"Star Wars: The Lost Cut" Explained

Yeah, I know I sound like a goober in this. Try to enjoy it anyway -- it still makes me money ;)
A comprehensive exploration at the mythical "Lost Cut" of the original Star Wars. Featuring rare footage, audio and behind-the-scenes information. ('4K77' Project used for theatrical footage)
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Twitter: / filmspaced

[@tommy_blah_zay]

UPDATE: I like Rogue One now. You guys can all shut up about it.

[@bobdinwiddy]

bless you 💎❤️‍🔥🗿🤖⚠️🔥🖤🧱🍺✊🆒

[@23bcx]

I hope you get well soon.

[@hurkamur1]

Rogue One was not good

[@SoulbentAnime]

​@@hurkamur1explain

[@Snufflegrunt]

@@SoulbentAnime Most Rogue One haters will just parrot RLM's talking points about fan service. Except... we're fans... so... please service us.

[@Jungus1999]

It’s wild how close Star Wars came to being an obscure 70’s movie that could’ve been on Best of The Worst

[@bryymiller2475]

fucking right? but star wars fandumb would loose their shit if they knew a woman saved their film.

[@scubasteve7439]

Bold to assume that best if the worst would exist if star wars was an obscure 70s movie

[@Jungus1999]

@@scubasteve7439 🤓

[@boosted2022]

@@scubasteve7439underrated comment

[@holdingpattern245]

@@scubasteve7439the space movies would have been replaced with additional shark movies

[@sirgalahad1376]

Hearing George answer “tired” with tears in his voice breaks my heart. Bless this man for following his dream to the end and making it work. Never give up never ever give up.

[@cherlojomzyaduermanse]

Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down

[@markollmann2759]

Never give up, Never Surrender!

[@Shutterbun4]

He was hospitalized with chest pains at that time.

[@artistamisto]

I like the look of skinny starving Lucas rather than bloated Lucas.

[@king_slayer9354]

till he got offered 4 billion

[@Caolan114]

That random guy yelling "Bang" as the planet disappears made me laugh

[@nickrog6759]

I sure that 'guy' has a technical name like Effects Supervisor or some such but he does sound like David Prowse so much so it had me rewind 10 times - it's sounds like an undubbed Darth Vader saying Bang ! Unintentionally Hilarious !!!

[@surfdigby]

@@nickrog6759 Vader yelling "Bang!" as it happens is like the ultimate dick move.

[@Emil-Antonowsky]

I've always assumed that it was Prowse and never thought about it until now..... why would it be him? Unless @Surfdigby is right - ultimate dick move from Vader. Cut to some recycled Vader footage ADR the 'BANG!' In Haha. Some one needs to make that edit please.

[@dylanbottom4669]

Yeah

[@Vodhin]

That random guy today would be Seth McFarlane...

[@jsalazar373]

Luke: she’s so beautiful Han: so is life Honestly how did they not keep this gold joke lol

[@wisdumcube]

Because it reduces Luke's motivation for helping Leia, makes him more shallow, and makes Han seem even more selfish. It's kind of funny, but ultimately it makes more sense to maintain Luke's image as a selfless (if naive) heroic character, and not having this interaction makes also Han more easily redeemed-able.

[@santiagoarro1198]

​@@wisdumcubewell Luke couldve said "Shes very beatiful" and kept the Han dialogue the same. Luke's intent wasn't to save the princess just because she's pretty, the intent was to manipulate Han into helping them

[@Trumpisscum-420]

Also it was just a really stupid attempt at a joke.

[@amotaba]

​@@Trumpisscum-420 actually it was an excellent joke

[@jsizemo]

I remember this line from the ‘76 novelization

[@dreadfulspiller8766]

My mom didn't let me see this at first because she was sure that it would come to our neighborhood 99 cent theater. It took me till spring of 78 till she took me to see it. The theater had the action figures hanging on the wall near the popcorn stand and my mom bought me Obi wan. My mom passed away almost 4 years ago but it's memories like this that make me smile.

[@davidthedeaf]

Don’t feel bad, buddy! I also had to wait several years, and all the other boys had the figures playing with them during recess and I had no idea who was the bad or good guy. My mom actually finally went with me to watch it, had to be 1979, and it was amazing. She had not been sure it was okay to have me watch it because publications by evangelical groups warned parents that it would lead to cult beliefs and turning away from God if they let their kids be brainwashed by watching it. I did not find that at all to be true, and she found out it was just a fun story when she went too. I never got an action figure, cost too much and we were dirt poor. That was one of only five movies I had seen in a theater by the time I was an adult for that reason.

[@dreadfulspiller8766]

@@davidthedeaf My mom did drag me to see fiddler on the roof when I was 8 for some reason.Although I like the movie now I was bored out of my mind as a kid. Luckily my sister took me to see godspell and jesus christ superstar.

[@butterfacemcgillicutty]

My mom was pregnant with me in '77 when this came out. She went to see it then, so I literally saw Star Wars in the womb!

[@jesustovar2549]

​@@davidthedeafNo offense but, it's crazy how evangellical groups (and many other religious organizations) are alarmed by certain things as "diabollical" and that it would take you away from God, so they don't allow their kids to listen to certain music (rock or metal) nor read books or watch movies (like in the case of Harry Potter 2 or 3 decades later, many of these people thought that it teached kids actual witchcraft), unless it's bíblical I guess? I don't know, I grew up in a catholic family, I did my first communion at 10 and I've being an atheist since 13, so my Mom was never that extreme with the things I watched, except for videogames, which explains why I didn't grew up playing many violent games. I wonder what these religious organizations thought about the Indiana Jones movies, and the subtext of searching for biblical artifacts like the Ark of the Covenant or the Cup of Christ. Still I know there are several christians and catholics that love Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but still mantain a strong faith, hopefully they know how to view the light side of things.

[@jesustovar2549]

​@@dreadfulspiller8766Did you know John Williams arranged part of the score from Fiddler on the Roof? He won it's first Oscar for it before Jaws and Star Wars.

[@the_kovic]

The tonal shock I get from the deleted scenes is incredible. They're like something from an old TV show; they specifically give me old Doctor Who vibes. Just so much slow dialogue.

[@westingtyler1]

yeah, the star wars lost cut actually FEELS like it's a movie from the 1970s. maybe we take for granted how "modern" the final cut of Star Wars ended up being, compared to its peers.

[@pufflepoint]

Makes sense, give SW's inspiration from old TV serials.

[@jlhitz35]

Han kissing Jenny immediately after Ben slices someone's arm off is hilarious. I love how sleazy he's portrayed in the cantina.

[@DukeSolaire]

I wanna see a version of the final cut where the only difference is that they replace Chewies woookie yelling with Peter Mayhews on set English dialogue. Something about Chewie putting his hands on his hips and saying "that old man is mad" was just too funny.

[@shawnmulberry774]

Perhaps they should have subtitled him, After all, they did that to Greedo.

[@GhostScout42]

@@shawnmulberry774 hmmmm... seems like theres an essay in there about it. Like...whatever thier reasoning, the end result is the dehumanization of wookies..

[@shawnmulberry774]

@@GhostScout42 Now Im remembering the Star Wars special on TV where the wookie mom was working in the kitchen and the kid wookie is a constant pain and it was all just some kind of a disaster. Lots of grunting and growling.

[@scottgrindrod]

The scenes where you can hear Chewie's dialog are always hysterical.

[@scottgrindrod]

@@shawnmulberry774 Greedo's dialog is more critical to the plot, and you have to remember that American audiences at the time *HATED* subtitles, so it was a smart move to just infer what Chewie is saying from Han's response to him. Also kind of plays up that Han is the only one in the group who speaks Wookie, obviously other than the droids.

[@tomservo2829]

It's amazing how much a film can significantly change and evolve in the editing process. To me, editing is almost always underappreciated in that sense.

[@garrettrigoni6864]

Interesting that the term "Sith" wasn't heard on screen until Episode 1. However, Darth Vader was referred to as a "Dark Lord of the Sith" from the very beginning. When Star Wars proved to be an unexpected hit all the stories about the movie referred to Vader as such - I always assumed the term "Sith" was indeed used in the movie!

