REMEMBERING CARRIE...

As the Tenth Anniversary of her sad parting from us approaches next year, Star Wars Aficionado continues to remember our immortal Carrie Fisher and her never-to-be-forgotten, enduring portrayal of Princess Leia Organa, as seen here in this lovely colourised posed image from The Empire Strikes Back.

'THE FORCE AWAKENS' AT 10: "CHEWIE, WE'RE HOME!"

A great posed publicity image of Ford as Solo (with Joonas Suotamo as Chewie) on the Falcon set during his first memorable day of filming, prior to unfortunate injuries sustained, at Pinewood Studios.

Unhappy with his character of Han Solo's ultimate contribution to the conclusion of the middle Star Wars saga with Return of the Jedi, I, and I'm sure millions of other fans worldwide back in 1983, were surely convinced that Harrison Ford's involvement with the franchise would be over for good, and that he no longer needed the character of the iconic smuggler to further his already successful career. So what an incredible and joyous surprise it was in 2014 that Ford would return one last time to play Han Solo for The Force Awakens, helping to launch a new trio of saga heroes, and brought back in part due to his prior association with the new film's director J. J. Abrams (the energetic talent who had written his popular 90's drama Regarding Henry) and the intriguing but no less upsetting idea of killing Solo off (which Lucas refused to do back in 1982), slain by his own son, and ultimately bringing-in character closure for the actor. And, of course there was the huge paycheck that would keep Ford in enthused aeroplane flying and fuelling for a good few years to come...

Conferring on an ultimately deleted scene with J.J. Abrams.

Who can ever forget seeing the second trailer for The Force Awakens and hearing the resounding, booming fan cheers when the first footage of Solo and Chewbacca together was shown for the first time... "Chewie.... we're home!" 

Han is soon impressed with the skills of the young Rey.

Han and Chewie on Takodana.

Finn helps his new friends load bombs as they ready to journey to Starkiller Base.

With new friends Rey and Finn on a mission at the dreaded Starkiller Base.

BEHIND THE SCENES: THE NAME'S SKYWALKER... LUKE SKYWALKER!

Mark Hamill gives a very heroic James Bond-esque pose, holding what would later become Princess Leia's distinctive blaster, in this classic Summer 1976 publicity shoot for Mark Hamill with legendary photographer Terry O'Neill, taken for the original Star Wars.

Other images from the shoot...

Image: Star Wars Archives.

Hamill reminisces about his career to Frank Oz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNYdNM3mIyM

A CORELLIAN AND A WOOKIEE - FRIENDS TO THE END....

You couldn't get two more loyal to each other friends than the trouble-finding smuggling buddies that are Han Solo and his wookiee compadre Chewbacca. They are potentially in it up their necks with the crime lord Jabba the Hutt by the time of the original Star Wars, but a nice easy charter, and big payment, with a strange old hermit and a callow youth bodes well for their future...

Some nice posed images of Han Solo and Harrison Ford taken during filming in London for the original movie back in mid 1976. The photographer for this memorable shoot is most likely Brit talent David Steen. 

"I thought it was a real good part - the character (of Han Solo) was humorous and I thought those things in the script that weren't exactly funny probably would be - I thought it was going to be funny. I didn't think it would have such a wide audience. It was just a good part for me!"

Harrison Ford - Bantha Tracks - 1980

"In the tests, he (Chewbacca) looked like a folding chair. At Elstree I just made it a pet relationship. "Look, I've got this huge dog."

Harrison Ford - Film Review magazine Star Wars special - 1997

"He's like a big dog, a dog that's ferocious one moment, and whimperingly docile the next. The character comes off as sweet and charming as the person who was inside him. He (Peter Mayhew) really got into the film. By the end of the picture he was very good."

Harrison Ford - Science Fantasy Film Classics magazine - 1977

"Harrison and I worked well together. He is a wonderful person and a terrific actor; truly professional."

Peter Mayhew - interview quote (unknown source)

'SOLO': EVOLVING 'SCOUNDREL'!

Now operating across the galaxy, ready for the thrill of the chase and the lure of regular profit, the young and gifted star pilot Captain Han Solo cuts a formidable figure in this great posed publicity image of Alden Ehrenreich for Solo: A Star Wars Story.

