Post by swamprat on May 25, 2017 10:47:58 GMT -6
'Star Wars'! 40 Surprising Facts from a Galaxy Far, Far Away
By Jasmin Malik Chua, Space.com Contributor
May 25, 2017
Surprising Facts
On May 25, 1977, a director named George Lucas gave the world its first glimpse of a galaxy far, far away. Who knew that a space opera about a farm boy who befriends a wizard and a smuggler pirate, frees a princess and liberates a galaxy would spawn a multibillion-dollar franchise and cultural touchstone? Not 20th Century Fox, and certainly not Lucas, who was convinced it would flop.
"Star Wars" would end up making $1.5 million on its opening weekend and more than $220 million during its first run — a veritable fortune at the time.
Forty years and eight films later, Lucas' depiction of the battle between good and evil remains as relevant today as it was then. In honor of the 40th anniversary of "Star Wars: A New Hope," here are 40 surprising facts about the movie that started it all.
John Williams
John Williams, the Oscar-winning composer who scored the music for almost every "Star Wars" movie (excluding "The Clone Wars" and "Rogue One"), told the Mirror he has never sat all the way through any of the "Star Wars" movies.
Chewbacca
While playing Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew spoke his lines in English. The dialogue was later dubbed into Wookie — a combination of bear, walrus, lion and badger sounds — during postproduction.
Princess Leia
Because Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa) was a foot shorter than Ford, she had to stand on a box for most of their scenes together.
Inspiration
Lucas' Alaskan malamute inspired the character of Chewbacca. "A very sweet dog, she would always sit next to me when I was writing," he said. "And when I'd drive around, she'd sit in the front seat. A malamute is a very large dog — like a 130 pounds and bigger than a human being, and very long-haired."
Competition
When Lucas visited Steven Spielberg on the set of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," he was convinced his friend's movie would eclipse his own. "George came back from 'Star Wars' a nervous wreck," Spielberg recounted. "He didn't feel 'Star Wars' came up to the vision he initially had. He felt he had just made this little kids' movie." Lucas proposed a trade: 2.5 percent of the profits from "Star Wars" in exchange for 2.5 percent of "Close Encounters." Spielberg took the gamble, and receives royalties from the film to this day.
Han Solo
Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, wasn't a fan of Lucas' script. In fact, he once groused to the director "George, you can type this s---, but you can't say it!"
R2-D2
In Lucas's original treatment, R2-D2 could speak. A 1974 draft of the movie gave him such lines as, "The structure has exceeded the normal stress quotient by point four, although there appears to be no immediate danger."
Danger
While filming the trash compactor scene, Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) held his breath so long he popped a blood vessel. As a result, many of the shots show only one side of his face.
Love
Fisher and Ford had an "intense" three-month affair while filming "Star Wars: A New Hope," according to Fisher. Ford was a married father of two at the time.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
In a letter to a friend, Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi, dismissed "Star Wars" as "fairy-tale rubbish." He also later claimed it was his idea to have his character killed off so he "wouldn't have to carry on saying these rubbish lines."
Rights
By agreeing to waive $500,000 in directing fees, Lucas persuaded 20th Century Fox to let him maintain licensing and merchandising rights. Consequently, the studio missed out on billions in profits.
Darth Vader
Lucas originally wanted the iconic film director Orson Welles to voice Darth Vader, but feared that his intonations would be "too recognizable." Besides his many films, Welles is famous for his radio adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel "The War of the Worlds," which caused terrified some listeners when broadcast in 1938.
Weapons
Sound designer Ben Burtt created the lightsaber's signature buzz by combining the hum of an old film projector's motors with the interference caused by a TV on a shieldless microphone.
Brothers
"Star Wars" was originally titled "Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode One: The Star Wars." It featured two brothers: Deak and Luke Skywalker.
Choices
Al Pacino, best known for his roles in "The Godfather" and "Scarface," turned down the part of Han Solo because he found the script too confusing.
Grand Moff Tarkin
Peter Cushing's riding boots pinched his feet so much that Lucas let him wear slippers on the set. That's why you only see Grand Moff Tarkin from the knees up or strategically positioned behind a desk.
Crew
Lucas admired Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" so much he hired most of its production crew. The alums were dubbed the "Class of 2001" on the set, CBS News reports.
The Can
When the cast and crew broke for lunch, they would frequently forget that Kenny Baker was still in the R2-D2 "can" and leave him behind, according to IMDB.
Tatooine
Tatooine got its name from the Tunisian city of Tatouine, although no shooting was conducted there. Various locations in southern Tunisia stood in for the desert planet, and many of the wood-and-fiberglass structures from the movie are still in use today, mostly as tourist attractions.
