AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: LOBOT CAPTURED!

Presumably accessing the platform to the Millennium Falcon, Lobot, despite having prior avoided a squad of Imperial Stormtroopers, ultimately fails to anticipate their threatening presence elsewhere, soon apprehended once the platform door has opened, his final fate not known, in an ultimately deleted sequence that finally made it to the light of day on the saga Blu-ray box set release in 2011.

A Stormtrooper squad by the elevator area. This may also have been linked to a deleted scene as Leia and the others escape them in a separate lift.

Lobot hides as a squad rushes past.

Checking that the coast is clear...

... but ultimately captured and taken away.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: AMBUSHED!

Having sent a secret coded signal to his loyal servant, Lando Calrissian watches as the Imperial escort are swiftly surprise captured by Lobot and his Cloud City security squad. The tide is turning, but can all our heroes escape Bespin?

In the Empire comic book adaptation (mostly based on the fifth draft screenplay), Lando gives the ambush a code to his arriving men: 'Code Force Seven', though this never made the film...

Amongst the Bespin guards would be a blink and you'll miss it cameo from set-visiting American actor Treat Williams, who'd also play a Rebel soldier alongside friend Carrie Fisher during a sequence on the Hoth hangar bay set.

"Hold them in the security tower, and keep it quiet..."

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: TREACHERY AT CLOUD CITY!

"No one's giving Han to this bounty hunter!"

An angry Lando finds the original deal he'd conceived with Darth Vader for the safety of his rebel fiends being compromised once again, especially with the presence of the deadly bounty hunter Boba Fett and his bounty from Jabba the Hutt for Han Solo's life. 

"Perhaps you think you're being treated unfairly...?"

With other commitments to a London stage play, Jeremy Bulloch is not available to play Boba Fett for the day's 21st May, 1979 filming, leading to the stills photography of a classic scene. Of similar height and build, actor John Morton, who'd also play the ill-fated Rebel Snowspeeder pilot Dack, fills in for the other actor. Morton is given advice by Bulloch on the character's unique body movements and subtle, dangerous gestures for the filming. 

Billy Dee Williams clowns around alongside Boba Fett (John Morton).

Irvin Kershner positions a stormtrooper at the entrance to the torture chamber.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS!

Weaponless, Han Solo and his friends are soon cut-off from any escape by the presence of Lobot with Imperial Stormtroopers. Lando's betrayal of his subtly shocked 'friend' is now complete...

Rehearsing the scene with Irvin Kershner whilst David Tomblin (half seen at the top of the stairs) positions the extras playing Stormtroopers.

B/W image used for publicity.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: 'LANDO'S AIDE'!

Presumably cast by UK casting veteran Irene Lamb, popular UK film and TV actor John Hollis plays the mysterious assistant to Lando Calrissian on Bespin: Lobot. Hollis enjoyed his period working on the film at Elstree (what was to have been a mere week turning to ten during to rearranged studios, additional scenes, and reshoots), and had a good rapport off screen with the very laid back and thoughtful Billy Dee Williams.

A close-up look at the UK built mechanics of Lobot's head band.

Continuity/reference polaroid of Hollis at Elstree. Note the longer neck collar before it was revised.

Being at one with the Bespin computer systems, almost like an android, it is decided by Irvin Kershner to cut Lobot's meagre amount of lines and make the character a mute, making him more interesting by Lando's side. Originally known just as 'Lando's Aide' in the script, the name 'Lobot' is shortened from Lobotomised, a clever reference linked to the character with the unusual computer interactive device attached around the back of his head.

Filming a brief scene in Han and Leia's apartment awaiting Lando's instructions- the set would be given new lighting to look different.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THREEPIO AT BESPIN...

Put out that he receives less the warm reception from a distracted Lando Calrissian than was given to his human masters, See-Threepio is nonetheless impressed by the new colony that they've arrived in...

Clowning around, but Anthony Daniels still has to remind cast and crew that there is a person inside Threepio.

With the ever-fun Carrie Fisher.

Behind the scenes, Anthony Daniels was worried that Threepio was being seen as too much of an irritant in the lead-up to the film's finale as Irvin Kershner added him to scenes that worked well in generating humour but ultimately left the character with very little to do. Fortunately, the happy presence of Carrie Fisher would be a bonus during the long hours of filming.

