This is a follow-up to the other two topics (LINK, LINK, LINK) discussing the Elstree Props Luke Skywalker Return of the Jedi lightsaber offered at auction by Auction Specialists.
There has been ongoing discussions in dedicated topics on the Movie Prop Forum and Replica Prop Forum:
The Replica Prop Forum (the RPF): Elstree Props “Original” ROTJ Lightsaber
The Movie Prop Forum: ROTJ Lightsaber
The RPF is a great resource for learning the details and history of a great many props, those from Star Wars films in particular.
Luke Skywalker Return of the Jedi Lightsaber Guide
With assistance from the members of the RPF and Chris Trevas and his fantastic Parts of Star Wars website, I’ve put together a visual guide showing images of the known and verified authentic original Luke Skywalker lightsabers from Return of the Jedi, as well as images of the two Elstree lightsabers which, to my standards, remain inconclusive as to authenticity:
In total, there are four versions of the Luke ROTJ lightsaber verified authentic:
1. Luke “Hero” Return of the Jedi Lightsaber (Metal)
- This is the “Hero” lightsaber, custom made out of aluminum
- Per POSW, this piece also has a control box that opens to expose the electronics inside, which would indicate that it could have been constructed and detailed in such a fashion for use in the unfilmed/filmed/missing scene Elstree suggests their props(s) were designed for:
- More details can be found at Parts of Star Wars: “Hero” Lightsaber
2. Luke “Stunt” Return of the Jedi Lightsaber (Resin)
- This is a resin casting of the “Hero” (#1 above) lightsaber
- More details can be found at Parts of Star Wars: “Stunt” Lightsaber
3. Luke/Obi-Wan “Shared Stunt” Lightsaber
- This metal lightsaber was used by Sir Alec Guiness as Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi in the first film, Star Wars: A New Hope
- This metal ligthsaber was subsequently reused by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the third film, Return of the Jedi
- There are fascinating details about this prop on the POSW site (see following link); also of interest is that this prop was used by both Mark Hamill and David Prowse in rehearsing for stunt/action scenes in The Empire Strike Back
- More details can be found at Parts of Star Wars: “Shared Stunt” Lightsaber
- This is also the lightsaber currently loaned to NASA and is aboard the space shuttle Discovery
4. Luke/Obi Wan “V2” 2nd Shared Stunt Lightsaber
- This is a second metal lightsaber used by Obi-Wan in A New Hope and subsequently reused by Luke Skywaler in Return of the Jedi
- Per POSW, this was also a “hero” prop, used in many key scenes and close-ups in the film
- Also per POSW (follow link for great amount of details), this was a metal cast prop with a Graflex band added to include a “control box”; this piece appears to be unmodified from its appearance and configuration as seen in A New Hope
- More details can be found at Parts of Star Wars: “V2” Lightsaber
Also of note is that Elstree Props auctioned another Luke Skywalker Return of the Jedi lightsaber on eBay, in January 2006, which realized a price of approximately $16,000. This auction was discussed on both the Movie Prop Forum (“STAR WARS ROTJ Light Sabre“) and the Replica Prop Forum (“is this realy an original screen used saber?“). I do not have photos archived.
One other bit of information pertaining to this specific make/style prop… Back in 2003, there was an eBay auction for a wood master and metal casting purportedly used in A New Hope to make metal cast stunt Obi Wan Kenobi lightsabers (see “Shared Stunt” and “V2” above). What follows are a few of the photos from that auction, which an expert believes to be authentic:
The wood master supports and is in agreement with the information found on the Parts of Star Wars website.
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The Issue of Green vs. Blue
One question that has been brought up is the following:
Why would the Elstree lightsaber contain a green crystal (which is supposed to relate directly to the color of the lightsaber blade) when the lightsaber was originally intended to have a blue blade?
Per an article on fansite StarWarz.com, Paul Harrison of Elstree Props said the following:
We made Luke’s hero saber and the brief we got was to make it look like Obi’s as a Jedi apprentice would base his own saber on his masters. Luke lost his Vader one in ESB during the fight. We made six new sabers for Luke at the start of the production, then towards the end were asked to build a special one. This one had to have opening emitter, control panel and butt end, and telescope in the middle. It has to close in one movement and then lock in place so Luke could put it in R2’s head. It also had to have a green crystal in the pommel, and make a pneumatic sound when closed.
The color of the blade in the film was purportedly not changed from blue to green until well after principal photography. In fact, the “Revenge of the Jedi” movie trailer, which includes special effects shots, shows a blue blade (see YouTube). Even a “Return of the Jedi” movie trailer shows a scene with the lightsaber with a blue blade (see YouTube) in the sail barge scene.
This is further confirmed via the Internet Movie Database (see IMDb):
As seen in the theatrical trailers, Luke’s new light saber had a blue laser blade instead of the green that appears in the finished film, as it had been in the first two movies. The blade was changed to green as being blue, it was difficult to make out against the sky during the attack on the sail barge scene.
Also, of course, the one sheets show Luke pictured with the blue-bladed lightsaber:
The question of authenticity has to be satisfied on several fronts, one of which involves time. In my opinion, the burden is on Elstree Props to establish authenticity by placing the construction of these lightsabers during the production of the film (prior to theatrical release), in addition to satisfying the other criteria.
My own standards for authenticity, as outlined in my article, What is “Original”?, are as follows:
An “original” piece is something:
1) made by or acquired by the production,
2) during the production, and
3) used or intended to be used during the production.
All three of these traits would have to be true to be “original”.
In regards to point two, “during the production”, given the material facts noted above establishing that the lightsaber blade was intended to be blue and changed late in the filmmaking process, following principal photography and even special effects and release of movie trailers, the green crystal present in at least one of the two Elstree sabers would indicate, based on simple logic, that there is a possibility that it/they were manufactured following the release of the film, which would mean it would fail my own personal test of “Original”.
Additionally, given that Elstree Props has used “resident studio engineers” to make unlicensed replica lightsabers for commercial sale – long after release of these films – this is also information to take into consideration when evaluating points one, two, and three above.
Given that there are 17 days left in the auction, it will be interesting to see if Elstree introduces new material facts that speak to the questions that need to be addressed to affirm authenticity.
Jason De Bord