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YouTube Close-Up Look – Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” Luke Skywalker Lightsaber from Star Wars: A New Hope

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This is part of my new, ongoing series of YouTube videos, with this one taking a close-up look at the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th.  As a follow-up to the previously posted overall preview of the auction, this latest video editorial specifically takes a closer look at Lot 1479 described as the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian”. 

I recorded the video yesterday afternoon, and I wanted to make note of a few things that have happened subsequent to completing my video.

I mentioned toward the end of the video that I had applied to join the Facebook group, Graflex Addicts, and had not been approved.  This morning my request was approved, so thank you to those involved (I have since perused some of the on point discussions which I found enlightening, but such content is not reflected in this video as I just today gained access).

Also, I reference the tweet made my Mark Hamill yesterday, and if you watch my video, I took issue with the spin many mainstream media outlets put on reporting on his tweet by way of their click bait headlines – I speculated that Mr. Hamill was merely pointing out that there were many Luke lightsaber props made for the films, which is not consistent with some of the headlines I viewed yesterday…  well very early this morning Mr. Hamill replied with a new tweet in reaction to the two tweets (1 2) made by Mr. Christian yesterday, and pretty much confirmed exactly how I interpreted his original tweet.

Additionally, in reading some of the comments to Mr. Hamill’s tweets, I came across a link to a very well produced document about lightsabers used in the Star Wars films that I would have referenced in the video, but again, the video was completed and I just found it this morning, but I wanted to share it here as it is a wealth of information in a beautifully assembled PDF package: “Star Wars: The Lightsaber Prop Guidebook” Written and Designed by Seth M. Sherwood

Lastly, I did not notice until this morning that there is a second, newer publicly posted topic on the Replica Prop Forum which was started this week which has further commentary, thoughts and opinions as part of the public debate on this auction house offering made to the public: PIH Selling Another “Original” Luke ANH Hilt

As an aside, I mentioned in my overall preview video for the Profiles in History auctions happening in December, I would take a closer look at all of the Star Wars pieces in this auction.  I did not want to complicate this current video further (or make it even longer), so this video only looks at the one lot in this auction – the lightsaber attributed to the character of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: A New Hope.

I wanted to also include links to much of the information that was referenced in this video, which you can find further below under “FOOTNOTES”.

Click below to watch this video or click through to watch directly on YouTube:

As mentioned in the video, if you have any thoughts or opinions, please feel free to comment below or on the YouTube video.  If you have additional information which you would like to share with me directly (and please mark “confidential” if confidential), please e-mail me at [email protected].

FOOTNOTES (links to public sources of information referenced in the YouTube video):

Below is the full auction catalog description of this current Luke Skywalker lightsaber from the iCollector page for the lot:

1479. Original production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian who built all the original lightsabers for the first Star Wars film. (TCF, 1977) This lightsaber is consigned directly from Roger Christian, the original set decorator for Star Wars. Included is a signed Letter of Authenticity from Christian stating the following: “As the Academy Award winning set decorator for Star Wars: A New Hope, one of my responsibilities was to make the iconic Lightsaber for Luke Skywalker, the one below in the picture in Tunisia is one of them I created based on the Graflex flash handle. I handmade about five to use during the filming and the one you are buying is one of those used throughout the filming in London. This is the actual design of the Lightsaber from A New Hope, as presented to Luke by Obi Wan Kenobi as his Father’s weapon and part of my private collection. This original design had the bubble strip I placed in the clip, you can clearly see here and on the pictures below. Each lightsaber was hand made by me as Set Decorator, using whatever I could lay my hands on at the time to create the T-strip for the handle, the D-ring on the end and the bubble strip. My invention of creating the weapons, props and sets using real guns, scrap airplane parts and found objects gave Star Wars the organic reality look for the first time in science fiction cinema. This Lightsaber below is one of the originals and it is authenticated as made by me, the maker of Luke’s Lightsaber, for which I won the Academy Award. [Signed:] Roger Christian Oct. 2017.”

Included is a signed copy of Christian’s book, Cinema Alchemist, describing in detail how he made this iconic lightsaber, arguably the most iconic prop in the history of cinema. Measures approx. 10.5 in. In production used fine condition with expected light scratches to finish. Truly a historic film prop worthy of inclusion in the finest collections of cinema. Provenance: From the collection of set decorator Roger Christian and comes with a signed LOA. $150,000 – $200,000

Jason DeBord