New Elstree Studio documentary with discarded Graflex.

[newmagrathea]

Another reason why I say Christian never assembled these is because of all the crap he was talking about the empire strikes back graflex’s..

At the time of ESB Roger was not working with Lucas.. I believe he was on aliens? (Someone can confirm this with me?)

And people have asked what he thought of the changes the graflex went through.. now my quotes aren’t 100% but he basically said

“The lightsaber is suppose to be Excalibur.. they made it look very ugly with the alterations they made, the rivets in the d ring really looked ugly, and that’s why I prefer a screw”
(This is BEFORE the Robertson screw comments, and people started using hex cap screws)

He also made comments on how the notched grips and circuit board were ugly, the 7 smooth grips and bubble stripped look more elegant..

I wish I could find that interview but the comments he made we very nasty.. to the point of jealousy..

So.. long story short... if he commented and said rivets were ugly on the ESB saber, why would he have used them on this discarded saber if he built it himself?

I will still stand today saying, Roger found the boxes of graflex’s... but he didn’t assemble them..

Unfortunately everyone who worked with him has passed away and it’s only his story to tell now.. but his words and these artifacts don’t match up at all..

His behavior of taking graflex’s, dressing them up with replica parts off eBay then trying to pass them off as lightsabers he’s had in storage for 40years... that isn’t someone I can take credible.. and that goes on anything he says

I know that after Star Wars he worked on Monty Python's Life of Brian, and then he worked on Alien. I have his book Cinema Alchemist and I'm trying to skim through it and find if he mentions ESB somewhere.

 

[Halliwax]

I]


Could had been used as a reherasal between Guinnes and Prowse? the only photo I found is this one , they are using John Stears prototypes. Could had used the elstree saber when these ones broke?View attachment 993767

THIS PHOTO!!! here I am looking through YouTube videos for this photo!!

Thanks for sharing this!! This is what I think the discarded graflex was meant to be!!

I think they again were experimenting with the scotchlite and before they came up with the spinning blade idea. We’re going to go this route!

The discarded graflex was modifed for the blade, and then when they went with the motor setup discarded it, after harvesting the grips

Again thanks for sharing!! You saved me a lot of time!

 

[newmagrathea]

He talks about how Brian Johnson left Alien production early to start on ESB and Nick Allder took over in his place (p.207). He goes on talking about Alien so...

 

[Halliwax]

The damage at the bottom is all focused in that ONE area, right where the D-ring is mounted.

I don't think this is from random drops or drags, unless it was one very long drag along some concrete or something, and the flash wasn't rotated at all during that one long drag.

The heat from the welding of the washer at the emitter end could've deformed the S curve.

The D ring bracket most DEFINITELY looks hand made, and in a hurry, with some really thin gauge aluminum or steel sheet. The two small rivets make sense for the amount of room there is on the flat area of the bracket. That's a really minuscule D ring bracket, downright TINY. MAN, what a shoddy bit of work! Still, not terribly surprised.

Y'all know how I feel about Roger Christian. Totally untrustworthy. I don't think I could believe anything that comes out of his mouth regarding these props, not anymore.

Very cool to see these pics, thanks for sharing them! It really is amazing and exciting when things like this truly surface. It gives me hope that there's still so much more to come!

And I don't care whether one or ALL the Graflex hilts had two rivets in the bottom. I like the clean look of just the one rivet, and the bracket butted up against the lip of the outside edge.

Anyone who's gonna switch out their brackets, just send them all to me (the ones with the single hole). I'll take good care of them.

One more thing, if ANY of you actually REPLICATE this thing, with the bent-to-hell emitter end and welded washer (and attempt to match every ding and scratch and dent on the bottom edge), I will personally drive/fly out to your place of residence and slap you upside the head for your utter lunacy!! And I'll bring a bunch of random people to line up behind me, it'll be just like that scene in "Airplane!"!!

.... i hope you forgot my address

 

[Halliwax]

Indignate I also have to thank you again for sharing these photos. This has really been a great thread!!

 

[Dann]

Hahaha, aww c'mon, y'all know I'm just being silly!

