AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE IMPRACTICAL TAUNTAUN!

Attempts to give live action walking to the Tauntaun creature were tried on location in Norway with a special prop built by Stuart Freeborn and the UK team, which had a crewmember inside the legs and a costume dummy of both Luke and Han being used atop the beast for their scenes. The results clearly proved unsuccessful and stop-motion model work would remain the order of the day for the beast's movement.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: LUKE-WRECKED!

Fleeing from the injured Wampa, Luke escapes its lair but now finds himself in an all new fight to survive scenario in the deadly cold wastes of Hoth, as the harsher climes worsen with the approaching night time...

With their original filming location site compromised due to poor weather- the sign of Norway's worst winter in years, Irvin Kershner elects to film the wandering Luke's scenes (plus his later vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi) literally outside of their location filming base at the Finse 1222 hotel, on a near and appropriate snow hill. Once Mark Hamill's scenes are completed - the first shot for the movie, in fact - he and the crew literally return to the warm environs so close at hand.

An enthusiastic Mark Hamill on location.

Continuity photo taken by Pamela Mann of the facially injured, costume torn Luke Skywalker.

Battling the elements together: Kershner and Hamill.

Close-up of Luke Skywalker's 'injuries'.

Back to the hotel as soon as possible!

Additionally, somewhere during the filming of the scenes, some posed publicity photos were taken of Hamill in character on location, in a clean costume and without the make-up Wampa attack scars.

Making some adjustments to Luke's facially scars.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: DES WEBB IS THE WAMPA!

Image: Nick Maley.

Operating the huge Wampa costume for the location filming in Norway would be British film crew member Des Webb. Assisted by Make-up artist Graham Freeborn at the cold site, Webb would walk on large stilt feet to aid in the towering size of the beast, and would often have to be hoisted up or carried along by the crew to various sites for filming. When dragging the captured, wounded Luke across the Hoth surface, a dummy was used in long shots, whilst Mark Hamill handled the close-ups (surrounded by crew for safety, in case of any tumbles backward made by Webb in the difficult to see filming conditions). Hamill, always good humoured, enjoyed the filming of the scene and the company of Des Webb as his creature opponent.

In his hoist, Webb as the Wampa helped by Graham Freeborn.

Wearing the original Wampa mask which proved too cuddly on screen.

Testing the stilt furry feet on location -presumably this is Des Webb before putting on the creature costume.

Webb as the Wampa with the dummy Luke.

Mark Hamill is carried in this scene image.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: ATTACK OF THE WAMPA!

Making sure the Wampa attack on Luke Skywalker was effectively realized on screen would mean the use of a specially created monster arm and taloned paw on a stick that could be directed down on Mark Hamill atop the two Tauntaun creatures used on location.

Capturing the movement of the Wampa arm. Note Mark Hamill atop the full-size Tauntaun in the background, not yet removing his ski jacket for filming.

In indoor rehearsal with the Wampa arm.

Producer Robert Watts examines the Wampa arm in location.

Originally the creature was to have been able to navigate itself under the ice to attack its prey- like a snow shark of sorts, as seen in this alternate/unused footage below...

CLASSIC IMAGE: BACK TO THE BEGINNING!

The new sequel trilogy may be getting all the praise for their marvellous reconstructions of Classic Trilogy era sets and props, but the Prequel era did it just as well too, as seen here with the superb 2000 reconstruction of the Lars Homestead of Tatooine for EPISODE II, out in the same salt flats location in Tunisia originally used back in 1976.

Tatooine's legacy was to have continued in future films:

https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2455795/star-wars-production-designer-confirms-tatooine-was-part-of-an-upcoming-spin-off-film

BEHIND THE SCENES: TIE'D TO THE SAND!

On location in the intense heat of Abu Dhabi, for early filming of The Force Awakens, the production team readies the enormous detailed/damaged First Order TIE fighter prop for its soon investigation by Finn.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: DISCOVERING 'TATOOINE'...

On a recce with Producer Gary Kurtz in Tunisia (with assistant director Tony Waye), the late British Production Designer John Barry goes through locations he previously visited and used for the dream-like fantasy The Little Prince, now being even more effectively utilized for the original STAR WARS filming set on the desert world of Tatooine, during March/April 1976.

No one working on the film at that time will ever forget its spectacular and never seen anything like it set design and creation at London's Elstree and Shepperton Studios, with Barry getting deserved credit and an Academy Award, working well with Lucas and conceptual designer Ralph McQuarrie - selected to work on the film by Gary Kurtz, Barry beat out three other potential art directors for the film because of his economic talents. Most of the film's allocated budget was going on effects and production design, and Barry made sure every penny available to him was put up on screen, working miracles in a short time and often against the filming clock demanded by FOX, and defining a visual design style for our heroes and villains that continues to this day.

BEHIND THE SCENES: THE MULTI-TASKING PRODUCER!

A critical component to the behind the scenes success of the original STAR WARS and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, producer Gary Kurtz was, and still is, a fine photographer and cameraman, seen here preparing to catch some surely invaluable stills for reference and potential publicity out in Tunisia at the end of the difficult location filming of STAR WARS, in April 1976. It was great to recently hear that Kurtz was invited to the EPISODE VII set and see the original Millennium Falcon recreated in all its glory.

STAR WARS AFICIONADO sends out its warmest Happy Birthday Greetings this week to Gary Kurtz.

LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! MORE 'EPISODE VII' NEWS

Mark and Daisy have been to Ireland, whilst Harrison's recovery goes from strength to strength. The production, as of 4/8/14, is now "on a short hiatus", though J.J. Abrams "secret state" for EPISODE VII remains in force. Thankfully, a few snippets here and there are breaking out from the spread thin behind the scenes chinks, and, from our own cyberspace-lurking sources, certain fan sites have recently got their plot details and theories right. Though at this rate, and with not even the movie's title being revealed at this year's COMIC CON (of which lots of people in the know apparently thought it would be!), we'll be lucky if there's even a teaser trailer by Xmas!

Peter Mayhew roars: Ep VII will be best 'Star Wars' movie | Blastr

Star Wars to shoot on Skellig Michael | Irish Examiner

Star Wars' Mark Hamill arrives in Ireland for filming of latest movie | Mail Online

Photos of the Star Wars Episode VII crew In Portmagee / Skellig Michael Co Kerry! | MakingStarWars.netMakingStarWars.net

Star Wars Episode 7 News | More Interesting Bits and Rumors About the Star Wars VII Skellig Michael Shoot.

Star Wars legend Mark Hamill visits Liverpool for Beatles tour - Liverpool Echo

Force is strong in Skellig Michael as director JJ Abrams jets in - Independent.ie

Gwendoline Christie On Joining ‘Star Wars VII’ Cast; Talks ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 5 | Access Hollywood

Harrison Ford photographed without cast or crutch after breaking leg in 'Star Wars: Episode VII' set mishap - NY Daily News

Star Wars' Harrison Ford walks unaided for first time following ankle injury on set | Mail Online

Big pinch of salt to be taken here: Sheamus To Play Darth Vader In The New Star Wars Movies? | SEScoops

DELETED SCENE: INTO NEW SURROUNDINGS...

Just as the new EPISODE VII is currently utilising certain unique locations across the UK for its filming, so too did EPISODE I. Way back in 1997, the small cast of Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Ahmed Best travelled to the picturesque Hever Castle, Kent for a short and ultimately deleted scene, enhanced with backdrop cgi/matte work, showing our Jedi heroes, and a certain Gungan direction-pointer, having escaped a potential waterfall death, and now entering the Naboo city of Theed via a "backdoor" archway access located behind an elegant and very real fountain...

Hever Castle | Kent | The childhood home of Anne Boleyn

CLASSIC IMAGE: LOVER'S QUALITY TIME...

Could there ever have been a more beautiful place to hide and protect young Senator Amidala from brewing dangers than on her spacious and picturesque homeworld of Naboo? ILM may have had to weave additional digital matte painting extensions to filmed scenes, but the overall choice and flavour of Italy for use in EPISODE II was a fine one.

CLASSIC DESIGN WEEK. PIC SIX - THE LARS HOMESTEAD

Out in the UK this week is the long-awaited, new nice price edition of the lavish and informative STAR WARS: BLUEPRINTS hardcover book by J.W. Rinzler. In celebration of the must-have title, we're having a week-long tribute to the six film's classic production designs.

As well as creating the all new environs needed for the Prequels, Production Designer Gavin Bocquet also had the challenge of recreating several now iconic sets and technology from the Classic Trilogy, as EPISODEs II and III began to mesh their design aesthetics with IV to VI. One particular challenge here would be the exterior of the Lars Homestead, needing to re-built from scratch on location in Tunisia for filming in 2000. Most of the original sets from John Barry and his team were removed after filming,  destroyed or left for the vagaries of time to turn to dust, whilst the actual salt flats location they were out on seemed elusive, but producer Rick McCallum and Dr. David West Reynolds, in their earlier mid to late nineties locations scouting expeditions of Tunisia, were thankfully able to find that original area where the first film's principal photography took place in March 1976, and the foundations for the new/old set's resurrection were quickly lain-the igloo shaped entrance, garage roof and surrounding "Christmas Tree" moisture vaporators making an eerie and evocative return to the shooting landscape, and generating nostalgic memories from veterans George Lucas and actor Anthony Daniels.

With few surviving blueprints of the original construction available, particularly for some of the interior scenes, Bocquet and his team spent hours studying production art, stills and the movies to create their own highly detailed construction references. The final results of their dedicated endeavours, as seen in EPISODE II's cinematic release in 2002, proved stunning.

Get hold of STAR WARS: BLUEPRINTS here: Star Wars - The Blueprints: Amazon.co.uk: J.W Rinzler: Books

BEHIND THE SCENES: JEDI COUNTER-ATTACK

Despite Darth Maul's sneak attack, Qui-Gon Jinn's mastery of his lightsaber proves skilful, as his enemy only just misses one of his lightning fast responses, in this behind the scenes image showing stuntman Andrew Lawden as Qui-Gon fighting Ray Park during a tricky fight move (which I don't think made the finished film), for the Tunisian filming of EPISODE I.

ROT AT 30: SOME VISIONARY ADVICE...

Described as the "King Lear" of STAR WARS by Richard Marquand, George Lucas helps RETURN OF THE JEDI's British director (wearing the Blue Harvest cap) with some angle advice during location filming in Yuma, Arizona-circa April 1982.

Star Wars Locations: Tatooine in the US | StarWars.com

BEHIND THE SCENES: PICNIC HUMOUR!

A beautiful Natalie Portman has fun during location filming in Italy for her picnic scenes with Hayden Christensen. A lovely pic from EPISODE II.

For more on the Italian locations used for Naboo in the Prequels, check out AFICIONADO contributor Linda Pellerito's 2006 travel feature here:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B80ITjM31EVRc084TGRodVgtOGM/edit?usp=sharing


With thanks to Ian Trussler for the above image.