Did you ever wonder where George Lucas came up with the name Anakin? Look no further than director Ken Annakin.
Annakin, who will turn 92 in August, has directed a host of films, the most recent was Ghengis Khan, but he is probably best known for The Longest Day and The Battle of the Bulge.
The short of itm as Annakin himself tells, is when George Lucas was filming Star Wars in 1976 at Pinewood Studios he told Alec Guinness that he was looking for a name. Guinness suggested the name Annakin, which he'd seen on Ken Annakin's office door earlier. Obviously it stuck...missing one 'n'.
The name is of Russian origin but Annakin was born in Yorkshire, UK.
Interesting to note that one of Annakin's films, The Pirate Movie, has two Star Wars references...
The first is from a song in the film based on the Pirates of Penzance's Major Modern General, it is sung by Stanley (Kerr):
'I comprehend contemporary culture North American. / I straighten more piratical erections than Bo Derek and, / I'm in to EST and all the rest, I've undergone analysis, / I've jumped beyond the gravitude to permanent paralysis. / My muse is into music, but my credit I'll not trouble you, / From R&B to S&M / , cross over C&W, / To groovin' with the Doobies in my Malibu white-souling tones. / Man, I'm older than the Beatles, but I'm younger than the Rolling Stones. / (He's older than the Beatles, but younger than the Rolling Stones.) / My military knowledge for I'm plucky and adventure-y. / Embraces M*A*S*H and Star Wars and the 22nd century. / Yes sir in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral, / I am the very model of a modern major general. / (In short in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral, / He is the very model of a modern major general.)
The second, Frederick hears "Use the Force, Frederick" in his head, at which time his sword turns into a lightsaber, and he wins his duel.
Leah
1 comment:
7 comments:
cbern
Omega Squad's 5th member
date Posted: Jul 19, 2006 3:24 PM
very possible
i just read the longest day, it was awesome
i am going to see the movie
how funny is that?
Jadakin
Hyperspace
date Posted: Jul 19, 2006 3:27 PM
I think this is old news to most of us. Actually George Lucas had that name written down before he began shooting, if you watch Empire Of Dreams you can see many things like Sith, and Luke Starkiller. They say all those names of the Jedi in the Prequel Era all came from names George Lucas had written down, I'll list one, Mace Windu, go to Databank and behind the scenes, you'll see that his name was written down a long time ago.
greenandwhitejedi
The Albion Lounge
date Posted: Jul 19, 2006 3:58 PM
I straighten more piratical erections than Bo Derek
Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say n' more.
Thanks for the other info. I shall add it to the vast repository twixt me lug'oles.
ewanandhaydenfan5
I Have You Now!
date Posted: Jul 19, 2006 4:10 PM
Thanks for the info, and congraulations on making Featured Blog O' the Day!
anakinside1
Echoes from the Asteroid Field
date Posted: Jul 19, 2006 5:07 PM
Thank you for that!!! I've always wanted to know. It's amazing to me how much information you have on all of this!
NerfHerdersAnonymous
Life, the Star Wars Universe and Everything
date Posted: Jul 19, 2006 7:40 PM
The funny thing is Anakin isn't mentioned in Empire of Dreams at all and does not appear in any writings before Lucas' contact with Guinness in 1976, furthermore the first time the name is mentioned was in the second draft of the script for Return of the Jedi and that was in 1982. Though that's beyond the point.
Obviously it was written down but not before 1976 and nobody would have known where the word Anakin came from unless Ken Annakin (or those who knew him) had spoken up and told the story.
NerfHerdersAnonymous
Life, the Star Wars Universe and Everything
date Posted: Jul 19, 2006 7:42 PM
Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say n' more.
LOL
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