[@jedijones]

I'm guessing after it got cut out of the first movie, Lucas saw no advantage in referring to a larger clan of Sith in the sequels. In ANH, that line helped suggest Vader was backed up by a larger force, rather than just a lone weirdo who no one else is impressed by. But after he was fully established as a fan-favorite villain, saying that there are more like him out there would only diminish his significance, and reduce him as a threat. Note that Yoda says "there is another" like Luke precisely because it weakens Luke, makes him seem less significant and expendable, and thus in more danger in the duel on Cloud City.

[@michaelmaynard4387]

Same here. It was in all the merchandise. The Topps card series referred to it several times, as did the Marvel comics.

[@Paul07791]

Mark Hamill referred to the Sith in "From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga" which was made shortly after Jedi. But yeh, that line should totally have gone back in for the Spec. Editions

[@lawrenceflail3164]

Sith is all over the novelizations as well.

[@RichardHansbury]

But notice how carefully undefined he leaves the term. "Sith" implies an organization but leaves room for mysterious implications. It let Lucas adopt the Emperor as puppet master, spider in the galactic web sensing every vibration. Even over Vader.

[@augustragone1159]

The reference to Darth Vader being a "Dark Lord of the Sith" was in all of the publicity material issued in 1977, so we already knew this. It just wasn't uttered in the film.

[@robzilla730]

Yeah. I had the story book from 1977. Darth Vader official title is Lord of the Sith.

[@HistoryandReviews]

The guy he chokes in the conference room originally said it before the line was cut

[@teabearchurchill5600]

@@robzilla730 It was also featured in the novelization, Ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster.

[@g8kpr3000]

Yup. Just like Wickets name from ROTJ. Never ever said in film. Even Boba Fett wasn’t said until ROTJ, but us kids knew his name in 1980

[@teabearchurchill5600]

@@g8kpr3000 Wasnt it in the credits?

[@DFX2KX]

this video also puts a Mark Hamill story into perspective: Hamill made a comment about why their clothes/hair weren't soaked from the trash pit or something, with the idea that hey, maybe people would notice. and Harrison Ford leaned in and said "Kid, this ain't that kind of movie" or something to that effect.

[@alexcoffey8804]

“People aren’t gonna watch this movie over and over again for 50 years!”

[@juicysuit]

"If people are looking at your hair, we're all in big trouble."

[@seanmccready9564]

@@juicysuit that’s it.., and Mark Hamill’s Harrison Ford impersonation is perfect.

[@frankshailes3205]

To be fair, they're slightly damp and Leia's dress has some smudges on. Alien futuristic cloth is presumably mostly dirt- and water-proof.

[@richardmoores]

@@frankshailes3205 futuristic from a long time ago.

[@ThatJohnKillion1970]

Chewbacca: "That old man is mad." Han Solo: "YOU CAN TALK!?!"

[@stuboyd1194]

Chewbacca with an English accent speaking the English language. LOL.

[@surfdigby]

I want to see an edit with Peter Mayhew's voice fully reinstated. "No you ain't puttin' no bloody handcuffs on me, lad!"

[@purefoldnz3070]

Well Chewbacca was never really mute.

[@marcusalexander7088]

@@surfdigby That would be AWESOME!

[@eerokarhunen]

"Don't you bloody handcuff me, boy!"

[@robertblackmore703]

The old school Vader action figure described him as “Lord of the Sith” on the packaging. I always wanted more information as a kid.

[@derkeheath5172]

Now you know: He was a cute little slave boy with a bowl cut who yelled "Yippee!" a lot.

[@CuteLesbo69]

The Marvel Comics adaptation also called him that.

[@zimriel]

I remember a full color coffee-table type book from 1979 or so which called him that. "Sith" wasn't mentioned in the movie. It was touches like that which brought across that the universe was bigger than what we got to see.

[@markr.denison9768]

I was going to say the same thing. The storybooks, the action figures, the comics, the Bantha Tracks fan newsletters - all referred to Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith (or some variation of that)! From the very beginning!

[@oo7hourpower]

I remember a scène after darrh vader strikes down obi wan kenobi. Then the moment 3cpo see darth vader and then 3cpo say, O the maker.

[@briandrake5464]

The NPR version of Star Wars put a lot of the deleted material back into the story, but Brian Daley was such a great writer he was able to weave it all together in such a way as to not slow the pace or re-create any of the issues found in the rough cuts. If you haven't listened to "NPR Star Wars", you should. It's a must.

[@jbweaver4203]

I listened to the npr radio playhouse version on my panasonic shoebox recorder so many times while looking at my storybook. my dad recorded them off the radio for me on cassette. though I saw star wars at a drive-in for the re-release before empire, it wasn’t until years later that I saw star wars again. in a way I’m grateful, heard it many times in pieces, almost like hearing bits of mythic epic from a storyteller

[@bigbird2240]

Yes many of the expanded universe books take stuff from the deleted scenes

[@annarice6290]

I have recordings on cassette and treasure them with the Mos Eisley

[@santiagoaguirre3862]

I haven't listened to it yet, but I read the script a while back, and it was awesome.

[@sionanenrois1433]

I had the original vinyl record of the audio dialogue that was released in the 70s and it uses a lot of the rough cut dialogue.

[@AndrewChapman]

I'm sure many people have said this, but Darth Vader with David Prowse's voice reminds me of Dark Helmet from Spaceballs.

[@robzilla730]

No shit! (NOT sarcastic) Rick Moranis DOES sound like Prowse! (RIP)

[@ThatJohnKillion1970]

I have to wonder if this was deliberate.

[@WallyWolf]

I thought he sounded like Prince Charles.

[@teabearchurchill5600]

Same reason I don't usually refer to Prowse as Vader. He didn't lend the character any personality, that all comes from James Earl Jones. Prowse was a stand-in.

[@nickrog6759]

@@robzilla730 BOTH have joined the Dark side ....

[@ginger-jc7ti]

The shoot out near the falcon is amazing footage. The weapons sounded so loud, I never expected that.

[@andrewmurray1550]

@Erik Johansson and tonnes of squibs and all that physical pyrotechnics. Must have been a pain to reset the scene if George went "Cut! Lets do that again....faster and more intense!"

[@mtrich8113]

I bet you back then they didn't wear earplugs either like they do today.

[@Turtleproof]

I was wondering if they used capguns just for ambient light or they were meant to sound that way, too.

[@solarismoon3046]

@@andrewmurray1550 Squibs are only for movies where they want to simulate and injury on screen. A squib is nothing more than a latex balloon filled with corn syrup and food colouring. The squib is placed over leather patch or rubber with a small pyrotechnic charge to make the balloon break and tear a hole through the clothing for a more realistic blood spatter injury effect. A small hole is cut into the fabric to help the squib tear through more easily. Most people can't see it and it works very well.

[@mangledjargon5728]

Those were real guns, they were firing blanks. In some shots you can see the brass shells ejecting from the gun as they fire. SFX marked every frame of fire (you can see their editing marks written in grease pencil directly onto the film!) And they animated the blaster bolts from there. Pretty cool

[@PetProjects2011]

If I remember right, the "She's beautiful." "So is life." exchange was used in the novelization. I actually laughed at the bit where Han mentions the cantina won't want another violent incident, and Greedo just looks off camera, and is like "They won't notice." That honestly should have been kept.

[@pfeilspitze]

Goes great with Han they clearly thinking, "well, I guess if they won't notice then I can just shoot you" :)

[@Alex-ji6ob]

The old novelizations are usually good sources when imagining what earlier versions of the films were like

[@adolfogarzachaires394]

that actually was a good dialogue tbh, it fit no problem

[@dragonfly8341]

Han's line was "I don't think they'd like another killing in here", referring to Obi-Wan's original decapitation of Walrus Man/Ponda Baba prior, when Han is first seen with Jenny

[@Shutterbun4]

That exchange is very reminiscent of the scene with Indy and Belloq in the cafe. "Not a very private place for a murder." "Well, these Arabs won't mind if we kill each other..."

[@nholt]

The Biggs scene with Luke always fascinated me as a kid because the Star Wars Storybook had a picture of Luke with Biggs and that scene was in the book.

[@CarlosGomez-vt9pk]

Wow, I remember that too!

[@phen277]

A lot of these deleted scenes were included in the original Marvel Comics 6-part series, especially issue #1.

[@jedijones]

@@phen277 The first 2 Marvel issues came out before the movie did. When they were writing them, they might not have even had access to the final cut of the film.

