Rise of the Graflex: From photographic flash to a Star Wars icon
Author
João BertottoDate Published
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away, one of the most iconic objects in the history of cinema made its first appearance: the lightsaber. A highly respected and recognizable weapon, with Its iconic hum and ability to slice through anything, has marked generations as a symbol of the struggle for the balance of the force.
In this first stage of our long journey, let's talk about the origin of the lightsabers, right from 1976 before the release of Star Wars: Episode IV. To create the iconic weapon, ILM artists used Graflex as a base. More specifically, the Graflex No. 3 flash cell, a photographic accessory used in the 4X5 cameras of the 1940s.
In 1976, before the release of Star Wars: Episode IV, ILM artists used the Graflex No. 3 flash cell, a photography accessory used in the 4X5 cameras of the 1940s.
George Lucas wanted the weapons in Star Wars to feel authentic and realistic, so he hired Roger Christian as the manager of production design. Throughout the production of the trilogy, several copies of Graflex were purchased. Some were used for the original saber of Luke Skywalker (the versions that are today classified as "Hero"), and the others served as spare parts for other sabres or even as "stunt" versions used for battle. Today, star wars fans collect replicas of these sabers to display, or even battle with.
Check out our Graflex sabers here.
A complete Graflex 3-Cell Flashlight for a 4X5 camera.
The process of creating the saber from Graflex was of trials and error. The first hit, for example, was an accident. George Lucas wanted the objects in the film to look used, with an old-fashioned look. By that thought, Christian began to visit antique stores or at least places that sold spare parts. On one of those visits, Christian was searching for lenses for Luke's binoculars. When he stopped in a local store and asked to see what was available, he stumbled upon a Graflex No. 3 flash cell.
Luke's binoculars made from old camera parts.
I just lifted it out and thought, here it is — this is so beautiful. And it was weighty,” recalls Christian. He rushed back to the studio, to his office full of collected junk (“Literally, they moved me into another office, I had so much stuff,” he says), and began sticking things onto the Graflex handle with tape and superglue.
Due to the unexpected success of Episode IV, the props needed to be rebuilt for the recording of Episode V - unfortunately, the location of one of the Heros is unknown. It is a mystery whether it was dismantled, stolen or simply put out; the other, is in the Pop Culture Museum of Seattle. Therefore, the saber underwent changes during the recordings of the original trilogy.
Luke's original saber from A New Hope at the Smithsonian Museum.
As of now, fans have already identified 7 different versions of the saber in Empire Strikes Back alone. During the recording of the prequel trilogy, replicas of Graflex were manufactured for the production of the movie and today, Legion Sabers has an entire line of replica battle-ready models available for display and battling.
Starting from episode VII, the production design team went after the famous flash cells in order to make the saber as reliable as possible. The Graflex lightsaber is one of the most iconic artifacts of all time. It's no surprise that has seen most battles in all of Star Wars and that it empowered both sides of the force as a balancing meeting point of a lineage.
From Tatooine to Hoth, from Tunisia to Norway, from studios to screens, from Legion Sabers to your doorstep!
We continue the legacy of the original prop makers by creating the highest-quality sabers. Connect with the Force and experience the Graflex firsthand. From Padawan to Master Jedi, add the Graflex to your collection today!