Cool News
Aunt Beru Lars has Died !
Father Geek here with a sad bit of news, especially for hardcore STAR WARS fans, the understanding Aunt Beru has died... I was never lucky enough to meet Shelagh at one of her many public appearances, I DID get to meet Uncle Owen this summer at a show here in Austin, but her character Beru will live forever in my mind's eye and in the memories of her million's of fans scattered around the galaxy...
Now here's what Stephanie crawled out of the incinerator
and sent Father Geek this morning...
and sent Father Geek this morning...
Longtime British actress Shelagh Fraser, born November 25th 1922 in
Purley, Surrey, England, UK; most familar to movie geeks and Star Wars fans for her small, but unforgetable role as Luke Skywalker's Aunt Beru in Star Wars: Episode 4, died recently after a long illness. In recent years Fraser also became known personally to many genre fans for her live appearances at comicbook and science fiction conventions around the world along with other actors from the Star Wars and Star Trek films.
--Stephanie
PS. Here's what The Internet Movie Data Base has on Shelagh......
She appeared on TV in"Midsomer Murders" (1997) playing "Jane Rochelle" in episode: "Judgement Day" (episode # 5.3)
Then in 1987 she was in the film Hope and Glory.... WVS Woman; and in the 1970's she did the following cinema work;
Star Wars (1977) .... Beru Lars
... aka Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1980) (USA: new title);
Unpleasantness at Bludleigh Court (1976) .... Lady Bassinger;
Persecution (1974) .... Mrs. Banks
... aka Graveyard, The (1974)
... aka Sheba (1974)
... aka Terror of Sheba, The (1974);
And No One Could Save Her (1973) (TV) .... Mrs. Benet;
Doomwatch (1972) .... Mrs. Straker;
Nothing But the Night (1972) .... Mrs. Alison
... aka Devil's Undead, The (1972)
... aka Resurrection Syndicate, The (1976) (USA: reissue title); and
"Family at War" (1970) TV Series .... Jean Ashton.
In the 1960's she appeared in Thin Air (1969) .... Mrs. Thatcher
... aka Body Stealers, The (1969)
... aka Invasion of the Body Stealers (1969);
Till Death Us Do Part (1969)
... aka Alf 'n' Family (1969);
Touch of Love, A (1969) .... Miss Gurnsey
... aka Millstone, The (1969)
... aka Thank You All Very Much (1969) (USA);
Two Gentlemen Sharing (1969) .... Helen;
Staircase (1969) .... Cub Mistress; and then in
Witches, The (1966) .... Mrs. Creek
... aka Devil's Own, The (1967) (USA).
The 1950's saw her have roles in Son of Robin Hood, The (1959) .... Constance;
Last Man to Hang, The (1956) .... Bracket's Wife;
Raising a Riot (1955) .... Mary Kent;
Second Mrs. Tanqueray, The (1952);
Your Witness (1950) .... Ellen Foster
... aka Eye Witness (1950) (USA); and in
Trio (1950).
Finally in the 40's she was in History of Mr. Polly, The (1949) .... Minnie;
Death in the Hand (1948) .... Penelope MacRae;
Esther Waters (1948) .... Margaret
... aka Sin of Esther Waters (1948) (UK);
Master of Bankdam (1947) .... Alice France;
I Live in Grosvenor Square (1945)
... aka Yank in London, A (1945) (USA); and her first film role in
Welcome, Mr. Washington (1944) .... Millie.
Rest in peace, Shelagh Fraser... May The Force Be With You...
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+ Expand All
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Bye Aunt Beru, you'll be missed.
--Joxer
(first?) -
A lot of people don't know this, but Beru was stone cold pyscho. You think the stormtroopers were the ones who offed Owen and burned down the farm? Nuh uh, that was all Beru. She got tired of the sedentary life of a moisture farmer and assumed the identity of the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy: Boba Fett.
Don't believe me? Check out her reaction shot to something Owen says during the dinner scene. If those aren't the cold calculating eyes of a stone cold pyscho, I don't know what. -
bummer
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Sep 13, 2000 2:01:01 PM CDT
I wouldn't want to be anyone from the ANH Tunisia shoot right ab
by darthexcelsior
Seriously, it's sad because death is always that way, even if for a moment...but it's also sad because of the nostalgia that it brings back. Hey, we are talking 23 years. That's a Long, long time ago...Plus there's the circularity of it. All of this is being presented again in Episode II, and for me that augments the significance of it. I could be cheesy and shitty and say something like "This will be a summer long remembered, it has seen the last of Sir Alec Guinness..." not today, kids. A moment for a soul that contributed positively to this world who has passed on, but also a moment for the realization that lifetimes come and go and with barely a flash between the two. It's the year 2000. Do you know where your childhood went?
