
Gilligan (Bob Denver)... the original Jedi?
Far Out Space Nuts, television series 1975-1976: Chuck McCann, who played Barney, said that Lucas was working on the same film lot in the early '70s, and wandered into the studio cafeteria one day to see the Space Nuts cast sitting around having lunch wearing various alien costumes - he believes that was the influence for the Cantina scene.1 McCann further suggests that the lightsaber was inspired by the "laser sword" from the Space Nuts episode Tower of Tagot, pictured above left. (Okay, I added the glow effect; in the original it looks like a glass stick on the end of a flashlight) Lightsabers were called "laser swords" in the first draft of Lucas' script and several concept paintings. Bob Denver's orange jumpsuit even looks like Luke's X-Wing pilot outfit!! (They were both probably influenced by Airforce flight suits.)
http://www.moongadget.com/origins/lightsabers.html