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Lux
Presents: Hollywood!
Lever
Brothers Company, purveyors of Lux Brand Soap Flakes, is
pleased to
present a live broadcast of “Lux Radio Theatre”, with your
host, Cecil B. DeMille.
Show: 3265 D, #460
"The
Adventures of Luke Skywalker"
This
special wartime presentation will feature in person performances
by such
screen greats as Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Mickey
Rooney,
Jack Benny, and a galaxy of other stars. Our specially commissioned
Science
Fiction drama programme will astound and delight. This stirring
tale of galactic
derring-do, with tyrannical villains and intrepid young
adventurers will be brought
to life by our stars and talented sound pattern designers.
Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime event!
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This project almost defies description, but I'll give it my best
shot...
It is a period live recreation of a live 1940's radio broadcast
of the Lux Radio Theater. There is, as always, a twist: My co-conspirators
and I have taken George
Lucas' 'Star Wars', added narration, edited it to an hour
and a half and recast it with the stars of the 1940's. Therefore,
we have the likes of:
Mickey Rooney as Luke Skywalker
Humphrey Bogart as Han Solo
Katharine Hepburn as Princess Leia
Jack Benny as Uncle Owen
Mae West as Aunt Beru
Laurel and Hardy as the droids
And on and on... Over 30 classic actors' voices were portrayed,
from Bela Lugosi to the Three Stooges.
Sound effects were performed
live by a crew of foley artists who used everything from generator
flashlights, 8mm film cameras and one-dollar coins to a metal
filing cabinet to masterfully create the ambient noises needed
to reinforce our settings. The original Star Wars sound effects
by Ben Burtt and the musical score by John Williams were 'remastered'
in 1940's quality on computer. Just enough was added to give flavour,
like a little B-17 Bomber drone to the Millenium Falcon's engines.
And a 'big band' version of the Cantina musuc,
The show 'aired' Thanksgiving weekend at Loscon
27, the annual science fiction convention hosted by the Los
Angeles Science/Fantasy Society. We took over all of Academy
Ballroom One at the Burbank Airport Convention Center and played
to an audience of 600 or more, who graciously laughed and applauded
at the right times, and were generous enough to overlook our gaffs
and give us a standing ovation.
We did all of this with a huge amount of love and respect for
our subject matter. Star Wars and Old-Time Radio Dramas both had
an effect on us growing up -some of us more than others- and we
figured, "why not combine them?" The idea for this had
been knocking around in my head since 1983 but, like George Lucas,
I had to hold off until the technology would allow me to do the
subject justice. Hopefully we have- we are certainly proud of
our final result.
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