Giant chicken leg stilts used in the original 1977 Star Wars film are set for auction offering collectors a chance to stand out from the crowd.
The stilts, one of the quirkiest finds ever made by Hansons Auctioneers, were used by English actor Peter Barbour (1922-2005). He played The Stilt Monster in a scene from Star Wars IV A New Hope, just after the bar scene, and in another scene which was originally deleted but later reused. They will be offered by Hansons Auctioneers’ on September 9 guided at £800-£1,200.
Peter’s daughter Dr Sue Barbour, who performed as a stilt-dancer with her father, Peter, said: “Star Wars director George Lucas had a dream of a giant chicken. The next day when he went to Pinewood Studios he mentioned it to his cameraman who suggested ‘the Barbours’ as we had just finished filming Mr. Quilp starring Anthony Newley with him.”
The Barbours, a renowned family of stilt-dancers and entertainers, launched a stilt-dancing act in Blackpool in the 1940s courtesy of Sheffield-born comedian Roy Barbour’s three sons, Peter, Roy Junior and Geoffrey. They grew up in show business, learning skills from a young age after Roy moved to Blackpool to make his mark in 1923. Sue’s mother Jean, Peter’s wife, later joined the act and when Jean retired in 1977, Sue stepped in. The Barbours were well known at home and abroad and when the Star Wars opportunity emerged they were keen to help.
Sue said: “Peter and I were contacted by Leslie Collins, an agent, who asked us to go to Pinewood to meet George Lucas. When we arrived George took us round the prop rooms. This was before filming had started. He showed us all the amazing ideas he’d developed and asked my father if he thought a giant chicken could be done.
“Peter suggested he could use the stilts he’d made for another film, The Hellfire Club. We took the stilts to Pinewood and they created the giant chicken legs around them. They decided that only the legs would be visible.
“The ground of the film set was very uneven as they were going to Tunisia to film and wanted the studio street to look like a Tunisian street. On one take Peter tripped and fell on Sir Alec Guinness, who told him, ‘don’t worry, dear boy!’
“The props department also made some short grey hippo-like legs for me but they were never used. Years later, when George Lucas brought his daughter to Walt Disney World, when Peter and I were working there, he told me he’d kept all the discarded footage as he might use it in one of the follow-up films.
“We had invitations to the Star Wars premier at London’s Odeon in Leicester Square but I didn’t want to go as I didn’t like science fiction films. I sold my ticket.”
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “This quirky and fun Star Wars memorabilia has great provenance and deserves to find a new home with a Star Wars fanatic – of which there are many! That first Star Wars film had a phenomenal impact. It was a smash hit enjoyed by millions. It marked the start of the Star Wars success story that lives on to this day, nearly 50 years late.
“The connection to the Barbour family is also significant in terms of showbiz history. They carved a niche in Britain’s 20th century entertainment industry that will never be forgotten. They entertained people all over the world for more than 50 years.
“To give you some idea of their pedigree, the Barbour Brothers and Jean appeared on America’s famous Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. They also performed in the Latin Quarter Club in New York, toured Australia and Europe and entertained at the Royal Command Performance in April 1955.
“In the 1980s Sue and Peter performed in Barnum at the London Palladium and, later at the same venue, in Babes in the Woods with Cannon and Ball. They also entertained countless families at Walt Disney World in Florida from 1989-1997. The fact that they knew George Lucas says it all.”
Auction: The chicken leg stilts, lot 249, will be offered on September 9 in Hansons Auctioneers’ Bishton Hall Toys and Textiles Auction.
Enquiries | Janet Rawnsley: [email protected]
