Sunday 19 November 2017

'STAR WARS' AT 40: BACK TO THE (USA) DESERT!

Mark Hamill returns to play Luke Skywalker in 1977.

Recovering from his car crash ordeal that occurred earlier in the year (January 11th, 1977), Mark Hamill's previously cancelled and rescheduled participation in US shooting of extra footage needed for STAR WARS is finally completed now that he is in recovery. At a dune in La Mirage, California, he joins Peter Kuran wearing the Threepio costume, and another unknown ILMer as the hooded Kenobi, for some required Landspeeder travelling shots that are supervised by Gary Kurtz, with a mirror attached to the vehicle's side to reflect the opposite desert and give the illusion of it travelling above ground.

Gary Kurtz with Peter Kuran as Threepio, and Joe Johnston.



Sadly, this footage is later discarded as, even from a distance, Hamill's facial scarring from the crash (soon involving the need for plastic surgery repair, confirmed by the actor by May 1980) is allegedly highly noticeable.

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