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| The "lightbulb man" with Threepio, likely in the main entrance corridor of Jabba's Palace. |
One of the few alien creatures of the infamous court of Jabba from RETURN OF THE JEDI not to be seen in the film's final cut was the mysterious "Lightbulb Man" or "Lightman" creature. Originally played in January 1982, at Elstree, by stuntman Peter Diamond, he wore a special interactive lighting rig on a protective all over racing driver jump suit outfit that was to have been replaced by ILM with the visage of a luminescent alien creature. The being was to have been some kind of guide to Threepio somewhere deep inside the darkness of Jabba's Palace, as well as being seen in some other creature establishing shots in and out of the Throne Room. The concept and footage was abandoned when the scenes didn't fit in with the pace of the eventually edited movie.
Inside Jabba’s Palace – T-bone's Star Wars Universe
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| Phil Tippett watches a rehearsal of the "lightbulb man" (performer unknown, in a revised costume) ascending the steps from the Rancor Pit, before the return of Luke Skywalker to Jabba's Throne Room. |
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| The Lightman can be seen (far right top) in this alternate take moment within Jabba's Throne Room. Image: Star Wars Archives website. |
Though Peter Diamond played the character for the aforementioned Jabba's Palace passage scene/s, another unknown actor/crew member may have worn the revised suit for scenes within the actual Throne Room and an area leading up and down to the Rancor Pit, as Diamond was busy choreographing on the set and played the guard thrown down the entrance stairs by Chewbacca. The call sheets for filming on the Throne Room sets in late Jan/early Feb 1982 simply list 'T.B.A.' for 'The Lightman'.
The idea for the "lightbulb man" may have been inspired by Lucas's earlier THX 1138, which showed a human character bathed in light during one memorable scene.