There's little time for small talk with near android-like Lobot (John Hollis). A brief deleted scene or most likely a specially posed image on set?

Discussing droid motivations with Irvin Kershner.

Catching-up with the others on the landing platform.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: WELCOME TO SANCTUARY!

With the enthusiasm of their generous new host in Lando Calrissian, it seems like our fugitive heroes have evaded the Empire, at least until their eventual rendezvous with the Rebel fleet. Entering the expansive Bespin interior, Threepio soon struggles to catch up with the party, however...

Blackened area to be replaced with a matte painting, though the finished film still shows some of the Hoth background area behind the landing struts!

A moment of humour not seen in the finished movie.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: HERE COMES THE RECEPTION COMMITTEE...

Disembarking the Falcon to a quiet and eerie atmosphere, Han Solo and his party are wary at the reception committee now arrived to welcome them to Cloud City, led by the Baron Administrator himself, Lando Calrissian...

Establishing storyboard showing Lando making his approach to the newcomers.

In order to make up time on the delayed filming schedule (and before Harrison Ford has to return to the US), it is decided, whilst set building is still going on for the Dagobah swamp, that a portion of the Star Wars Stage will be used to create the Bespin Cloud City landing platform 327, with a small area of set (including a long walkway/ entrance area), built around the existing Millennium Falcon, with a huge black backing/blue screen area erected mostly behind it (to be replaced later in the year with a matte painting/model background which will be added in post production). To give the scene further outdoor believability, the stage doors are opened to let in natural light. For several close in shots, with Lando talking to Han and his group, only the bottom half of the Falcon prop is shown (as it was beginning to be dismantled due to Dagobah filming schedule needs), with stills photographer Keith Hamshere, not wanting to give the game away about the set, having to be very careful in his publicity photography taken of the scenes involving the main characters in front of the ship. For the later scenes, showing Leia and her party escaping Bespin, in a firefight with Imperials, the Falcon’s underside would be fitted with pyrotechnics that were detonated during the action (the laser blasts hitting the hull being added on in post production).

Lando, with Lobot and his security aides in an unseen angle shown in an earlier film trailer.

Classic image taken between on set filming scenes.

The landing platform built around the Millennium Falcon prop- note the sky panorama behind its landing struts, and the remains of a Hoth Echo Base background.

A wary Solo goes out to meet his old buddy.

Ford enjoys a little dance clowning on set.

Hamill and Ford have fun with Eric Idle at the star's house during Empire's London filming, whilst Idle was in Tunisia filming Life of Brian.

On the DVD commentary for Empire, Carrie Fisher relates that during some of the London filming, she stayed at a house rented from Monty Python star/comedian/writer Eric Idle. Idle and the Pythons were filming Life of Brian at the time, then on location in Tunisia. Upon return Idle held a small party, including Fisher, his friend Harrison Ford and the Rolling Stones, of which he served them a potent liquor (which the Pythons had been distributing to extras on their film, to help boost morale) called Palm Wine, but also referred to as "Tunisian Table Cleaner". They all resultantly stayed up most of the night drinking and having more fun than they should have. The off camera jolly first scenes ultimately shot the next day at Elstree were Han and Leia's arrival at Cloud City, of which the actress later recalled the reason why she and Ford had been so 'happy'. Idle was later said to be pleased that he had a small hand in how the finished film turned out!

Ralph McQuarrie works on the establishing exterior matte painting at ILM.

CLASSIC IMAGE: BESPIN ESCORT PARTY

With a ready Bespin security squad close by, Lando Calrissian's unique aide, Lobot (John Hollis), keeps an eye on things between his boss and the newly arrived Han Solo and friends, during THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

DELETED SCENE: CAPTURED!

Back in an early issue of the US version of STAR WARS INSIDER, actor John Hollis revealed how his original demise as Lobot at the end of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was filmed but ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor. The recent Blu-ray release and its legion of deleted scenes finally revealed that mysterious footage, as Lando's mysterious computer functioned servant was taken away by Imperial Stormtroopers for a no-doubt grisly end...