Two decades before Julia Roberts entered Hugh Grant's bookshop in Notting Hill, an equally seductive carpenter and aspiring actor was already lurking in this London neighborhood – neither so bohemian nor so cosmopolitan at the time. In the mid-1970s, a couple rented out part of their house there. The ad caught the attention of an unknown company, and the person responsible for cleaning and conditioning the upstairs apartment recognized the new tenant when he viewed the home. It was Harrison Ford.
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During months of filming the first part of Star Wars (later known as Episode IV: A New Hope) in the United Kingdom, the family – who lived on the ground floor of the house – and neighbors remember a friendly and sociable Ford who was with them drank beer and tea in the back garden and through whose house other protagonists of the film such as Carrie Fischer and Mark Hamill (the “little boy,” as Ford called him) paraded. 34 years old at the time). When leaving his London residence, the actor left behind some small belongings, as he does with any move. This includes the script and shooting schedule, which he managed during the six months working at Elstree Studios. This Saturday they were auctioned off; a buyer from Austria paid almost 10,000 euros for the script. The shooting plans were sold for 4,400 euros.
Elgin Crescent Street, Notting Hill (London)
“Nobody expected it to be the great film it was,” explains Jonathan Torode of Excalibur Auctions. He manages the auctions of a house specializing in all kinds of collectibles (trains, cars, movie characters, etc.) and will be responsible for the auction of Ford's possessions, which the family that owns the apartment has kept a treasure in all this time. “Part of the filming took place in the UK, which had excellent facilities, and part of it took place in Tunisia. Today we all refer to it as “Episode IV: A New Hope,” but back then it was simply called “Star Wars.” And Ford wasn't as famous as he is now, he had only appeared in a few films. The family got to know him quite well. They invited him to their son's birthday and he even bought them some plants for their garden. They remember him as a friendly, clean and tidy guy,” explains Torode.
The “Star Wars” script that Harrison Ford worked on
In addition to the script, the part of the lot most coveted by collectors, there are a few copies of the shooting schedule on Post-its and some technical notes from Ford himself. And a letter from his agent urging the actor to complete a few outstanding ones To sign contracts for which he charges around a hundred euros.
Personal notes and filming schedules from Harrison Ford
Ford made no mention of revealing personal details and his copy of the script is immaculate, giving an idea of the actor's working style. But every trace of a legendary shoot is worth its weight in gold. “We hired several specialists who confirmed that it was Ford’s handwriting. For example, there's a note that says, “It's the first sequence where Han Solo enters the cantina,” and others that he uses to remember meeting up with some friends for dinner hit,” explains Torode. .
Everything related to the Star Wars saga creates enormous expectations. “We are confident that the auction will be an absolute success because we have reported from media around the world who have not stopped calling us,” says Torode. “We work a lot with everything Star Wars-related.” We are specialists in this type of collectible material. And it doesn’t stop growing, it’s gigantic,” he concludes.
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