CLASSIC IMAGE: REBEL DAWN!

As the intense red sun of Yavin captures nearly all of the sky above, a Rebel sentry on look out atop his sentry post watches the X-wing fighters blast off into the skies from their temple bases, in a wonderful shot from the original version of Star Wars.

I loved the Special Edition version of this scene with the X-wings and Y-wings too, but this original shot works much better with John Williams ever-special score.

ROGUE ONE: AN X-WING IN READINESS!

Within the converted hangar bay of one of the Massassi Temples on Yavin IV, an X-wing fighter and its unique astro droid navigator/technician stand ready to receive their next call to outer space action.

A nice selection of behind the scene images from the location filming of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that nostalgically took place at Cardington air hangar turned studios Shed 1, during 2015, at the same facility that had played host to Yavin IV exterior filming for the original Star Wars back in 1976.

Photo blow-up of an X-wing side for background use.

Exterior filming at Cardington Shed 1.

BEHIND THE SCENES: ARRIVAL AT THE YAVIN IV BASE

Image: Ann Skinner/ BFI.

Outside the immense Shed One at the former airship construction hangar at Cardington in Summer 1976, the main cast (minus Harrison Ford (his filming schedule prior completed, and now returned to the US) and Anthony Daniels (back at Elstree where he is needed for other filming)- replaced by unknown British stand- ins) film their arrival at Yavin IV's Massassi Temple for the original Star Wars, of which a matte painting would be superimposed over the background in post production. Also shot was an ultimately deleted sequence where our heroes board transportation vehicles to head into the temple's fighter bay interior.

Filming in 1976.

A modern shot of the Cardington sheds now often used for studio filming. Image: Wikipedia.

ROGUE ONE: DROIDS TO SCARIF!

"We're going to Scarif?!"

Sometimes not finding out what dangerous mission you're going on with your Rebel Alliance owners can be an enormous worry, especially if you're a protocol droid like C-3PO, back with his ever-faithful sidekick R2-D2. A lovely cameo return for the characters, and actor Anthony Daniels, at the Yavin IV base in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. But how come Threepio doesn't ultimately remember being there for A New Hope?

Back in the suit and behind the scenes.

'STAR WARS' AT 45: LUKE AND HAN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!

Camera rehearsal shot of our heroes at the finale medal ceremony. Image: Star Wars Archives.

Celebrating the bravery of our unique band of space heroes in destroying the Death Star, Princess Leia Organa and the other Rebel leaders at their Yavin IV base initiate a memorable medal ceremony for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo (also accompanied by Chewbacca), watched and cheered on by assembled soldiers, officers and pilots, as the original Star Wars ends on a joyous and iconic note. 

A modern look at Stage H at Shepperton Studios. Image: The Kurtz/Joiner Archive.

With Sir Alec Guinness now managing to take a prior arranged week's break, the 13th and 14th May, 1976 sees the main cast of younger stars of Star Wars head from Elstree to the larger spaces of Shepperton Studios Stage H, so as to capture the first of two planned sequences set on the jungle world of Yavin IV (the move also gives the dedicated Elstree set builders time to work on future sets that need to be ready for filming there upon the main crew's return). First off at Shepperton is to be the memorable finale taking place within the huge open Massassi temple celebration interior, in which Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, with Chewie behind them, make their way to a special step raised dias and receive their medals of bravery from the beautiful Princess, watched and clapped on by the rest of the assembled Rebel Alliance (of which, in the original Ralph McQuarrie production paintings for this scene, from the early Third and Fourth Draft scripts, a survived Obi-Wan Kenobi is among the party (and which also sees Threepio walking amongst the band) about to receive their medals). The filmed scene is, controversially, an almost an exact recreation of a similar sequence within the Nazi Germany World War II propaganda movie, Triumph Deus Willens (1934), if used for more positive and fantasy effect. 

British extras gather outside Stage H at Shepperton Studios, presumably during a lunch break. Note the barrow full of greenery likely needed as extra set dressing for the temple interior.

