I thought I’d seen pretty much every photo there is relating to the original Star Wars trilogy. However, it appears that the Lucasfilm Archive may contain mysteries than even I, in my fanboy arrogance, have never imagined. Behold this image, brought to my attention by the wonderful folks at Boing Boing:
Is it real or is it Photoshopped? I have no idea, but to my eye it looks like it could be real. I have seen other Empire-era publicity stills taken in front of this same backdrop. Besides, I’ve always suspected there was something going on between Leia and the Wook. That whole “walking carpet” thing? Tell me you didn’t detect the sexual tension boiling underneath that remark…
Good for a laugh, but it looks photoshopped to me. I don’t recall Chewie having visible fingers, though I suppose the costume must have had something. But it looks fake to me. And Carrie Fisher’s face looks all wrong. The hair, eyes, and mouth are all askew like a bad photoshop job. And I just don’t *want* to imagine the implications if it’s true. No! No! No! Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day!
why not be true? She had just done just about everything in Hollywood at that point.. high on coke, down with the Wookie.. it could happen.. couldn’t it?
Chewie does indeed have fingers in the films; it’s just that the hair is usually brushed down over them. I wouldn’t use the careless hand coif seen here as evidence for or against this photo’s legitimacy, though. Publicity photos for these films were usually shot weeks or even months after the movie was completed, and the actors often looked “wrong” in them because they’d cut their hair or something. If this is a legit photo taken during a promo shoot, it probably wasn’t even Peter Mayhew in the costume.
As for Carrie’s face, I don’t know. My personal jury is still out on that one.
Either way, this made me laugh, and on a Monday afternoon that’s really saying something…
On further reflection, I recall both Leia and Chewie being pretty upset the night that Han went out in search of Luke. Perhaps they turned to each other for “comfort”? It could have gone something like this:
Leia: It sure is cold in here despite this androgynous Hoth jacket I ordered from Eddie Bauer. You wouldn’t believe the shipping I paid to get this out from Coruscant.
Chewie: Wah wah wah wah.
Leia: I wish someone were here to warm me up.
Chewie: Wah wah wah wah?
Leia: I suppose I could eviscerate a Tauntaun, but I had something simpler in mind.
Chewie: Wah wah wah wah!
Leia: That’s right, you big lug. Somebody get this walking carpet out of my way and into my bed.
Chewie: Wah wah wah wah wah wah wah!!
Threepio: I beg your pardon, Princess, but the chances of being completely torn apart while having sex with a wookie are seven hundred and twelve to one!
Leia: Never tell me the odds.
Artoo: Beep boop bop. Whistle.
Leia: I suppose you’re right. Anyway, I’m watching my figure for the Metal Bikini Slave Girl Beauty Contest. The winner gets an all-expenses-paid cruise on Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge.
Chewie: Wah wah wah wah!
Leia: Uncock your crossbow you big horny gorilla. One feel is all you get . . . .
[Voice over] Stay tuned next time when you hear Threepio say . . .
Threepio: Artoo Deetoo! If you tell me that joke about your third leg one more time, I’m going to rip you a new exhaust port!
You’re a sick man, Robert! Sick! 🙂
The most blasphemous . . . yada yada yada.