[@jaredscott367]

same here. I knew about the scene with luke looking into the sky at the battle above somewhere around 1982 or 3. but for the life of me I do not know where I saw it, and cannot find anything about it being shown back then. I almost believed I imagined it, until many years later I saw the scene again.

[@nholt]

A picture of that scene was in the Storybook as well I believe. @@jaredscott367

[@r3claim3r]

One has to appreciate the level of special effects, music score, and editing to have made the impact it had with audiences in 1977.

[@aldunlop4622]

I’ve always said Star Wars would just be a goofy b-grade movie similar to Sinbad or Hercules movies without John Williams’ music. It adds a level of grandeur that’s sadly missing from modern SW shows.

[@THE-HammerMan]

@r3claim3r : The special effects, music score, and editing all PALE in comparison to Blade Runner. Not to mention a much better screenplay and story. If not for millions in advertising, all those little gold statuettes would have been awarded to the better and deserving movie-- BLADE RUNNER !!!

[@jesustovar2549]

​@@aldunlop4622Ironic that you mention that because John Williams worked on the sequel trilogy.

[@aldunlop4622]

Well there's only so much he can do, just shows you how bad they are when not even his music could save them.@@jesustovar2549

[@TheLarryBrown]

​@@THE-HammerManBlade Runner is the most overrated movie in history. It's a 20 minute story bloated to two hours with wasted time and....nothing. It's got good special effects and no one has ever noticed any music or editing, but everyone knows it has a thin story. The opening scene of Star Wars blows the entire Blade Runner movie out of the water. Example significant line of dialog from Blade Runner: "Where are you going?"

[@scottlarson1548]

Seeing rough cuts always make me appreciate how much work that *sound* goes through before it hits the theaters. The voices sound so thin and there is always so much distracting noise in the background.

[@spookyencounters9392]

That's how films sound during filming. Most films

[@scottlarson1548]

@@spookyencounters9392 Not anymore. Actors wear body microphones now.

[@spookyencounters9392]

@@scottlarson1548 they use both body mics and use a boom mic. Watch raw footage of any movie being made on KZbin. There's tons of it. It's just the same now as it ever was. I'm not sure why you're arguing. In fact in ..for example... crazy sexy live , with Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling when they're in the night club, bar scene, the people thst are seen in the background are not allowed to speak, so they're just moving their mouths, pretending to speak to each other. And all the awkward sounds are being picked up during the scene, like their feet scuffing on the floor and choking on spit etc..... it's no different. They combine the boom mic sound and the body mic sound .

[@scottlarson1548]

@@spookyencounters9392 Who said I was arguing? I just stated a fact! Geez!!!!

[@spookyencounters9392]

@@scottlarson1548 So was I originally.lol I don't know why this is still going.

[@zanderwohl]

According to my dad who worked on Back to the Future the Ride with several people who worked on Star Wars, Marcia Lucas cried when she saw the first cut. It was the Lucas' time and money basically gone, at first glance.

[@cryptohalloffame]

I believe it.

[@eduardopazhurtado3882]

She also cried when she saw Episode I, confirmed by her.

[@drinkingpoolwater]

she was laughing at the bank a few years later

[@douglaspouch5313]

Back to the Future the Ride made me laugh, sorry.

[@LockeDemosthenes2]

Probably the most deserved Best Editing Oscar of any movie ever.

[@jamiebraswell5520]

You would probably be surprised how many films out there have terrible early cuts. It is not magically isolated to Star Wars.

[@thedys70]

@@jamiebraswell5520 True, but working with 35mm film in the 70s must have been labor intensive, unlike the last 10-15 years where everything is digital, and changed with the push of a button, and technology improving with each passing year?

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

George's wife made a masterpiece out of his cheesy kid's movie.

[@Сайтамен]

@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 George Lucas was the chief editor on the original Star Wars. He oversaw the entire process and edited the acclaimed gunport sequence himself. His wife Marcia only edited a third of the movie and left to work on another movie before the final edit was even completed. There were two other editors who edited the other 2/3 of the movie. The notion that Lucas had nothing to do with the editing of the original movie, that he's a terrible editor, or that his wife singlehandedly saved from the movie from him--it's all a myth. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZ3Uh3qwa9KCjKc

[@Shutterbun4]

@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 The internet seems to believe this, but it's important to note that she only worked on the "infamous" version that was screened for Spielberg, DePalma, and Copolla at the New Years Eve party. It received such a poor reaction she was in tears. (she only worked on the movie for a few weeks in November and December of 1976)

[@klaxoncow]

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery Designers and engineers know this quote well. This tale is of how some film makers - in the editing room - learnt its value too.

[@klaxoncow]

@@user-vl9bw1lw1u Also, the more elegant its operation. Just to add the artistic edge to your valid technical point.

[@deputyVH]

The radio play came out a few years after the film. That featured much more back story as it was 13 x 25 minute episodes. The first episode featured Luke hanging with friends Cammy, Fixer, Deek and Windy along with Biggs plus more of Luke's back story. Several other edits you mention are in the radio play, like the droids hiding from Stormtroopers in Mos Eisley and Luke spotting the space battle in the atmosphere. I was lucky enough to find a CD box set of the radio plays when visiting the states. Pretty cool.

[@anonamatron]

The whole thing is on KZbin

[@MarkLipka]

@@anonamatron - *Thank you! I was just about to search for it AND ask if it was.*

[@robertodell9193]

I remember Darth Vader being referred to as "Dark Lord of the Sith" in publicity materials and other media all the way back in 1977. Everyone knew about it even if it's not mentioned in the film itself.

[@gpr127]

Thank you. I thought that was a strange thing to have said. We always knew Vader was a Lord of the Sith.

[@cjdudley70]

Yes, it was on the trading cards, where I first read it. No idea what it meant. Always bugged me when the prequel trilogies established "There are always 2" which meant that being a Dark Lord of the Sith meant you were Dark Lord of two people and the other guy outranked you.

[@Kira-zy2ro]

i have this old 1970's photo/story book of the movie which not only has much of the lost cut scenes in it but also has vader described as 'dark lord of the siths' I remember wondering what siths were. I was barely in elementary school by then and for art class we had this colored paper that was glossy color on one side and white on the other that was named "siths paper" so i wondered if darth vader had something to do with that LOL. And we had the first smiths snack products imported in the netherlands around then so i also associated darth vader with salty snacks a bit... lord of the smith's..... omg the stuff you make up as a child! The reference to sith disappeared from star wars movies completely in the OT, only in the prequels did it return. (and in games and comics no doubt)

[@havable]

@@cjdudley70 "Yes, it was on the trading cards, where I first read it." I first read that on a Star Wars themed paper cup.

[@horsemumbler1]

@@Kira-zy2ro A club of just two is pretty exclusive. The point is that even if you're the junior Dark Lord, you outrank *everyone* else around just by being one of the Two.

[@sgtrock2175]

It's really interesting that the Marvel Comics adaptation had so many of those early deleted scenes in place in the book. I remember being very confused as a 7 year old, wondering where those scenes came from as they weren't in the movie that I saw. Thanks for the video.

[@davecrowson448]

For years I thought those scenes were in the movie the first time I saw it, but I guess it was just from reading the comics so many times. Roy Thomas did see this early cut, and worked from an early script, so that explains why he included them. I can't remember if the novelization had them or not. I think it did.

[@Ashworth6]

I grew up with the Marvel comics adaption, it was my go-to version of A New Hope for a few years before I finally got to see the movie. The comic has clearly been adapted directly from the Lost Cut/Workprint because it contains the same ordering of scenes, all the deleted scenes and much of the alternate on-set dialogue. I remember being a bit disappointed on first seeing A New Hope that most of Biggs' scenes were absent.

[@CollectionTHX1138]

That type of thing was done with Alien the Illustrated story also. I think there's Topps trading cards that have some outtakes. I have all of them I'd have to look. It's becsue they haev to produce that material so it's ready when th efilm's released.

[@johnbaxter3676]

@@davecrowson448 Actually, Dave, you may have seen the same print I saw in August of 1977, which did contain those scenes. Apparently a set of prints were made from a non-final master during the rush to produce enough prints to satisfy the nationwide demand that summer (the movie opened in less than a hundred theaters nationally and was playing in over a thousand by August). A couple of younger fanboys have tried to claim that I "must have been thinking of the comic book version" but I have never once read or even seen those comics.

