Elstree Props "Original" ROTJ Lightsaber

[GINO]

That definitely supports the idea of there being two metal hero style sabers, because I can't see them casting the MoM saber with all the junk on the control box to make the resin stunts, then removing it for stunt scenes, then adding it back on later.

 

[bigbaddaddyvader]

Further to Chris mentioning the situation with the BobaDebt blaster here is the archived thread regarding that piece:
http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=26679&highlight=bigbaddaddyvader
Also some more pertinent information on this as an update.Ash has now accepted and understands the actual nature of this piece and that it is in fact a BobaDebt replica.As I understand it he is currently pursuing matters with Elstree.Also,as the question was raised in the thread and I didnt see it and it deserves a categorical answer,the piece was obtained directly from Norman Harrison and as I understand it also bears an Elstree Props COA.
Some more illustration,for those that have asked,about the nature of the deserved reputation that Elstree,and the Harrisons,have created for themselves as charlatans.

 

[micdavis]

Check this out

http://idisk.mac.com/micdavis/Public/R2fires.mov

 

[jdebord]

Just to clarify a little because
PS - Elstree has also displayed (and apparently sold) Boba Debt replica Merr-Sonn blaster(s) as original props coming from the "personal collection of John Stears". There's just been too many lies out of them for me to trust anything they say - which is unfortunate because someone there must know some real facts.

I wrote an article about this piece on my blog back in May:

Prop Watchlist: Star Wars Imperial Blaster

I feel it is important to memorialize the photos and details of such pieces so that the information is "out there" as reference to fellow hobbyists.

Jason

 

[eFXBarry]

It all gets confusing as to how many sabers and which one was used where in the movie.

The one Mark is pictured resting against his chin against between takes on the Skiff duel, is for want of a better name the MR ROTJ saber. This was previously refered to as the "HERO" (and still is I suppose) version. This machined aluminum saber is the STUNT saber. It has the nipple and the set screw on the end to secure different length blades. There were SEVERAL made for the production as the paint jobs in the pics differ as they got banged up and the paint came off them.

The one Vader rolls in his hands when he's examining Luke's saber on the landing platform seems to be one of these bodies cleaned up, however the control box doesn't match the one on the old "HERO".

The V.2 MR replicated was originally going to have the balck and gold strip from the "shared stunt" version until Lonepigeon found a clear shot of it in Logray's hands WITH the ESB edge board connector. MR changed it out at the last minute in the interests of screen accuracy

The saber I refered to that Elstree Props had that I learned was fan made, is in a shot on their site that has multiple sabers. It looks like the silver and black V.2.

Norank Engineering were the onsite machinists that were engaged for a lot of the work on the Elstree Studios based LFL productions. What they have that's real? I have no idea.

Luke's saber blade was always supposed to be blue as far as I could ascertain. The decision to swap it to green seems to have been made in post production when it was felt that the blue blade became washed out in the harsh dessert sunshine sequences. Green popped out more. The initial trailer showes a blue blade that is hard to see. But this is theory I have no hard or fast evidence to support it.

Barry

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

The 'MoM Hero' and the 'Real Hero/Vader handled saber' (we really need a name for this one) do seem to match in overall dimensions including the uneven grip spacing. Either they were both made at the same time and detailed differently or the control box was changed. I'm guessing they are two separate sabers because as you said the R2 sabers have the detailed control box like the 'MoM Hero' and they were used at the same time as the 'Real Hero' with the very solid, simpler control box.
It wouldn't make sense if they cast it with the detailed box, changed the box to the simpler one for filming, and then changed it back - not impossible, just seems unlikely.

So I believe that the "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber" prop and the MOM metal saber are the same prop, but that that control box was modified at some point in post to have additional details on the inside (and that this is when the grey rails were added) so that they might be able to shoot the Luke constructing his lightsaber scene (which was never actually shot).

Now the only problem with this idea is that the resin sabers we've seen at MOM (which we assume are from the same batch as the resin sabers that were shot out of R2) have the same control box as the MOM metal saber, which would mean that the MOM metal saber's control box would have had to be on the saber early in production.

However, what if the resin saber shown at MOM is not one of the kind shot out of R2, and what if that resin saber is actually just something made later or even in post production.

What if the resin sabers shot out of R2, were actually castings of the Shared Stunt saber (the type that is on display in the entrance to the Lucasfilm Ranch).

Now some people will say, "but we've seen the resin Luke saber that was shot out of R2", and I would say, "have we"? Elstree sold a resin Luke ROTJ saber last year that they claimed was shot out of R2, but I think they are full of $hit. I think that elstree bought a resin casting of the Luke ROTJ saber, the same kind that were sold the the public in the early 80s (and which a number of board members own) painted it up, cut the tip off of it, and then passed it off at auction as the actual prop that was shot out of R2. But I think that we actually have no idea what the resin saber shot out of R2 in the Yuma shoot looks like, and that this saber could very well be a resin casting off of the Shared/Stunt saber, and that it could actaully be the kind that is sitting on the wall of the loby of the Lucasfilm ranch.


So this leads me to construct a new timeline for the metal "hero" saber in which:

A couple of Metal "hero style" stunt sabers were used at Yuma during the sandskiff shoot, one of these stunts (not the one shown resting under Mark's chin) was later cleaned up and used in the "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber scene", then this same exact prop was modified to have a more complicated and hollow control box , and this is the prop seen at the MOM exhibit.

I think that the resin saber at the MOM exhibit might actually have been cast very late or post production by ILM staff, after all of the modifications to the control box had been made. And I think that everything Elstree says is a big pile of crap.

Dan Stokes
DDStokes@aol.com

 

[jdebord]

I have a new update on the OPB, with an external article/interview with Paul Harrison:

LINK

Interesting, in that Harrison states:

...the item on sale is the only one remaining in the company’s possession.

So how does that reconcile with the photos of the prop on the Elstree Props website appearing to be different from the photos of the prop in the Auction Specialists listing?

Jason

 

[antwayne]

This is from T-Bone's site quoting EP- "We made Luke's hero saber and . . . It also had to have a green crystal in the pommel, and make a pneumatic sound when closed."

Why would the production request a prop that makes a pneumatic sound? Wouldn't you think the company that has brought us such great movie sounds would rather add that hiss in post-production- like they usually did?

 

[jdebord]

The auction has ended and it has been relisted.

Link to Details

Jason De Bord

 

[defstartrooper]

No bids at all so they relist at the same price expecting things to be different this time ?

 

[jdebord]

A news story published over the weekend by the Borehamwood & Elstree Times reports, in part:

Mr Harrison’s att-empts to sell for £30,000 a lightsaber made for the Return of the Jedi film have failed so far.

The lightsaber was made specifically for Luke Skywalker, played by actor Mark Hamill.

He said: “We have decided to keep that one for a while as it is too hard to let it go but if someone has the money we would reluctantly part with it.”

More details HERE

Also, per a listing by e11e on eBay, Elstree Props are retiring and offering their business for sale.

The auction listing states, in part:

After 30 years in the industry we are retiring and selling our established and profitable business.

More details HERE

Jason De Bord