AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: LUKE FIGHTS BACK!

"Impressive, most impressive..."

Luke Skywalker returns to battle, distracting Vader with an overhead steam pipe burst then retrieving his lightsaber to battle on determinedly in this hot and hard-to-see environment around them, and despite the manipulative goading of his enemy, ever wanting the boy to fully release his hatred and anger to the Dark Side against him...

A terrific selection of images showing Mark Hamill as Luke fighting Bob Anderson as Darth Vader on set...

Retrieving his lightsaber to fight on!

Luke leaps from a savage lower thrust blow from Vader.

Towards the end of this section of the duel, Luke performs a Force move that sees him somersault over Vader. Presumably this was partly achieved by Kirby wire techniques attached to either Hamill or Colin Skeaping (who likely did the middle part of the stunt above Vader via his own gymnastic skills) that were slowed down or manipulated in post production editing.

Luke pushes Darth Vader back as the Dark Lord falls outside the perimeter of the chamber.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: ESCAPE LEAP!

"All too easy.."

Darth Vader's preconceptions about Luke's lack of training in the Force are briefly challenged when the boy manages to Force leap out of the carbon freeze pit as it activates, a shot achieved by using a puppet filmed at ILM.

Dave Prowse is listed on call sheets as playing Vader (presumably for the non action part of the scene where Luke falls into the carbon pit) on the 29th June, 1979.

Vader Force-activates the carbon freeze mechanism but Luke escapes just in time!

An unused action idea from Ivor Beddoes as Vader strikes out and cuts varying pipes to injure and capture Luke.

The model as displayed for a Propstore Auction a few years back.

As used in the finished film.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: TRAPPED! (LUKE IN CARBON PIT)

 

Falling into the carbon pit, Luke has to react quickly before Vader can initiate the freezing process!

It's possible this small set could be a redress of part of the Millennium Falcon hold judging by some of the re-use of certain set decorations...

Posed image on the enclosed set.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: POSITIONED INTO A TRAP!

"Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker."

Having avoided a near lethal lightsaber move from Vader, Luke ends up falling down the stairs of the Carbon Freezing Chamber and is now being maneuvered towards the central pit by his opponent...

"You'll find I'm full of surprises!" Luke valiantly fights one-handed against the bullying Vader.

Luke loses his lightsaber, as seen in one of the trailers for Empire. Note the practically lit lightsaber rods on set, not yet rotoscoped in post production.

Suspended on Kirby wires, Bob Anderson flies towards Luke, as seen in an earlier trailer.

Colin Skeaping performs Luke's fall down the platform stairs in this rare B/W image.

Skeaping next to Bob Anderson as Vader, who sends Luke into the pit!

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: STORMTROOPER SURPRISE!

An unseen angle or specially posed image from the film.

The two Imperial escorts to Boba Fett at Slave 1 have surprise reappeared, now attacking Leia and her party as the Rebels flee the East Platform and now race back to the Millennium Falcon. In the confusion, Chewbacca fells one of the Stormtroopers with blaster accuracy fury.

Variation colour image of the moment strangely reversed in an official image used for the film's marketing campaign.

OUT THIS MONTH - 'STAR WARS MAZES'

Chronicle Books always make sure to have superb Star Wars book treats available in time for Christmas, and this one looks set to be a colourful and beautifully illustrated/designed must-have for all age group fans: Star Wars Mazes, from Sean C. Jackson - 64 pages with 30 full-colour mazes.

On sale September 16th, 2021, here's the official release info:

How long will it take you to escape the Rebel base on Hoth?

Find your way through a galaxy far, far away... Race through the corridors of the Death Star. Navigate safely through the Battle of Hoth. Scavenge inside a fallen Star Destroyer on Jakku. Search the rocky cliffs of Ahch-To.

In this first-ever collection of exciting, interactive Star Wars mazes, fans of all ages can explore the galaxy themselves. Expert maze creator and lifelong Star Wars fan Sean C. Jackson brings the saga to life through more than 30 beautifully illustrated mazes of iconic scenes and locations ranging from the forest moon of Endor to Bespin's Cloud City, the dark side planet of Exegol, Jabba's palace, Podraces, clone armies, and much more. Each full-colour maze includes bonus elements along the way.

Get the book here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Wars-Mazes-Sean-Jackson/dp/1797205943/ref=asc_df_1797205943/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=463306883723&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9009446768844069823&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044978&hvtargid=pla-967811030103&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

CLASSIC IMAGE: DROID DEBARKATION!

Newly arrived on the peaceful world of Naboo, Trade Federation Battledroids begin dispersing their armies out into the planet's forests, in this great conceptual art by Doug Chiang for Episode One.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: TOO LATE!

They've arrived at the East Platform but to no avail, as our heroes are near powerless to stop the departing Boba Fett with his 'prize' in Han Solo inside Slave 1.The look on Princess Leia's face sums up the near despair of the moment for our heroes at this dramatic moment.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE DEPARTURE OF SLAVE 1!

The final preparations for Boba Fett's departure in Slave 1, with his special cargo aboard, begins, in this memorable establishing shot moment on Cloud City achieved with a matte painting that incorporated previous live-action filming accomplished at Elstree Studios.

Live action elements added to the plate.

ILM conceptual art.

Matte Panting genius Harrison Ellenshaw at work on the Slave 1 matte painting.

Note the movie poster for Disney's The Black Hole, the labour of love project for father and son Ellenshaw, which was worked on before Harrison joined Empire. 

Slave 1 departs the East Platform, and soon receives blaster fire from a desperate Leia and Chewbacca.

Storyboard of departure scene.

The departure as captured in a frame from an original 1980 70mm print of the movie.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: BEAST OF BURDEN!

Gary Kurtz and a second unit film close-up shots of C-3PO (Anthony Daniels in half-suit) attached to  Peter Mayhew's Chewbacca as they race to the East Platform.

Navigating the various Cloud City corridors, the race is on for our freed heroes - can they get to Boba Fett's ship and rescue Han before it can take off?

In a long Friday filming day wearing the yak hair costume under hot studio lights, and with the 50 pounds weight of the Threepio puppet atop/attached to him, Peter Mayhew would collapse doing a corridor hard right move during filming of the chase sequence, and be sent home by the producers for the rest of the afternoon. Though his stand-in would wear the costume for additional scenes shot later that day, Mayhew's unique height/body language /double jointed walk as Chewbacca meant that the non Mayhew footage seen in dailies was ultimately abandoned and reshot once the actor was back on set after the weekend.

Reunited with Artoo, Chewbacca barkingly urges the droid to catch-up.

Peter Mayhew has to cool down in a filming break, with help from L-R: Brian Lofthouse (props), Barbara Richie (hair) and Rosemary Worth (costume assistant) holding the fan.