2009

By Ian Trussler

MALCOLM TIERNEY (STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE-DEATH STAR DETENTION BLOCK COMMANDER (known in the EXPANDED UNIVERSE as Lt. Shann Childsen)

He got the role without auditioning, he never met George Lucas or anyone prior to filming. He was cast after his agent submitted his details to the production. He spent just two days filming his only scene in the detention block set. He enjoyed his time on the film and remembers well that Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford were both very friendly to him and joked about with him over his delivery of his famous "Where are you taking this...thing?" line.

RUSTY GOFFE (STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE-VARIOUS ALIENS)

I clarified Rusty's roles in the movie and asked about the whole Barry Gnome/Kabe mystery. Rusty played three different roles in the first STAR WARS. First of all, he recalled playing a Jawa in the film (in the Cantina scenes in London, not on Tunisia location (the latter being confirmed by producer Gary Kurtz) and how the thick costume was made worse in the heat by having to have the black face plate, which housed the lights and electronics for the eyes, taped to his face. The trailing wires were also taped to his cheeks to keep them in place and from disconnecting from the battery packs that powered the eyes. He was also the "Gonk" droid inside the Sandcrawler interior set. Then he recounted how he ended up playing Kabe in the Cantina sequence. Apparently the role of Kabe was never played by Barry Gnome, someone Rusty knew before he died. Barry Gnome did not ever work on the film and it seems that this has become some sort of urban myth from way back. The role of Kabe was originally played by the late Gilda Cohen. On her first day on set in costume she basically had some sort of panic attack and couldn't handle the heat and claustrophobia inside the costume and mask. Rusty was called upon at the last minute to step in and play the part so production was not delayed.