Rarely-seen ‘Star Wars’ blooper reel and footage surfaces

A long time ago on a sound stage just outside of London, goofs and gaffes by the cast and crew of “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” were immortalized forever on film. Of course, bloopers from the original “Star Wars” trilogy are nothing new, but over the weekend a treasure trove of never-before-seen outtakes and other footage from the classic sci-fi films materialized online. (Watch the footage above -- be warned, there's no sound for the first minute or so.)

It's a real trip to see the normally stoic Sir Alec Guinness crack a smile while in costume as Obi-Wan Kenobi. And yes, even Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) flubbed their lines from time to time. Need proof that Imperial Stormtroopers are the worst fighting force in the galaxy? Look no further than the hilarious sequence in which actors in white armour struggle to hop through a door and keep their footing.

Longtime fans of the series will no doubt find it very strange to see these candid behind-the-scenes moments after all these years, but the footage is a reminder that behind the special effects and John Williams score, "Star Wars" was just a movie.

The newly-discovered blooper reel was a small part of what turned out to be a very good weekend for hardcore “Star Wars” fans and film historians. In addition to the outtakes, rarely seen alternate takes and cut scenes from "Return of the Jedi" were posted on a Facebook page. Famous moments between Luke and Jedi Master Yoda are seen from completely different angles and with vastly altered line readings. The footage comes from a long lost Lucasfilm demo Laserdisc (remember those?) that was recently sold on eBay.

New videos are being added by the hour to the page, so check out the footage while you still can, as copyright claims by Disney or Lucasfilm might get them taken down soon.