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Okay, so I’m as big a Star Wars fan as the next guy, but this really threw me. This YouTube video shows a “lost” beginning to the original Star Wars movie, and it’s terrible. Apparently these scenes were cut due to “time restrictions,” and boy am I glad. This is one of the best examples I’ve seen of how editing makes a movie better. (Note: this apparently surfaced over a year ago, but the news has just reached headquarters, so to speak.)
Watch the opening scenes, if you dare…
(Via Kottke.org.)
Hahaha, that’s funny. Thanks for making my morning a lil more humorous. ;-)
posted by nutmeag on 1-3-2008 at 9:15 am
Wow, I’ve seen some images from this before, years and years ago.
There was always this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I had seen a scene (?) between Biggs and Luke, but could never figure out where or why. Seeing this brought it all back again.
There was a still shot of Luke and Biggs in some storybook or something when I was a kid, I remember it vividly, just not what book it was in.
I haven’t seen it since, until today. I just had vague recollections that I would share with someone who might also have vaguely remember seeing something like that.
posted by dancemonkey on 1-3-2008 at 9:57 am
Well, the scene with Luke and Biggs isn’t that bad (and explains a bit better why Luke looks so upset with Biggs is killed attacking the Death Star). The first scene with the droid where Luke sees the ships is pretty lame, though.
For those of you who think you’ve seen it before, the stills were in the Star Wars picture storybook (I used to have it and may still do) and, I think, the whole scene is in the novelization (and maybe even in the comics).
If you really want an argument about flawed memories, I’ve heard many Star Wars fans argue that the Episode IV: A New Hope was ALWAYS on the opening crawl, but it wasn’t added until the first theatrical re-release. The 1977 prints didn’t have it because either (a) the studio was afraid it would confuse people, or (b) Lucas and the studio wasn’t sure there would be enough interest in a sequel. Even without sequels, it was supposed to be like walking in on a middle chapter of a serial and picking up the story at mid-point.
posted by Christopher Palmer on 1-3-2008 at 10:26 am
Curse this work video filter!
Any of my fellow nerdlings care to post a synopsis?
posted by EV on 1-3-2008 at 10:31 am
The video no longer works
posted by Patrick on 1-3-2008 at 11:48 am
Check out the excellent fan-made film “Deleted Magic” to see loads of excised bits… The DVD is available free (intentionally so) from many different BT sites.
posted by Jason on 1-3-2008 at 11:58 am
Hey Patrick - video works for me, though perhaps it’s being filtered where you are? Anyway, you might try the YouTube page directly:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCyPTM2FJgA
posted by Higgins on 1-3-2008 at 12:08 pm
so lucas basically wanted to add more… politics.
damn that CNN-loving wookie bastard!
no one gives a shit about intergalactic politics, george… now make with the zappy zappy!
i half expected luke and biggs to break into a debate on trade tariffs. good lord, lucas is a hack.
posted by muskratboy on 1-3-2008 at 2:14 pm
i showed this to my husband, a huge star wars fan, and he told me he had the trading cards as a kid. apparently biggs had like 5 cards, and my husband was always wondering who the heck he was and why he was on so many cards. so thank you, mental floss, for solving a decades-long mystery for my husband!
posted by lindsay m on 1-3-2008 at 2:30 pm
If you watch Star Wars with the commentary (ok, yes, I’m a Star Wars nerd) George Lucas comments that he originally wanted to cut between Luke on Tatooine & the fight on the ship to show the 2 worlds & how the rebellion was on Lukes mind before he met up with Obi-Wan, Leia & Han. He knew it didn’t work & that is why he cut it out of the movie. If you can imagine it interspersed with the battle on the ship, it may be a little less painful to watch (maybe?)
posted by tigergal39 on 1-3-2008 at 3:05 pm
Shut up Muskratboy I’d like see you do better. Sorry I’m just a huge Star Wars nerd.
posted by John P on 1-3-2008 at 4:18 pm
not any worse than the rest of that B-movie. I could never understand how this movie ever made it big.
posted by PeteRepeat42 on 1-3-2008 at 7:41 pm
I remember in the novel the scene in Anchorhead but I never understood why it wasn’t included in the movie.
I understand now.
posted by StarWarsBook on 1-3-2008 at 9:01 pm
I disagree– I don’t think this is all that bad at all. It’s a little cheesy but in the same way that the rest of the movie was, and it gives a little more meaning to Luke’s early yearnings.
posted by T Campbell on 1-3-2008 at 9:43 pm
I remember seeing the Biggs scene in the Star Wars Storybook, but the other scenes were in the original Marvel comics adaptation of Star Wars. I think these scenes were also in the novelization of Star Wars.