[@aquelescaraaaaaaaaaa]

It was VERY common for comic book adaptations back in the day to have been made from early uncut workprints, early screenplay drafts and concept art - Dune's graphic novel adaptation features tons of scenes cut from the theatrical version, The Dark crystal's adaptation is clearly adapted from an early version of the film, and in the case of Star Wars they literally only had a copy of the screenplay and concept art to go off of, which is why Jabba looks weird and different.

[@dmontes133]

I love this video, it shows how important that editing is, to a film. Most people think it’s just another job and not that important. Thank you for this. I would love to see the lost cut, in its entirety!

[@pa.encema2821]

The fact my favorite director Brain De Palma gave pointers on the intro is impressive

[@flipnap2112]

using blanks in the blasters was key.. changed everything during filming and gave the actors something real. you can even see blanks ejecting in some shots.

[@jedijones]

And now Hollywood wants to make all gunfire in movies completely CGI and fake because of the Alec Baldwin incident.

[@burntvirtue]

​@@jedijonesThey should've done it after the Brandon Lee incident!

[@Malryth]

I always think that scene with Biggs early in the movie would have made an emotional anchor, so when we "first" met him near the final act...when he dies the audience might feel more about it. Just my opinion.

[@johnbaxter3676]

Having seen a first-release print that contained the Biggs scene, I can tell you that you are right--it did make Biggs a character you cared about.

[@coburn_karma]

Exactly, when he got blasted, I remember as a 7 yr old feeling 'Hope they don't get Luke', totally disregarding Biggs' death.

[@folgore1]

When I first saw SW as a High School Freshman, the one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was Luke's familiarity with all the other Starfighter pilots during the attack on the Death Star. How does he know them when they didn't appear earlier in the film. Now I know how that happened! I did find the "American Graffitti in space" comment funny, but definitely feel bad for all the actors whose scenes were cut.

[@masonb9788]

The problem is, We don’t know how much time had passed between that first conversation and their meeting at the rebel base. It’s like good bye best friend and the next day it’s “hey I told you I would make it!” .. kind of doesn’t make sense.

[@G360LIVE]

@@masonb9788 Not to mention, at dinner, when Luke is asking if he can transmit his application to the academy, and Owen turns him down, Luke storms out to Beru saying, "All his friends are gone." If we see Luke with his friends at the start of the film, it not only contradicts that line, but the idea of Luke being isolated for so long is completely removed. It's more important that we feel for Luke, the main character, than feel for Biggs, a small side character. Sometimes, you just have to make that decision in the editing room, and the correct decision was made to leave out Biggs and friends at the start.

[@timl1977]

This "version" of Star Wars that fans are calling the mythical "Lost Cut" sounds like it's really just a "First Rough Cut" which is were every movie ever made begins. Some times there are multiple "Rough Cuts" until they decide on the "Final Cut" which is what gets music and effects and is what is released in theaters. Interesting to see the unused footage, and I think you're spot on as to why it wasn't used

[@joadbreslin5819]

It's a little different in this case, though, as the original editor was fired, and the replacement editors performed a substantial overhaul.

[@frankshailes3205]

Yes, to be fair he does say it wasn't ever lost and isn't really a cut in the established sense.

[@nicknewman7848]

@@joadbreslin5819 Right.. Also due to time and money and no possibility of re-shoots they had to be creative and eek out every last piece of footage and clever edit they had.. the deleted scenes in the film are what we see here.. there was virtually nothing else shot so the idea of a typical "rough cut" process which could often end up having large chunks removed doesn't really apply here comparatively. Thay had to use everything they had and figure out how to put it together in a better way. It's more complicated than your average editing process and more desperate. The truth is, it was a bit of a mess and only when Ben Burt's exceptional sound, ILM's exceptional effects and John Williams exceptional score were added did it become anything other than a weird, cheap 70's space fairytale.

[@bmmaaate]

@@nicknewman7848 Seeing all this just made me want to watch a cheap 1950's version of Star Wars made in black and white.

[@vgrepairs]

@@nicknewman7848 How star wars was saved in the edit....debunked kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZ3Uh3qwa9KCjKc

[@jamiebraswell5520]

Editing is a fascinating technique. It truly takes a lot of talent to properly piece together so much footage into a cohesive narrative that retains suspense and excitement. Editing is one of the most important elements of film making and can either make or break a movie. I don't judge Lucas for the early cut. It was just the result of other editors using what was available and following the script. You have to start somewhere. Lucas was wise enough to realize it wasn't working, and he took it to the right people for feedback. The end result was a classic movie for the ages!

[@thedys70]

I'd love to hear first editor's version of events prior to his sacking!

[@jnnx]

If only James Cameron or modern Lucas realized this!

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@jnnx "Modern" Lucas is not a different person

[@ValueNetwork]

I always found it funny that until he got involved in the plot Luke wanted to join the empire, to the point of Biggs literally saying to his face in the deleted scene “I’ve defected to the rebellion” and Luke responded with “oh well, I won’t join the Imperial fleet so i don’t have to fight you”

[@Tegawe]

Showcasing how naive Luke was as an isolated farmer in the desert.

[@DriveLaken]

Like a North Korean potatoe farmer. Luke Scene 2, roll 4, take 16 - "Palpatine is the best ever and if something happens to him, I'll clean every datk spot on every canyon wall on Tattoine."

[@doc0core]

This was also in the comic book version. I think it makes the world much more realistic, that the Empire is NOT such absolute evil that no regular farm boy would consider a career path. It's not just Luke, Biggs DID join the Empire and THEN defected. Later, especially in the Disney Star Wars era, the Empire/First Order became absolute EVIL and as audience I lost my suspension of disbelief. A government so bad and oppressive would crumble on its own, even if this particular band of (bumbling) rebels got killed there will be others.

[@mechadeka]

@@doc0core What's that? I couldn't hear you over Alderaan exploding and Vader strangling everyone.

[@doc0core]

@@mechadeka with a name like Mecha Deka that's kinda of fastidious isn't it.

[@samwindmill8264]

It would've been interesting to see more of Luke's "normal life" before he found himself suddenly inserted into the epic struggle between good and evil. At the same time, it might've weighed down the film in the end.

[@ulaznar]

I would like to have a scene setting up Luke as an actual good pilot, instead of resorting to other characters and himself saying so, you know "Show, don't tell"

[@davidleavitt835]

Jabba, as shown in the first movie, I believe is what Fred Flintstone would look like if Tim Burton made a Flintstones movie.

[@kellyweingart3692]

Good old-fashioned sandy droid action 😂

[@thedys70]

Vale Declan Mullholland

[@latestred6510]

Jabba isn't in the First _Wars_ film. At least not in the OG cut (pre the 1995 CGI Edit). Unless you mean the first film (RotJ) Jabba was in.

[@davidleavitt835]

@@latestred6510 there was an actor, Declan Mulholland, who played Jabba, in New Hope. Lucy's intended to replace him with a puppet, but money was short.

[@MBM1117727]

@@latestred6510 did you watch the full video?

[@Skolex]

This should be shown to every student in film school.

[@davidjames579]

It belongs in a museum. Oh, sorry wrong Lucas Franchise.

[@thedys70]

@@healingthoughts3166 This should have been shown to Kathleen Kennedy before she ruined the franchise

[@bakasta5992]

@@thedys70 how creative

[@thedys70]

@@bakasta5992 Yep; I'm full of it!

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

A great point. If you don't take out ALL of the bad stuff, you could easily ruin one of the best movies of all time.

[@OSW]

It's INCREDIBLE how one of the greatest, most important films ever made, looked SO AWFUL in the initial cut 😆 it's amazing what great editing, a score and SFX can do!

[@Fardawg]

Because it was an initial cut... They are usually not great since they basically add everything they have and then do more work on subsequent cuts.

[@nickrog6759]

@@davidjacobs8558 Carrie Fisher mentioned that once .

[@markrichards5630]

Read the script (the "from the journal of the Whills" one) for even more of a contrast. With the help of studio oversight, director friends, talented editors and story people, you get Star Wars - left to his own devices, when Lucas doesn't have to answer to anyone, you get Jar Jar Binks... and Howard the Duck. The first script reads more like Phantom Menace than the Star Wars we know. But then George isn't the only director to have production difficulties actually save the movie; Jaws comes to mind.

