Darth Vader actor Dave Prowse dead at 85: agent

LONDON, United Kingdom  - Dave Prowse, the British actor behind the menacing black mask of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, has died, his agent Thomas Bowington said Sunday.

"It's with great sadness that we have to announce that our client Dave Prowse... passed away yesterday morning at the age of 85," Bowington wrote on Facebook.

"May the force be with him, always!" the agent told the BBC.

Bowington added that Prowse's death was "a truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world".

A former body-builder turned actor, Prowse's towering stature at almost two metres (6.5 feet) clinched him the role of the instantly-recognisable antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy.

But while he donned the glossy black armour and cape, the Bristol native's strong western English accent meant the filmmakers turned to James Earl Jones for the chilling voice that would emerge from behind the mask.

Prowse nevertheless remained attached to the character, telling AFP in 2013 that he was "the greatest big-screen villain of all time".

Since the original Star Wars trilogy was released in the late 1970s and early 80s, Prowse had travelled the world meeting hardcore fans.

Agence France Presse

Darth Vader helmet among Hollywood treasures in $10 million auction

LOS ANGELES - Darth Vader's helmet from "The Empire Strikes Back" is among a vast collection of coveted Hollywood treasures going under the hammer next month, with experts predicting it could fetch nearly $500,000.

The mask and helmet is one of only a handful worn by actor David Prowse, who played Luke Skywalker's nemesis and -- spoiler alert -- father on-screen in the 1980 "Star Wars" blockbuster, making them the "holy grail" of science fiction artifacts, according to auction organizers.

"The catalog estimate is $250,000-$450,000, and you never know what something will go for until it crosses the block -- it could well exceed that," said Zach Pogemiller of auctioneer Profiles in History.

"Star Wars is always popular. It's never been hotter than it is right now, with the franchise continuing as strongly as it is."

The "Icons and Legends of Hollywood" sale will take place September 25-26 in Los Angeles, with nearly 1,000 lots together expected to sell for over $10 million.

It will feature items from some of Tinseltown's most iconic movies, ranging from Hollywood's golden age to contemporary action movies and sci-fi.

Up for grabs will be a black-and-white dress worn by Dorothy -- or more specifically, Judy Garland's camera double Barbara Koshay -- in 1939 classic "The Wizard Of Oz," which is estimated to reach up to $500,000.

A prototype moon buggy stolen by James Bond from villain Blofeld's secret lair in "Diamonds Are Forever" will also go under the hammer, with an upper estimate of $600,000.

Among additional items expected to trigger bidding frenzies are a dress worn by Rose (Kate Winslet) in "Titanic", the DeLorean car smashed by a train in "Back to the Future III," and an authentic best picture Oscar statuette from 1948.

"You always hear stories of movie studio personnel who rescued what are now priceless pieces from the dumpster because they were being thrown out," said Pogemiller.

"It's incredible that people really didn't have the foresight until relatively recently to preserve all of these important artifacts that are part of our cultural history."

amz/wd

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Star Wars' costumes sketchbooks seen fetching large sums at auction

LONDON (Reuters) - A sketchbook revealing early costume designs for Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and other “Star Wars” characters is expected to sell for more than 100,000 pounds ($130,000) at auction in London next week.

The colored pencil sketches, drawn by Oscar-winning costume designer John Mollo between 1975 and 1976, closely resemble the final designs used in the original 1977 sci-fi film “Star Wars: A New Hope” by director George Lucas that kicked off lucrative movie and television franchises.

“It is very rare to see anything (like this) come up at auction,” Katherine Schofield from Bonhams auction house told Reuters at a preview on Thursday.

“To have something of this magnitude, of this scale, from the estate of somebody who worked on the film and was so important to the film that he won an Academy Award for it, is really exciting.”

Props and costumes from the multi-billion dollar “Star Wars” movie franchise frequently prove popular at auction. A complete R2-D2 droid used in the 1977 movie sold for $2.76 million last year.

The sketchbook is one of four that Mollo’s family are putting up for auction on Tuesday following his death last year.

Another featuring his designs for the “Star Wars” sequel “The Empire Strikes Back” and also including drawings for films “Alien” and “Zulu Dawn” is expected to fetch more than 80,000 pounds.

The two other books featuring designs for his other works, including “Gandhi”, for which he won a second Academy Award, are expected to fetch around 20,000 pounds each.

Writing by Patrick Johnston; editing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian

source: news.abs-cbn.com