While Star Wars started off as a standalone movie, it eventually grew into a trilogy, a trilogy of trilogies, and eventually into a whole galaxy of its own. Spin-off movies, TV shows, video games, toy lines, and almost anything else you can think of has been touched by Star Wars, making it one of the most recognizable franchises on the planet. However, before Lucasfilm turned the original movie into a trilogy, they decided to keep the momentum going by adding a filler between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. And so, in 1978 we got the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. This was the first ever expansion on the IP, introducing new locations and characters.
The core cast of characters remained the same, with Luke, Han, and Leia all making appearances. In fact, Goldin has currently featured Carrie Fisher’s screen-worn Princess Leia Senatorial Gown from the Holiday Special, with a starting bid price of $50,000. The white gown is almost identical to the one she wore in A New Hope, most famously seen in R2-D2’s recording where she asks Obi-Wan Kenobi for his help. However, considering the mixed reception that the Holiday Special received, I won’t be surprised if that puts some fans off. While it was a great idea to keep the fan base active before the release of The Empire Strikes Back, many of them thought it was rather corny. Whatever your opinion on it may be, there’s no denying that this gown is a piece of Star Wars history.
Despite being almost 50 years old, the senatorial gown is pretty good shape. Goldin reveals that there are no signs of tearing and fraying, but there are yellow stains around the neck, probably caused by sweat. There’s also a small burn hole on the gown, which I’d like to think came from Carrie getting a little careless during her smoke break. Other than that, the gown is well worth the price, especially since it’s from the first ever Star Wars spin-off. The Holiday Special got a lot of attention for the wrong reasons, and even Fisher, along with the rest of the cast, have admitted that it wasn’t the franchise’s best moment. Regardless of what you may think of the Holiday Special, there’s no denying that this gown is fit for a princess.
While $50,000 is undeniably a lot of money, you can bet that the starting bid price would have been double or even triple if it was the one from the original movies. Even fans with a lot of disposable income may not be able to afford props from the original trilogy, but this might just be the next best thing. Over the years, the Holiday Special has begun to redeem itself, much like the prequel trilogy. After all, it introduced Boba Fett, who went on to become one of the most iconic characters from the franchise. If anything, this version of the gown has way more interesting stories behind it than the original one.
What are your thoughts on the Star Wars Holiday Special? Let us know in the comments below.