[@trinidad17]

@@markrichards5630 It's the production and editing that makes Star Wars, otherwise the story itself is kinda lame and unoriginal, specially if you compare to sci-fi novels and even comics from the decades preceding it, except for the large scope approach of it.

[@jokerzwild00]

Yeah, crazy how things work out. This film could easily ended up being another quirky, bizarre space drama that simply faded into history as a footnote under the "Buck Rogers" category. Everything had to come together just so for it to hit big the way it did.

[@BShowBrian]

Thanks for putting this together. It's one thing to read about the changes but another to see them play out.

[@mathieubyron2038]

I loved your joke about R2~ He definitely has a special role in the film! Lucas calls him the "MacGuffin" of the original Star Wars film as it is the plans he carries which set the events of the film in motion! Princess Leia putting the plans in him and the subsequent hunt for the droids is the origin point for every other piece of action in the story.

[@jedijones]

It's just crazy by modern standards that R2 couldn't just remotely upload the plans to the Rebels once he was safe.

[@AsianFlew]

The raw footage reminds me of a William Hartnell Doctor Who episode.

[@EliWintercross]

It does seem like the cut scenes would have been fine if star wars was a serial rather than a film

[@OSW]

This is EXCELLENT! Thanks so much for deftly explaining and showcasing the changes. I'm also impressed how you edited and altered scenes from multiple sources to make your video flow. A winner is you!

[@pickles216]

Heeeelllllooooo....maybe a can of coke for him?... you guys should do a review of the star wars movies? Happy to see you here!

[@taffysaur]

What bar is Cammy?

[@bonjovi7399]

Hey OSW, ive been watching your Hogan era WWF videos over the last few weeks, the majority of the early event stuff you did. Good stuff. It helps having a commentary, some background information and history lessons and some editing. Has been a good source of entertainment on a weekend.

[@kuziokundera]

This kid actually just took this from the much better older video “How Star Wars was saved in the edit.” He actually could be accused of plagiarism from a number of sources.

[@Boozer13]

I love when my random ass subbed KZbin creators cross paths like this!😂🤣😂

[@MichaelJ023]

Seeing Obi-Wan cut in two by Vader with his robe burning and smoking... brutal.

[@thedys70]

That was probably the earliest alternate take released to the public, in one of the "making of..." docos back in the day....

[@dylanryall]

I saw the original theatrical release in ‘77, when I was nine. In the long years between that and it’s first appearance on TV I listened to the NPR radio drama, based on the original, pre-re-edit, script, a couple of times. I really remembered the scene in the beginning of the radio drama between Luke and Biggs. As I was watching it the first time it was on TV I was sure it had been cut because the early scene with Biggs was missing. It was only after talking to my friends about it that I realized my memory had tricked me.

[@jedijones]

That happens a lot with movies that had deleted scenes portrayed in other media. It's a strong sign about how flawed human memory is. Clearly we can file things in the same "box" that aren't truly from the same source, and then associate them to something they don't belong with later.

[@arfived4]

The first time I saw A New Hope as a little kid, I always wondered why Luke reacted to Biggs' death more emotionally than he did to any other pilot's, given that he seemingly didn't know any of them

[@jedijones]

I wonder if anyone listened carefully enough to remember that Luke mentioned "Biggs and Tank" leaving when he was arguing with Owen.

[@InvaderWeezle]

@@jedijones Or Luke saying "Biggs is right, I'm never gonna get out of here" when he's cleaning the droids

[@BungieStudios]

So many pieces make up a movie. It's an incredible puzzle that not everyone can solve.

[@sweetcornman4058]

Really entertaining. Can’t wait for Empire and Jedi. And yes I am interested in seeing videos on the prequels

[@bellowingsilence]

Revenge of the Sith might actually be the most interesting “alternative cut” scenario in the series... aside from Rise of Skywalker, I suppose.

[@Thomas_of_the_forest]

Yeah, I think Revenge of the Sith would have been the most different. Mostly in its very long opening sequence. Attack of the Clones had some extra scenes with Padmés family, which arguably could have helped develop the romance a little more but that's all

[@footlessmoonbadger7189]

@@Thomas_of_the_forestIn episode 2 there was also some scenes where Ki Adi Mundi an Plo Koon lead a bunch if jedi into a separatist space station/ship to stop the droids (like Anakin did in episode 1.) It wouldn't have added much to the plot but it was still cool.

[@TechnologicallyTechnical]

I've heard of an alternate/earlier version of the Phantom Menace script where the plot is more focused on Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon only makes a brief appearance. I'd love to learn more about that.

[@gregphillips2827]

@@bellowingsilence I really want to see that full extended version of Revenge of the Sith if it exists. The video game adaptation includes a far expanded rescue of Palpatine sequence, which gives far more weight to the Obi-Wan and Anakin relationship. They truly come across as brothers in a way they didn’t necessarily in the theatrical cuts. I always assumed these sequences were filmed but cut from the movie.

[@nicholas_scott]

For 30 years I've heard about this lost cut, but never really understood what was really in it. This was perfect!

[@samw9946]

32:37 there is one trace of that scene left in the Final Cut when Biggs says “Hurry up Luke they’re coming in much faster this time we can’t hold them”

[@TheLarryBrown]

But it makes sense anyway because that was the third run on the trench. Even if Luke and Biggs had not participated in the two previous runs they would still know what had happened with them.

[@Isaacisaperson4677]

I just read the novelization that came out in 1976 and it's crazy how similar the "Lost Cut" is to the book

[@MyBighog]

That's because the novelization is based off the original draft of the screenplay and so a lot of those deleted scenes are included in it.

[@jesustovar2549]

You read the novelization in 1976 before the movie came out? That's crazy and fortunate, to know Star Wars before everyone else, reminds me a bit of the case of the novelization of 2001: A Space Oddysey, which Arthur C. Clarke wrote in parallel to the movie's production, the book was published in 1968 after the movie's release in that year.

[@Isaacisaperson4677]

@@jesustovar2549 I didn't read it when I came out I did nine months ago

[@snazzle9764]

One thing to add to the benefit of re-editing the "Leia's Message" scene; in the og cut Obi wan and Luke sound so cold. Neither Hamill nor Guinness sounded too bummed about the princess' message or even any different. It felt like they forgot about and remembered it later to me. Not only does the new cut display some sense of urgency as they instantly start discussing it, it also adds weight to the Princesses plea as they don't trail off in another conversation. AMAZING video by the way! Love the dedication to filming exclusive convention footage with your phone, this is an amazing resource for star wars fans!

[@johnwilson1094]

The Lost Cut seems to be visualized and paced like the 1930's space serials. Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, in particular.

[@thedys70]

If the original editor followed Lucas' instructions to the letter, and was told "make it look like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon from the 1930s...", thus effectively retaining all the now-deleted scenes as is most likely the case, would he therefore have been unlucky to be sacked if it seemed a mess? If Lucas wasn't there the entire time to quarterback the alleged "lost" edit, then surely this fellow was merely a scapegoat? This is perhaps the last great untold Holy Grail story from 1976?

[@johnwilson1094]

@@thedys70 I think you are correct. Lucas making an homage to the films of his childhood would result in something like the films of his childhood. Other filmmakers not as invested in that idea would be wanting to make more modern films. Look at all the films that had been made since the serials. They weren't designed for children, not to be interrupted by a week in mid crisis. Forbidden Planet, a full-length film, was in between then and now in pacing. No space film that I can recall was made since 2001: A Space Odyssey. People expected a quicker-paced film, that could keep up over the course of a whole movie, and didn't depend on having to wait until next Saturday to see how the heroes got out of the crisis (and immediately into the next one). They also wanted snappier dialogue, Bret Maverick or Butch and Sundance, rather than Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers.

[@MDPToaster]

@@thedys70 Well it’s strange that Lucas would be giving the original editor the scenes that were filmed after he was fired.

[@thedys70]

@@MDPToaster Well firstly, let's clarify timeline; are you saying the original edit [John Jympson] was assembled prior to filming being completed? If so, can you provide url please, as this is a bit of a mystery. I presumed 1976 filming was completed, THEN JJ compiled his edit?

