A Star Wars script abandoned by Harrison Ford in a London rental has sold for nearly £11,000.
Ford was staying in Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill while filming the first Star Wars film, now called Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
It was filmed in Elstree Studios, just north of London.
On its release, the film was universally called Star Wars. This script shows that earlier in the creative process it was going by a much more ungainly name: The Adventures Of Luke Starkiller.
This fourth draft script was very much a working document. It is incomplete, includes many revisions, and scenes removed from the film on its journey to final cut.
That makes it an important relic of the creative process.
And, its personal connection to Ford, who played Han Solo, gives it a scattering of star quality on top of excellent provenance.
Jonathan Torode, from Excalibur Auctions, who hosted the sale told the BBC: “The sale saw competitive bidding from around the globe for these never-before-seen pieces of Star Wars history.
“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.”
Ford left the script, along with other papers when he left. The flat’s owners, who became friendly with the then relatively unknown actor, also sold papers including letters at the auction.
A shooting schedule from the film was also sold, making over £4,000.
On its release, few tipped Star Wars for much success.
Ford himself is famously said to have told Lucas: “George! You can type this shit, but you sure can’t say it!”
50 years later, Star Wars is one of the most valuable items of intellectual property in the world, operating in movies, TV, streaming, games, toys, oceans of tie-in merchandising….
Scripts are great Hollywood collectibles. Signatures add value. Ownership is important too – a script that has passed through a star’s hands will have more value than one that has been used by a technician, unfair though that may be. Annotations are also an attractive extra.
Audrey Hepburn’s personal Breakfast at Tiffany’s script ticked all the boxes. It was extensively annotated in her hand, in the turquoise ink she was known to use. That made around $1 million (£632,750) at auction in 2017. Tiffany (the store for which the film was named) bought it. It’s unlikely that such a confluence of buyer and item will occur again, and their interest certainly raised the price.
