The Stage

Bob Anderson

Published Tuesday 14 February 2012 at 11:53 by Richard Anthony Baker

For nearly 60 years, Bob Anderson, a former Royal Marine, choreographed fights and arranged fencing duels for blockbuster movies, often receiving no credit for his work. He learned to fence while in the marines, and later led Britain’s national fencing team in six successive Olympic Games, including those in Rome in 1960 and Tokyo in 1964, where silver medals were won.

He joined the world of cinema for The Master of Ballantrae (1953) starring Errol Flynn, the actor best known for his romantic, swashbuckling roles. While rehearsing a duel on location in Sicily, he accidentally cut Flynn’s thigh. Flynn immediately admitted it was his mistake but, for a time, Anderson was known as “the man who stabbed Errol Flynn”.

The incident failed to damage his reputation. He went on to work on The Guns of Navarone (1961) and three James Bond films - From Russia with Love (1963), Casino Royale (1967) and Die Another Day (2002). He also coached Charlie Sheen for The Three Musketeers (1993) and Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean (2003).

He refused to treat any of the actors he worked with as stars. One director, Martin Campbell, said many of them complained about the intensity of their training, but he added that there was no one else he would rather employ.

The high point of Anderson’s career came when he played Darth Vader during the fight scenes against Luke Skywalker in two Star Wars pictures - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). In the scenes not involving fighting, Vader was played by the six-foot-six bodybuilder, David Prowse, who found it hard to master the skills of swordplay. Although he was nearly 60, Anderson, who was six inches shorter, took Prowse’s place, wearing platform shoes.

At first, George Lucas, who created Star Wars, declined to reveal Anderson’s participation, but eventually Mark Hamill, who played Skywalker, spilled the beans: “Bob worked so bloody hard that he deserves some recognition.”

Bob Anderson, who was born in Hampshire on September 15, 1922, died in West Sussex on January 1, aged 89.