[@thedys70]

@Michael Bravo Memory is a funny thing - many of recall seeing the pre-effects Jabba scene well before the 1997 special edition, but did we see it in one of the making-of docos aired on TV is the question? Are we simply tricking ourselves?

[@trollking99]

I remember reading that "Lost Cut" story in Star Wars Insider all those years ago. I was fascinated and would tell everyone about that cut but no one ever believed me. It got to the point that I even doubted my own memory. So glad I found your video!

[@KaijuofSteel]

The Original Trilogy turned out like it did because Lucas didn't surround himself with “Yes" men, he had people there to give him advice and change stuff when he went too far. The Prequel Trilogy turned out like it did because Lucas surrounded himself with “Yes" men, who didn't dare to contradict him even if his ideas went a bit too far. And the Sequel Trilogy turned out like it did because a bunch of “Yes" men didn't have a George Lucas, somebody creative enough to create a compelling narrative over 3 movies. It's like poetry, it rhymes.

[@Pyro-Moloch]

And again this bullsh*t myth with no basis in reality, repeated ad nauseam by the ignorant. Let me guess, you're gonna tell me "do your research" despite not having done it yourself. No, a Red Letter Media video does not count as research. Read any actual book on the production of Star Wars. Nobody believed in Lucas' ideas in ep. 4, but he did what he wanted despite everyone's objections. The reason SW turned out great was precisely because he did not listen to any advice.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@Pyro-Moloch I am very glad you commented this. Was about to say the exact same thing until you did for me. Glad to know there's more people out there who know what's really up

[@officialmonarchmusic]

No, not really. When did Lucas being challenged EVER lead to good results? I will let you ponder this question for the rest of existence

[@Pyro-Moloch]

@@officialmonarchmusic the feeling is mutual! True Star Wars fans exist, despite our small numbers.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@Pyro-Moloch Not THAT small. It’s just most of them aren’t on the internet

[@Takwolf]

The actors that played Fixer and Cammi were recast in Disney's Book of Boba Fett making them Cannon and a deleted scene. Also I have been watching the CGI Jabba scene for so long I had forgotten the excitement you feel in the original Falcon reveal. Thanks for posting.

[@ArtistSince05]

I felt so sad for the people who played Luke Skywalker's friends/bros. No one ever knew them. 4 Years Later Edit: Look mom, I’m famous

[@arricammarques1955]

Aside from SW convention fans.

[@fgdj2000]

Are you kidding me? They are probably the most famous actors that only appeared in deleted footage ever! After over 40 years more people know and remember them now for appearing in deleted scenes than if they had gotten star billing in any other film that summer.

[@bobbyrice]

@@fgdj2000 Hello Koo Stark! She dated royalty!

[@fgdj2000]

@@bobbyrice Well, point taken.

[@fgdj2000]

@@davidjacobs8558 I think it was Don Corleone... or Don Trump... hey, there's a theory.

[@bornin6473]

Just confirming that in 1977 we all thought the cantina scene was the wackiest thing we'd ever seen on film. Also in 1980 the "No Luke I am your father" made no sense to me as Ben had told an entirely different story.

[@autumnsilverwolves]

My 6-year-old self wasn't so much confused, as wondering why Ben would lie.

[@richardmoores]

@@autumnsilverwolves I always thought Ben would lie because the truth would simply be too disturbing for Luke to handle.

[@ikreer9777]

I remember three years' of arguments (while waiting for Jedi) in whether Vader had lied or not. Maybe he was just messing with Luke's head.

[@RhodokTribesman]

@@richardmoores Everyone is batshit terrified he'll be Vader 2. This is why his uncle is so hesitant about letting him do much of anything, and why his character is based on the struggle of staying in the light side

[@ammosophobia]

I love how Biggs just wears a cape like he don't give a fuck.

[@gm2407]

Tonight on the roof of Toshi station we present the fabulous Biggs Darklighter.

[@ammosophobia]

@@gm2407 "Biggs Darklighter and the Power Converters" ... Uncle Owen caused Luke to strand all the roadies at Tosche Station.

[@gm2407]

@@ammosophobia They had to pay for the ride home by playing Jizzflute.

[@mtrich8113]

Maybe him and Lando have the same tailor.

[@ammosophobia]

​@@mtrich8113 I love how the cape is reserved for the same type of character.

[@eldnahym]

28:52 the editing of Obi-Wan’s line is a significant change. In the theatrical cut the focus makes it seem like Obi-Wan knows he can’t win and is ready to sacrifice himself. With the full line of dialogue it’s more like he is not determined to sacrifice himself until he sees Luke

[@gabrieldjatienza6971]

Episode 4 really deserved that Best Film editing award ... unrelated scenes spliced together to make an understandable narrative.

[@Etherman7]

It's really fun to watch raw footage and hear the awkward shuffles and breathing picked up by the microphones. Luke being a much whinier angsty-er teen is something I'm glad they pared down

[@AndrewChapman]

0:36 Christ, just by hearing the tone of George's voice as he says "Tired". It gives a sense of just how stressed he was while working on the first Star Wars movie. While there are still some Special Edition changes I don't care much for, I think hearing this makes me appreciate even more that he was able to do the Special Editions to present the movies in his true vision (even though most fans prefer the original cut). I can imagine how much some sequences may have bothered him for many years cuz of the stress and difficulties they were going through in trying to achieve them. But again, I think most fans who hate the Special Editions wouldn't be hating on them so much if George had allowed the original cuts to be released on Blu-ray or 4K too.

[@VinVonVoom]

They released them for the 2006 DVD and the fans got angry that it was a special feature, that's the reason he removed it.

[@AndrewChapman]

@@VinVonVoom Yeah I know, I have the 2006 DVDs. And despite being non-anamorphic and low res due to being laserdisc transfers, I'm personally happy to stick with them as it doesn't seem they're ever gonna be released on Blu-ray/4K anytime soon.

[@leonardochapman4736]

George sounds the same now as he did then

[@DamienDrake]

@@VinVonVoom Fans were angry because they were non-anamorphic Laserdisc transfers, which made it obvious that Lucas doesn't care. Thank the maker for the Despecialized Edition.

[@vegetafett]

the dvd release was the same as the laserdisc release . I agree that all us fans want are the original theatrical cuts on a high quality format.

[@Jooglesberry]

Very fascinating. I really wish that is wasn't being kept away. I didn't realize they kept the earlier cuts intact and stored them. For every one of these movies I'd love to see the stuff that was cut out.

[@thedys70]

We saw a large selection of them on the recent blu-ray release... but not everything....

[@olepigeon]

The NPR Radio Drama of Star Wars contains many of the cut scenes. It's a really fun listen. A lot of the Tatooine cut scenes such as Luke seeing the battle in the atmosphere, Fixer's workshop, Luke's skyhopper run through the Needle canyon, Biggs Darklighter visiting after joining the Imperial Academy (you get a real sense how important Biggs was to Luke); as well as other cut scenes such as all the droids being wiped (specifically C-3PO and R2D2) to deny knowledge and protect the Princess's identity/activity with the Rebellion, Princess Leia's interrogation by Darth Vader, etc.

[@charliehorse8686]

Wow, Mark Hammil is 71 years old. That ages me. I trick-or-treated as Luke the year "Star Wars" was released in theaters. Light sabers hadn't even been considered a potential toy, (which now seems crazy) so I had to make one out of a flashlight and a tube of plastic.

[@BungieStudios]

Aunt Beru making use of the Tatooine kitchen was awesome.

[@thedys70]

Nice glass of blue muck milk to go?

[@unclegumbald989]

08:18 Wow, he went full-Joker there for a second lol

[@hypercomms2001]

I can see how the actors in the film thought they must've been in a career ending movie... Clearly this film was saved in the Editing...

[@Ruylopez778]

@Brandon Cinema Lover All she did in the first movie was re-cut the Death Star sequence.

[@Ruylopez778]

@Captain Brandon Punk & Horror Lover I think another editor could have also had the same idea. That is the purpose of an editor. Frankly, I get a little annoyed that people want to apportion the 'saving' to any one person. FOUR people worked on the edit. Not to mention Kurtz's role in the entire production.

