The Force Is With Cut Scenes Part I: A New Hope

So the excitement of the missing Jedi scene has stirred everyone's inner fanboy on the internet the last couple of days.  So what else could possibly show up on the 2011 Blu Ray editions of the Star Wars Saga!  Well let's have a look shall we as we begin a week long look at Star Wars Cut Scenes from the original Trilogy!  (Info Courtesy Of starwarscutscenes.com)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Luke Sees the Battle In Space

This particular scene happens right after the Imperial Star Destroyer has overtaken the Rebel Blockade Runner and the Imperial troops begin boarding the ship, and right before Darth Vader first makes his appearance on the rebel ship. Luke, out in the desert working on a vaporator with the help of a Treadwell droid, looks up and happens to notice the two ships firing on each other in the sky. He then jumps in his landspeeder and races off to tell his friends.

Though this scene was never shown publicly, it still showed up in the novel, the comic book, and still photos published in various places. The scene was finally made available in 1998 on the Behind The Magic CD ROM, much to the delight of fans. The version included was from the legendary Lost Cut of Star Wars, which is in black and white with no sound or special effects.

Luke Hangs Out With Friends

This scene was to come right after Artoo-Detoo and Threepio have ejected from the Blockade Runner in their escape pod, and right before Princess Leia is led captive before Darth Vader. Luke zooms into Anchorhead in his landspeeder to tell his friends about the battle he's seen. He is momentarily distracted when he finds that his best friend Biggs Darklighter has returned from the Academy, but then pulls them all outside to check out the battle. At this point the battle is over, so everyone thinks Luke is making it up

For years this scene remained unseen, with only a few still photos and references in the comic book and novel showing that it ever actually existed. Despite people's claims that they had seen the footage in early prints of Star Wars, this scene was never shown to the public. The sound mix had never been completed, and the footage was not included in anything but rough editor's cuts (such as the legendary Lost Cut). In 1997 at the San Diego Comic Con, mega-collector and Lucasfilm employee Steve Sansweet gave fans an incredible treat by showing the Biggs footage publicly for the first time 

Luke & Biggs  

This scene was to come right after Threepio spots the Jawa sandcrawler in the desert, and catches their attention, and right before Artoo gets zapped by the Jawas in the rock canyon..

Here, Luke's relationship with Biggs is established, and Biggs reveals his plan to join the Rebellion to Luke. We are given a better understanding of why the Empire is such a tyranny, and the threat of even Luke's uncle's farm being taken over for their benefit. We also see how Luke is struggling between his responsibility to his uncle and his need to go on to greater things.

For years this scene remained unseen, with only a few still photos and references in the comic book and novel showing that it ever actually existed. Despite people's claims that they had seen the footage in early prints of Star Wars, this scene was never shown to the public. 

Commander Bast

This scene was to come right after the scene where Han Solo encounters Jabba the Hutt in Docking Bay 94, and right before our heroes enter Docking Bay 94 for the first time. Here we see Darth Vader and Commander Bast talking together regarding the missing droids, Leia's resistance to her interrogation, and Governor Tarkin's "foolish plan". It is here we see also that Vader may not feel so confident in Tarkin's command, since he seems to go along with Bast's bold criticism of Tarkin.  The novel and the comic book both include this short scene. Photos from it have appeared on Topps trading cards as well as in various other locations. This entire scene was actually included in the Star Wars Holiday Special, and can be seen there featuring overdubbed dialogue to fit the story from that TV feature. A couple of the shots here are actually taken from the Holiday Special.

The Search For Artoo

This small scene originally was to happen while Luke and Threepio are rushing off in the landspeeder to search for Artoo-Detoo.

Here we have Threepio driving the landspeeder while he and Luke discuss Artoo and how much trouble Luke will be getting into.

You can see remnants of this scene in the final version of the film: a distant shot shows Luke talking to Threepio and gesturing, but the dialogue does not seem to match what is shown. The part that is cut has close-ups of their extended conversation, and a shot of the landspeeder's display showing where Artoo is. The scene appears in the Lost Cut with a rather unconvincing effect of Tatooine landscape going by outside the speeder, done with rear projection of moving footage.

Lukes Poncho

Well, it's all about Luke's mysterious poncho. There are a number of still shots where Luke is wearing this poncho, but in the finished film the poncho is nowhere to be seen. The poncho actually only appears in these scenes in the final version of the film: when our heroes enter Docking Bay 94 to start their fateful trip on the Milennium Falcon and Luke puts on this poncho (for some odd reason) just before they go through the doorway, when Leia wraps it around Luke to comfort him on their flight away from the Death Star after Ben has been killed, and after the arrival at the Rebel base when Luke is wearing it as he gets off the small transport in the hangar.

It seems likely that some of the other scenes may have actually been filmed as alternate versions with Luke wearing his poncho. In fact, a good explanation of the Docking Bay 94 scene with Luke wearing the poncho would be that it was the only version of that scene available or that it was the best one to use, and so Luke had to be shown inexplicably putting on the poncho as they reach the bay doorway, just before there is a cut to the inside of the bay--and then not wearing the poncho again once they're on board the Falcon. In any case, this is merely an interesting look at alternate or missing scenes of Luke and his beloved poncho 

Here's a couple of more images of scenes with not much known about them:


Han In The Cantina With A Lady Friend And Mos Eisley Creature

Han Is A Mack Daddy

Mos Eisley Creature

Tomorrow: The Empire Strikes Back