I've said it several times before and I'll keep saying it on behalf of the other millions of likeminded fans across the globe: 'Disney, c'mon let's have another Solo movie, or at least a six-part expansive story." 

Solo writer Jonathan Kasdan feels "conflicted" about potential sequel | GamesRadar+

Alden Ehrenreich says he's noticed more love for underrated 'Solo' over the years: 'It feels like a shift'

EPISODE VIII: ALL SMILES ON THE PUBLICITY CIRCUIT!

No matter what anybody thought about the now controversial The Last Jedi, there's no denying that the assembled film cast for the 2017 adventure couldn't have been better, especially when led by such a fun and iconic star presence in Mark Hamill, back once more to play Luke Skywalker. 

A great posed publicity shot of the cast taken in the US, alongside the ever enthusiastic writer/director Rian Johnson, making the most of the film's expansive worldwide publicity needs.

Rian Johnson: My 'Star Wars' Trilogy Being Canceled Would Make Me Sad - Variety

Rian Johnson Confirms What's Holding Back His Star Wars Trilogy | Den of Geek

Star Wars: Rian Johnson Says His Trilogy Will Feel Like Star Wars But in a Way That's New and Fresh

'STAR WARS' AT 45: INTRODUCING THE FIERY PRINCESS!

Fearless, dedicated to her cause, and a bold leader, Princess Leia of Organa was all these things, and more, as she fought against the tyranny of the Galactic Empire in service to the galaxy via the fledgling Rebel Alliance. Unlike fairytale princesses of our own past literature, who were mostly damsels in distress, the Princess of George Lucas's own unique space saga would be a modern and capable young woman always more intelligent than the two young men who'd come to rescue her! So who better to play Leia than an equally modern and capable young actress from 1976 Hollywood: then nineteen-year old Carrie Fisher, who soon gloriously made the part her own and helped create/see-in a new era of pop culture heroism.

Enjoy this selection of iconic posed images of Fisher as Leia taken during 1976 and 1977 from esteemed photographers Bob Seidemann, Terry O'Neill and Douglas Kirkland.

 

Eight images from Bob Seidemann.

Image: via Star Wars Archives website.

Five B/W images from Douglas Kirkland's shoot.

One of the Kirkland images used as tribute to Carrie Fisher's sad passing.

Two lovely pics of Carrie Fisher taken during pre-filming of Star Wars late 1975, going into Summer, 1976.

Image by Terry O'Neill, though his licensing studio lists it as being taken in 1973, and not 1976.

With Mark Hamill mid-1976. Images taken at a London studio by Terry O'Neill.

'STAR WARS' AT 45: CHEWIE'S BAD HAIR DAY!

By the time of the first Star Wars' UK filming conclusion in Summer 1976, the original Chewbacca yak-hair made costume and one of the masks created by Stuart Freeborn had begun to deteriorate. This condition was highly noticeable by 1977 as the character (potentially inhabited by Peter Mayhew once again, the actor having spent time that year promoting the film in America) partook in a series of special images primarily for licensing use, taken by legendary music photographer Bob Seidemann. Presumably due to a lack of approved Chewie posed publicity images taken during principal photography in 1982, some of these 1977 shots even got used to promote the character on selected items of Return of the Jedi merchandise during 1983/84. Because of the similar scruffy look to the character in the Battle of Endor scenes for Jedi, the 1977 Chewie shoot would, either by accident (photo library caption error?) or design, still be partially linked to that film as part of image publicity usage in magazines/merchandise by the time of the Special Editions' release!

During the original Star Wars' American-based post-production phase, the Chewie mask was also used for some kind of reference (and partying) by ILM, which probably added further to the wear and tear. By the time of The Empire Strikes Back's UK pre-production in early 1979, Freeborn would already be developing a new Yak hair suit and mask for the heroic Wookiee.

A ROTJ T-shirt using the 1977 Chewbacca shoot.

Vintage Star Wars Chewbacca character blow up from 1977.

The classic behind the scenes image, presumably linked to the 1977 Bob Seidemann poster shoot campaign shot in the US, of which the decaying Chewbacca costume was used.

The mask being referenced at ILM (for unknown reasons) by Steve Gawley and colleague-possibly early 1977. Images: Dave Berry.

Clowning about at ILM!