A look at the movable set-dressed walls of the temple exterior at Shepperton Studios. Image: Star Wars Archives.

George Lucas (bottom far left) watches Assistant Director Anthony Waye observing the extras whilst Jamie Harcourt prepares the filming clapperboard at Shepperton in May 1976. Image: the Ben Ageros Collection.

Preparing to film an ultimately unused scene that would likely have required multiple on set extras rearrangements and ongoing camera take exposure trickery.

The Massassi throne room set is designed so that all of the filming coverage can be done without visual effects (bar one establishing shot showing the entire room) and budget restrictions mean that only two hundred background artist extras, instead of thousands, constantly re-arranged to make it look as if there were more Rebels on screen than there actually were, can be hired (not needing as many people for additional background shots the second filming day, that amount is whittled down to around 150 people). Costume Designer John Mollo and his team, in liaison with the famous Bermans and Nathans costumers, create the vast amount of different Rebel outfits needed for the sequence (though, due to budget restrictions, many of the extras playing generic technicians end up wearing their own telltale seventies high-heeled shoes in the filming, rather than any specially made items). 

UPDATE (2/24): Rare Photo from Anthony Daniels Collection in Propstore Auction Reveals Han Solo in Ceremonial Jacket - Jedi News

Gary Kurtz starts taking stills images alongside the camera crew as filming begins of our heroes walkdown.

Assembling the extras in specific arrangements on set (note Gary Kurtz handling the crowd layout sheets for filming) as Hamill talks to the extras about the scene and its place in the movie. Image: the Ben Ageros collection.

Unused ground level angle of our heroes. 

The walk down continues. Image: Star Wars Archives.

George Lucas and his team capture close-ups of our heroes on their walk to the princess.

Galactic heroes! An image, likely taken by Gary Kurtz, used for prime publicity.

Additionally, John Barry uses cardboard cut outs/ photo blow ups of the extras to enhance the scene further (two matte paintings by Harrison Ellenshaw - one of the crowd and another showing a natural light source above- would finish the job for a long shot, adding even greater size and people to the sequence). The use of blow ups is not a new idea in film making- most television production designers having used this trick to keep production costs down, especially with drama shows (British science fiction television programmes like Doctor Who used this technique a lot, especially in the Sixties). In the 1997 Special Edition re-release, this sequence was changed further- the cut-out extras of the original 1976 filming now replaced with a full complement of living human extras. 

Already helping out on the film shooting material as part of what he would term a “quasi-second unit”, Gary Kurtz handles the filming of certain shots of the throne room sequence instead of Gilbert Taylor. Kurtz would recall to the IGNFF website: “Gil just said he didn't want to be responsible for the camera work there because it was a complicated series of mattes, and I said, "Fine, just do the lighting and I'll worry about the shots." It wasn't really that complicated – it was just a locked down camera and we moved the extras around on the floor. All this stuff sounds very archaic now, it all could be done digitally and no one would think twice about it, but at that time, what had to happen was the camera had to be very clearly locked off, and each section of the extras standing in their line had to be shot piece by piece in about eight different sections so we'd have a room full of people when they were all mounted together. Then on top of that, we did one where all of the extras dressed up in a variety of costumes stood along the frontline right in the middle, and did the scene with the actors walking down the aisle up to the end where the throne was. A very standard kind of matte shot that has been done on hundreds of pictures since the 1920s, and as I say now it looks quite archaic – working that way, because it's so time consuming – but it worked fine then.” 

Kay Freeborn tends to the Chewbacca costume inhabited by Peter Mayhew.

Kenny Baker enjoys a cup of tea and sandwich on the set.

The cleaned-up, fully repaired Artoo joins the thoroughly golden Threepio for the medal ceremony in this classic stills shot.

