AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: MYNOCK CLEARING!

A scourge to space vehicles and their crews, Han Solo and Chewbacca discover the disturbance to their ship to be a batch of Mynock space creatures attaching themselves to the hull. But as the ground quakes continue from their weapons fire, Han has a disturbing idea that they're not inside a 'cave'...

A selection of behind the scenes images.

Great shot showing attached Mynock and the plastic bag floor surface pre studio misting.

Flying over Leia, as seen in an early trailer for Empire.

Gary Kurtz assists Peter Mayhew on set. Image: Kurtz/Joiner Archive.

Warding off some Mynocks!

The ground disturbances intensify after Han blasts the interior surface.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: "MYNOCKS!"

Princess Leia's quiet time in the darkened Falcon cockpit is suddenly disturbed by a flying apparition outside the cockpit, and the reveal of a hideous creature attached to the vessel.

The outside cockpit shot view of the Myncock was filmed by Harley Cokeliss and a second unit team handling numerous pick-up shots during August 1979.

Polaroid shots of early Mynock monster concepts.

Original concept ideas for the Mynock were far more gruesome that what was ultimately seen, more  akin to something out of the Alien franchise. In the end the shot of it attached to the window was created as a hand puppet with a 'face' secreting a small amount of liquid onto the glass. The Mynocks were constructed at Stuart Freeborn's studio at Elstree, with wings separately attached and the entire creature held aloft by very basic pole/piano wire manipulation.

A technician works on the Mynock hand puppets inside Stuart Freeborn's Elstree facility.

BEHIND THE SCENES: GETTING AN EYE-FUL!

Enough to make anyone squeamish, let alone a Princess! A close-up of one of the Mynock props attaching itself to Millennium Falcon cockpit window, used during the Summer 1979 filming of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at Elstree Studios, London.

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: MYNOCK GLIDING!

With the end of his filming work at ELSTREE approaching, an off camera Harrison Ford watches as the British special effects technicians work out how to fly the prop Mynock for its feeding attacks on the asteroid "cave" landed Millennium Falcon, berthed on the massive STAR WARS STAGE.