David Prowse Talks Darth Vader in this Exclusive ‘Elstree 1976’ Clip From IGN

Darth VaderIn 1977, Star Wars, George Lucas’s scrappy little sci-fi that was made for a just under $11 million, became a box-office smash that today is worth billions. Star Wars changed the entire movie business in one swift stroke of a blazing lightsaber. However, there was a time when Star Wars wasn’t a household name and didn’t garner the kind of excitement that it does today. In an upcoming documentary titled ‘Elstree 1976’ they take a look into a community of individuals who formed how the Star Wars franchise is viewed today. IGN has obtained an exclusive clip from the documentary that deals with one of the greatest Villains of all time, Darth Vader! Check it Out!

 

When George Lucas began work on a mysterious project named Star Wars in North London back in 1976, no one could have predicted how it would go on to changed cinema as we know it today. In this amazing documentary, they explore the lives of actors and extras behind one of the most celebrated science fiction films in cinematic history: Star Wars.” Some of the Star Wars vets interviewed in writer-director Jon Spira’s film include David Prowse, Jeremy Bulloch, Derek Lyons, Pam Rose, Paul Blake, and John Chapman.

 

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Prowse, who played Darth Vader (the man in the suit and helmet) in the original trilogy, talks about how he came to learn that Vader’s voice would be dubbed by none other than James Earl Jones:

 

Watch the Exclusive IGN clip here:

 

 

‘Elstree 1976’ official synopsis:

The film looks “at the unheralded stars of George Lucas’s original film – from the man behind film’s most iconic villain, to the actor whose character was completely cut from the final film – the documentary delves into the eccentric community these individuals have formed and how the Star Wars franchise – which spans five decades from A New Hope to The Force Awakens – continues to impact their lives decades later.”

 

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If you want to see preview from the documentary, you can also check out the trailer right here:

 

 

Elstreet 1976 hits limited theaters and VOD on May 6. For more on the film, check out its official site.

 

Source: IGN

 

 

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24 thoughts on “David Prowse Talks Darth Vader in this Exclusive ‘Elstree 1976’ Clip From IGN

  • April 25, 2016 at 6:14 pm
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    First video was good but the second was a nightmare, if they want to make a trailer to get people to watch maybe make it understandable. I lost interest coz it was so confused

    • April 26, 2016 at 1:54 pm
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      Maybe you’re not very bright.

  • April 25, 2016 at 6:37 pm
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    …Does Dave not know that his voice was never actually intended to be used as Vader in the end? The poor man.

    • April 25, 2016 at 7:11 pm
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      Yep – go Google ‘Darth Farmer’…

      (More like Darth Hagrid!)

      • April 25, 2016 at 7:35 pm
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        Darth Farmer comes from the fact that his accent is from the West Country.

      • April 28, 2016 at 4:44 pm
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        Oh, I know. I’ve seen it all. ;P

  • April 25, 2016 at 7:10 pm
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    Wandering through conventions near C-List celebs like Prowse is a lot like being at an animal shelter: The combo of sadness & hope is almost too much to take. I recall when this guy was going off half-cocked about being ‘told by George Lucas’ he’d be Vader in the Prequels…and I actually have a 90s Vader figure autographed “Dave Prowse IS Darth Vader”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv8Ay5exYEk

  • April 25, 2016 at 7:11 pm
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    I can’t stand Prowse anymore. He comes off as a bitter old man, all because Lucas decided to not go with his voice as the voice of Darth Vader back in 1977. He’s held a grudge ever since (pretty sad actually; look no further than to his personal project he did not long ago of him recording himself staying Vader’s lines for proof. Pretty pathetic if you ask me, along with his Twitter account). Personally, I lost all respect for his due to his bitter feelings and certain displays of attitude he’s showcased over the years.

    The guy needs to just accept the little bit of recognition that he has and not try to go out of his way to try to grab more spotlight (just be happy with what he has and not try to force attention) because let’s be honest, most people, including among hardcore fans, only think of the character Vader as that and not so much the guy that was under the suit to act out his scenes. If anything else, they think of James Earl Jones because of the voice but one doesn’t really hear much about Prowse among Star Wars fan circles because for the most part, fans aren’t going, ” oh man, Prowse, performance was top notch.He nailed Vader” lol.