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Oh well, sad to see her go....I guess.
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I can't belive she died! This is so shocking! I mean she suddenly died and yet I don't seem to care. I know it's rude, but she probably was only in a half hour for Star Wars. Was there really a need for the "!" in the headline? I mean i'm not trying to be a dick here, but really.
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To the sensitive, obviously jobless and souless wretch who decided to use an obituary for his waa waa napster position... I hope they can find someone to attend your funeral.
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I can't believe this site has paid the same homage to Aunt Beru as it did to the illustrious careers of visionaries like Kurisawa, a Kubrick
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sorry.
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I think so...
Once many years ago I saw a crappy 16mm print of Star Wars (the kind that colleges show for free at midnight in a lecture hall on friday sorta thing) and it had a totally alternate sound mix (different from the first video version that most of us geeks have internalized). I know it was different because I have seen the movie untold zillions of times. Anyway, in this version, Beru had a totally different voice. Maybe it was her "real" voice, I think it had an accent. Other difs...the "funny voice" effect in the X-Wing radios was totally different, and that whole "open the blast doors! close the blast doors!" joke was intact (took them until the special editions to get that back into the home videos...) - Anyway, I always liked Beru, she had that nice grandma persona, and still get upset every time I see luke finding the obviously fake charred skeletons...nowhere near as effective without Beru acting all nice in contrast to grouchy old Owen. Sigh.
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I have had the pleasure of meeting many of the Star Wars cast over the years. Mailny the ones only people like me would know. And she was one that I never met. What also seems sad, like many others that achived fame from Star Wars (not mentioning any names) her career just seem to stop. Did she make enough to retire. She was not that old. It would be nice to see the others prosper.
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Sep 13, 2000 7:38:10 PM CDT
I feel a strong disturbance in the force, as if a burlap-clad la
by anxietyny
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You know how us backwoods knights gets all worked up over nuthin'. After re-reading the other posts, I have decided you're right. At least you're complaining about something close to your heart as opposed to the insensitive tripe of the blue milk others. The actress who played Aunt Beru has something that none of the rest of us will ever have... She was in Star Wars, and that makes her all right by me. The whole napster thing is another issue. By the way, I see George Takei on the streets all the time. He does rock.
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a side note: that 16 mm print mentioned earlier with the different sound mix also listed the title as "Star Wars", as it was printed before the reissue print that came out just before the first release of Empire that renamed it "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope"
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You fanbitches make me sick. You don't care that she died?...then SHUT THE FUCK UP. No one asked for your opinions. So what she didn't change the face of film, it's a lot more than anything you morons did. What ever happened to NOT SPEAKING when you have nothing nice to say, especially when it involves someone who died. What if someone from her family came on this site? I'm sure you'll all have some lame ass comments back to me, but it'll just prove how stupid and insensitive you all are.
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.....you people are the biggest pricks! See if anyone cares when you die ya fucks!!!!
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OK. "Aunt Beru's" passing will not end time, destroy the economy, or stop Ep II from being released. But what the FUCK is wrong with you people? A person died. She had a very small part of something that most of the posters here enjoyed; it may even be a big part of your life. Her role in was obviously small, but for Christ's sake (Allah, Buddha, Krishna, etc.), if it doesn't matter to you, it isn't necessary to be nasty about it, and rant and rave like a bunch of 7 year olds. Get some Ritalin, find a woman, or buy a mag and relieve yourselves. Your tirade is not warranted, and moreover, it is disturbing that people could be so callous and even HOSTILE over the death of another. Grow up.
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Really guys let's try and show just a bit of respect here a person has passed on. Harry, whats up with the title "Aunt Beru Lars Dies!"? Huh? I mean, so you can say "Sir Alec Guiness remembered.." But Aunt Beru gets a cheap exclamation point? What's up with that? I've been visiting this site for almost a year now and I've read all the talkback crap about "X-Men is gonna suck!" Then July 15th it was "X-Men Rocked" Well it seems to me that you kids just want to hype and then gripe or vice versa. My point is this. Star Wars is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest film series of all time and we ALL know it, even though some of us won't admit it. It's ok to get excited and emotional about it, but keep things in perspective. A person who contributed to this world in a positive way has passed on, she was loved by many. Maybe you never met her and could care less that she died, but SOMEONE cares so try to grow up and show some respect. If she was your mom or sister or aunt etc, you would want people to do the same.
