Luke Return Of The Jedi Lightsaber

[thd9791]

Hey everyone, I've been browsing the many debates over this prop, is there a definitive list of who made what when, and who used what?

I'm also curious if anyone dug up anything on the rubber/resin stunt that was shot out of R2D2 on the sail barge?

Also, the lightsaber hanging on Luke's belt as he climbs up the skiff looks a lot like the one he uses to fight (or just knock people off) in the same scene am I right?

And was this idea for Luke's taken from the the stunt made for Alec Guiness? Or was that created as the story was written and just happened to be used for both movies?

Thanks for any insight

Here I see the one used in most of the movie, the scuffed, black metal V2 (used by Alec Guiness too?) also used in a publicity photo (see the wasters!)

http://www.manageyourshapeblog.com/.a/6a00e54f9153e08833014e87fd7fba970d-800wi

And here much less scuffed, in a deleted scene is the V2 again!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B6X-3St4i1M/TG2pg6L0BII/AAAAAAAAAso/q97gomw36VY/s1600/Luke_glove.jpg

and Luke catches the V2 from R2, but then fights with a copper necked saber

http://devan1.tripod.com/Pics/SKIFF2.JPG

What is going on?! haha

 

[blewis17]

Time to get the Popcorn ready!

 

[GeorgeC]

There are at least 3 versions of Luke's lightsaber in ROTJ.

Master Replicas released two of them...

Parks has what is basically the stunt version for sale on his site. His version comes with a detachable blade.

The stunt version was what was used early in the film... Its biggest scenes are during the Batlle of the Sarlac Pit on Tatooine. You get a good view of its emitter head before Artoo ejects it to Luke.

Frankly, I think the stunt saber is in some ways more attractive than the "Hero" prop. It shows a more definite lineage to Obi-Wan Kenobi's Star Wars lightsaber as well as keeping more in line with the retro look of the Anakin/Vader sabers, too. The Hero prop looks almost too modern.

The "Hero" version of the lightsaber is seen on Endor when Luke surrenders to the Imperials. You see Vader handle this version after the Imperial Officer gives it to him. It's probably the most-manufactured version of the ROTJ Luke lightsaber and is generally considered the definitive version of the handle.

The V2, the very last screen-used lightsaber released by Master Replicas, appears during the final lightsaber between Luke and Vader. That saber handle is weird... There are stories that it originally appeared with an emitter head like the stunt saber but was modded later ("nipple" added to the emitter) to look more like the "Hero" version.

Besides these saber handles, there were probably at least a few lightsaber handles cast of whatever materials they used back then (the Prequels were big on resin; the Original Trilogy used metal handles for practically everything I think). These were the "disposable" lightsabers.

The technology for props has evolved to the point that only "Hero" props are done in metal. The rest of the props used for stunts/action scenes are usually made out of plastic/resin/whatever and are disposable. You don't want to damage valuable "Hero" props used for still photos or close-up scenes.

 

[Henry Jones]

Do you have pics of the stunt saber?
And is the Hero prop the copper necked one? I never really liked that one. I like the V2.

 

[thd9791]

The thin I'm lost on now, the stunt luke uses on the sail barge had a nipple on the emitter, and a bolted on control box. Looks a lot like the nippled-saber Alec Guinness used on film (part of the lightsaber duel where the blade disappears and sparks.) Looks like they painted the neck copper and bolted on a box to use.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhar5la5Cf1qedqfdo1_400.jpg

The other bladed stunt used in the death star and for lots of practices for esb has no nipple and looks like a wider emitter plate. (NASA saber) Same saber with an altered emitter? or two different bladed stunts?

http://bonzuko.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/201009_fotos-curiosas-rodaje-star-wars11.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v62/photos/9/976173/4001324/empire01-vi.jpg

best one

http://www.blueharvest.net/images/set/star/steel-sabers.jpg

This is not regarding: the V2, hero used in close up, or the resin/rubber/whatever stunts shot out of R2D2. The saber hanging on luke's belt as he climbs up the sail barge looks light and crude, wood or resin.

 

[TylerHam]

I have a resin casting of what is THOUGHT to be the R2 luke saber -

Its smaller than the stunt - I have watched the movie and it "looks" right but im no expert -

 

[Aussie66]

There's also a 4th. The "Yuma stunt" i believe it was referred to as

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

The resin saber that was shot out of R2 was a resin casting of the shared stunt, not the hero. When the saber pops out of r2's dome, you can see the extra neck grove that is NOT on the hero.
A lot of people think the saber was a casting of the hero because Elstree sold such a casting as authentic a while back. But this was false.

 

[skynet]

Just another thing...It recently came to my mind, that I'll propably need a saber from you again Anakin :lol - they are top notch.

 

[Psab keel]

I would check out the Parts of Star Wars website as they have a great write up on all of the different sabers, among many other famous Star Wars props.