During filming of the finale medal scene, the cast joked that if they did a sequel they hoped it wouldn't start off right from the scene where the gang are on the Massassi Temple steps after receiving their medals. Specially posed photographs of the medal adorned heroes happily celebrating with Princess Leia never appeared in the film. In an early draft of the script, Chewbacca did indeed receive a medal for his bravery against the Empire, yet Lucas dropped the idea, thinking that the Wookiee race would have a different set of values regarding the receiving of awards. The 30 feet high steps of the temple Throne Room set, with walls surrounded by lush creeper like plants (specially brought in for the film), would prove a worry for Kenny Baker who had a scene requiring his character to move slightly forward from Threepio whilst the little droid reveals his newly repaired self to his fellow star warriors. 

A rare out of the suit shot of Anthony Daniels at Shepperton.

One of the infamous matchbooks created by Anthony Daniels for the cast and crew of the film.

Anthony Daniels, meanwhile, would enjoy being at the Shepperton location, enjoying the area’s nearby locales and preferring it to the “morbid high street of Elstree”. Unfortunately, he would continue to play the part of Threepio so convincingly that the crew still forgot that there was a man inside the suit and mask, and despite the fact that he would soon only partially wear the uncomfortable golden outfit in its entirety prior to the main filming. Fed up with the situation, Daniels would have matchbooks printed up with the word '3PO IS HUMAN!' on the front - which he would leave on cast and crew buffet tables. “They thanked me but most of them didn't get my point”, the actor would hilariously recall in 1999.

 

General Dodonna (Alex McCrindle) presents Han Solo's medal to Leia. Image: Kurtz/Joiner Archive.

Veteran British film and TV actor Alex McCrindle joins the cast as General Jan Dodonna for the scenes where he presents Princess Leia the medals to give to Han and Luke (though his voice is later dubbed by an American actor, Peter Hobbs, in post production), whilst extras would include Clive Bennett, Ted Western (one of the rear platform honour guards, as well as being involved in the film’s prop department), and a very young Derek Lyons, who plays both a medal bearer and a Massassi temple guard in the film.

 

Filming another angle of the walkdown. Note the temple guards in the background (one of whom was played by Derek Lyons).

Filming from an angle towards the Rebel leaders that was not ultimately used in the film.

Some of the other ground level British background artists during the Throne Room scene filming would be arrogant and unfriendly towards the young cast of soon to be major stars, calling Ford and Hamill “wankers” under their breath as they went up to collect their medals. Though Hamill, wearing a dyed yellow ski jacket bought in (or possibly previously orange and worn by Pondo Baba in the Cantina scenes filmed a month earlier at Elstree), was upset by the rude goading (especially having helped fill in the film's story to the crowd so that they knew what was going on), Ford would shrug it off, telling Hamill: “Hey, who gives a shit? Forget about it.” In one funny blooper, Ford, wearing his newly received medal, tests the metal to see if it’s gold by biting down on it! 

Now able to put on the bulky and painful droid costume only when necessary for actual filming, Anthony Daniels watches Hamill and Fisher camera rehearse their medal scene.

The striking necklace worn by the newly costumed Princess Leia is titled "Planetaariset Laaksot" which means "Planetary Valleys" and was made by Lapponia of Helsinki. It was the creation of jewellery designer Björn Weckström. When LUCASFILM/John Mollo purchased the necklace from his Fulham shop, the designer wasn't told what the film was about and was surprised to see it worn by Carrie Fisher in a movie, which "later became a cult". The item was introduced in 1969 and produced until 1981.

Stars Wars dress worn by Carrie Fisher as set to sell for up to $2M | Daily Mail Online

Producer Gary Kurtz confers with Hamill and Ford during a filming break. Image: Kurtz/Joiner Archive.

Though Leia’s blaster prop is most famous for being used by the character later in the filming schedule on the Blockade Runner, it should also be noted that the weapon was worn first with this sequence, by Luke Skywalker at the Rebel Ceremony-indeed several posed promotional pictures of Hamill in Luke’s medal ceremony costume (pulled together by the costume team at the last minute as Lucas wanted the character to look more grown up for the film’s conclusion) would be taken showing him using the weapon (this would be a fact lost on KENNER with their later 'Power of the Force' toys, as Luke's ceremonial figures (3 3/4" and 12") instead have him with a Han Solo "Mauser style" blaster). 

