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Lot #379: STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) - Rebel "Shoe" Spaceship

Currency:GBP Category:Memorabilia / Movie - Props Start Price:10,000.00 GBP Estimated At:20,000.00 - 40,000.00 GBP
Lot #379: STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) - Rebel  Shoe  Spaceship
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Day 1 and 2 of the auction will be held live with in-person bidding on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th November 2023 at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LN.

Please note in-person bidding is not available on Days 3 and 4 (Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th November), bids can be placed online or via telephone or written absentee form.
STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) - Rebel "Shoe" Spaceship

A "Rebel shoe" spaceship from Richard Marquand's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. During the space dogfight before the super-laser was unleashed by the Death Star, a "Rebel shoe" (also known as a trainer) was used as an on-screen element representing a rebel ship in shot SB53 (Space Battle 53.) The "Rebel shoe" was famously inserted into the shot as a gag by effects supervisor Ken Ralston, and it was gifted to Producer Howard Kazanjian at the end of production. This piece comes from Kazanjian's personal collection.

The final film of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi was the highest-grossing film of 1983 and was nominated for four Academy Awards& reg; in addition to earning the Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects. The United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2021.

This lot consists of one canvas and rubber vintage Nike trainer fixed into an acrylic case with the base featuring a Return of the Jedi logo and signed by ILM General Manager Tom Smith: "From Tom Smith and all of us at ILM," and an accompanying printed storyboard and photograph. A white and purple Star Wars shoelace was added to the shoe.

The "Rebel shoe" has been the subject of much lore amongst Star Wars fans, who speculated for years as to where the shoe was located in the film. The included photograph identifies the alleged shoe in the film; it shows an element of shot SB53 but does not represent the final composited shot. A YouTube content creator has identified an alternate ship in the film, which is more visible in the same shot and distinctly shaped like a shoe, as the storied Ralston addition. It is possible that when the photograph was created to accompany the shoe-turned-gift, the preparer did not know which specific element it was in the shot, and therefore marked it incorrectly. Also included is a specially-modified storyboard for shot SB53 that lists "Rebel Shoe" as one of the shot elements (the standard SB53 copy issued to the crew did not list this element.)

The shoe, reference photograph and modified storyboard were gifted to Howard Kazanjian at a dinner George Lucas held to mark his leaving Lucasfilm in Northern California to return to Los Angeles after Jedi's release. A letter of authenticity from Kazanjian is included. This lot exhibits discolouration, fold and crease lines, and snagged thread along the seams. Dimensions: 33 cm x 10.25 cm x 12.75 cm (13" x 4" x 5")

Estimate: GBP 20000 - 40000 OMEGA

Bidding for this lot will end on Thursday, November 9th. The auction will begin at 3:00PM BST and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Friday, November 10th, Saturday, November 11th or Sunday, November 12th.