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Do you think when someone gives the eulogy at her funeral, will they speak Bocce?
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i have to say that all the people who have made jokes about the death of sheelagh are not right. first of all she obviously has a family who are grieving right now and secondly she has an appearance albeit a brief one in one of if not the most popular films of the 20th century. and in a hundred years when the film is still a classic her memory will live on. and the sarcastic people who make obvious jokes about blue milk and speaking bocce will be gone and thankfully forgotten.
ok
REST IN PEACE
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Just have to wait I suppose....
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It's been quite encouraging to see how many people have shown sympathy to the passing of a person, although, having said that freedo of speech does dictate that all opinions, however tasteless, immature purile (such as some of the ones that have greeted this sad news)should be heard. But it IS sick to joke about the passing of someone, even if it is someone you've never met. The measure of a perosn should rarely be judged by observable success, and while her screen time was limited, she acheived some sort of immortaility thru the most popular movie ever, as is evidenced by the fact that people are commenting on this at all. Who knows what she was like? But its a life gone, and if you stop and think about what that means for a second, it is at once very simple and also very very profound and sad. People die evey moment of every day -is that a reason to keep perspective? Yes.
Is it a reason to speak glibly bout the passing of someone? ABsolutely not. Thats all.
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Walter Benjamin would never cope with movies. To him, the fact that a bunch of technicians are watching the shot relived the image of it's mistical "aura", that is to say, the impact of art.
But he could never take movies because of fans. He tought that people who spent their time following and cheering other peoples life was one of the most embarassing things of all.
Being a long-term movie fan, I always tought of it as an art. And, as an art, it has different styles. Star Wars is art, because it has "aura", it has impact, it shocks and provockes reactions.
And I disagree to Bejamin in the terms of fans. I would'nt dedicate my life to some actor, but the passing away of someone who was there, who is part of it, should be regreted and respect. She didn't do much movies, but she did good things and her face reached millions of people.
To all ya 13 year old cunts who don't have anything better to do, you got a lotta movie watching to catch up with real film bluffs (and a lotta that here too) -
Whatever about rants and funnies (I love reading those) there is a certin amount of pretention leeking into this talkback; my sympathy to this womans family and all that but do you honestly expect us to believe that your eyes are going to tear up every time you see this bit-part come on screen get real you eejit!It's only a movie.
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So rare to see Irish slang in a talkback. Perosnally I think this has gone on enough, so maybe seeing it again will get him emotional - people get emotional at Opera, despite never speaking Italian. In fact, my sister, the most dogmatic, phlegmatic, absolutely-devoid-of-empathy person I know still cant watch (at age 30) the scene in T.E.S.B where Han SOlo gets frozen in Carbonite. NOw I'm not about to offer up a 'cant we all just get along' spiel, as that would make these talkbacks one hell of a boring affair, but a person doesnt have to be dead to command respec...oh hell, it IS getting too pretentious, I'm off to commune with my inner child....:-)
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I think the bases have been covered with stupid remarks but it
is sad none the less that she is gone. She had one of the VERY few touching moments in the series with just a glance. The whole of Ep.1 couldn't conjure up 1/100 of that with all it's poorly done and expensive CGI. -
Sorry to interrupt your seemingly endless tirades against one another, but really...while OF COURSE it's sad when someone dies, even someone you don't know...are any of these letters even remotely neccessary? Come on, I read this talkback as a lark and I found some of the most invective, puerile posts ever (not including the 'Pokemon vs. Transformers' debate. It sucks when you die, or at least I assume so, and it definitely does for your family and friends...on the other hand, I seriously doubt any of her family and friends are looking for comfort here on the talkbacks. Anybody taking the opportunity to say something really distasteful, and in my opinion nobody really got off-base, would obviously not worth the time of effort to say anything to. And for someone to rant "you will respect her!"...well, isn't your respect enough?
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Jeez man. You take her passing personal. Did you ever follow her work? Did you meet her at a con, and have a long meaningfull talk with her? Heck no, probably not. Yes, her death while tragic and sad is just another fact of life. And for you to sit on this board and flame me and the others for asking about Bocce is incredibly insipid of you. You know, I'll bet you were never loved as a child, were you? Typical textbook case of a self-loather who never had a puppy. We miss you Aunt Beru, and damn it, your blue milk was totally cool. Sorry Long-in-the-tooth is getting all wet over you. You shouldn't have to put up with that.
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Good. He's a loser, and immature to boot. Goodbye, loser; no one will miss you. That is, if you're really gone. Which I doubt.
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