Only two medals were specially made in-house for the film, for Luke and Han to be given by Leia. In one famous blooper on the ceremony dais, Harrison Ford checks out the gold lining of his medal by biting into it.

Ford goofs around during filming.

Up Close with ORIGINAL Star Wars Props! | Chewbaccas's Bowcaster, Luke's Medal of Yavin, & more! - YouTube

Just good friends? Hamill and Ford lark about on set. Image: Kurtz/Joiner Archive.

A thrilled Luke receives his medal from the beautiful Princess Leia. 

Of the final scenes, and the love triangle being established between Leia, Luke and Han, and just who would get the girl, Carrie Fisher would joke in 1978: "We all thought about it. I've insisted there is absolutely no truth to the rumour about me and the Wookiee. I was partial to Artoo. I was glad he was shorter. But you know, in the last scene Mark and Harrison sort of go, 'Hey, buddy,' and they cut. So I said I understand now who gets the guys. They do. And the Wookiee and I sort of skid off together. Do you think Wookiees believe in marriage?" 

Presumably a rehearsal image for the planning of extras.

Approaching the Medal bearer party.

Alternate filming take for crowd re-arrangement superimposition.

A terrific side angle from atop the Studio as our heroes turn to the Rebel applause.

On the 14th May, before the medal sequence has finished filming, and under supervision from the First Assistant Director, Tony Waye, the cast and extras sing Happy Birthday! to a highly embarrassed George Lucas. Anthony Daniels, who, that day, would complain of a sore right hand caused by his costume chaffing, also recalls Waye giving him an important piece of advice on an extras-heavy day: "He told me to have lunch (which was served in a couple of tents on the studio grounds) a little early. I said I could wait for everyone else, to which he responded: 'have you ever seen a crowd of extras rush for lunch?'" 

Lucas on set (with camera operator Ronnie Taylor) wearing a Shepperton Studios jumper likely given to him as an additional birthday gift by the studio.

Listed on the production notes, on May 14, the filming period was 8:30 to 5:40. On Tuesday, May 18th, it's 8:30 to 7:35. On Wednesday, it's 8:30 to 5:30. Three of the four days would have set-up times of an hour, an hour and a half, and two hours, fifteen minutes. With filming completed, the sets would be torn down and construction beginning anew for the film - this time for the Yavin IV hangar bay, for upcoming filming the upcoming June.

Our heroes in individual celebration.

Receiving a warm ovation from the assembled Rebel crowds.

With thanks to Chris Baker for selected images used in this article.

This is the final entry in Star Wars Aficionado's Forty-Fifth Anniversary celebrations of the original 1977 version of Star Wars. We hope you've enjoyed the expansive coverage. 

'STAR WARS' AT 45: THE REBELS PREPARE FOR SPACE BATTLE!

On the jungle world of Yavin IV, our newly arrived heroes prepare to face the approaching wrath of the fearsome Death Star, now approaching their system. Thankfully, a weakness in the battle station has been found in its construction schematics/plans that must be taken advantage of no matter how small and risky to penetrate, and the thirty X and Y-wing fighter pilots, including new recruit Luke Skywalker as call-sign Red Five, get ready for space conflict that will decide the fate of the Rebel Alliance.

In the original 1977 novel adaptation of the film by Alan Dean Foster, in addition to the main temple hangar, other X and Y-wing fighters were also housed on several elevated underground levels.

Great establishing shots of the Rebel hangar bay set at Shepperton Studios.

Airbrushed shot used for the Topps Cards of 1977/78.

The new 'Red Five': Luke Skywalker, in flight gear.

Luke tries to convince Han and Chewie to stay, but seemingly fails.

