Skip to main content

Polaroids from the set of original Star Wars offer a candid look at the 1977 classic

polaroids set original star wars offer candid look 1977 classic poster
Image used with permission by copyright holder
With the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens less than a year away, lots of fans are looking ahead to the next installment of the iconic sci-fi franchise, but a current exhibit at the British Film Institute offers a fascinating look back at the film that started it all, 1977’s Star Wars.

“On-Set: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” is a BFI exhibit featuring various photos, script drafts, and other ephemera from the production of the original Star Wars (back before the “Episode IV” tag was necessary). The photos included in the exhibit are the property of the film’s script supervisor, Ann Skinner, who saved some of the Polaroid images she shot throughout the film’s production to provide visual notes for editors.

Along with depicting some of the film’s stars in some candid, between-shot poses, the photos also feature some interesting perspectives on characters like Darth Vader (in a rare shot of actor David Prowse without the iconic helmet) and Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing).

Skinner’s shooting draft of the script is also included in the exhibit, and it provides a fascinating look at the way Polaroids and script notes were used together to maintain the continuity of an ambitious project like this one.

You can see the scanned Polaroids — and images of her shooting draft of the script — at the British Film Institute’s website for the exhibit, which runs through January 4, 2015.

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
TSA bans Disney’s bomb-shaped Star Wars Coca-Cola bottles from all flights
tsa bans star wars galaxys edge soda bottles galaxy s

Update 9/3: Since the original publication of this story, the TSA changed its tune and will now allow the bottles to count as an "oversized liquid," meaning they "should be put in checked baggage or emptied to be brought on as a carry-on item."

Batuu travelers, be wary. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has banned the custom Coca-Cola bottles sold at Disney's new Star Wars-themed attraction, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, from all U.S. flights.

Read more
The Mandalorian trailer teases a grimy Western set in the Star Wars Universe
mandalorian first trailer star wars disney plus the mandolorian

The Mandalorian | Official Trailer | Disney+ | Streaming Nov. 12

The first trailer for The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars TV show, is here, and it delivers exactly what was promised: A Western-style adventure set in the darkest, grimiest corners of the Star Wars universe.

Read more
Avengers: Endgame breaks opening night record set by Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Captain America looks up in The Avengers.

To the surprise of no one, Avengers: Endgame is already breaking records at the box office -- and it's only been in theaters one night.

The sequel to Avengers: Infinity War arrived in theaters Thursday, April 25, and made $60 million at the domestic box office from those "preview night" screenings. The mark set by Avengers: Endgame broke the record held by 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which raked in $57 million on its opening night.

Read more