 

[ep1972]

The resin saber that was shot out of R2 was a resin casting of the shared stunt, not the hero. When the saber pops out of r2's dome, you can see the extra neck grove that is NOT on the hero.
A lot of people think the saber was a casting of the hero because Elstree sold such a casting as authentic a while back. But this was false.

Incorrect.

 

[scarf man]

Incorrect.

Do tell. Care to elaborate on your bold statement?
I beg to differ, and will state emphatically that Anakin Starkiller's statement is 100% fact.

The two above pictures are of the dubious saber made reference to by Anakin Starkiller.

 

[Jet Beetle]

Not sure which of the three this is - but it's the one that NASA took into space. They had it on display there a few years back. Sorry for the poor pics but I was being hurried along and shooting through glass, but here ya go--

Hope these help you.

 

[scarf man]

That is the shared stunt.

Nice pics Jet Beetle!

 

[thd9791]

Those are GREAT pictures, thank you! That is the shared stunt, yes - Used as a stunt in A New Hope and then for practice behind the scenes and the lightsaber battle on the death star in Return of the Jedi. I hear now, that the Yuma stunts (yes there were at least 2 with longer and shorter blades or rods) were metal, and the only Luke sabers made especially for the third film. The rest were: This saber above for fighting and the V2 for static scenes. (obviously there were other resin/wood stunts and the "Pretty" one for the close up)

As for Scarf man, I don't believe ep1972 was saying It was a cast of the hero instead...I hear a lot of people over analyze this prop.

During filming they needed many copies of something that looked sort-of like this lightsaber, they needed them quick and cheaply. There was no control box, I'm not sure it was even exactly cast. From what I can tell (including the dull slightly bulged emitter) it was a resin and had roughly the same dimensions, but was very small and simple nonetheless. They most likely had many so they could shoot the take over and over without delay. I don't have exact proof, but I'm working off of who I've talked to and plain old common sense, something that seems to fall by the wayside sometimes on forums like these. I highly doubt that this prop was a precision cast piece with specific details, considering budget, time, and necessity in that specific scene.

Back to that shared stunt, that is REALLY beat up, they really did a number re-painting that huh haha. (and I do see the odd edge now, suggesting the nipple was taken off.

 

[Knightsaber]

Both the shared stunt and the V2 are made from the same mold. They have the same dimensions except the V2 has the nipple on the emitter. Both were used as bladed dueling sabers for Obi-Wan in ANH. The "hero" saber was only used in one shot: the "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber" shot. Other than that, every time you see Luke or anyone else handling the saber, it is the V2 or one of the stunt sabers.

 

[Hardcore]

really nice.:thumbsup

 

[thd9791]

Knightsaber,

Yep, that is the general gist of things. The lightsaber shooting in Yuma, Arizona didn't include either of these, as Mark Hamil had a few metal stunt sabers that were new for Return of the Jedi. These had metal rods, nipples and were a little skinnier than the V2 and Shared stunt. The list is rather large for screen used props from this movie.

EDIT: While I'm here I'll mock up what I know

From A new hope:
V2 - black scuffed static with graflex clamp
Shared Stunt - Used for dueling, mostly death star and behind the scenes (pictures above) with graflex clamp
(both above turned from wooden master copies made to look like Obi Wan's grenade hero saber but with rings and a flat smooth lower section - Thus how "Luke's" got it's shape.)

Yuma metal stunt(s) - made later, for Jabba's Sail barge, seen in those shots
(most likely where the famous color scheme happened. The V2 neck was a little yellow an they painted THIS neck solid copper color)

Simpler resin copies - Used for shooting out of Air Cannon (R2D2)

Some resin/wooden copy - hanging on Luke's belt when he climbs up sail Barge, possibly stuck in his belt before swinging. black/brown scuffed with a graflex clamp too most likely

Pretty One - Known as the hero, either a metal or resin made (or a re-used Yuma that was cleaned up) very famous. Painted with the famous color scheme.

*the Shared stunt in the pictures above got a new paint job after filming with this color scheme as well. may have been a little yellow/orange in the upper neck like V2 to begin with

Crazy huh?

the resin museum displays you see around with the clunky messed up control box most likely aren't real or at least never saw screen time.

 

[ep1972]

Note: The lightsabers that were shot from the R2D2's dome did in fact have the control box molded as part of the saber. The control box was missing the adjustment clip, and the small triangles present on most other models. The emitter nipple was sanded to a smooth flat surface.

The colors were base matte silver, gold/copper colored neck, black highlights between the grips, and gold/ copper solid paint on the control box grills, with no black highlights. According to Peter Diamond, Dicky Beers, and a few others present on the set, approximately half a dozen of these resin sabers were used for that particular sequence.

Hope this helps.

 

[thd9791]

It actually does, Sorry guys!