Blue Harvest

"Blue Harvest" was the title of the film ruse used to ensure secrecy and disguise the 1981 – 1983 production of "", the third installment of the "Star Wars" film series. ["Return' Receipt," "Entertainment Weekly", May 21, 1999.] The supposed film was alleged to be an upcoming horror film with the tag line "Horror Beyond Imagination." [ [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB926564821248529901.html?mod=googlewsj Object of the Week] , "The Wall Street Journal", May 14, 1999.]

Usage during principal filming

The title was used in all areas where deemed necessary. The "Blue Harvest" ruse, credited to producer Howard Kazanjian, was very thorough, emblazoning the fictitious film's logo on a wide range of film production items including shirts, caps, coats, buttons, signs, invoices and stationery. [Pfeiffer, Lee; Lewis, Michael D. "The Films of Harrison Ford", page 132. Citadel Press, 2002. ISBN 0806523646] The "Blue Harvest" façade did give a bit of a wink and nod to its true purpose however, as the supposed film's logo (intentionally or unintentionally) used the distinctive "Star Wars" logo lettering style.

In particular the ruse was employed during location filming in Yuma, Arizona. The filming took place in the dunes over the Thanksgiving holiday, where there was a reported crowd of 35,000 dune buggy enthusiasts. Despite erecting a chain link fence, employing a huge security force, and dodging myriad press inquiries, in the end, approximately sixty fans saw through the ruse and refused to leave until they obtained a few autographs and photos.

Blue Harvest adopted in other areas

The "Blue Harvest" front was not only used during the principal photography for "Return of the Jedi", but was also adopted in other areas such as a retro T-shirt that was made by ILM in the 1990s, a cardboard mailer tube to disguise the shipments of "Revenge of the Jedi" (the original title for the film) posters, an episode of the 1985-1987 "Star Wars" animated series "", and even a popular "Star Wars" fanzine. The name "Blue Harvest" is widely known by "Star Wars" fans today.

:"When shooting "Jedi" in the United States we called the film "Blue Harvest". Camera slates, invoices, hotel reservations, call sheets, production reports, and crew hats and T-shirts all read "Blue Harvest". So when a visitor would ask, 'what are you shooting' and we said "Blue Harvest", they went on their way. Can you imagine what would have happened if we had said, 'We're shooting the next film in the "Star Wars" trilogy'?" —Howard Kazanjian, producer [ [http://www.starwars.com/episode-vi/explore/classic/2000/07/classic20000703.html Classic Moments: "Blue Harvest Letdown"] - Star Wars.com, July 03, 2000.]

While filming "", Lucas found that services would increase their charges based on the speculated high budget. The false title prevented this from occurring during filming of "Return of the Jedi".

Steven Spielberg can be seen wearing a "Blue Harvest" cap during the filming of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in the "" documentary on the bonus disc of the 2003 Indiana Jones DVD box set.

Around 1997, the website "www.blueharvest.com" began redirecting web browsers to "www.starwars.com". [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB88283231880240500.html?mod=googlewsj Fry, Jason; "Star Wars Fans Search Cyberspace for Movie Clues"; "The Wall Street Journal", December 23, 1997.]

An episode of the FOX animated television series "Family Guy" entitled "Blue Harvest" is, in fact, an hour-long parody not of "Return of the Jedi", but the original film, "".

References