In the Marvel adaptation of Empire Strikes Back, Yoda looked like a purple Dobby from Harry Potter, along with the original idea of the Wampas attacking the Rebel base,which was where the dead tauntauns were coming from.
posted by Witt Sullivan on 1-4-2008 at 12:40 am
The scenes with Luke seeing the space fight from the planet surface and meeting up with Biggs both appeared in the original Marvel comic book adaptation of “Star Wars,” the first issue of which preceded the release of the movie by a couple of months.
posted by dave on 1-4-2008 at 12:41 am
Very strange seeing footage of this. I heard basically this extact dialogue years ago from the star wars radio drama (excellent interpretation IMHO). I always thought that they had added additional dialogue for the radio serial to flesh out Lukes story on Tatooine prior to meeting up with Obi Wan, but I guess not.
posted by Glenn on 1-4-2008 at 12:47 am
@PeteRepeat42: That is why you fail.
Why is this news? This “lost” footage is as old as the hills. It was included on some vintage Star Wars CDROM for the PC that I had years ago. I think it even had the original footage of the Han-Jabba meeting before liftoff (pre-Special Edition).
posted by Yoda on 1-4-2008 at 12:49 am
These scenes are definitely in the NPR radio play version too. Except they somehow work in the radio play. It gives lots of prequel scenes, including Leia dealing with a nasty Imperial officer who has dinner with her family and asks for her hand in marriage.
posted by Deidzoeb on 1-4-2008 at 12:53 am
I agree that its not bad at all.
It adds more depth to Luke and explains things about the movie that if you watch and pay attention made you say “huh.. why’s that?” e.g. Biggs and him being excited to join the Alliance.
The opening scene is a bit cheesy/lame as others have said, but Luke’s supposed to be a wide-eyed young adult and easily excited. It just helps show you how much he grows over the series.
posted by TwiztidSinz on 1-4-2008 at 1:00 am
Was that WALL-E’s skinny cousin?
posted by bob on 1-4-2008 at 1:24 am
yea i rather enjoyed watching it now, rather than seeing it in the movie. it was like just another day for luke before shit went down. if it was in the movie it would have been dumb and gave away alot of the story. mainly like how he was gonna be the one to do it all. i mean even the poster was misleading it shows luke like that was gonna be his weapon but he didnt even fight with it.
posted by hyphycore on 1-4-2008 at 1:26 am
It’s not really newly uncovered because its on the “Star Wars: Behind the Magic” cd that came out sometime in 1998, which I own.
posted by Chuck on 1-4-2008 at 2:02 am
I too collected the Star Wars cards and had pictures of Luke in the Gilligan hat looking into the sky with binoculars and wondered why I didn’t see that in the movie.
Okay - a nerdy question from this intro. The discussion of the “draft” into the empire confuses me though, as I thought stormtroopers were clones of Jango Fett?
Can someone explain that one?
posted by TikiVolley on 1-4-2008 at 2:03 am
As I recall, these scenes were shot purely for the studio; They felt that the “hero” didn’t show up early enough in the film, and wanted the scenes filmed. Lucas complied but eventually cut the scene’s later using the excuse of “time restraints.”
This is also why later scenes were cut from the end of the movie with Biggs in it- they made little sense because he was cut out of the beginning. Lucas eventually cut those scenes inside the Yavin hanger back into the revised 1997 version. The Tochie station/tredwell scene’s are pretty bad, and it’s obvious why they were cut out.
posted by Deckard on 1-4-2008 at 2:05 am
I liked it. :(
posted by mark on 1-4-2008 at 2:15 am
Anybody think Biggs is looking a bit like a pimp? All other characters are wearing cotton type clothes (even lando in ESB who shares the cape look) but Biggs has the leather/PVC action slacks and jacket look combined with cape and mustache.
Just a thought…
posted by dudster on 1-4-2008 at 2:24 am
I read a book when I was a teenager, some paperback that claimed to be written from the screenplay, called “The Adventures of Luke Skywalker” that had that scene written into the story.
Remember thinking “that should have been filmed, it sets up future happenings.”
posted by Trivia King on 1-4-2008 at 2:36 am
Your added note is correct if by “over a year ago” you mean ten years ago.
But as long as it seems to be new to many I see no harm.
posted by GREEDOnvrFIRED on 1-4-2008 at 2:39 am
Hey “peterepeat”…
“I could never understand how this movie ever made it big”
Hmmm….maybe cause it plays on the deeply rooted basic emotions that every human being feels inside?
