Wednesday 18 October 2017

'STAR WARS' AT 40: A WORSENING SITUATION FOR THE REBELS...


The Rebels hopes for survival against the destructive power of the Death Star now rest on a young and inexperienced boy with two X-wing fighter wingmen as support. A concerned Princess Leia keeps her faith in her new friend. But will it be enough?

Interestingly, the Revised Fourth Draft shooting script (19th April, 1976)  has a small but interesting sequence between Leia and Dodonna, taking place before Luke's run, that was most likely filmed and cut.

This scene could have been part of this moment in the film seen below.



V223 (268) INT. MASASSI OUTPOST - WAR ROOM

Dodonna and Princess Leia listen intently to the talk between pilots. The room is grim after Blue Leader's death (*). Princess Leia nervously paces the room.

LEIA (to Dodonna): Can they go on?

DODONNA: They must.

LEIA: We've lost so many. Without Blue Leader, how will they re-group?

LUKE (Voice over): Close it up, Wedge. Biggs, where are you?

BIGGS (v/o): Coming in, right behind you.

WEDGE (v/o): OK Boss, we're in position.


Note * Blue Leader became Red Leader in the finished film.


Image: Kurtz/Joiner Archive.

Additionally the above posed shot taken at London's Shepperton Studios in the Rebel War Room shows both supporting artists Vass Anderson and Alan Harris with the main stars. Bar one brief shot facing away from camera, in front of one of the perspex display screens, we barely see Andersson's Rebel technician in the completed movie, whilst Harris also played a senior Rebel officer in scenes shot a few months later at Shepperton, alongside Carrie Fisher, on the Rebel Hangar set (he filled in for an unavailable for the day Alex McCrindle). It's possible that because of the background character change with Harris that his and Andersson's potential scene in the War Room was altered in post production- a staged publicity shot like this with scene characters would not have been taken without a reason. It could be a moment set just before Leia and Threepio walk into the main monitoring area after the fighters have taken off, or possibly linked to this scene in the 19th April 1976 Revised Fourth Draft:

137: INT. MASASSI OUTPOST - WAR ROOM

The princess sits quietly before the giant displays showing the planet of Yavin and her four moons. The red dot that represents the Death Star moves ever closer to the system. A series of green dots appear around the fourth moon. Dodonna stands behind the princess with several other field commanders.

CONTROLLER: The red signal is on the station, it's moving into the system.

COMMANDER: The ships are away.

https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/behind-scenes-monitoring-battle.html

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