THE HFW VACATION GUIDE :: STAR WARS LOCATIONS (2A)
 
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  STAR WARS EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK



Notes re: locations in Banks, Hillsboro and Forest Grove, OR
We haven't been able to identify the shots (or composites) where features from these locations are incorporated, nor have we been able to find any official or unoffical sources that might have enlightened us on the issue.

The following suggestions are HFW's guesswork and responsibility. Therefore: input and/or corrections from you informed readers out there is very welcome indeed and please drop a line. Thanks!!!

This is how we've been thinking: what exactly do the three locations offer that might be relevant re: choosing them as location sites? Here's what we came up with:

Highlights from the Banks/Hillsboro/Forest Grove Area
  • Bald Peak State Park: The suprisingly few pictures available on the Net suggest the area might be suitable for additional Hoth exterior shots and/or the entrance/exit to Echo Base as shown in this snapshot. The composite shows features clearly shot at Finse/Hardangerjøkulen but also what seems to be the mouth of a road tunnel that just might have been shot in Oregon. Doesn't Norway have tunnels? Sure, plenty, but as far as we know there are none wide enough to match what we see onscreen near or at Finse. An alternate option is of course that we're dealing with a size manipulated still pic or a matte painting.
  • Wetland areas & other damp spots: More specifically the Fernhill Wetlands and the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve. There are also manmade splashabouts: The Henry Hagg Lake and the Aquatics Center (in Forest Grove). The latter could e.g be relevant as an indoor pool shooting site. Far fetched? Not at all, considering that the scene where R2D2 falls into the Dagobah pond was shot in a (then) unfinished swimming pool at Skywalker Ranch (!). Our rough guess is therefore that some Dagobah scenes may have been shot at any of these locations
  • Hi-tech area: Important computer and electronics industry giants like Intel, Tektronix and Matsushita have facilities in or near the area. Might be important considering that Industrial Light and Magic pioneered (and spearheads) the use of computers and computer controlled equipment in special effects.


NORWAY:
Blåisen
(=The Blue Ice)
Hardangerjøkulen Glacier
Norway
Hoth battlefield
Finse
Norway
Shelter á la Solo (or perhaps a wampa [snow monster] lair?)
Finse
Norway
Morning sun
Finse
Norway
The Finse 1222 Hotel in winter
(1222=elevation in meters; roughly 3,500 ft)
Finse
Norway
Cross country skiing on lake
Finse
Norway
Traditional celebration of Norway's Constitution Day (May 17) on top of glacier
Hardangerjøkulen
Norway
Summer panorama
Finse
Norway
Finsevannet
(=Lake Finse; frozen in winter)
Finse
Norway
No kidding: Tourists enjoying summer in the Norwegian mountains
Viking constitution and capabilities not required! Not recommended in winter, though.


COMMENTS FROM CAST AND CREW:
Director Irvin Kershner on cold tauntauns Director Irvin Kershner on shooting from the Finse 1222 Hotel doorway ILM Art Director Joe Johnston on AT-ATs Sound Designer Ben Burtt on Wilhelms
Producer Gary Kurtz on going the snowy way Director Irvin Kershner on imminent needs Denis Lawson (Wedge Antilles) on the location Harrison Ford on being dressed for the occasion


Norwegian Bernard Steen (then a student)
on working as an extra on the Finse set:
"I almost got kicked out of school because I dropped out for thirteen days to work as an extra. We wore English made costumes designed for studio work. Wearing silver sprayed rubber boots at 29 below (= -20° F) was a bit chilly."
Apart from the odd student, most extras were personell from the Norwegian Red Cross Mountain Rescue Service posing as Rebel Alliance troopers for the occasion.
 
On getting Harrison Ford to the location:
Harrison Ford arrived in Norway a few days after the rest of the crew. Upon his arrival in Oslo, the weather had turned a bit nasty with wind and a heavy snowfall. To keep the shooting schedule, the producers hired a line maintenance engine from the Norwegian State Railways to get him to Finse in time. Thus Han Solo took the 300 kilometer (~190 mi) ride from Oslo to Echo Base in (plowing) style.

The 1222 and the locations are situated along or near the actual railway. Finse is a stop on the Oslo-Bergen line and has served as winter/wilderness location for a number of movie and TV productions. Delivery of heavy/bulky equipment right on the spot under almost all weather conditions (not to speak of quick delivery of spares, latecomers etc. during production) as well as the availability of onsite accomodation are the site's traditional selling points.


 
USEFUL LINKS
NSB - Norwegian State Railways
The Finse 1222 Hotel
Live webcam from Finse railway station (courtesy newspaper Bergens Tidene)