RIP David Prowse (1935 - 2020)

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

news.sky.com/story/amp/david-prowse-darth-vader-actor-and-green-cross-code-man-dies-aged-85-12145735

 

 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Admiral... David is dead.

[A24 4,326]

His postures and gestures were never improved upon. He was the only real Darth Vader. 

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Don't mind admitting this news made me quite teary earlier.  

Had the pleasure of meeting him at a convention once, took the opportunity to thank him for what he'd meant to my childhood. Absolute gentleman.

For those of us of a certain age in the UK, his 'Green Cross Code Man' was the face of road safety in the 70s and 80s. He was also Chris Reeve's personal trainer for Superman and appeared in the likes of Hammer movies, Doctor Who and A Clockwork Orange.

R.I.P. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Can't wait for the glowing tributes from one G. Lucas, esq. 

[Chen G. 3,943]

Didn't Lucas have a falling out with Prowse, the latter having guessed the "I am your father" (on his own - this was while Lucas and Kasdan were still writing) moment and "leaked" it to the news?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Indeed. I'm not sure about the details, but by the end of filming RETURN OF THE JEDI, they weren't getting along.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I should have put a    after my last post. This has, now, been rectified.

[Chen G. 3,943]

No, I thought I understood your intention anyway. Just wanted to make sure.

 

As I understand it, it goes both ways: Prowse was angry at Lucas for replacing his voice, and Lucas was angry at Prowse for guessing his twist and telling the media.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Sith happens, Georgie. Bite it.

[Bilbo 3,709]

1 hour ago, Chen G. said:

No, I thought I understood your intention anyway. Just wanted to make sure.

 

As I understand it, it goes both ways: Prowse was angry at Lucas for replacing his voice, and Lucas was angry at Prowse for guessing his twist and telling the media.

I’ve heard Prowse was a bit of an asshole on set during Empire and Jedi. I think he’s actually not in much of Jedi and the vast majority of it is Bob Anderson anyway. 
 

He remained banned from official conventions even after George sold the company. That’s pretty telling. 
 

But why did it for me was an interview he did years ago with RFR and he said he was never so happy as when he heard Richard Marquand had died. Or words similar to that. There was no need for that. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

14 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

I’ve heard Prowse was a bit of an asshole on set during Empire and Jedi. I think he’s actually not in much of Jedi and the vast majority of it is Bob Anderson anyway. 
 

He remained banned from official conventions even after George sold the company. That’s pretty telling. 
 

But why did it for me was an interview he did years ago with RFR and he said he was never so happy as when he heard Richard Marquand had died. Or words similar to that. There was no need for that. 

 

Pfft. So he was a bit of a pommie bastard. Oooo so ominous. Big deal.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Being active in the time period that he was, one has to wonder whether he did steroids, and if so, whether that affected his behaviour.

[Chen G. 3,943]

20 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

I think he’s actually not in much of Jedi and the vast majority of it is Bob Anderson anyway. 

 

The fighting in both later movies is all Anderson, yeah.

 

Prowse wasn't much of a swordsman, at least with the heavy Darth Vader gear on he wasn't. I think that's appearant in the sad excuse of a swordfight in the original Star Wars.

 

Other than that, I say De mortuis nihil nisi bonum.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Neither was Guinness, so that's a good match.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

He drank too much of it.

[Marian Schedenig 8,172]

1 minute ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Neither was Guinness, so that's a good match.

 

Obi-Wan forgot meeting R2D2, he forgot that Vader was Luke's father (and later acted like he deliberately "told the truth"), he forgot that stormtroopers can't aim, and he forgot how to fight. I expect we'll get to see his rapid mental deterioration in the upcoming series.

 

 

RIP

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

3 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

Obi-Wan forgot meeting R2D2, he forgot that Vader was Luke's father (and later acted like he deliberately "told the truth"), he forgot that stormtroopers can't aim, and he forgot how to fight. I expect we'll get to see his rapid mental deterioration in the upcoming series.

 

 

RIP

 

Well, one possible explanation is...

 

7 minutes ago, The Big Man said:

He drank too much of it.

 

[Chen G. 3,943]

Who drank too much? George Lucas?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

51 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Being active in the time period that he was, one has to wonder whether he did steroids, and if so, whether that affected his behaviour.

If he was on steroids, it couldn't not have affected his behaviour. Dangerous things, steroids.

 

I met Prowse once, when he was working in the sports department of Harrod's.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

20 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

Who drank too much? George Lucas?

 

Obi-Wan! Or doing too much death sticks.

[Fabulin 3,510]

.

[Quintus 5,399]

Only warm tributes here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55121622

 

By all accounts, G. Lucas was a bigger arsehole (and seemingly continues to be).

[Chen G. 3,943]

2 minutes ago, Quintus said:

By all accounts, G. Lucas was a bigger arsehole (and seemingly continues to be).

 

Indeed.

[A24 4,326]

1 hour ago, Chen G. said:

Prowse wasn't much of a swordsman, at least with the heavy Darth Vader gear on he wasn't. I think that's appearant in the sad excuse of a swordfight in the original Star Wars.

 

 

Weren't lightsabers supposed to be very heavy in 1977? 

[Chen G. 3,943]

Whatever it is, its an astonishingly unremarkable piece of "fencing."

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Well, the blades easily fell off, so they had to take it slow.

[A24 4,326]

3 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

Whatever it is, its an astonishingly unremarkable - not to say wholly awkward - piece of fencing.

