This is a long shot I’m sure but I’m wondering if anyone has any information or can find it regarding the scene that was supposedly filmed in Palpatine’s palace for TESB. I think an actor was cast for Sate Pestage but I don’t know who. I wonder whether the same actress for the hologram of Palpatine was involved (Marjorie Eaton)
I don't know about the scene being set in the Imperial Palace. The fourth-draft script has a scene with Vader talking by hologram to Sate Pestage, who serves the same role blocking Vader's access to Palpatine as Moff Jerjerrod does in a deleted scene from ROTJ. And at any rate, the copy of the fifth-draft shooting script I have marks that particular scene (scene #286 in both drafts) as having been omitted, so I don't know where the rumor arose that it had actually been filmed.
I've heard the scene mentioned, but I haven't heard anything about it actually being filmed. Once our library re-opens, I'll get out our copy of The Making of "The Empire Strikes Back" to confirm.
Right. That scene was omitted before principal photography, and as far as we know, they only shot the scene that ended up in the movie. If Palpatine's palace was ever built as a set we would've definitely known about it (and I can assume the reason for the scene being omitted could be the fact that building a full new set for just one scene was not feasible.)
I suspect we wouldn't have seen the palace regardless. The scene in the fourth-draft script mentions Vader talking to Pestage by hologram in Vader's private chamber on his Star Destroyer, but nothing about seeing what's on Pestage's end of the conversation. It makes total sense to cut it as a cost-saving measure (casting, wardrobe, & filming time all get a break) in any case though. Its removal in no way harms the plot: it's basically filler. I wonder if its main purpose was simply to show Vader talking to a human (or human-like) figure via hologram, before introducing the more monstrous Emperor via the same communication method.
I read this article many years ago, and now i wonder if there is a connection to the possibly missing Imperial Palace scene in ESB http://webspace.webring.com/people/au/um_7143/lost_sw.txt Quote: "There is at least one more "early ROTJ" trailer then what was included on [Definitive Collection] discs, one shown during a re-release of "Star Wars" between the release of "TESB" and "ROTJ." It featured a glowing chain around Vader's neck (possibly just highly reflective) and had Vader and Luke within some kind of ancient Greek-like structure. [I saw it] as part of a tape with various "SW" related items on it. Until then all I had was a [memory of seeing it] with my parents just before a re-release of "SW" (I wish I could remember the date, or for that matter the year). It's one of the few memories I have of seeing "Star Wars" in theaters that hasn't been corrupted by time on the Internet (i.e., "Hey, I think I remember that scene too..." variety) It must have been pretty darn rare, as I have yet to see anyone else mention it." Edit: Took the link and the quote from a post i made in 2015. The link apparently doesn't work because the site might not be around anymore.
It might have been contemplated in early drafts, but no scene in the Imperial Palace was ever filmed, for either The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi.
Huh. Now this is fascinating. This is the first I'm hearing of a planned Imperial palace scene Was this in the Leigh Brackett script? Wonder if the hologram Palpatine scene on board the Executor served as the replacement for this
In recent times this has become a big curiosity for me. The Kenner Star Destroyer playset for The Empire Strikes Back shows a hologram feature and states 'lower the hologram and have Darth communicate with the Grand Vizier'. Then beyond that in the Making Of The Empire Strikes Back book there's a list of characters listed for an upcoming filming day one of which is Sate Pestage. One SW website, I forget which, did a feature on this not so long ago with no clear conclusion. It's believed it was a hologram scene setting up the Emperor's hologram scene later in the film as Sate Pestage is meant to convey to Vader the Emperor's concerns about things and that the Emperor's in a bad mood (something to that effect). My hunch is it was cast, what with the character being listed in the shooting schedule for a certain day's shooting, then not filmed possibly due to time constraints and the lack of necessity of the scene what with it only setting up another hologram scene later on. Would be fun to speculate who was cast. Possibly another British actor as the Imperials tended to be?
The Leigh Brackett ESB script has a scene with Vader in his castle, where he receives a transmission from the Emperor (who wears cloth-of-gold robes that conceal his face, and communicates via viewscreen rather than a hologram - a result of Brackett taking literally Lucas' suggestion that Vader should talk to the Emperor via viewscreen "a la Flash Gordon"). Vader is feeding some sort of gargoyle-type creatures when the Emperor's transmission comes through. Brackett describes Vader's castle as being "in the midst of a crimson sea", which probably derives from Lucas' idea of having it on a lava planet like Mustafar Brackett evidently enjoys playing with the atmosphere of alien worlds. Earlier in the ESB script she suggests that the Imperial capital city-world, then named Ton-Muund, should have "an odd sort of daylight" possibly resulting from the planet orbiting a blue star. In her own pulp SF fiction from the 1940s she wrote about seas on Venus that were filled with red mist rather than water. As I mentioned in passing above, the Brackett ESB script has a scene set on the Imperial city-planet, but we don't get too much info about the area, and no glimpses of the Emperor himself besides the transmission to Vader later on. Mostly that scene is similar to the action on Vader's Star Destroyer in ESB as filmed, or the Death Star conference room scene in SW 1977: it's where Vader harangues Imperials while directing the search for Luke Skywalker. (And I do mean "harangues": rather than choking officers to death left and right, Brackett's Vader simply says things like "Leave me, you incompetent idiot".)
oops , just realised my error , its not in the storybook its in the Official Collector's Edition . its on page 24 in the story synopsis , all it says is : "The first to appear in hologram is Sate Pestage , the Emperor's Grand Vizier, who warns of the emperor's black mood."
Thanks, that makes me even more curious now! There's nothing more mentioned in the Making of The Empire Strikes Back book and not sure if anybody connected with the film would have much more info on it now. Amazing that the classic trilogy continues to intrigue to this day. I'd never have expected to see that extended scene of General Tagge in ANH mentioning a Sith Lord until we got that archived clip a few Celebrations ago! There always seems to be something new to discover. Will live in hope for Sate Pestage footage!
