CLASSIC IMAGE: UNFORGETTABLE VILLAINY

Wearing, in my opinion, the best costume and helmet, from the original STAR WARS, the menacing, lightsaber holding dark vision that is Darth Vader (presumably inhabited by US Don Post employee/ Vader stand-in Kermit Eller?) poses for a promotional image for the LUCASFILM/FOX publicity machine, sometime during 1977-1978.

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...

DARTH VADER: SEVENTIES TV CELEBRITY!

DON POST MASKS staffer Kermit Eller was a very busy man playing the then ultimate persona of evil-Darth Vader- in the late seventies-officially partaking in everything from appearing on the hilariously bad DONNIE AND MARIE SHOW to opening BLOOMINGDALES department store with his own poster range (with a little artistic help from Ralph McQuarrie, I might add!).

I'm assuming the above image is from a US TV show appearance but, being in the UK, I have no idea which show it is, when it aired exactly (1977?), or who the celebrity is that Vader is posing with.

Can anyone out there in STAR WARS cyberspace help with any info?