You must be a fucking robot or something.
posted by evolvor on 1-4-2008 at 3:00 am
This is just a cool find I never knew they filmed this part but remember reading bout it, thanks for sharing
Alsothanks higgins for the direct link its not playing on this page.
posted by Jro on 1-4-2008 at 3:41 am
I think it should have been put in the directors cut if it was part of his original vision of Star Wars. Lets face it though the opening scenes as released did grab everyones attention from the start and is part of what made the first (sorry 4th) movie so successful & look what that led to! (Ja Ja Binks not included)Star Wars gave us all permission to dream of the good beating evil and that anyone can do it. I’m still dreaming about it today & I’ll be 40 next birthday!
posted by David Elton on 1-4-2008 at 3:45 am
@PeteRepeat42 : Really? wow, you must be completely unable to communicate with your fellow humans if you can’t understand the appeal of star wars. I mean, sure, its not your cup of tea, but its pretty friken obvious why it was huge if you ask me.
posted by IamDivision on 1-4-2008 at 4:28 am
I remember listening to the Star Wars radio program as a kid. I had it on cassette tapes and I would listen to them over and over and over–I practically had the entire thing memorized. I apparently still remember most of it because I guarantee you in that first part (in b&w with the treadwell droid) the audio is just taken directly from the radio drama and layered over the video. I think the audio from the scene with Biggs, however, is all different from the radio drama. Can anyone else confirm that?
posted by Lawrence on 1-4-2008 at 4:32 am
They should have left it in
posted by Anon on 1-4-2008 at 4:52 am
The opening footage with Luke and the droid at the moisture vaporator is overlaid with dialog from the NPR radio drama version of Star Wars.
And, as the closing credits tell us, the music has been dubbed in by the person who created the YouTube video.
These scenes were in the Marvel Comics adaptation of the movie. Nice to finally see them.
Obscure cultural reference: The actress who played Fixer’s girlfriend Camie is British model Koo Stark. Just previous to her (non-) appearance in Star Wars she was in the soft core porn film Emily.
posted by MrWhipple on 1-4-2008 at 5:25 am
PeteRepeat42,
You don’t understand its success because you are stupid. However, don’t ever let your complete lack of intelligence and reasoning get in the way of spewing baseless verbal feces from your foot-filled mouth.
posted by TruthHurts on 1-4-2008 at 5:36 am
From what I have read somewhere, Fox had Lucas shoot these scenes to establish Luke, because otherwise the hero is not introduced until 20 minutes into the movie. Luckily, the scenes were terrible, and they were cut.
posted by Anthony on 1-4-2008 at 6:13 am
This video was not the opening scenes of Star Wars. The audio was taken directly from the Star Wars Radio Show which featured Mark Hamill.
Whoever put this together did a really good job matching the action to the audio though.
posted by Falconphysics on 1-4-2008 at 6:14 am
Thanks for sharing. Luke is more of a whiner than in the movie. Its a good thing this didnt make it into the film. You can see Luke inherited this (Hayden christiansen) Anakin persona… except anakin was cute when he was young. He was only annoying prior to flipping to the dark side.
posted by acitydweller on 1-4-2008 at 6:40 am
I like turtles.
posted by Zombie Kid on 1-4-2008 at 7:10 am
This footage and other cutting room floor scenes where included on the 1998 Star Wars: Behind the Magic CD-ROM, which I still have. So these actually surfaced 10 years ago. And they are far better quality on the CD-ROM. Guess I was the only one who bought it…. I was gonna post the wiki link about it but it won’t let me post a link so do a google search for Star Wars Behind the Magic wiki, and it’ll be the first link.
Enjoy,
James
posted by J. Segerson on 1-4-2008 at 7:11 am
Thank you, J. Segerson! You beat me to it. I used to have that CD-ROM and always lamented that GL never put any of those deleted scenes in any of the DVD versions of the OT.
posted by Scott A. on 1-4-2008 at 7:26 am
I’m really glad you posted that, Higgins. It ties in perfectly with the rest of the film, setting the scene for the meeting of Luke and the droids, and tying in with where Luke meets up with Wedge at the rebel base just before they go to attack the Death Star. Maybe it looks like a bit of a laugh, but if it was included in the original it probably would have just been seen as another part of the film, and one that was more complete.
So, are we going to see a “Special” Special Edition in 2017, Mr Lucas? ;-P
posted by Andrea on 1-4-2008 at 8:03 am
Thank god I wasn’t the only one who bought it Scott. In fact I remember buying it specifically for the deleted scenes.
I’ll have to dig it out of my basement and watch it again. I remember the scenes above with Luke, Biggs and the rest of the crew at Toshi Station, and I seem to remember there being a few others too. I’ll start digging through boxes trying to find it.