Read More:
www.space.com/36995-star-wars-40-surprising-facts.html
By Jasmin Malik Chua, Space.com Contributor
May 25, 2017
Surprising Facts
On May 25, 1977, a director named George Lucas gave the world its first glimpse of a galaxy far, far away. Who knew that a space opera about a farm boy who befriends a wizard and a smuggler pirate, frees a princess and liberates a galaxy would spawn a multibillion-dollar franchise and cultural touchstone? Not 20th Century Fox, and certainly not Lucas, who was convinced it would flop.
"Star Wars" would end up making $1.5 million on its opening weekend and more than $220 million during its first run — a veritable fortune at the time.
Forty years and eight films later, Lucas' depiction of the battle between good and evil remains as relevant today as it was then. In honor of the 40th anniversary of "Star Wars: A New Hope," here are 40 surprising facts about the movie that started it all.
John Williams
John Williams, the Oscar-winning composer who scored the music for almost every "Star Wars" movie (excluding "The Clone Wars" and "Rogue One"), told the Mirror he has never sat all the way through any of the "Star Wars" movies.
Chewbacca
While playing Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew spoke his lines in English. The dialogue was later dubbed into Wookie — a combination of bear, walrus, lion and badger sounds — during postproduction.
Princess Leia
Because Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa) was a foot shorter than Ford, she had to stand on a box for most of their scenes together.
Inspiration
Lucas' Alaskan malamute inspired the character of Chewbacca. "A very sweet dog, she would always sit next to me when I was writing," he said. "And when I'd drive around, she'd sit in the front seat. A malamute is a very large dog — like a 130 pounds and bigger than a human being, and very long-haired."
Competition
When Lucas visited Steven Spielberg on the set of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," he was convinced his friend's movie would eclipse his own. "George came back from 'Star Wars' a nervous wreck," Spielberg recounted. "He didn't feel 'Star Wars' came up to the vision he initially had. He felt he had just made this little kids' movie." Lucas proposed a trade: 2.5 percent of the profits from "Star Wars" in exchange for 2.5 percent of "Close Encounters." Spielberg took the gamble, and receives royalties from the film to this day.
Han Solo
Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, wasn't a fan of Lucas' script. In fact, he once groused to the director "George, you can type this s---, but you can't say it!"
R2-D2
In Lucas's original treatment, R2-D2 could speak. A 1974 draft of the movie gave him such lines as, "The structure has exceeded the normal stress quotient by point four, although there appears to be no immediate danger."
Danger
While filming the trash compactor scene, Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) held his breath so long he popped a blood vessel. As a result, many of the shots show only one side of his face.
Love
Fisher and Ford had an "intense" three-month affair while filming "Star Wars: A New Hope," according to Fisher. Ford was a married father of two at the time.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
In a letter to a friend, Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi, dismissed "Star Wars" as "fairy-tale rubbish." He also later claimed it was his idea to have his character killed off so he "wouldn't have to carry on saying these rubbish lines."
Rights
By agreeing to waive $500,000 in directing fees, Lucas persuaded 20th Century Fox to let him maintain licensing and merchandising rights. Consequently, the studio missed out on billions in profits.
Darth Vader
Lucas originally wanted the iconic film director Orson Welles to voice Darth Vader, but feared that his intonations would be "too recognizable." Besides his many films, Welles is famous for his radio adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel "The War of the Worlds," which caused terrified some listeners when broadcast in 1938.
Weapons
Sound designer Ben Burtt created the lightsaber's signature buzz by combining the hum of an old film projector's motors with the interference caused by a TV on a shieldless microphone.
Brothers
"Star Wars" was originally titled "Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode One: The Star Wars." It featured two brothers: Deak and Luke Skywalker.
Choices
Al Pacino, best known for his roles in "The Godfather" and "Scarface," turned down the part of Han Solo because he found the script too confusing.
Grand Moff Tarkin
Peter Cushing's riding boots pinched his feet so much that Lucas let him wear slippers on the set. That's why you only see Grand Moff Tarkin from the knees up or strategically positioned behind a desk.
Crew
Lucas admired Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" so much he hired most of its production crew. The alums were dubbed the "Class of 2001" on the set, CBS News reports.
The Can
When the cast and crew broke for lunch, they would frequently forget that Kenny Baker was still in the R2-D2 "can" and leave him behind, according to IMDB.
Tatooine
Tatooine got its name from the Tunisian city of Tatouine, although no shooting was conducted there. Various locations in southern Tunisia stood in for the desert planet, and many of the wood-and-fiberglass structures from the movie are still in use today, mostly as tourist attractions.
Read More:
www.space.com/36995-star-wars-40-surprising-facts.html