Han wishes Luke, 'May the Force Be With You'!

After kissing Luke, Leia says “May the Force be with you” to him, too - the scene was cut from the film, though you can hear Carrie Fisher saying the dialogue during the Yavin hangar Shepperton filming footage shown in The Making of Star Wars documentary of 1977.

Luke meets up with old friend Biggs in a deleted scene later partially restored in 1997.

Luke with Biggs and Red Leader in the deleted scene.

Another angle from behind the scenes.

Rehearsing Artoo's being lifted into the X-wing fighter.

Memorable posed shot of Mark Hamill on set with his X-wing fighter.

Another posed outtake.

Preparing to depart.

A helmeted Mark Hamill poses for the camera.

Final prepartions begin for the squadron departures.

Superb behind the scenes image showing George Lucas, Gary Kurtz (far right) and the entire camera team and assistants.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Filming begins on Shepperton Studios soundstage H involving the X and Y–wing fighters on Yavin IV, from Wednesday June 9th, 1976, to Friday 11th, followed by Monday 14th and 15th June with Second Unit work commencing on the last day - shooting pilots going to ships, insert cockpit shots, and craft taking off, whilst the main crew return to Elstree to finish off other necessary sequences. The first two days at Shepperton would have shooting extensions until 19.30pm-due to the large amount of scenes needing completion within such a small filming schedule window.

An unpainted look at the full size X-wing fighter prop, presumably taken before arrival at Shepperton.

Also constructed as a real prop would be the distinctive Y–wing, which would be only partially completed (as seen in John Jay’s on set stills) in the finished film - it would have a single unattached engine on it’s port side, and the rear half of the main body, which is left without full detailing). A matte painting in post production would fill out the uncompleted segments of the vehicle. Respected British film/TV actor Drewe Henley, now on set and cast to play Red Leader (filming his additional dramatic cockpit scenes at Elstree later in July), likes the X-wing fighter craft, comparing it to a greyhound- “all stripped down and ready for action."

Establishing shot of the temple fighter bay- this image was flipped in post production. Notice the uncompleted Y-wing fighter and separate pod at the bottom of the image.

Terrific close-in shot of the partial Y-wing prop, constantly re-positioned around the Shepperton Stage to give the illusion of similar types of fighter being present.

In addition to the specially built model craft are three full size two-dimensional photo blow ups of the X– wings and three of the Y–wings, strategically positioned across the set at various times during filming of different scenes, so as to give the impression that the hangar is packed with fighter craft. Though the cut-outs are stacked closer together than would have been possible if they had wings, their inclusion visually increases the hangars size. The completed set would also make clever use of a few tricks that served to enlarge the environment- one wide shot of the hangar is created by taking one plate of the set and creating a matte painting with two holes in, in which that same plate is placed twice (a further new matte painting would be created for the 2004 DVD release of the movie), whilst strings of lights in front of a black curtain on the stage make the far wall appear to be much further away than it actually was. Set decoration around the craft includes fuel pumps, landing lights and various other pieces of unusual technology (as well as a miniature buggy/car which would be redressed as a transport speeder that would carry the various pilots to their ships).

Lucas has fun with Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford.

Chewie gives Han a look...

... which Han responds to in a fun behind the scenes moment that appeared in The Making of Star Wars documentary. 

Filming Luke's walk away from the departing Han and Chewie.

Continuity Supervisor Ann Skinner watches Hamill and Fisher rehearse their scene.

Fisher has fun delivering liquid nourishment to Hamill inside his X-wing.

More fun for the pair in one of the studio changing rooms.

Gerry Anderson TV series stalwart Shane Rimmer, who was between work on two films (including the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me) played the technician who says to Luke: “This R2 unit of yours seems a bit beat up. Do you want a new one?” 

