A long time ago in a galaxy not far, far away — Kirkcaldy, to be precise — Darth Vader unleashed the power of the Dark Side.
This will be a day long remembered.
David Prowse, who was Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, turned red in June 1983 while playing his other famous character: the Green Cross Code Man.
Remember him?
The towering 6ft 6in bodybuilder-turned-actor first appeared in his memorable green and white outfit in 1975, before being invited to audition for Star Wars by George Lucas.
Prowse had been spotted by Lucas playing a bodyguard in the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange and had the choice of playing Darth Vader or his hairy co-star Chewbacca.
He chose the galactic overlord.
So why was the heavy breathing one not amused in the Lang Toun?
Prowse played Vader in three movies
The story starts in 1977.
Prowse put on the heavy black suit, helmet and cape for Star Wars and performed Darth Vader’s lines from inside the costume with a strong Devonshire accent.
Carrie Fisher nicknamed him “Darth Farmer” because of his country twang!
Prowse was then told by Lucas at the wrap that all of his dialogue would be re-recorded with that of James Earl Jones’ in post-production to voice the intimidating Sith Lord.
It worked.
The runaway success of the first Star Wars guaranteed a pair of sequels which ended with Darth Vader revealing he is Luke Skywalker’s father in 1983’s Return of the Jedi.
Was the father-son plot twist a secret, though?
Prowse apparently spoiled one of the biggest twists in cinema history in the autumn of 1978 during a signing event in California when he suggested Vader’s Skywalker lineage.
Prowse claimed that his outburst was simply a lucky guess, although Lucas went to seemingly elaborate lengths to protect further leaks and tightly guarded the final script.
When it came to the fateful moment where a dying Vader had his helmet removed, English stage actor Sebastian Shaw was shown beneath the mask instead of Prowse.
To add insult to anonymity, the death scene was apparently concealed from Prowse, who claimed not to have been shown script pages during shooting of the 1983 movie.
Did Lucas finally get his revenge?
David Prowse strikes back when Green Cross Code Man visits Kirkcaldy
Return of the Jedi was released in the UK on June 2 1983 and Prowse was in Kirkcaldy following the premiere in the guise of his other alter-ego: the Green Cross Code Man.
Shows were held in the Adam Smith Centre where around 1,300 children from Kirkcaldy, Burntisland and Kinghorn turned up for the three performances.
The perfect setting for a Courier journalist to confront the elephant in the room?
Apparently so.
“Far from being put off by the fact that I was Darth Vader, the children come to see just for that reason,” Dave told our scribe.
“Darth became one of the biggest cult figures to come out of Star Wars’ and the kids seem to love him.
“I was very annoyed when Darth was killed off because when he was unmasked the director decided to use someone else’s face and not mine.
“I don’t know the reasoning behind it but I’m up in arms!”
How did he become the ultimate movie villain?
“Everything seemed to happen for me within a month,” he said.
“I got a call from George Lucas offering me a part in Star Wars, then, just four weeks later, I was picked to be the Green Cross Code Man.
“In fact, I had to take a week off while filming Star Wars to make the Green Cross Code commercials.
“First of all, I was offered the part of Chewbacca – the great big hairy creature who travels around with Luke Skywalker and his companions – but the character of the evil Darth Vader appealed to me more.
“I have enjoyed making the Star Wars’ films and being the Green Cross Code Man at the same time – it’s been quite a contrast.
“The Green Cross Code shows are really worthwhile, I love doing them and it gives me great satisfaction to know that since we started, the figures for casualties among children in Britain have halved.”
He was on his 12th national tour as the Green Cross Code Man in June 1983 and reckoned he visited more than 300 cities and 1,000 schools in his first seven years.
The Courier said: “Dave is certainly dedicated to the Green Cross Code programme.
“Last week he had an operation on his eyes but refused to stay in hospital longer than was necessary and was back on the road within a day.
“Married with three children, 47-year-old Dave has a very busy schedule in front of him and he has every day planned from now until Christmas.”
Prowse first visited Dundee in 1960 to take part in a weightlifting competition, before returning to the city in 1977 as the Green Cross Code Man at Ancrum Primary School.
He returned in 1982 to talk to some of the city’s youngsters.
“The tours will continue and I hope some day to return to Dundee,” he said.
“I first came to the city in 1977 and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay.
“Perhaps we will be able to include it in the next tour.
“Scotland has always given me a great reception.
“The kids up here are tremendous and they shout and cheer louder than anyone.”
Green Cross Code Man and Darth Vader died at the age of 85
Prowse lost contact with Lucas after the original trilogy finished in 1983 but was still very present in the fan community after returning his major focus on weightlifting.
He hung up his Green Cross Code Man costume in the late-1980s.
Prowse was also not involved in the Star Wars prequel trilogy but regularly attended conventions across the world, before stepping down from international shows in 2017.
He said: “I have had a wonderful time meeting so many incredible fans from countries all over the world.
“I truly thank each of you for your support and the opportunity to meet so many of you.
“May the force be with you.”
You can’t keep a good man down, though.
In a comeback that Frank Sinatra would have been proud of, Prowse returned as the Green Cross Code Man in 2014, at the age of 79, when a new generation of smartphone-obsessed grown-ups began ignoring basic road safety.
Sadly, it was the end of the road for the TV icon in November 2020.
Agent Thomas Bowington confirmed Prowse’s death at the age of 85 following a short illness, which brought heartfelt tributes from the Star Wars community.
Mark Hamill, who shared many a scene with Prowse as Luke Skywalker, said he “was much more than Darth Vader” and “loved his fans as much as they loved him”.
He said: “I want Dave to be remembered for what a kind and genuine person he was.
“It seems so ironic that someone as ruthless, cold-hearted and evil as Darth Vader was portrayed by someone who was really a gentle giant.
“Dave was the opposite of everything Darth Vader was.”
