Collecting movie memorabilia has grown into a huge business, with fans eager to pay top dollar for some of the rarest movie props out there. One of the best places to find some of these rare props is a place known as Prop Store L.A., which is run byBrandon Alinger, who invitedStar WarsiconMark Hamillto visit his shop in a new episode ofPop Culture Quest, debuting on Comic-Con HQ Tuesday, January 17. A video has debuted that showsBrandon AlingerreunitingMark Hamillwith a very special prop fromReturn of the Jedi.
The clip, which comes courtesy ofGeek Tyrant, showsBrandon Alingerpulling out a special prop from his personal collection, the real lightsaberMark Hamillused inReturn of the Jedi.Brandon Alingeralso has quite a story behind the prop, revealing that this same lightsaber was used byAlec GuinnessinA New Hopeas his “special effects lightsaber.” He also reveals that there was a motor inside the prop that spun the blades, which were made from the same reflective material used to make movie screens. Here’s whatMark Hamillhad to say about how he used this prop duringReturn of the Jedi.
“It wasmovie screenmaterial, because that reflects the light source back at hundreds of times the intensity. You had a wire up your sleeve and a battery pack on your back. You’d go like this and freeze, and they’d run in and put that pole you’re talking about on it, and then run out, just like how they did the effects onI Dream of Jeannie.”
The synopsis for this episode, entitledRaider of the Lost Props, reveals thatBrandon Alingerliterally went to great lengths to obtain some of these props. There was a time before the internet where collecting required a boots-on-ground approach. Collector Brandon Alinger took this phase to the next level when he convinced his family to travel to Tunisia in search of movie props. Follow along as Brandon explains the extreme lengths he’s gone to obtain some of the most notable movie props in the history of Hollywood Cinema. WhileReturn of the Jediwasn’t shot in Tunisia, the country was used for the scenes set on the desert planet of Tatooine inA New Hope.
Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Questdebuted November 15 on Comic-Con HQ, with the series kicking off at the DC Comics headquarters with the legendary Jim Lee, as the co-publisher and Mark trade favors and end up with their very own pieces of pop culture history. Throughout the season,Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Questuncovers comic book memorabilia, film props,Godzilla, pinball machines and beyond with special guests including monster amasserScott Zilllner, famous collectorBob Burnsand many more!Hamillwill once again team with his friend andReturn of the JediproducerHoward Kazanjian.Kazanjianwas Executive Producer onRaiders of the Lost Arkand served as VP at Lucasfilm during the dramatic expansion of the company in the 1980s. Take a look at this new clip from next week’s episode ofMark Hamill’s Pop Culture Quest.