After Tunisia, and his brief scene at Elstree (for the sequence where Luke goes to the Tosche power station), Garrick Hagon would go on to work on a play at the BBC, followed by a part in Richard Attenborough’s epic World War II movie A Bridge Too Far (1977). Aware that he would be needed in July for the next batch of filming, Hagon had kept his hair long to keep visual continuity. Upon reaching the Bridge set however, he is told by its director Richard Attenborough that, being a period film, the actor would have to cut his hair, something which he didn’t want to do, but which Attenborough demanded had to be done, Star Wars filming or not. Returning to the Wars set after the completion of Bridge, a worried Hagon tells Lucas about his new short hair look. Lucas, fortunately, would tell him not to worry, as the later scenes of his re-uniting with Luke were set a lengthy period after their last meeting on Tatooine, and that Biggs would probably have got his hair cut at the Academy anyway. Some of Hagon’s lines in the Rebel hangar would be trimmed because they were thought to be “a little too flowery”, though the actor has great fondness for Biggs original parting words to Luke: “We’re a couple of shooting stars that’ll never be stopped”, loving the ring of that line, and wishing he could have said it in the final film. 

Conferring with Red Leader (Drewe Henley) and Biggs (Garrick Hagon).

The scene in which Biggs is reunited with Luke would ultimately be cut from the original 1977 theatrical release, but would eventually be restored, as a special treat for fans, in the 1997 Special Edition. Also restored but trimmed was a sequence where Red Leader talks to the pair and inquires about Luke’s flying experience (though lost is an additional piece of dialogue in which Red Leader tells Luke that he once flew with his father, a scene that had to be cut in case it created long term continuity problems. The cutting of this latter dialogue was achieved by a very clever wipe editing, using an ILM effects inserted Rebel guard to walk across the scene at the precise moment that Henley is about to deliver the unwanted dialogue.   

Getting the Rebel pilots suited up at Shepperton.

All of the actors playing fighter pilots wore several signal flares strapped to one leg- a design element that would be taken directly from German fighter pilots of World War II, who strapped belts of flare pistol cartridges in the same position. The same extras used for the previously shot Shepperton Throne Room finale filming of May 1976 would also appear as technicians/pilots in the fighter hangar scenes. Special care was taken for the most part with both sets of filming so that background actors didn’t wear easily identifiable twentieth century costuming, or real life items like wristwatches or sunglasses.

The ramp that the droids descend on set.

To make life easier for the actors in droid costumes, as well as the remote controlled Artoo’s, half the sides of each set of stairs within the fighter bay stairs of the fighter bay were replaced with smooth flat surfaces. 

Detailed look at X-wing nose area.

Lucas on the massive sound stage.

UK practical special effects coordinator John Stears supervises the lifting of the X– wing fighters from the Yavin base (presumably shot on June 14th as the filming ends at Shepperton at a later time-21.05pm, of which the movie is now 13 days over schedule!!). The structure of the Shepperton Stage H roof does not unfortunately prove capable of carrying the full weight of the specially built five ton X-wing prop, and the rig (an additional weight of three quarters of a ton), for which it was planned the craft will be hung. Knowing that there was no other way of achieving the sequence, Stears hires a crane to lift the ship, but finding a place for the crane to operate becomes a problem, because the X–wing and the set are being filmed with different cameras simultaneously, each one from a different angle (which, in later editing, would give the illusion of many fighters taking off); there was no way to place the crane without it showing up in the picture. It is finally decided to have a tower crane, capable of lifting seven tons from a distance of one hundred feet. 

The Zealous crane opposite and high above Shepperton Stage H.

The crane they use, called a Zealous, stands one hundred and sixty feet high and has to be positioned outside the soundstage, making the task of operating it very difficult. The operator, sitting outside the soundstage, is unable to see what is going on inside the sound stage. The problem would be solved by having another crane operator, familiar with the characteristics of the crane inside the soundstage, relaying instructions to the operator via radio. Amazingly, thanks to the two crane operators skills, not a single re-take is required due to any errors. The moves they had to make, which had to be precise within a fraction of an inch, prove perfect. 

The X-wing takes off!