The documentary below was made in 1977 at the same time as the blockbuster hit was being filmed and takes us behind the scenes, with C-3PO and R2-D2 as our tour guides. It shows how the various special effects were produced at a time when CGI was not available. Interestingly, they do not reveal the actors behind Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2. The last was played by Kenny Baker who died last week at the age of 81.
What I also found interesting were the comments by George Lucas. I had always been under the impression that Lucas had the storylines for the entire series mapped out before he made the first film but his remarks in the documentary suggests that this was not the case, though I do not understand then how the first film became called Part IV. The clip also shows a scene in which Obi Wan Kenobi tells Luke that Darth Vader killed his father, which seems to contradict what was revealed in later films. Maybe those who are much more steeped in the Star Wars folklore can clarify.
I had always been under the impression that Lucas had the storylines for the entire series mapped out before he made the first film but his remarks in the documentary suggests that this was not the case
Anyone ought to be able to tell it was not the case. Lucas wanted people to believe he had some great big story arc in his mind, so that he could keep getting money to make overpriced junk flicks. Or maybe it was just ego.
I think Lucas did have a vague idea of what the story’s great strokes were, but with huge gaps that he filled as he went.
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Your lack of faith in the All-Encompassing Power of Retcons is disturbing
I recall when the first movie came out, in the first week, there was no “Episode IV” in the title. Within a few weeks of it being a blockbuster, the “Episode IV” was added. (Looking it up, Wiki supports my memory, but apparently there is some discussion about when the additional titles were added.)
I suspect, and I suspected at the time, that Lucas had simply done what many authors do, fill notebooks with previous and future plot elements so that the pivot point of the story would be the story told in Star Wars. After all, who really wants to know how the empire came to control the galaxy, or what the rebels do once they have overthrown the empire. From a story-telling narrative standpoint, the original Star Wars film was perfectly placed.
In the first filmed “Star Wars” movie, he clearly had Luke and Leia destined to be lovers, and Obi Wan’s statement of Darth Vader killing his father was probably how the plot arc went at the time.
Then it was wildly successful. Probably beyond what Lucas ever dreamed of. It got him so much money that he was able to buy back the rights. (Which is why, I suspect, the novel “Splinter of the Minds Eye”, by Alan Dean Foster which came out between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, still includes the romance between Luke and Leia. It was being written before the movie was successful and Lucas purchased the rights back from 20 Century Fox. )
After the success of Star Wars, Lucas undoubtedly was asked if there were going to be any sequels, and how could he say no? (They dumped a pile of money on my lawn!”) That’s the point, I suspect, when all this nonsense about Vader being Luke’s father (as MAD magazine predicted), and Leia being Luke’s sister was written (and the Force changing from something a plebeian could be born with to something which runs in aristocratic family bloodlines). I suspect this is also when the details of the formation of the galactic empire were decided upon (some empire, it hardly lasted a generation).
flex,
Thanks for that! I knew that readers of this blog would come through!
Alan Dean Foster also wrote the original “Star Wars” paperback (“from the adventures of Luke Skywalker”, the cover trumpeted. It also said “By George Lucas”, and didn’t mention Foster at all.). “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” was his (Foster’s) idea for a low-budget sequel to be filmed if Star Wars was only moderately successful.
I had always assumed the “Darth Vader killed your father” thing was a figure of speech, the “Darth Vader” alter ego killing the original Anakin Skywalker.
As flex mentions, there is apparently some debate as to exactly when the “Episode IV: A New Hope” sub-title was added to the original Star Wars, but most of the reliable sources I could find say it was for the film’s 1981 re-release. Which means that “The Empire Strikes Back,” which came out the year before, was actually the first Star Wars film to feature an episode number in its title.
George Lucas has been notoriously cagy about exactly what his long-term plans for the series have been, giving different and often contradictory answers over the years, particularly about the possibility of a sequel trilogy. In my opinion he has a tendency to rewrite history in such a way that it looks like he’d planned things out in much more detail than he actually did.
One interesting example of this is his explanation of how Jabba the Hutt was intended to appear in the original film before his scene was edited out of the final film, only to be reinstated for the 1997 “Special Edition”: http://fd.noneinc.com/secrethistoryofstarwarscom/secrethistoryofstarwars.com/jabba.html
@6 Kilian Hekhuis
Yes, that is the interpretation that I have also.
From a certain point of view
Kilian,
Obi Wan Kenobi was supposed to be a noble figure. Why would he use a figure of speech and not tell Luke the truth? Wouldn’t he have also wanted to prevent an incestuous relationship with Leia possibly developing?
@6, Kilian Hekhuis,
That’s the point of view explicitly given by Obi Wan in “The Return of the Jedi”. My wife wanted to see the movies again, so I bought her the set for her birthday a couple weeks ago. We just recently watched the original trilogy, and I had forgotten that when Obi-Wan shows himself to Luke on Dagobah immediately after Yoda’s death, he tells this to Luke:
Obi-Wan; “He ceased to be the Jedi Anakin Skywalker and “became” Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So, what I told you was true… from a certain point of view.”
Definitely a ret-con.
Mano,
Though I agree with flex (#11) on it probably being a retcon, telling Luke DV is his father may have had some severe consequences (Luke not wanting to kill DV, Luke maybe even crossing to the dark side, Luke not wanting to become a Jedi at all, and so on and so forth).
Kilian,
I understand that and since I am far from being very knowledgeable about the film series, I am hesitant to argue with you. But it struck me that Obi Wan Kenobi’s character is that of the wise, benevolent figure and deliberately deceiving Luke so that he could end up killing his own father (however evil he had become) and falling in love with his own sister seems out of character.
It is interesting to speculate, though!
You’re all forgetting one key fact: Obi-Wan has terrible judgement. He probably got it from Qui-Gon Jinn…
More seriously though, the whole thing stinks of ret-con. If you’re going to hide Luke from Anakin, (who is a powerful force user, remember), you don’t do it by stashing him on Anakin’s home planet, with his step-brother. Especially if you’re the one of the last two Jedi in the galaxy, hiding from Vader and the Emperor, who have used their force powers to hunt down and kill all of the other Jedi. Also, in that scenario, you might want to change your name entirely, rather than just swapping “Obi-Wan” for “Ben”.
Flex, Thanks for that! I like you!