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By Ian Trussler, Star Wars Autograph Collection UK Correspondent
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_crop”,”fid”:”20701″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”id”:”media_crop_5462626165377″,”media_crop_h”:”0″,”media_crop_image_style”:”large”,”media_crop_instance”:”13316″,”media_crop_rotate”:”0″,”media_crop_scale_h”:”0″,”media_crop_scale_w”:”0″,”media_crop_w”:”0″,”media_crop_x”:”0″,”media_crop_y”:”0″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]A great thing about living in the UK and particularly the London area, if you are an autograph collector, is there is no shortage of shows to attend. Having been in the collecting game as long as I have, that's a good thing, as these days it takes a first time signer for me to make the effort to go. Luckily, even after all these years there are still new people being brought along to shows to get the likes of me interested.
Autographica is a show which is exactly what it sounds like, a show dedicated to autographs, of all kinds. Held in the Radison Blu Hotel near Heathrow Airport, it carries a range of guests, from film and T.V as well as Astronauts and Sports stars.
On Saturday 12th September I was drawn to the show by the appearence of John Cumming, a first time convention guest.
John played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi during the U.K shoot at Elstree studios. With actors as numerous as those who played Ewoks, I always like to get as much info as possible that will help identify the individual on screen, something not always possible.
I took along a photo of four Ewok actors in a publicity shot, that showed them with their head masks off, one of which I knew was John.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_crop”,”fid”:”20711″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”id”:”media_crop_672995820017″,”media_crop_h”:”0″,”media_crop_image_style”:”large”,”media_crop_instance”:”13326″,”media_crop_rotate”:”0″,”media_crop_scale_h”:”0″,”media_crop_scale_w”:”0″,”media_crop_w”:”0″,”media_crop_x”:”0″,”media_crop_y”:”0″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]John stated that the most prominent thing he did on set was being one of the four Ewoks that carries Han Solo tied to logs, into the Ewok village. He informed me that the other three Ewoks were played by the same three men in the photo I had with me.
John can also be seen at the rear in this black and white shot of rehearsals of this scene.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_crop”,”fid”:”20716″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”id”:”media_crop_7383980710811″,”media_crop_h”:”0″,”media_crop_image_style”:”large”,”media_crop_instance”:”13331″,”media_crop_rotate”:”0″,”media_crop_scale_h”:”0″,”media_crop_scale_w”:”0″,”media_crop_w”:”0″,”media_crop_x”:”0″,”media_crop_y”:”0″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]Two of the other three actors' names in the publicity shot were known to me but one of them wasn't so I was keen to find out who the mystery man was.
The four actors are as follows, from left to right: John Cumming, Brian Wheeler, Gerald Staddon and Alan Bennett. Sadly Gerald Staddon, the mystery man, is deceased, so my hopes of obtaing all four signatures are dashed. However Brian Wheeler is a regular on the con circuit in the UK and Alan Bennett appears from time to time.
Cumming is also to be scene in the Making of documentary Classic Creatures in the segment where the Ewok actors are being coached in their animalistic behaviour but more prominently in a scene where he has his full head cast taken off. John relayed an amusing story of how they had to re-do this scene as when the head cast was actually taken off, he dropped the F bomb out of shear relief from being released from the plaster, so they had to put it back on an do it again minus the profanity.
As many of the Ewok actors I have met before have, John also had with him his Revenge of the Jedi T shirt, clearly a cherished memento from his days on Endor.
This was John's first ever show but he stated he had plans to do more, so hopefully many more fans will get the chance to add him to their collections, as I did. It was a pleasure to meet John, a friendly and chatty guest who thankfully recalls much of his experience.
I look forward to seeing him again in the future.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_crop”,”fid”:”20721″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”id”:”media_crop_8306716965639″,”media_crop_h”:”0″,”media_crop_image_style”:”large”,”media_crop_instance”:”13336″,”media_crop_rotate”:”0″,”media_crop_scale_h”:”0″,”media_crop_scale_w”:”0″,”media_crop_w”:”0″,”media_crop_x”:”0″,”media_crop_y”:”0″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”}}]]Interested in becoming a correspondent for Star Wars Autograph Collection? Send us an email at swautographcollection@gmail.com