    • April 25, 2016 at 7:38 pm
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      All that aside, the thing about Prowse is that after learning the voice was not his, he still came back and made two more movies. To me, that somewhat negates his complaints as he was clearly happy to take the paycheque….to say nothing about the bundles of cash he’s made since through appearances, which probably paid for his pension.

      All that said, it’s a shame that neither he nor Lucasfilm could put their differences behind them.

    • April 25, 2016 at 11:09 pm
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      Apparently Prowse has always been a bit of a tool. Spoiling plot details during production (to the point where they didn’t tell him about Vader being Luke’s father; they gave him a throwaway line instead that was dubbed later), being banned from official Star Wars appearances because Lucas “finds him annoying”, and the lack of realization that West Country accents aren’t menacing in the least.

    • April 25, 2016 at 11:21 pm
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      Your comment made me think of this.

  • April 25, 2016 at 7:22 pm
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    I saw the unedited clip of the Imperial Attack scene and thought Vader sounded like C3P0. Prowse is the perfect example of biting the hand that feeds you. He really would have made a great Anakin though – a bitter, whiney man, always wanting more, despising the organization that made him famous. It’s really sad that the guy couldn’t get past his own hubris and enjoy the limelight that was there for the taking.

    • April 25, 2016 at 11:11 pm
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      Fun fact: Tony Daniels’ voice was also planned to be dubbed, but they couldn’t find the right fit and decided to keep him in the end. Talk about adding insult to injury for poor little Prowse. xD

    • April 25, 2016 at 11:25 pm
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      Prowse was also offered the part of Chewbacca. He really would have been pissed about being overdubbed by a bear!

  • April 26, 2016 at 1:45 am
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    I hope Prowse doesn’t read this comment section or he might be on suicide watch, lol.

  • April 26, 2016 at 3:34 am
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    Not to take away from anything David did, but JEJ’s voice is a lot scarier than his. That’s why it was really changed.

  • April 26, 2016 at 4:33 am
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    Doesn’t Prowse ever shut up? I know this is an old video, but the man has been complaining for decades. Doesn’t he realise all he did was stand in a suit and move a bit? That’s nothing special, or noteworthy. Whenever people think of Darth Vader, they think of James Earl Jones, Hayden Christensen, or Sebastian Shaw; not him.

    • April 26, 2016 at 6:52 am
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      Oh dear… you brought The Hayden into this discussion…

      But in all seriousness, I probably would not be as upset as Prowse clearly is. For me, I enjoy doing extra work, or work that’s less than glamorous, but that’s just down to my personality type. Each to their own and I don’t know the intricacies of what Prowse went through.

      I will say that if George Lucas in any way led him on or pretended his role was bigger, then just about anyone would feel ripped off — if that’s how things went down.

    • April 26, 2016 at 6:56 am
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      I would say Prowse did more than move a bit. His gait in the Vader suit was bad-ass – a lurching fall coupled with a springy step that suggested “i’m not a guy to be effed with”. That was missing in Hayden’s performance at the end of ROTS, and it was extremely noticeable. There were other body inflections that Prowse brought to the suit – the menacing finger jabbing to put emphasis on a point, and tucking the thumbs in the belt when standing still. Hayden crossed his arms and that was something Vader NEVER did in the OT (it would have screwed up his life support controller).

      Prowse did a great job as the body of Vader, but as was said, his sour-grapes attitude was legendary. Rumor was that while filming the last two movies, he said pretty much what came to mind to screw with the other actors as a way to get back at George for overdubbing him. I just don’t get that. If Disney hired me to stand in a suit for three weeks every couple of years and then cut me a nice fat paycheck and gave me permission to tour the fan circuit for life, i’d volunteer to drive their limo!!!

      But here we are, bashing David Prowse. Let’s talk about the other onset, rubbish reading prick, Alec Guiness…

      • April 26, 2016 at 6:52 pm
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        Your post made the sarcasm alarm go off lol

    • April 28, 2016 at 4:46 pm
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      …isn’t that why he’s upset? He knows that, he’s angry that he got dubbed.

  • April 27, 2016 at 5:22 pm
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    “…which spans five decades from A New Hope to The Force Awakens…”

    WTF??? Suddenly, I feel very old.

    • April 29, 2016 at 5:29 am
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      It’s actually been less than four decades. I have no idea why they said five.

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