DELETED SCENE: PROBOT vs WAMPA!

The ice planet Hoth is not only dangerous for its inhospitable weather conditions, but also for the deadly creatures that reside there. For example, the deadly Wampa, who prey on and attack from their snow camouflage anything they think they can eat. Unfortunately, one such wild beast becomes easy prey to another type of creature, an Imperial Probe Droid, which finds its icy lair and soon destroys it before moving on in its search for any signs of human Rebel activity.

A storyboard to a deleted scene from The Empire Strikes Back that was partially filmed on location in Norway with the Probot prop back in March 1979 (the Wampa likely changed to a rodent). The scene can also be found in the original Donald Glut novelisation of the film, released in 1980.

'AN EMPIRE' AT 45: FROM FINSE WITH LOVE!

UK art technician Alan Tomkins with the Tauntaun prop outside the Finse 1222 hotel in Norway. Image: Pamela Mann.

Filming of the desert realms of Tatooine, in Tunisia, for the original Star Wars back during March/April 1976, had brought its own unique problems that had to be overcome by the film crew, but those were nothing in comparison to the location work at Norway for the opening act of The Empire Strikes Back set on the ice planet of Hoth. Heavy ice, snowstorms, avalanches and 'white-outs' were constant, in the worst weather that the chosen location, Finse, had seen for decades. In such conditions it was a marvel that the main first unit, headed by Irvin Kershner, a frost-bitten Gary Kurtz, stalwart David Tomblin, and others, were able to accomplish so much. And thankfully, some material could even be shot literally outside the hotel! 

But the worsening weather would go on to heavily affect the second unit's eventual filming of the ground snow battle scenes against the AT-AT's going into April, 1979...

Gary Kurtz and Irvin Kershner brave the elements.

Mark Hamill gets sun sun and rest atop one of the special Empire snow vehicles.

Peter Mayhew and crew enjoy a warming meal on at one the location camp bases.

Filming Chewbacca's one and only scene on location.

Continuity Polaroid of Mayhew with Pamela Mann.

"That was fairly horrendous. It was cold and the wind was blowing. It was just a bit unpleasant, but the filming of that scene was only half a day."

Peter Mayhew - Star Wars Insider - Issue 28

Quickly abandoning filming as a dreaded 'white-out' arrives at the site.

Inside one of the two location camp huts, Irvin Kershner rehearses a scene with Mark Hamill atop the primary Tauntaun prop, watched and recorded by Michel Parbot and his documentary team.

Posing atop the full scale prop for publicity images.

Filming reaction shots with the head prop, also built by Stuart Freeborn and his team in London.

Some of the crew assemble at a base camp with the prop Tauntaun. Image: Pamela Mann.

Crewman Des Webb wears the heavy stilts whilst playing the Wampa snow monster.

The snow vehicles continue on throughout the location filming.

Lifted by helicopter (likely piloted by film-making veteran Marc Wolfe), Colin Skeaping doubles as Luke for his descent from the damaged Walker.

UK Script Supervisor and Continuity talent Pamela Mann enjoys the location.

Pamela even enjoys her own igloo as part of the location camraderie.

Harrison Ford, Kershner and crew prepare for the next Tauntaun sequence.

Moving the damaged Snowspeeder prop into location positioning.

Filming Luke's swift escape from the wrecked Snowspeeder.

Filming the Probot prop at varying sites on location.

The half Probot prop and tracks outside the Finse 1222 hotel.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: THE RETURN OF LUKE SKYWALKER!

Two years on from being that once farm boy who dreamt of adventure and excitement amongst the stars, Luke Skywalker has finally become a person of significance and heroism for the Rebel Alliance, of which his skills as a pilot, seeing-in the destruction of the Death Star space station, has naturally made him a fine leader as well as respected commander of his own unique Rogue Squadron of fighters. Now, with his Jedi powers slowly building, and relocated with his comrades to the Hoth system, Luke's courage and initiative have proved inspiring, along with great tenacity, in helping to set-up the secret base away from the grip of the evil Empire...

Great 1980 merchandising art for The Empire Strikes Back, by Gerry Daly.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: DISTRACTION FIRE!

The Imperial Probe Droid has detected an intruder in the icy region ahead and soon attacks the presence that is Chewbacca the Wookiee, followed by return fire towards a sneak-attacking Han Solo. But the battle proves brief- the spider-like droid soon self-destructing, its purpose for the Imperial fleet surely complete...

Rehearsal for the moment when the Probe Droid homes in on Chewbacca.

Image: via Star Wars Archives website.

Peter Mayhew braves the extreme cold in his Chewbacca costume.

The head base of the Probot is prepared for pyrotechnics.

Destroying the Probot, in a classic moment.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: PROBOT PRACTICAL!

Built by the UK's practical effects team at Elstree Studios, based on the original Ralph McQuarrie design, the shadowy Imperial Probe Droid/Probot was an intriguing addition to the location filming of The Empire Strikes Back in Finse, Norway, during March 1979. The prop would be able to turn itself and had some mild articulation, with a special all-seeing iris, though its movements along the Hoth surface were mostly achieved by having it move along a dolly camera track. In the end, very little of the practical 'Probot' footage was used in the film (either deleted or replaced in several shots by a small miniature built by ILM fused with matte plates). The practical model's biggest scene, ultimately, would be its eventual ambush destruction from Han Solo. More on that in another blog entry...

Deleted moment of the Probot destroying a Rebel sentinel outpost, as described in the novel.

Deleted moment of the Probot turning to fire (presumably on Han Solo), from a TESB teaser trailer.

Readied for use in the Elstree Studios car park.

Attaching the head base on location.

The Probot's builders/operators have fun on location in Norway.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: IMPERIAL INTRUDER!

Phil Tippett supervises the stop motion/model photography of the Probot arrival sequence.

Had Luke been able to check out the crashed 'meteorite' that hit near him, he'd have been in for a shock as to what it contained: an armed Imperial Probe Droid (aka 'Probot'), soon out of its steaming shell and into the arctic wastes in search of enemy activity, its targeting blaster even shooting one of the Hoth's system's smallest forms of animal life in a filmed on location with the practical prop built in the UK, but ultimately becoming a deleted scene.

Emerging from the pod, as seen in the ILM model filming.

Moving into patrol in front of a composited live action frame.

Disturbed ground would also be filmed and composited on by ILM.

ILM clapperboard for the stop motion filming.

A look at the crash crater without Probot model.

Early test footage.

Readying the shot.

Joe Johnston checks the background alignment before filming.

The Probot uses its force fields and ability to camouflage in its search parameters - three effects storyboards presumed never filmed.

Two Ralph McQuarrie concept pieces.

The Probot demonstrates one of its multitude of weapons.

One of the ILM crew makes some adjustments.

The Probot as seen in the Lucasfilm Archives.

Richard Edlund with the model and life size version of the Probot.

Checking the life size model with the miniatures/model building department at ILM.

A detailed look at the model pod carrying the Probot.