2 Question's original ANH Vader 'vanishing'

HAL9000

HAL9000

Sr Member
Okay,

before I start - I just want to make it clear that I am not pointing any fingers or making any accusations. Just thinking outloud / theorizing.

1. With regard to the screen used ANH mask & dome Eller wore for the appearances. If this was indeed the actual mask (as stated) if it did go missing, was it taken after the tours? Or did it walk a long time after.
I would think that once the film was out (whilst he was using it) LFL would
have become aware of it's significance - certainly by the time they got to
the Academy Awards in 78. So how could a piece like that just walk?

Like I said - I'm not insinuating Mr Eller would have anything to do with the
mask / dome disappearing (if it did) I'm just curious as to how and when
it could have happened.

2. Did / Does Eller have any of the suit pieces? Like a Memento?


Any idea's or suggestions?
 
1. Who says it walked? Wasn't that just a false rumor from someone in UK?

2. Eller stated in his interview that the costume and armor was returned to LFL after the tours, so from that I would think he doesn't have any pieces.
 
Mr. Eller has no costume pieces from any of the 3 OT films. Gary Kurtz was extremely wary of losing even the smallest piece of the costumes and personally collected it all back from Mr. Eller. LFL had a system in place where the suit was inspected and cleaned periodocally as well as touched up when necessary. This process also explains the thick paint seen on the armor in the ESB promotional poster/photos. LFL continuously attempted to make sure the suit was as accurate as it was during the filming. I'm sure there are multiple layers of paint on that armor (should it exist today). In my opinion, it's Gary Kurtz who is the guy with any original Vader pieces. He is the one who keeps selling bits and pieces to the auction houses all the time. I'm frankly suprised that LFL allows him to do that. He must have made a deal with the devil, er uh, with George. :)

Dave
 
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Just because they can't find it doesen't mean they haven't got it. Have you seen the size of the LFL archives!:lol Seriously though the only parts I'm aware of that have went "missing" and are still unnaccounted for is the pre-production Boba Fett from ESB. Only the helmet has resurfaced.
 
In my opinion, it's Gary Kurtz who is the guy with any original Vader pieces. He is the one who keeps selling bits and pieces to the auction houses all the time. I'm frankly suprised that LFL allows him to do that. He must have made a deal with the devil, er uh, with George.
Click to expand...

I agree, it appears that he only lets of go of items that he has doubles of and stashes away the good pieces...

Joe
 
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C'mon guys, let's keep it nice. Let's try and have a 'fat kid with popcorn free'
thread.

So who knows what about where the original piece is?

I don't buy for one minute that LFL has it still. If they did it would be in a display case at the ranch (or letterman) or being shown off at events.

Gary Kurtz...maybe. I wouldn't be shocked. But again - surely when he was in need of money recently (i'm assuming - usual reason for auctioning) he would have auctioned off a serious piece like the ANH vader.

Maybe GL has it in his attic?
 
Maybe it would be an idea if we tried to list / account for the known locations
or auctions of ANH vader pieces?

I know of the leather pants / vest / shirt being auctioned.
I think that came with some cut down robes I.I.R.C.
 
You have to be very careful then because some of these auction houses don't know the difference between film used and post production stuff, let alone the differences between similar items from the 3 films.

The PIH auction of the cape and inner robe claimed that they were the cape and robe used during the dual scene in ANH. Rubbish.

The cape was the yoke style ESB and the robe could have been ESB or ROTJ, but not ANH.
Not to mention that both of these could have been made post production and not even screen used like most of the vader stuff you see in the exhibits.
 
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Personally, I don't consider PIH to be reliable. I am referring to auction
houses like Southeby's and Christies.

The Leather pieces were Christies in 94 or 97 I think.
 
My first thought on this was that Uncy George had on display in his private offices at the ranch. If you were going to have anything to display this would be it.

Have any Vader hard parts been auctioned? I was only aware of the leathers and the robes. Apart from the elstree stuff which was proved to be fishy.

Hmm, a list of all the known production usedVader parts known, this sounds like a good idea for a seperate thread. It'd make finding reference info easier and would make identifying exhibit pieces easier as suspect that a lot of the stuff is mixed or replaced.
 
KevVader said:
There was a helmet and shoulder armor set that was restored by Don Bies and auctioned a number of years ago.....(2003, I think?). Claimed to be used in ESB...
Click to expand...

I know the set you're referring to.
Those weren't film used, nor did they match the film used helmet and armor.
 
GINO said:
I know the set you're referring to.
Those weren't film used, nor did they match the film used helmet and armor.
Click to expand...


So, what else have they been ? A set of promotional items ? Or completely different sculpts ?

Michael
 
I don't want to sound like a spoilsport - but could we just concentrate on the ANH stuff here. Please?!

The more I think about Gary Kurtz having the Vader stuff the more it makes sense. Let's face it - Kurtz is the only
person who could have walked away with that stuff and
not have been prosecuted. If someone else had done it it would have been pursued and investigated surely?

Does anyone here have contact with Jason Joiner?
Does he know the full extent of Kurtz's collection?
 
I am not trying to stir up trouble Hal, but Jason Joiner's name often comes up related to unscrupulous activity when discussing props and auctions etc etc.....perhaps what JJ says about Gary Kurtz wouldn't even be reliable enough to help in your inquiry. I've heard far too many "incorrect" stories that have originated with JJ. Now the other worry I would have with JJ's second hand information about GK's collection, is that Kurtz himself has mis-identified several original props as either the wrong item or the wrong film altogether. It has been demonstrated in some of his own auctions. Alot of guys on this board can verify these discrepancies if you don't want to take my word for it. I don't remember if that ANH cape set is one of Kurtz' pieces, but I do remember that some of his items are just as wrong as that cape set we saw go thru PIH.

Peace,

Dave
 
No, Dave...I am fully aware of the...'variable accuracy'
of Jason Joiner's collection. Thanks for the reminder.

Does anyone have any idea of the last recorded sighting
of the ANH mask? I'm guessing it was sometime in 78.
 
vaderdarth said:
Mr. Eller has no costume pieces from any of the 3 OT films. Gary Kurtz was extremely wary of losing even the smallest piece of the costumes and personally collected it all back from Mr. Eller. LFL had a system in place where the suit was inspected and cleaned periodocally as well as touched up when necessary. This process also explains the thick paint seen on the armor in the ESB promotional poster/photos. LFL continuously attempted to make sure the suit was as accurate as it was during the filming. I'm sure there are multiple layers of paint on that armor (should it exist today). In my opinion, it's Gary Kurtz who is the guy with any original Vader pieces. He is the one who keeps selling bits and pieces to the auction houses all the time. I'm frankly suprised that LFL allows him to do that. He must have made a deal with the devil, er uh, with George. :)

Dave
Click to expand...


Well, if owning props and memorabilia was part of his compensation package, then Kurtz had the right to sell whatever he owned.
 
Eller toured with it until 1980.

HAL9000 said:
No, Dave...I am fully aware of the...'variable accuracy'
of Jason Joiner's collection. Thanks for the reminder.

Does anyone have any idea of the last recorded sighting
of the ANH mask? I'm guessing it was sometime in 78.
Click to expand...
 
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