K.I.2.T.'s dash was inspired by darth vader's mask?

[ThomasKnight]

This question was in my head for a while, and I think I found the visual answer and proof for it
People always talked about it:
Remeber: "It looks like darth vader's bathroom!"
At the knight rider festival and some other times Michael Sheffe told there was some influence from dart vader when he dsigned K.I.2.T. but I wasn't sure.
Soo I started to match the photos from darth vader and K.I.2.T. dash and I realized: the face part of the darth vader mask has the same basic lines that K.I.2.T. has!
What a perfect match
So take a look of the following pictures and you will defenetly understand what I'm talking about here

[ozikool]

Nice picture

[ThomasKnight]

Thank you!

Actually, the motage looks a bit wierd for me, but it's only a visual help to proove my theory.

I would like to read a post from Victor Kros to confirm all this. (if possible)

thanks

[ozikool]

The steering wheel in his mouth looks wierd

[ThomasKnight]

yeah, it's shape fits there

[ozikool]

Yeah it does.

I like the eyes and the voice module

[ThomasKnight]

Here's another viewangle!

[ozikool]

really good,and you are good at this too

[ThomasKnight]

Thanks a lot!
Means lot to me!
I'm happy that you like it!

[Victor Kros]

I think its more coincidence than anything else, especially the "lights" part. I will ask Michael when he gets back from Holland though and give you his answer then. I think he's the only man qualified to clarify what he meant.

I personally haven't heard Michael refer to being inspired by Vader's mask, I'd like to know where the source for that comment originated from? In the time I've spoken to him, I've never heard him refer to Vader being a inspiration for K.I.T.T. other than thinking what would Vader's bathroom look like - a thought that started how Glen approached what this supercar's interior would look like when revealed on screen.

With respects to the lights, is it the recesses of Vader's eyes? If so I can answer that pretty easily taken from page 21 of The Knight Rider Companion

"The two "shelves" of the design were to provide shade over the instruments, to be able to see the displays, despite sun and bright filming lights."

=VK=

[Knight007]

didnt george lucas had a problem with BSG??? I think he was saying that it was taken from his star wars films. I wounder if KITT's dash turns out to be inspired from Darth's mask, what he will do this time

[Victor Kros]

didnt george lucas had a problem with BSG??? I think he was saying that it was taken from his star wars films. I wounder if KITT's dash turns out to be inspired from Darth's mask, what he will do this time

Yeah, Lucas tried to sue Glen and lost. Additionally Glen proved that he worked on the concepts for Battlestar Galactica in the 1960s when he referred to the story as Adam's Ark.

There's an excellent write up on the whole fiasco here - about halfway in.

http://www.adherents.com/people/pl/George_Lucas.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of Lucas's primary beefs with Glen was about hiring his staff from Star Wars to work on Battlestar Galactica. People such as Gary Kurtz, John Dykstra, Ralph McQuarrie, and Joe Johnston (the man known for designing Boba Fett) to work on a project other than Star Wars.

Lucas felt the services of his crew should be obligated to work exclusive for him.

I seem to recall a great line Glen told Lucas that still resonates today, "You do not own space, George."

=VK=

[ozikool]

Thanks a lot!
Means lot to me!
I'm happy that you like it!

You are welcome

[ThomasKnight]

I think its more coincidence than anything else, especially the "lights" part. I will ask Michael when he gets back from Holland though and give you his answer then. I think he's the only man qualified to clarify what he meant.

I personally haven't heard Michael refer to being inspired by Vader's mask, I'd like to know where the source for that comment originated from? In the time I've spoken to him, I've never heard him refer to Vader being a inspiration for K.I.T.T. other than thinking what would Vader's bathroom look like - a thought that started how Glen approached what this supercar's interior would look like when revealed on screen.

Dear Victor,
The 'bathroom' line from the pilot episode started the whole thing in my head. my first question was: Why point Darth Vader? Why not somebody else? A bit later Vader was the answer.

The source of the comment was Michael himself at the Knight rider festival, when I heard him live on the net saying: 'Darth Vader is involved in KITT's design, but Pssst!'... something like that.
He was tellig that line to the guy, who broadcasted live from his mobile.
Later when I matched the vader mask photo and the KITT dash I realized that the base lines of the mask are the same as the KITT dash base lines sooo, please do not bother with the lights and detail on my montage: Its just a visulal help to express my theory

The important thing or the point here now is Michael's answer to confirm it!
Thanks for asking him! Means Lot to me!

[Lost Knight]

That's interesting regarding the beef between George Lucas and Glen Larson. I'm pretty surprised, however, that Larson would write a line in "Knight Of the Phoenix's" script making a reference to Star Wars with the "looks like Darth Vader's bathroom" line and not something like "looks like a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica" instead.

Lucas was also mentioned directly in "K.I.T.T. Vs. K.A.R.R." where John says, "I bet George Lucas drives one of these things."

[ThomasKnight]

As my question, the whole thing is getting more and more interesting

[ozikool]

what do you mean interesting

[ThomasKnight]

I mean it's sooo exciting!
Don't you think?

[Knight007]

That's interesting regarding the beef between George Lucas and Glen Larson. I'm pretty surprised, however, that Larson would write a line in "Knight Of the Phoenix's" script making a reference to Star Wars with the "looks like Darth Vader's bathroom" line and not something like "looks like a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica" instead.