I will weep, though, internally, and most certainly sigh, and do a little facepalm, shake my head AND roll my eyes if I see that any of you bent up even a replica Graflex!

 

[thd9791]

I didn't know the DV6 sliced rod has a thinner area right above the plate. Maybe a place for set screws? Also, you're right, theres another plate over a graflex socket! Much nicer looking.

Dan, good call on Welding warping the graflex. Brass is pretty soft

 

[thd9791]

the B&W photo under the DV6 also shows a D ring tab that is a little more open than Roy's. Like it's definitely folded and not pinched right next to the D ring.

 

[MasterJedi]

I'm really hoping we can find more evidence of the relevancy of this hilt to the films.

 

[MasterJedi]

He also made comments on how the notched grips and circuit board were ugly, the 7 smooth grips and bubble stripped look more elegant.. I wish I could find that interview but the comments he made we very nasty.. to the point of jealousy..

To add to what you said about Roger's talking down on the ESB hilt:

This is what he said about the ESB hilt in my Robertson Screw Interview. I had asked him about the possibility that the ANH T-Tracks were brown and painted black, like the fake hilt that Ripleys bought a while ago.

"The Ripleys is presumed mine but its not, its from Empire Strikes Back and they didn't use my bubble strip in the clip, some piece of circuit board that I'd never have used, as not suitable for a Jedi weapon in my eyes. Plus yes looks like they painted the stripes black. Lazy work to me."

 

[SethS]

... the shade...

 

[CHalcyon82]

I guess I'll be the outlier here but I don't see any problem with him having an opinion on how the later production teams handled the Graflex. IMHO, I like TESB version of it but he's completely free to have an opinion and be critical of their approach.

 

[thd9791]

Very true,

back to the graflex in question, are we saying they attempted to reinforce the socket in ANH and then did it again in ESB for the bladed fighting stunts with bolts?

 

[Dalziel44]

It really is amazing and exciting when things like this truly surface. It gives me hope that there's still so much more to come!

Love this philosophy. Should call this new Flex the “A New Hope saber”!

 

[Treadwell]

I want to point that while Andy walked around the sets many times, he is not the child in the xwing cockpit. I found those photos in facebook.

Screenwriter Peter Briggs has shared Elstree backlot photos from his childhood before. It's possible one or more of those photos are his, or are even OF him. They are all post-ROTJ, by the way, not ANH.

Anyway, welcome and thanks for joining and sharing!

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Very true,

back to the graflex in question, are we saying they attempted to reinforce the socket in ANH and then did it again in ESB for the bladed fighting stunts with bolts?

Yes—check out the Vader ROTJ stunt hilt, which is a dressed up reuse of a ESB Luke stunt saber.

 

[Halliwax]

To add to what you said about Roger's talking down on the ESB hilt:

This is what he said about the ESB hilt in my Robertson Screw Interview. I had asked him about the possibility that the ANH T-Tracks were brown and painted black, like the fake hilt that Ripleys bought a while ago.

"The Ripleys is presumed mine but its not, its from Empire Strikes Back and they didn't use my bubble strip in the clip, some piece of circuit board that I'd never have used, as not suitable for a Jedi weapon in my eyes. Plus yes looks like they painted the stripes black. Lazy work to me."

Yes!!!!

 

[Halliwax]

Yes—check out the Vader ROTJ stunt hilt, which is a dressed up reuse of a ESB Luke stunt saber.

What are we looking for exactly? I’m confused, the dv6 has a plate Similar to the Mitchell saber ?

 

[Captain Dunsel]

What are we looking for exactly? I’m confused, the dv6 has a plate Similar to the Mitchell saber ?

Yes, that’s all I am seeing as similar to the Elstree saber; just the use of the metal plate/washer to stabilize the intended blade / blade plug.

 

[Gregatron]

Yes!!!!

In the back of my mind, I find myself wondering if Christian’s bashing of the ESB props isn’t just a sly way of fluffing up his personal “ownership” of the ANH prop, since he is promoting himself as the One True Creator of the prop...and conveniently has several “leftovers” and “prototypes” to auction.

Tearing down something else in order to make your product look better and build it up is a classic technique of lazy writers and con artists.