Norwegian Unit
March 5th 1979, Lucasfilm lighted the fuse on what would turn out to be not only a moviemaking masterpiece, but also — a very demanding shoot. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, most peoples favourite Star Wars film, chose the icy plains of Finse and the Hardangerjøkulen Glacier in Norway as location needed to portray the frosty outback of the planet HOTH. They encountered the worst snowstorm in over 100 years — together with a crew consisting of norwegian filmworkers. It made history. To put it mildly.
“We were all cold and working hard. To look at a script, hold a pencil, and look through a lens were feats in themselves in that snow, battered by a blizzard, wearing so much clothing. Anyone who starts to complain sets off a chain reaction. My attitude is that humor is the best way to relax tensions. I had icicles in my beard, so I made jokes about it.”
NORWEGIAN UNIT
Location Second Unit
People at Finse, Norway when filming Star Wars : The Empire Strikes Back.
(in development) - name missing, do reach out.
Irvin Kershner : Director
Gary Kurtz : Producer
Bunny Alsop: (link 2) Assistant to Producer
Peter MacDonald : Second Unit Director
Alan Tomkins : Art Direction
Geoff Glover : Director of Photography
Bob Smith : Operating Cameraman
John Campell : Assistant Cameraman
Mike Brewster: Assistant Cameraman
John Keen : Second Assistant Cameraman
Greg Dupre : Second Assistant Cameraman
Frank Batt : Dolly Grip
Bill Westley : Assistant director
Ola Solum : Assistant director (N)
Sven Johansen : Production manager - as Svein Johansen (N)
Jim Bloom : Associate producer - as James Bloom
Graham Freeborn : Chief makeup artist:
Alan Arnold : Miscellaneous Crew: (Wrote the book; A Journal of The Making)
Bill Welch: Construction manager
Nick Allder : Mechanical effects supervisor
George Whitear : Still photographer
Keith Vowles : Props Assistant
Kay Rawlings : Continuity
Robert Watts : Associate producer
Colin Skeaping : Stunts
Bob Anderson : Stunts
Allan Bryce : Special Effects Technician
Phil Knowles : Effects Technician
Dave Watkins : Senior Effects Technician
Knut Vadseth : (Knut Vadreth) (N)
Christian Berrum (N)
Bjørn Jacobsen : Publicity Manager - 20th Century Fox Norway: (N)
Harald Lystad : CEO - 20th Century Fox in Norway: (N)
Kirsten Lystad (N)
Gordon Wright : Painter
Martin Gant : Effects technician: production and mechanical effects unit
Tom Egeland : Hoth Trooper (N)
Rune Vindenes : Hoth Trooper (N)
Arve Juritzen : Hoth Rebel Trooper (N)
Bernhard A. Steen : Hoth Rebel Trooper (N)
Odd Johan Nelvik : Hoth Rebel Trooper (N)
Trygve Hillestad : Hoth Rebel Trooper (N)
Sigbjørn Henanger : Hoth Rebel Trooper (N)
Carl Bang : Hoth Trooper
Alan Booth : Art department?
Kelvin Pike : Camera operator
Tomblin
Goodman
Reynolds
Gunnar Andersen : Photographer
Håkan Fristedt (SE)
Suschitzky
(43 extras used for the second unit shots - March 13, 1979)
Check if they visited Finse:
Philip Kohler : Location Manager
Bruce Sharman : Production Supervisor
Walter Henry : Rebel Technician on Hoth
Richard Bonehill : Stormtrooper / Snowtrooper / Rebel Soldier / Tauntaun Handler
Shaun Curry : Hoth Rebel Commander
Ian Durrant : Stormtrooper / Hoth Rebel
Joe Johnston : Captain Shawn Valdez - Hoth Rebel
Terry Richards : Wampa
Peter Roy : Snowtrooper
Tony Smart : Snowtrooper
Alan Swaden : Hoth Rebel
Marolyn Turk : Hoth Rebel
“Empire is the first time I’ve ever seen anything I’ve done that I’m happy with.”
Cast
Mark Hamill : Luke Skywalker (Marilou Hamill)
Harrison Ford : Han Solo
Carrie Fisher : Princess Leia
Peter Mayhew : Chewbacca
Des Webb : Wampa Snow Creature
Dennis Lawson : Rebel Force Wedge (Rogue 3)
“I was allergic to Hoth. I have hay fever. Sometimes they would put in too much explosive. The crew tended to forget we’re not the characters.”
Finse 1979
Alan Arnold: Why hasn’t George Lucas come to Norway?
Gary Kurtz: He’s writing and I don’t think he could write where we are. Also, he’s engrossed with special effects material being prepared in California. And he doesn’t like cold climates!
“When you’re on the set...while everything’s falling apart around you- the robot won’t move or some technical thing malfunctions - then you’re compromising day by day and dying a thousand deaths. On this picture I haven’t seen all the suffering. I’ve just looked at the film and said, “Oh, that’s turned out great” or “That scene could have been a little better,” but I wasn’t there watching Kersh suffer, struggling to get it better ”
Artwork by Tore Stang
Martin Gant (Effects Technician), Phil Knowles (Effects Technician) and Dave Watkins (Senior Effects Technician).
