Darth Vader actor's collection comes to auction

Following the death of the actor last year, the sale was planned by Prowse’s manager at Bowington Management, working with the Prowse family, including Prowse’s widow, Norma. Suitably, the auction will be held on May 4 – as in Star Wars day (try ‘May The Force Be With You’/’May the Fourth Be With You').

East Bristol auctioneer Andrew Stowe said: “‘When I was rummaging through the boxes from his house, every now and then I’d come across something special and it would send my brain racing in excitement. In one box I’d find his Empire Strikes Back script, in another I found an actual piece of the Millennium Falcon, then a little deeper down I’d find a letter from Peter Cushing. It was pure spine-tingling excitement.”

Some highlights of The Estate of Dave Prowse – Star Wars & Beyond sale are shown here.

Get ahead with a fine memento

Among the lots on offer at East Bristol Auctions is a vintage 1/1 scale replica Darth Vader costume helmet, pictured above. Of fibreglass construction, with metal mesh mouthpiece and clear lenses to the eyes, it was displayed in Prowse’s home office for many years – it can be seen featured in various interviews from his home. It was originally believed to have been given to Prowse by a fan in the 1980s.

Estimate £250-400.

Bid for the Dave Prowse replica Darth Vader costume helmet on thesaleroom.com.

From Skywalker to 'dad'

Signed photo from Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) to Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) – estimate £1000-2000 at East Bristol Auctions.

Stowe adds: “‘What’s been really incredible going through his collection is how much of a collector Mr Prowse was. He had over 400 autographs from people he had worked with, or people he admired.”

Another sale highlight is a signed photograph from Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker which reads For David – You’ll Always Be ‘Dad’ Vader To Me – Your Loving Son, Mark.

“It’s completely unique,” says Stowe. “There is only one person on the planet who can get that kind of autograph from Mr Hamill – Dave Prowse. It’s funny, its poignant, it’s a really special item and I’m sure Star Wars fans will love a chance to own it.”

The photograph carries an estimate of £1000-2000.

View the catalogue entry for this Mark Hamill Luke Skywalker signed photo to Darth Vader Dave Prowse on thesaleroom.com.

The West Country Darth Vader

Dave Prowse's Star Wars script for 'The Empire Strikes Back' in 1980 when he played Darth Vader – estimate £2500-4000 at East Bristol Auctions.

Prowse’s Darth Vader, which he played from 1977-83, was actually voiced by James Earl Jones – Prowse’s West Country accent deemed not suitable for a terrifying Sith Lord.

Another stand-out item in this 600-lot auction is Prowse’s original script from The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. But fans expecting to get their hands on the famous ‘No, I am your Father’ line will be disappointed as it doesn’t actually feature in the script.

East Bristol auctioneer Andrew Stowe explains: “The reveal that Vader is Luke’s father was kept a big secret from most of the cast. As Prowse’s lines would be over-dubbed by James Earl Jones he wasn’t privy to the secret, so instead, he was given alternate dialogue which is considerably less dramatic. But that in itself makes this a unique piece of history.”

Dave Prowse's Star Wars script for 'The Empire Strikes Back' in 1980 when he played Darth Vader – estimate £2500-4000 at East Bristol Auctions.

The pink pages (pink for an amended section) run to 22 pages and feature all of Vader's lines/scenes for the film – it is not a complete script. The pages are dated 2/20/79, and feature dialogue that Prowse was to say on-set. Much of this dialogue is changed in the final screen version, but some lines do remain unaltered.

This script is all Prowse was ever given during filming – most of the supporting actors were not given full scripts, purely just their lines/scenes.

East Bristol states: “According to many after discovering that his voice had been replaced with that of James Earl Jones, Prowse was so frustrated that he stopped learning his lines for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Instead, he would improvise lines, sometimes speaking complete gibberish, forcing his co-stars to respond as if he had said the correct line, which may explain why this script remains in such good condition.”

The script is estimated at £2500-4000. View the Dave Prowse Darth Vader The Empire Strikes Back script on thesaleroom.com.

Go green to save the world

Dave Prowse Green Cross Code man costume used on screen – £3000-5000 at East Bristol Auctions.

Despite his worldwide fame, the 6ft 6in (1.98m) former weightlifter who represented England at the Commonwealth Games in the early 1960s was much prouder of another role familiar to viewers of 1970s UK public information films: the Green Cross Code Man.

In interviews Prowse stated it was his Green Cross Code work that meant the most to him as road accidents involving children fell by over 50% during the run of the films.

Prowse’s actual screen-used Green Cross Code Man costume – one of only two made – is estimated at £3000-5000 in the sale being held just a stone’s throw from where he was born in Southmead, Bristol. The other costume is thought to be destroyed.

The costume was kept by Prowse after filming and used for various public appearances, school visits and other such events.

To bid for the Dave Prowse Green Cross Code Man costume view the catalogue entry on thesaleroom.com.

Robot sidekick

'Droid' robot sidekick for the Green Cross Code Man from Dave Prowse's collection – estimate £8000-12,000 at East Bristol Auctions.

Droid, the robot sidekick who appeared alongside Prowse in the later Green Cross Code adverts, is also going under the hammer. The fibreglass robot which lights up, moves and talks is estimated at £8000-12,000.

Such was the popularity of Star Wars, and the connection between Prowse and the franchise, it was decided that Green Cross Code Man should have a robot side-kick and so Droid was born into the public information films in the early 1980s.

Droid (about 1.3m tall) was given to Prowse after filming for the adverts ended and was taken to several public appearances for fans to see. In the 2000s the robot was restored by fans in Wiltshire for Prowse and has since been maintained and cared for by Lee Towersey – R2D2 builder and operator in The Force Awakens, The Rise Of Skywalker, Rogue One and Solo.

Check thesaleroom.com to view the Green Cross Code Droid robot.