I don’t think the scenes are as bad as people are saying, obviously it wasn’t polished up as it never made it past the cutting room floor.
To those that thought it made Luke seem whiny….. have they ever seen A New Hope? I mean come on, Luke has always been a whiny bitch. The classic whiniest Luke quote… To Uncle Ben: “But I was gonna go to Toshi Station to pick up some power converters.” The way he says that line has cracked me up for years….
James
posted by J. Segerson on 1-4-2008 at 8:23 am
This full scene can be heard on the Star Wars Radio Drama that was done by NPR.
posted by Duffman on 1-4-2008 at 9:02 am
I actually expected Bigg’s big secret was to tell Luke that he was Gay. =)
posted by ourcade on 1-4-2008 at 10:16 am
Man, I though they were going to break into Brokeback Mountain.
posted by Victor Rightcliff on 1-4-2008 at 10:20 am
Still… it was better than any of the scenes in SW 1-3
posted by Furk on 1-4-2008 at 11:01 am
The only thing “terrible” about this clip is the quality. For anyone that’s bothered to read the original Star Wars novel rather than just rely on the film they would know that this dialog between Luke and Biggs actually takes place.
posted by Fishhead on 1-4-2008 at 11:20 am
Though I have never seen a video of this scene, the audio drama of Star Wars: New Hope. Really this shouldn’t come as a shocker if you listened to the highly detailed audio dramas.
posted by Ninja Steve on 1-4-2008 at 11:38 am
i liked it i knew about this for awhile the only thing bad is the image quality.
posted by yoda3990 on 1-4-2008 at 12:38 pm
This is old. And Toshi should be spelled Tosche Station.
posted by Brandon on 1-4-2008 at 12:38 pm
Well, that was cool anyway! Brings you back to the old days…well before I was born anyway. But thanks!
posted by wildnlethal on 1-4-2008 at 2:59 pm
There exists in the Lucasfilm archives a documentary style cut of the whole movie. Apparently Lucas shot alternate takes and documentary style shots for much of the film.
posted by Mike C on 1-4-2008 at 7:06 pm
This was in the novelization, that I think Lucas wrote himself, virtually word for word. As with virtually everything else save the fight and space action scenes, it reads better than it acts out. (And that’s not even true with the new series! Books are twice as good as the movies could hope to be)
posted by jonas66 on 1-4-2008 at 8:31 pm
I have the novel of all 3 of the original trilogy and these scenes were in the beginning of the book, and I really liked it, and I remember seeing this somewhere in kids books or something. Of course everyone thinks this whole movie was a little corny and cheesy but it was really awsome back in its day 20 years ago, and this is how it all started and turned into the epic saga. Its freakin awsome,and I’m disappointed because this scene wasn’t in the movie, I thoght it was sweet and cute and shows the realtionship between Luke and his friends, especially Biggs
Everyone has friends who leave or move away sometimes or are killed while attacking deathstars-jk, So I thought it was cool and you other star wars fans should be thankful that Star wars was even created,.
posted by Masterflea on 1-4-2008 at 8:57 pm
I can’t imagine a “huge Star Wars fan” not having any idea who Biggs was. I mean, even before stuff was added back in, he was in the movie. I knew who he was before there was really an internet, and I wasn’t even that huge of a fan.
posted by Jess Q on 1-4-2008 at 9:12 pm
wow I must be really nerdy…I have these on a computer program from the nineties!
posted by sarah on 1-5-2008 at 12:39 am
A still from the scene was included in “The Star Wars Storybook”, which I had as a kid. I always thought it was odd that Biggs had a larger part in the 30-some page picture book than he had in the movie.
posted by rexology on 1-5-2008 at 9:05 pm
These scenes (or at least most of them are on the SW: Behind the Magic CD-Rom that came out some 10 years ago. You may want to check it out.
posted by burg on 1-7-2008 at 3:27 am
jonas66, Lucas got the credit for the novelization but I’ve always heard it was actually written by Alan Dean Foster - part of the deal was that Foster got to write a sequel, which was Splinter of the Mind’s Eye. And I thought it was cute - I recognized the dialogue from the novel immediately. I always wondered why Biggs wasn’t in the movie more.
posted by darthmel on 1-7-2008 at 7:35 pm
I thought Biggs was going to lead Luke to a Liopleurodon on their way to Candy Mountain.
posted by Charlie on 1-9-2008 at 2:55 pm
I think the first bit of that (luke with the droid) is pieced together with some unused rushes and the audio play version - that is way to expositional….
I remember those scenes in the novel and the pic in the storybook too - I was surprised when they didn’t make the special edition - especially since they put the scene on Yavin back in
posted by Dave Knave on 1-14-2008 at 5:22 pm