[@Сайтамен]

George Lucas was the chief editor on the original Star Wars. He oversaw the entire process and edited the acclaimed gunport sequence himself. His wife Marcia only edited a third of the movie and left to work on another movie before the final edit was even completed. There were two other editors who edited the other 2/3 of the movie. The notion that Lucas had nothing to do with the editing of the original movie, that he's a terrible editor, or that his wife singlehandedly saved from the movie from him--it's all a myth. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZ3Uh3qwa9KCjKc

[@Rambam1776]

I kind of hate that I'm enough of a nerd to have sat through this whole thing and paused it to check source material and so forth. When you think about it, the odds that this film would succeed and become the masterpiece that it was or almost impossible to calculate. It's really sort of a modern miracle

[@jedijones]

The only thing that improved the odds was that Lucas was friends with so many directors who had already been successful, De Palma, Coppola, Spielberg. If not for Spielberg, Lucas wouldn't have been recommended John Williams, for instance. The strangest odds are that THX-1138 flopping is what actually caused both Godfather and Star Wars to be made. Zoetrope ran out of money, so Coppola was forced to accept the offer to direct Godfather. And THX flopping is what made Coppola tell Lucas to direct a more "human" movie, which was American Graffiti. And the only way Lucas sold Star Wars to Fox is because Alan Ladd said he trusted Lucas based on how successful Graffiti was.

[@maestroaxeman]

The odds being 121:1 (at marker 3:30) because 121 minutes of odds&ends footage that exists...& alot of it STILL unseen after hitting the cutting-room floor🤔😉 Atleast...that's how C3P0 would see it🤣🤣🤣

[@roosternm6830]

Back in 1977, my 7 year old self would have still been in awe with any lost or otherwise obscure footage. Star Wars wasnt just a movie. It was a significant world event. From the movie to the toys to the myriad of merch, it changed me from just a normal dorky little kid to a certifiable nerd. I consider 1977 a milestone in my life. Im greatful for it.

[@M-demo]

Thanks for your post "Star Wars: The Lost Cut" Explained. I really enjoyed it. I know it sounds a bit strange but the radio version include some of the dialog and storyline you highlighted very interesting.

[@Ruylopez778]

Thank you for making the point that Lucas' intuition was to just have the droids introduce the story (and people advising him were wrong). I think the reason why Luke complaining to Owen (about leaving) and protesting to Han (that he was a good pilot himself) work so much more efficiently is that exposition used to attack or defend feels much more realistic and conveys emotions more effectively than two people simply discussing or agreeing.

[@jedijones]

Good point. I think you want your dialogue to be motivated. The audience can tell if you're just giving a random speech about the background of something for no reason. Of course, Obi-Wan is able to speak about the Clone Wars because Luke asks him about it. It's motivated so it doesn't feel like it's done just for the audience's sake. Luke's "bullseyeing womprats" line was also a great bit of exposition to tell us he's not a complete noob before the final battle starts.

[@muzkat101]

Perhaps 'age' plays a part in the perception of the original final cut, or theatrical release. As a 10 year old boy in '77, seeing this movie for the first time, I was impressed and mesmerized. For a 10-year old, I cannot imagine how it could have been better, let alone worse; it was new and unique, and different than anything that I had seen before... I was hooked. It would have been difficult for me to imagine the technical difficulty of making this movie back then; my only impression was the movie, and for me, it was amazing and captivating in all its form; I was hooked and ready for more. Today, we finally see most of the cuts and see how it either detracts from the storyline, and how much of it was not necessary; the final original cut held its own well. But it is nice to see the edits and 'lost' footage, but I am happy with the continuity of the first release. And today, it is still my all-time favorite of the Star Wars series... alone, it was perfect, and it left an incredible impression on my for decades. To be honest, I was not so impressed with the storyline or characters in I, II, and III; yes, they are eye-candy for CG fans, but I wasn't impressed with it. And for Rogue One, I was partly interested. However, it was VII that finally put the nail in the coffin for me; Star Wars was finally dead to me; not to watch another new release since then. However, I still have Star Wars IV, and this is pretty much all I needed. Maybe, someday, I may watch the other releases, but for now, it is not likely. But what I would love to see is a Ralph McQuarrie remake in the original concept art version; to me, this would be as amazing as the original Star Wars move; that is, only if Lucas gains back control and Disney leaves their hands off of the project.

[@Turtleproof]

I fully expected a WHAT'S UP KZbin video, but this was very informative, presented in a thoughtful voice, bravo!

[@chriswilliams3084]

Great Video. It effectively conveys just how important the process of editing is, especially in an action film. I have a tremendous amount of respect for editors. It's one of those jobs where, if done well, no one will really notice your work. 25:17 Hitchcock was a genius. This reminded me of the Clint Eastwood directed film "Richard Jewell." Since it is based on a true story, almost everyone knew what was going to happen (bomb goes off at Centennial Park). So, how do you generate genuine suspense when everyone knows what was going to happen? You do it by focusing, not on the "what," but on the "when." I was on the edge of my seat while watching that scene, because I knew a bomb was about to go off. I kept waiting and waiting for it...all the while the tension was immense, and kept building and building until...BOOM...it happened.

[@elinoirsmythe224]

It's fascinating seeing all these lost clips. Some of the minor character roles were so well acted it's a shame that they were cut or dubbed over, but then again we wouldn't have the wacky aliens. So I'm glad we have the theatrical cut and the lost cut as well.

[@aliensoup2420]

Highly informative. It really dispels the notion that great artists always know what they are doing, or that an idea was wonderful from conception to completion. I agree completely with the final release cut. Star Wars succeeds partly because of its pace. It doesn’t give the audience time to pick apart and analyze every scene and plot point - just present the essential information and get on with the story. Too many directors and editors dwell on scenes for the sake of being contemplative or artsy, and forget the audience. The worst mistake a director or writer can make is to fall in love with their ideas at the expense of the audience.

[@moaningpheromones]

An articulate well typed comment, is this youtube?

[@Mak10z]

Damn it, now I need to hear all of Chewbacca's lines as spoken by Peter Mayhew

[@toasty147]

instantly loved your channel, started with the Tracey Ullman show breakdown and just got hooked after this one with your narration style and the amount of research and relevant information you give. One of my favorite lines you used on this video that I can best help to describe the tone and timing of your work was "...at least that's the way I interpreted it." Instant Fan, much respect and best wishes from Deep in the Heart of Texas! Cheers! I think I'd love to watch the Lost Cut for the Obi-Wan/Luke intro as well as the original voices for Vader and Chewie, Priceless.

[@Salemslot77]

This is incredible. Thank you so much for putting this together. I'm fascinated by the Lost Cut. As an original trilogy nut, I wish all footage had been left in the film lol. Oh, and please, please, please do those vids for "Empire" and "Return" some day.

[@tomashize]

The English accent on the bar keeper is better than the American I think. I like seeing Han Solo with his GF as just more characters in the Cantina before we meet him. Amazing work by those editors

[@thedys70]

Totally agree; the English accents sounded much more intimidating....

[@bmmaaate]

@@thedys70 He don't farhking like you, and I don't farhking like you neiver! You Farking caaaaaaant!

[@joshslater2426]

I would keep Wuher’s British accent, but I think the final versions of Dr. Evazan and Greedo are a lot more intimidating.

[@KenshoBeats]

Damn!' 'I'd be happy if the droids never met anyone and wondered around in the desert' is EXACTLY how I feel about Star Wars! I also find that part the best mood star wars has to give. Having grown up with the OT this part has always touched me the most. it's about atmosphere! and I think it's rare to find another star wars afficionado who feels the same about it. I find this really awesome!

[@Faeolyn]

I have a book of the episodes 4-6 and I just noticed, these deleted scenes are in there. If I hadn't seen this video, I don't think I'd have ever noticed, since I only read the book once a couple years ago. Nice video btw!

[@emgee44]

I was 9 years old when the movie came out, my eldest brother took me to see it, I swear the scene with Luke looking up to watch the space battle was in the version we saw in the theatre. I was amazed at the time that he could see it. It never appeared in future cuts of the movie and I started to wonder if I had imagined it as people I spoke to didn’t know what I was talking about. It wasn’t until much later and with the power of the internet that I saw it again in found cut footage like this. Thanks for posting.

