Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

unused footage: scenes 161 - 180

180 - INT. ICE CORRIDOR - REBEL BASE - HOTH With 3PO trailing behind, they race down the corridor to where it ends in a T and round the corner only to find it blocked with ice and snow. They start back the other way when Han stops at a door with a big cross on it. HAN That way is going to take too long. Let's go through these storage rooms. He starts for the door and hears a faint banging. HAN Hey! Someone's still in here. LEIA Wait, don't open it ... that's one of the traps for the ice creatures. The pounding increases. THREEPIO Oh my, there must be a hundred of them in there. They race down the corridor. Additional information: The following is a description of events that either appeared for the first time in the 5th and final draft of the screenplay (unavailable at this time) or were improvised on the set. An article by Anthony Daniels [1] indicates that as See-Threepio is fleeing with Han and the princess towards the main hangar, the droid crosses paths with a group of invading Imperial snowtroopers and is subsequently pursued by them. Whether Han and Leia saw them as well, or if these encounters were actually filmed, is unknown, but remaining evidence supports such ideas. 2 From the film: the ice corridor as seen in the final cut. Close observation seems to show both Solo and Threepio glancing over their shoulders while running in this scene, perhaps watching out for some recently-confronted troops? During this chase, Threepio has the notion to thwart the Imperials' efforts by leading them to an unexpected doom in the Wampa pen. He does so by removing the warning label on a door made familiar to the audience in an earlier scene. 3 4 5 6 View video (.avi, 1 sec, 128 KB) 7 The stormtroopers, believing that their quarry has escaped through this doorway, charge forward in pursuit. 8 9 10 11 12 No actual description of the wampas' resulting attack in this scene has been offered, but we can assume that at least several troops meet their end in this room. Additionally, it seems that Darth Vader may have passed by the deadly area at some point. A quote from from Sci-Fi Universe #1: "Later, Vader passes by the doorway and comments, 'Rebel troops?' to which a Stormtrooper responds. 'I don't think so, sir.'" 13 14 A publicity still shows Vader on the set by the same doorway. Had these scenes remained, the audience would have had an intensified perspective of the heroes' immediate danger. And I suspect that Threepio's quick ingenuity would've been met with some laughter and cheers as well. Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6 - "Wonder Column" #4, by Anthony Daniels, The Star Wars Insider #29, 1996. 2, 11, 12, 14 - Behind the Magic: The Insider's Guide to Star Wars, CD-ROM, LucasArts Entertainment Co., LLC 5, 8, 9, 10 - The Star Wars Insider, Issue #49, May/June, 2000. 7 - ESB Theatrical Teaser Trailer #2 (1979) - Scope Version. Courtesy of T'Bone's Star Wars Universe. 13 - "The Star Wars You Never Saw" by Mark A. Altman with Lukas Kendal, Sci-Fi Universe #1.

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