 

Absolutely, but back then the audience was filled with awe and wonder, not because of their fencing technique, but because of the lightsabers.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

25 minutes ago, AC1 said:

 

Weren't lightsabers supposed to be very heavy in 1977? 

 

They were light. It's even in the word!

[Chen G. 3,943]

18 minutes ago, AC1 said:

back then the audience was filled with awe and wonder, not because of their fencing technique, but because of the lightsabers.

 

Pretty sure you could find negative comments on the fight from reviews from the time. People were dazzled, to be sure, but not so much that they were completely oblivious to the film's shortcomings.

[A24 4,326]

16 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

 

Pretty sure you could find negative comments on the fight from reviews from the time. People were dazzled, to be sure, but not so much that they were completely oblivious to the film's shortcomings.

 

If you are pretty sure that people were negative about the duel at the time then show me the reviews backing your claims.

 

I know my son was shocked when he finally saw the first Star Wars but he was raised with the Prequels. 

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

The thing is that neither Vader nor Obi-Wan bothered to do a proper fight, because both knew Vader would win.

[A24 4,326]

If anyone is to blame it's the director. I mean, look at the Luke vs Tusken Raider fight. He is deliberately hitting the rocks.

 

 

Was there even a fight choreographer present?

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

The vision of a Tusken is obviously obstructed by that mask.

[King Mark 3,624]

RIP to the actor portraying my favorite movie character ever. But James Earl Jones is even more important to the character I think

 

But I thought he died years ago like that guy who played chewy

 

[Chen G. 3,943]

25 minutes ago, AC1 said:

If you are pretty sure that people were negative about the duel at the time then show me the comments and reviews backing your claims.

 

The film had no shortage of mixed reviews. Gary Arnold said the fighting "is abundant but scarcely realistic." I'm sure one could find more along these lines, but I can't be bothered.

 

I just find the "yeah, but in 1977 it all looked SO amazing so shut-up" rebuttel to be akin to handwaving. The swordfight in the movie is bad; period. Nor is the only shortcoming of the movie:

 

9 minutes ago, AC1 said:

look at the Luke vs Tusken Raider fight. He is deliberately hitting the rocks.

 

I'm more concerned with the fact that we don't actually see Luke get whacked, at all. The next we see him he's incapacitated. Its no doubt done for the same reason that Ben's body disappears (and why a rather tame take of Vader slicing through his robe was used).

 

Makes it feel just that bit more twee and sanctimonious.

[Marian Schedenig 8,172]

12 minutes ago, King Mark said:

But I thought he died years ago like that guy who played chewy

 

Peter Mayhew died last year, not years ago.

 

 

14 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

The vision of a Tusken is obviously obstructed by that mask.

 

They always walk in single file. All they usually get to see is the back of the head of the guy in front of them.

[Bespin 8,475]

The body of Darth Vader has become One with the Force.

 

Requiescat in pace.

[crocodile 7,982]

RIP.

 

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

36 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

The film had no shortage of mixed reviews. Gary Arnold said the fighting "is abundant but scarcely realistic." I'm sure one could find more along these lines, but I can't be bothered.

 

I just find the "yeah, but in 1977 it all looked SO amazing so shut-up" rebuttel to be akin to handwaving. The swordfight in the movie is bad; period. Nor is the only shortcoming of the movie:

 

Roger Ebert didn't mind the sword fight.

 

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-wars-1977

[Chen G. 3,943]

5 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Roger Ebert didn't mind the sword fight.

 

Interesting that he was also very positive towards the Cantina, which Lucas himself was disappointed with (rightly, I believe). So that's a good example of what @AC1 is talking about: textbook halo effect.

 

But I'm sure not everyone were swayed; and even if they did, it surely shouldn't disarm anyone who finds those sequences clunky nowadays.

 

Its a very good film, but lets be honest, its not without its shortcomings.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 hours ago, Chen G. said:

Whatever it is, its an astonishingly unremarkable - not to say wholly awkward and silly

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

He didn't mention it in his retrospective review either.

 

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope-1977

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

2 hours ago, AC1 said:

Weren't lightsabers supposed to be very heavy in 1977? 

Of course not! They're made of light, that's why they're called lightsabers 

 

[Bilbo 3,709]

10 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

I still can’t believe that made it into the film. It’s like a QTE in a video game. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

It sums up the wankness of THE HOBBIT, in one shot.

[Holko 9,498]

The SW fight may not be anything overly remarkable but it serves its purpose just fine, a meeting between old side characters, a diversion, more character than choreography driven. I've never given it a second thought. Works better than the prequel fights that drone on and on and on with little weight, or especially the AotC ones which are just terrible.

 

Prowse may have ultimately ended up doing less than he thought he would, and he may have taken 5 and 6 less seriously, but he still made Vader with his iconic stature and body language.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

11 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

It sums up the wankness of THE HOBBIT, in one shot.

 

You mean they could have made better bridges? This set certainly looks like an EHS catastrophe!

[Quintus 5,399]

Chen why are you going into boring detail about redundant things again? Resist the urge, nobody cares! 

 

In '77 the lightsabers were cutting edge! 

[Chen G. 3,943]

2 hours ago, Holko said:

Works better than the prequel fights that drone on and on and on with little weight, or especially the AotC ones which are just terrible.

 

That's a low bar if ever there was one.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

2 hours ago, Quintus said:

In '77 the lightsabers were cutting edge!