CLASSIC IMAGE: GOLDEN "GOD"!

Celebrating the arrival of their Golden "deity" to the forest of Endor, the Ewoks carve out a wooden throne in his honour and take him to their tree top homestead. The others in Threepio's party aren't so lucky, tied to stakes and carried in a most undignified way by their captors. The majority of this scene, filmed at the Californian Redwoods in April/May 1982, in which the Ewok party traverse a large log/bridge, didn't actually make the final film. It looks as if this scene may be linked to the one and only sequence that famous Stuntman Vic Armstrong actually worked on for JEDI, as he confirmed to AFICIONADO contributor Ian Trussler last month at the launch of his new book on his incredible career in the stunt industry:

"I asked him to say exactly what he did on JEDI and he said he only did the long shot of the heroes being carried on the poles by the Ewoks, he doubled for Harrison/Han as Harrison had a bad back that day.

I then double checked and said, "that was it, you didn't do the Yuma shoot on the skiff?", to which he replied, "Sadly no, I did not do that."

So there you have it. Decades of speculation ended direct from the horses mouth."

For even more detailed info on the making of JEDI, check out our informative and exhaustive special issue, here: STAR WARS AFICIONADO ISSUE 14 - THE MAKING OF "RETURN OF THE JEDI"

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: IN THE LAND OF THE EWOK!

Here's a great ILM matte painting of a part of the Ewok village on Endor. Can anyone confirm if this was done for JEDI (as some magazines have said over the years-if so, a deleted scene?) or for a scene I don't recall in the Ewok TV movies? I think its probably the latter (perhaps CARAVAN OF COURAGE?), but if anyone can help please get in touch.

CLASSIC IMAGE: LITTLE FURBALL!

One of Stuart Freeborn's created Ewoks takes part in a late 1981 costume reference film/photo test, videotaped by Producer Howard Kazanjian and Robert Watts, at ELSTREE prior to the commencement of REVENGE (later RETURN) OF THE JEDI's principal photography in January 1982.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH!

In the Redwoods of California, during 1982's making of RETURN OF THE JEDI, young Warwick Davis takes a break from filming his Ewok scenes and looks like he's enjoying the high life of international stardom with his Tom Cruise TOP GUN shades on! Go for it, Warwick!

If you haven't read Warwick's fun and revealing autobiography on his unique life and career, SIZE MATTERS NOT, published by AURUM PRESS, its well worth a look, and available to buy from many online stores.

Read our review here: http://www.starwarsaficionado.com/sizemattersnotreview.html

And check out an exclusive extract and clip from the book here: http://www.starwarsaficionado.com/sizemattersnotextract.html

CLASSIC IMAGE: EWOK DINNER!

Bad enough to be frozen in carbonite and suffer humiliation from Jabba the Hutt, but now Han Solo is about to have a fate worse than death, being cooked by those cuddly Ewoks as part of a banquet/feast honouring Threepio!! "I have a bad feeling about this!"

Will Han have enough breath in his lungs to put the fires out!