In this episode, I sit down with Don Bies – former Lucasfilm archivist and special effects artist at ILM – for a deep dive into his career and his time inside the Star Wars archive. Don takes me right back to his childhood in Chicago, where a viewing of the 1931 Frankenstein sparked a lifelong fascination with makeup effects and filmmaking . From experimenting with homemade prosthetics to building a full-size R2-D2, his early passion eventually led him to California. We talk about his first major break working on The Fly, where he contributed to several effects – many of which ended up on the cutting room floor, but gave him invaluable experience. From there, Don’s path into Lucasfilm begins, starting with operating R2-D2 on commercials alongside Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and even George Lucas. That connection ultimately led to him working on the Lucasfilm archives. This is where things get really interesting. Don describes what it was like stepping into a warehouse full of original Star Wars props, models and documents – much of it undocumented and at risk of being lost or discarded . He shares stories of discovering key items like Darth Vader’s helmet hidden in a crate, uncovering original manuscripts and audio recordings, and building one of the first digital catalogues of the collection. We also get into:

• His role in early Lucasfilm exhibitions and the growth of the archive
• Working at Skywalker Ranch and the unique creative environment there
• The transition period between Return of the Jedi and the Special Editions
• Wearing multiple costumes (including Boba Fett) during the Special Edition shoots
• The reality of preserving film history inside a working production company

It’s a brilliant conversation that really captures a moment in time when Star Wars history could easily have been lost – and the people who helped save it.

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links