Lucas was also mentioned directly in "K.I.T.T. Vs. K.A.R.R." where John says, "I bet George Lucas drives one of these things."

coming to think about your comment about KITT Vs KARR episod, its clearly interesting point to consider.
I mean first we have this argument between lucas and Glen.
Then Pilot come out and we have out first refrence to Star Wars
After that, we get to hear Lucas's name very clearly in the KITT Vs KARR episod!!!!!

Did Glen try to tease Lucas??? I mean he did win the case with Lucas. It looks like he was saying: hay dude, I won and i get to say what ever I want, how about that??
It sounds funny to me

[NN11]

Glen A. Larson borrowed the idea of K.I.T.T.'s hood mounted scanner from one of his earlier projects, 'Battlestar Galactica'. The Cylon Centurions in that series had an almost identical scanner that functioned as eyes, and Larson adapted the idea for K.I.T.T. Also, originally K.I.T.T. had a square red light on the dashboard that lit up as he spoke. His more familiar 'voice modulator', with three red lines broken into cells which went up and down as he spoke, was introduced half-way through the first season.

those word's were taken from imdb

that darth vader mask was interesting.

[rwmu]

I'm pretty sure I've read an interview where Glen says he has the red scanner on things just because he thinks it looks good, I have to agree with him. It was probably inspired by Gorts weapon in The Day the Earth Stood Still, the original cylon forms always seemed to me to owe alot to Gort.

As for the Darth Vaders bathroom, by the time Knight Rider came out its images and ideas were firmly rooted in the planetry psyche, they would be throw away lines people would get rather than digs at Mr Lucas.

[ozikool]

Yeah now i know what you mean

[Victor Kros]

I'm pretty sure I've read an interview where Glen says he has the red scanner on things just because he thinks it looks good, I have to agree with him. It was probably inspired by Gorts weapon in The Day the Earth Stood Still, the original cylon forms always seemed to me to owe alot to Gort.

As for the Darth Vaders bathroom, by the time Knight Rider came out its images and ideas were firmly rooted in the planetry psyche, they would be throw away lines people would get rather than digs at Mr Lucas.

Taken from page 4 of The Knight Rider Companion.

Haven’t we seen K.I.T.T.’s scanner before?

I based the scanner light bar configuration on one of my older shows, Battlestar Galactica. I thought it was neat and it gave the car not only a personality and a mystique, but also a certain power. We took a shot at it, and it looked great.

It was too good a device not to use since Galactica did not last long. Remember, out of a dark warehouse, you see that thing come to life. It's a great introduction. Scheffe designed both the interior and the exterior of the car within a week. I was very impressed. We started with a brand new Pontiac and got the first two off the assembly line.

This interior was entirely mocked up by Michael Scheffe. Cars did not have LED’s prior to this series. You will notice the grill of the car has the red scanner. I guess I was just in love with the scanner look and I loved the device and that it should not go the way of the network wars and it would work well here. It helped animate the car rather than just sitting there. Many of the cars did not have the interior on it during the show and only one was used in the pilot which Scheffe created. - Glen A. Larson


Taken from page 34 of The Knight Rider Companion.

What did you think of Glen’s insistence of using the red oscillating lights from the Cylons and did you think it brought the car further to life?

Glen thought it would look neat, giving the car a sort of "heartbeat" even when it was standing still. It's similar to the purpose that the lights served for the Cylons, actually. It shows a kind of emotion or pulse in an otherwise inexpressive or impassive face.

That was pretty brilliant, really. Jon Ward's electronics guy had cleverly programmed many possible patterns into the circuitry. I was impressed - there were at least eight choices, neatly listed on a little piece of paper - and maybe even double that number! There were various speeds, stepping, flashing, and so on. - Michael Scheffe


- I believe Glen put in the Darth Vader line because he knew just like with Star Wars, kids and adults would identify with the reference and get a laugh. He could have said "Buck Rogers's Bathroom" (he created Buck Rogers in the 25th Century before Knight Rider) but he chose to go with something more recognized by the younger crowd.

As for K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R., I don't think Glen had anything to do with the reference to Lucas. By Season 3, Glen had pretty much moved on to other projects and wasn't actively involved with the writing process.

Hope this helps answer your questions.

=VK=

[rwmu]

Thank you VK for reapeating what I already said.

And no I wasn't quoting from your book, I was actually thinking of an interview in a magazine from years ago unforunately my 40 year old brain won't let me remember which one, probably Starburst, Starlog or maybe early TV Zone, might have even been Look-In. I'll rememeber about 3am tomorrow morning and naff off the wife.

[Victor Kros]

Thank you VK for reapeating what I already said.

And no I wasn't quoting from your book, I was actually thinking of an interview in a magazine from years ago unforunately my 40 year old brain won't let me remember which one, probably Starburst, Starlog or maybe early TV Zone, might have even been Look-In. I'll rememeber about 3am tomorrow morning and naff off the wife.

- I didn't repeat just what you "already said". All you did was say Glen said it "looked good" which was not his only reason for using the scanner - Galactica was an influence as everyone knows but it went beyond just "looking good". I was clarifying things directly from the source for other people who didn't already know. Whereever you read it is great but there's no greater source than from the people themselves.

=VK=