AFICIONADO STAR WARS MYSTERY: CAPTURING THE MAN IN BLACK!

Here's some intriguing pictures of a US (?) photo shot taken of Darth Vader, the true Dark Lord of the Sith. I think its from at least 1977/78 (presumably thats Kermit Eller in the costume) - note the huge size of the Vader mask: it has to be from A NEW HOPE time.

If anyone knows what the shoot was for, if there's any more images in the set, and where and when it first appeared, please get in touch...

AFICIONADO STAR WARS MYSTERY: KENNY BAKER IN CHICAGO!

Sometime between 1977 and 1978, Kenny Baker, in his US public appearances for the lovable droid Artoo Detoo, took part in what would apparently become a controversial STAR WARS related OLYMPIA beer promotion in Chicago, without the prior knowledge of LUCASFILM, which had the slogan: "The best thing to come out of a can since R2-D2."

Does anyone out there have this advertising image, or more information about the advert in general? Apart from the ONCE UPON A GALAXY BOOK written by Alan Arnold from 1979, and J.W. Rinzler's recent MAKING OF EMPIRE book I'd never previously seen or heard about this.

If anyone can help, please get in touch.

AFICIONADO MYSTERY: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO "THE MIDNIGHT SHADOW"?

With the start of the new Third Season of THE CLONE WARS in the UK this weekend, we're getting another 22 episodes full of STAR WARS goodness. Some of these new season episodes were created during Season Two and held over for Three, a practice that also previously applied with Season One (where the superb CARGO OF DOOM, listed in books at the time for the premiere year (to have been transmitted before what was later to be Cad Bane's first appearance in HOSTAGE CRISIS), was held over as the second episode of Season Two instead). But there's one episode from Season One, also listed on many fan sites and online episodes guides in 2008/2009, which seems to have disappeared never to be seen again- I'm talking about the evocatively titled BATTLE FOR THE MIDNIGHT SHADOW. Exactly just what is the Midnight Shadow of the title? A planet? A spaceship? A disease? Does anybody out there have any more details on the "lost" story and why it had disappeared from the run? Was it an early title for an episode we've already seen (like the BLUE SHADOW VIRUS), perhaps? Did it even exist, or was it an early idea abandoned, or, more excitingly, an idea being re-configured as an episode for a later season?

If anyone can help solve the mystery, please get in touch...

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: A NEW CRAWL...

Here's a great shot of the original title crawl for STAR WARS-which was so lengthy that Lucas's friends at a private, incomplete screening of the movie in late '76/early '77 declared that it was too long and almost incomprehensible to follow. With help from an uncredited Brian DePalma, Lucas would create a new, shorter crawl replacement leading into the film which ILM would shoot in a new stairway to heaven/Flash Gordon intro style homage-becoming the classic and iconic opening which would serve through five more films after 1977.

Note the original unused logo for STAR WARS here, created by Joe Johnston.

AFICIONADO STAR WARS MYSTERY: ART ATTACK!

Does anyone know anything about this lovely piece of art, from 1977, of STAR WARS' classic Death Star attack? Its apparently by Eddie Jones.

Was it unused promotional art for LUCASFILM or FOX? Or possibly unused art for MARVEL, perhaps?

If anyone can help, please get in touch...

AFICIONADO STAR WARS MYSTERY: THE UNKNOWN PREMIERE

I recently found this image during an internet trawl, but am slightly mystified with it as to where and when its from. Someone online listed it as a premiere for the original STAR WARS, but I can't find any records of a premiere like this for 1977/78. I think its more likely a premiere for EMPIRE in 1980-it may be the UK Royal Premiere held in May that year at London's ODEON Leicester Square (the exterior certainly looks like it could be their outside foyer), with Chris Parsons filling in for Anthony Daniels (who was ill in hospital) inside the golden suit, alongside the remote controlled Artoo which was used at the event (a picture exists from the premiere of the droid with Mark Hamill and his wife). If that's the case, who played Chewbacca (I wasn't aware that the character was at the premiere)? Peter Mayhew can be seen at the UK premiere in his evening suit, but could he have briefly played Chewie before the film started? Mayhew had played the lovable Wookiee that week for the UK children's programme BLUE PETER, alongside Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher in promoting EMPIRE, so the costume was in the country.

If anyone has info on this intriguing image, please get in touch...