[@jeffw9232]

I was 8 in 1977 when the first run of SW was released, and I, too VIVIDLY remember the scene of Luke watching the space battle from the surface of Tatooine. All accounts say that scene was never released in any version, but that's not how I remember it. I also specifically recall that there was no 'Episode IV: A New Hope' any where in the opening crawl, and I was right about that; so MAYBE I'm remembering the Luke scene, because prior to seeing the film I read the Marvel Comics version-which had it in there...but I still believe I saw what I saw.

[@jnnx]

@@jeffw9232 Because there was no “Episode IV: A New Hope” in the original release. I also remember Luke watching the space battle the first time I saw it. . .

[@sportymicahglick8522]

Man I just found this, sorry enough people didn’t watch this you did a terrific job. Ready for Empire stuff , now that you had enough time ;)

[@NXProductions716]

They basically took the 70s out of the end product.

[@MC-yq6us]

U describe that perfectly

[@apierion]

@@MC-yq6us and that's a good thing, for the most part. the movies have always had this 'timeless' look to me, where they look like they could have been made in almost any time over the last 40 years. i guess, post matrix/cgi era, the first one really started to show its age (in a good way), but definitely between 1977 and 1997, that movie could have been made at any point and you wouldn't be able to tell. that speaks more to the quality of the end product than anything else imo.

[@squirlmy]

@@apierion I know what you mean, but did you know many theaters upgraded their sound systems specifically for the first Star Wars? and the non-CG special effects were actually a giant step up from previous effects. It's a similar issue when film students watch "Citizen Kane". The flashback scenes and all the innovative camera angles make it seem "timeless"; but that's because it set an example followed by most films ever since. It seems timeless because you have an original film that sets an example for films ever after. Because of that, younger people can be underwhelmed, I imagine maybe for kids now watching the first "Star Wars" would, as I did when watching "Citizen Kane".

[@mikebevan1034]

I've even heard fox executives pushed for Disco music to be used in the movie. Can you imagine Star Wars with no John Williams?

[@brycecole23]

@@mikebevan1034 counterpoint. Can you imagine a Williams disco song???

[@AwakeningComics]

Anyone who read the Marvel Star wars comics or any of the magazines or books that came out in the late 70's knew Vader was a Sith Lord. It was pretty common knowledge among fans well before Empire came out, even if the name of Vader's title was cut from the original film.

[@sticksmcfly]

And the Topps trading cards AND the Disney book and record AND the Scholastic Storybook AND the novel.

[@dawgtheundying5303]

@David Cavalier Apparently it was meant to be a star system Vader ruled personally.

[@ryandick9649]

Is that why all of this sounds so very familiar to me, because these missing Lost Cut beats were included in a book or magazine that came out with the movie? Because all of this extra story strikes me as something I already knew for some reason.

[@squirlmy]

It came out in 1977, so you're talking comics and bits of magazine articles in '78 and '79. I just found out there was a book published before the movie in '76, but there weren't more than a low-selling handful before '91. You're not talking about "fans" in this case, you're talking about total fanatics. Before Empire, Star Wars wasn't much more than just a hit movie. So, I don't think it is so much that people didn't know Vader was a Sith Lord, it's just most functional human beings JUST DIDN'T CARE! Personally, I cared more about "Hardware Wars". I hope you get that reference. I'm sure you get affirmation on dedicated Stars Wars fan sites, but get some perspective!

[@ryandick9649]

@@squirlmy, for the kids who were in school when Star Wars came out, the fury of enthusiasm was such that literally for weeks, possibly months, after it hit the theaters, no other topic of conversation was more likely to dominate lunch or breaks or sitting in the dugout waiting your turn to bat. I definitely remember tattered, old playing cards being studied at recess for any information we could glean. The carboard backings of the Kenner Action Figures got similar scrutiny as they came into the stores.

[@YMPictures]

Oh my god Obi Wan straight up decapitating Ponda Boba is hilarious.

[@jamiebraswell5520]

I know, I never knew of that footage. Wow!

[@gm2407]

That has to be a straight lift from the Samuri film.

[@techtipsuk]

My god you can’t blame the actors for thinking this was going to a huge flop. Makes you realise how much of an art form editing is and how powerful the audio is.

[@KM-dk5gn]

I think Star Wars was perfect the way it was released, it is truly a classic. I was surprised to learn that some scenes were edited to occur out of filming order, but I've been watching this movie for 44 years and have seen it at least a few dozen times and I have never noticed before you mentioned it so I guess the film editing is really great.

[@jedijones]

I think the only thing I sometimes noticed before knowing about the history was the flashing circular lights behind R2 in the Falcon. That just isn't a background that matches anything we saw on the Falcon.

[@joshslater2426]

I kinda prefer the special editions. There’s just a few things changed that I think work better. Either way, I suppose any version of the films are better than the lost cut.

[@ygstuff4898]

Listening to the radio drama version of Star Wars, there is sooo much more to the story, especially Luke's backstory and teen angst.

[@stevehuskey9037]

Is it good ??? I live radio dramas but assumed it was cheesy.

[@ygstuff4898]

@@stevehuskey9037 I really enjoyed it. Same action, sound effects, and good actors. Being a radio drama, there's more exposition, which helps with backstory and reasons for actions. And really good to take Star Wars "on the road" (during walks and in the car).

[@stevehuskey9037]

@@ygstuff4898 thanks. I just located it and am about to listen for a bit before bed. Thanks !!!

[@joeyyung911]

Yeah! Watching this video reminded me of the radio dramas. Now I have some visuals to the audio. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqrTgXyvia18pqc&t kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJnXoZV6m8mnZ8U kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHrWlp-FjKirjNk

[@Thinchap]

@@stevehuskey9037 Hope you enjoyed it, i listen to it literally everynight to fall asleep to at the moment :D

[@Pahjx]

"Sith lord" 12:19 Lucas totally should have re-added that scene in the special edition.

[@edwardmiessner6502]

The actor should have said, "Sith Lord sent by the Emperor from the House of Lords" 😆

[@TheAsj97]

It makes sense he didn't add them back, by the time of the original trilogy barely anyone even knew Jedi existed, and by the time of the prequels even the Jedi thought the Sith were extinct for millenia, non force users probably never even heard of them.

[@somebuddyX]

A Sith Lord?!

[@Iron_Wolf_365]

lol its not too late....it is NEVER too late. for the next 100 years, there will always be incremental changes, edits, inserts, and an increasing variety of 'versions' of Star Wars. it is simply a matter of fact of the reality of our universe.

[@MoviesRemastered]

I've just watched a grindhouse fan edit with all these scenes added back in. It was surprisingly amazing.

[@HistoryandReviews]

Link?

[@Ayoosi]

Something I'd like to see

[@thedys70]

The War Of The Stars 2010? torrenting sites peeps...

[@JesusFreak8824]

I was really disappointed when I checked and you hadn't released the Empire and Jedi versions of this video. I hope you get to it one day! Great video.

[@kawaiiconcept7479]

I know it's probably a filler edit but the BANG for larger explosions gets me

[@Curlyheart]

Nice pfp

[@GuyEndore]

I would love to see these alternate cuts. Why can’t we have a criterion edition of the original Star Wars.

[@arricammarques1955]

Suspect Disney Lucas film may release it.

[@cameronf5893]

Check out the radio drama. It's got a bunch of scenes with Luke on tatooine and it flows really well :)

[@michaelbrown3037]

Look up Harmy’s Despecialized Edition online. If one searches a bit, the despecialized original trilogy can be found on Blu-ray. Beautifully done without special features, extras, etc.

[@thedys70]

@Derek Stallings Torrenting sites; download the file and burn it to disc, if your PC has the appropriate software to do so...

[@scottb3034]

@@arricammarques1955 it's probably part of the deal for ownership that they can't. george doesn't want his ex-wife to profit a cent off his hard work after she cheated on him while working on it.

[@cloudsombrero]

"Shes so beautiful!" "So is life!" fucking ded

[@busbob3492]

Bruh fr I was seeing if anyone else would think the same 😂

[@busbob3492]

Should have kept it

[@cloudsombrero]

@@busbob3492 best line from the og trilogy and its cut for good/

[@popflicktionedits3256]

Stolen comment

[@thecheekychinaman6713]

HAN NO SIMP

[@portaldevice5110]

I love that you used some of Gustav Holst's "The Planets" music

[@DGCpicturesEntertainment]

Yesterworld sent me here. I hope they release a polished, finalized version of the Lost Cut someday. Great vid, btw. 👍