Trivia Answer:

When writing the story for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), George Lucas named the Emperor Palpatine as an homage to his friends Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader and their film Taxi Driver (1976), in which a politician is named Palatine. In this film, Palpatine draws his lightsaber from his sleeve, another sly reference to Taxi Driver (1976), in which Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) draws his gun from his sleeve.