Rare Star Wars script sells for nearly £11,000

Harrison Ford’s original draft script for the first ever Star Wars film made in 1976, sold at Excalibur Auctions…

There was much excitement today at specialist toy and collectables auction house Excalibur Auctions, as the hammer went down on a group of never-before-seen items belonging to Hollywood actor Harrison Ford. The items had been lovingly tucked away for over 50 years in a private home and were personal items of the actor’s that related to the first ever Star Wars film, created in 1976.

The original draft Star Wars script (originally called Star Killer until it was changed to Star Wars), was used by Ford to play Han Solo and was the fourth draft of the script. It was discarded by him in the London flat he was renting, while staying in the city to film at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, UK. The owners of the property came to know the actor quite well during his time as their tenant and they therefore treasured the items he left behind for many years. They have been sold today by their grandchildren.

Filming for the epic space fantasy written by George Lucas and as mentioned, originally titled The Adventures of Luke Starkiller, took place at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, UK in 1976, with the film being released the following year. The role of Han Solo would skyrocket Ford’s acting career and his reprising of the role in four Star Wars sequels released over the next four decades.

Ford was given a budget by the film studio and chose a flat to rent in London’s famous Notting Hill in West London, in order to travel easily to the studios for filming. It was here he formed a genuine friendship with the family.

The grandchildren tell us that in 1976 their grandmother put an advertisement in The Sunday Times for a ‘Flat to Let’, as she and her husband were looking for a lodger in their home. Harrison Ford was the person that came to view it and on meeting them he decided to accept the rental.

The Elstree Studios in 1966, where the Star Wars movies were produced

The owners lived on the bottom floors of the house in Elgin Crescent in Notting Hill in West London, while Ford occupied the top two floors. Oblivious to the celebrity world, the couple had no idea who he was and that a Hollywood actor was staying in their home. The property owner’s comment about Ford was simply: “He was an excellent tenant, very tidy”. With no idea who their guest was, the owners simply mentioned to their cleaner that they had ‘a lodger’ staying.

She subsequently fainted on encountering the actor and realising who ‘the lodger’ was! During Ford’s stay there were many celebrity visits to the house, with Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia and Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, visiting frequently. The owners had no idea who they were either and didn’t even know Mark Hamill’s name, referring to him simply as ‘the boy’, as that was how Harrison referred to him.

As they got to know their famous tenant, we are told the owners struck up a genuine rapport with Ford, spending time in the garden having drinks and relaxing after filming. One particularly touching story the owner recalls is Ford giving them money to purchase new plants for their garden, as they all spent so much time there. She recalled: “Summer 1976 was a great time”, Ford even attending her son’s first birthday party in said garden! She summarises: “He was an ideal tenant! It really was a fun time.” When Harrison returned to the states he left the script and other items up for auction behind.

Commenting on the result of the sale, Excalibur Auctions’ auctioneer Jonathan Torode:

“The sale saw competitive bidding from around the globe for these never-before-seen pieces of Star Wars history. Although other copies of this script have come to market previously, this sale saw a new record set for a Star Walker script, which shows how a personal link to the items is so enticing to Star Wars fans.

“The personal provenance makes them totally unique. We hope they will be as treasured by their new owners as much as they were by the previous ones.”