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Threepio's Coverings
Originally, Threepio was going to be incomplete still when Anakin and Padmé met up with him again upon returning to Tatooine. While Anakin was away looking for his mother, Padmé would complete the droid in the Lars garage applying his outer coverings.
However, a decision to change this scene was made late in the production after principle photography. So when we meet Threepio again in the movie he already has his coverings (Although not mentioned in the movie, Shmi Skywalker completed him.) .
Despite the change, the original scene was filmed in Tunisia and in early interviews, Anthony Daniels said he got to operate the full size C-3P0 puppet (without coverings) himself. So all the shots that originally featured naked Threepio had to be reshot or digitally replaced by ILM with the completed Threepio.
Another interesting tidbit about this scene is that Owen Lars gives Threepio to Padmé which would explain why they took him along with them when they left Tatooine.
Here is the excerpt from the "2nd draft"...
EXT. TATOOINE, DESERT, HOMESTEAD (FULL MOON) - NIGHT
The lights of the vaporators blink in the night sky. Somewhere close by, a night animal HOWLS.
EXT. TATOOINE, HOMESTEAD, COURTYARD (FULL MOON) - NIGHT
PADMÉ is pacing the courtyard restlessly. She stops, listening to the animal HOWLING nearby. She shivers slightly, then turns and goes into the garage at the side of the courtyard.
INT. TATOOINE, HOMESTEAD - GARAGE (FULL MOON) - NIGHT
PADMÉ stands looking at a speeder parked in the garage. Short silence. Then:
C-3P0
Please don't leave us, Miss Padmé.
These people need your help.
THREEPIO is parked in a corner.
PADMÉ
I'm not leaving, Threepio. I just
can't sleep.
C-3PO
That's something I cannot relate
to. As a Protocol Droid, I'm
either active or inactive.
There's no in-between.
PADMÉ
I guess you're lucky.
C-3PO
Do you really think so..? I
suppose I shouldn't expect...
PADMÉ
You're not happy here?
C-3PO
Oh, I'm not unhappy... and my
masters here are so kind I
wouldn't wish to trouble them,
it's just...being like this...
well, it's embarrassing.
PADMÉ
Being like what?
C-3PO
Naked. If you pardon the
expression. You see, when Master
Annie made me, he never quite
found the time to give me any
outer covering. It's so
humiliating. How would you like it
if you had to go around with all
your circuits showing?
PADMÉ
I guess I wouldn't like it at all.
C-3PO
Of course you wouldn't. Nobody
would. It's simply not protocol.
PADMÉ looks thoughtfully at a pile of spare parts and bits of metal and tools.
PADMÉ
Maybe we can do something about it.
C-3PO
I don't think so. Only Master
Annie...
PADMÉ
Why not? They seem to have a box
of old coverings here.
C-3PO
Oh? How observant of you, Miss
Padmé. Of course, I'm just not
mechanically minded... if you see
what I mean.
PADMÉ picks up a piece of metal and holds it against him.
PADMÉ
Let's see, if we put this...
here...
C-3PO
Ooooh! That's tickles.
PADMÉ
You'll have to be quiet, Threepio.
Hold still, please.
EXT. TATOOINE, DESERT, HOMESTEAD MOISTURE FARM - DAY
All is quiet. BERU comes out of the house. She goes to a moisture line and starts to draw water.
INT. TATOOINE, HOMESTEAD, GARAGE - DAY
PADMÉ fixes the last piece of covering onto THREEPIO.
PADMEÉ
There!
PADMÉ stands back. OWEN is with her. They look at THREEPIO. He isn't the golden figure we know because PADME has had to use whatever stuff she could findin the garage. He is multi-coloured in several textures, but he is complete.
C-3PO
Um. How do I look?
OWEN
Great! You look perfect.
C-3PO
Perfect? Oh, Miss Padmé, I'm so
happy!
(extending his hand to shake hers)
Oh, pardon me.
THREEPIO drops his hand and bows formally.
C-3PO
Thank you.
He forgets formality and hugs her. PADMÉ hugs him back, laughing.
C-3PO
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
OWEN
(grinning)
Well, Padmé, I think he should be
yours from now on... I know that
is what my Mom would want.
C-3PO
Oh, my!
C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels commented on this scene on his website.
Q: C-3PO had me in stitches in AOTC with his head swapping routine. But I was surprised not to see the "naked" C-3PO. I'm sure I'd seen pictures of you puppeteering for this. Was some footage shot and not used?
Graham, UK
A: Threepio would have been in stitches too if this was real life. Which of course it is. But you are quite right. We originally shot Threepio as a puppet (see Gallery 1 for proof). Then there was a rather sweet scene at the Homestead where Padme can't sleep and of course, Threepio doesn't. He explains his sadness; that Anakin didn't have time to finish his project, before being whisked away, after an attack of the medicloreans to be a Jedi. Protocol generally frowns on public nudity, even on the giant beach that is Tatooine. The ever-thoughtful Padme finds a sartorial solution and Threepio is thrilled. All this and more. However, once the scenes had been cut and processed by ILM, to the point of perfection (especially the acting), Mr Lucas realised that this was not the moment to spend so long away from Anakin making sand-people-sushi. So we had to go back and fix all the previous scenes using the fully dressed, if rusty, droid. The inference is that it was Shmi who completed her son's handiwork. Just one more reason to buy the DVD when it arrives at a store near you.
AD
Both pictures below are from the DVD's still photo gallery.
Sources:
-2nd draft script.
-Anthony Daniels website
-AOTC DVD: Still photo gallery.
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