New York City, New York Oct 30, 2018 (Issuewire.com) - The Dark Side came to Times Square on Wednesday, October 24th as Star Wars enthusiast and Darth Vader tribute artist Will Weinand made a surprise appearance at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! to visit an original Star Wars Lightsaber, the actual prop used by actor Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker himself, in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back!
Believe it or not, this Lightsaber was constructed from a vintage 1930s Graflex camera flash gun. The handle still has the original Graflex logo etched into it. It comes from the archives of Gary Kurtz, the producer on the first two Star Wars films. Will Weinand, in his film-grade Darth Vader costume, tried, unsuccessfully, to use the power of the force to levitate the lightsaber. He then engaged in a spirited lightsaber fight with several of Ripley’s fellow visitors including Contemporary Krampus author Mike Drake.
Edward Meyer, VP of Exhibits & Archives for Ripley’s Believe It or Not! acquired the screen-used prop lightsaber at the Profiles in History Hollywood Auction on June 28, 2017, for a staggering $450,000!
The lightsaber will be on display at Ripley’s Times Square Odditorium through November 1st. Don’t miss your chance to see one of the most iconic props in movie history. In addition to Lightsaber, Ripley’s will also be displaying other unique Star Wars memorabilia. More information here: https://ripleysnewyork.com/a-galaxy-far-far-away-comes-to-times-square/
Media Contact
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square Info@ripleysnewyork.com 212.398.3133 234 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036 http://www.RipleysNewYork.com
