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41-452: A notable scene set in a seedy Mos Eisley cantina crowded with numerous alien races made a particular impact on audiences. Location filming for the spaceport took place from 1975 to 1976 in Tunisia , with interiors filmed at Elstree Studios near London. Mos Eisley made its first appearance in the original 1977 film, Star Wars . It is depicted as a busy, bustling port city situated in

82-590: A club , salon de bailar (dance hall), or salon de mariachi (typified by the Salon Tenampa, at the Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City ) which are intended for socializing between the sexes. Also, some cantinas explicitly prohibit entrance to dogs and men in police or military uniform. Some of the traditional restrictions on entry to cantinas are beginning to fade away. However, in many areas it

123-661: A Southwestern or Mexican motif that serves traditional alcoholic Mexican drinks. In the 1890s, cantina entered American English from the Spanish language in the Southwest United States with the meaning of " bar room , saloon ". The term cantina entered the French language circa 1710. Kathy Tyers Kathy Tyers is an American science fiction author. Tyers, born in Long Beach, California ,

164-575: A bounty. There, he meets a rookie bounty hunter, Toro Calican, who hires him to help locate Fennec Shand , a dangerous mercenary. The pair locate Shand just beyond the Dune Sea and apprehend her. However, when the Mandalorian goes to retrieve transport for them, Shand tries to turn Calican against him by telling Calican about the Mandalorian turning against the bounty hunter guild to rescue the child. Calican mortally wounds Shand and decides to capture

205-533: A brief gunfight with Imperial stormtroopers , they board the Millennium Falcon spaceship and take off from Tatooine. In the novelization of the film, Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker by George Lucas ( ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster ), Mos Eisley is described as a haphazard, run-down settlement built of concrete and sandstone, a large part of it built underground to escape

246-463: A chart of visual designs for a range of character types. In collaboration with Mollo, make-up artist Stuart Freeborn designed the masks and prosthetics to match each of the costumes, along with Doug Beswick, Rick Baker , Phil Tippett , Nick Maley, and Christopher Tucker . Freeborn has remarked that the cantina scene was specifically set up to be a "shock" scene; until this point in the film, there had been few appearances of non-human creatures, and

287-550: A desert plain, populated with transients of all species. The lawless spaceport attracts criminals, smugglers and fugitives. Spacecraft land at docking bays dotted across the city. The Mos Eisley scenes occur early in Star Wars , when the young hero Luke Skywalker and his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi travel to the spaceport in Luke's landspeeder in search of a pilot, accompanied by the droids, C-3PO and R2-D2 . Obi-Wan warns Luke that

328-466: A race called Bith . Their main musical number is also given a title, "Mad About Me". Mos Eisley appears in the 2019 Star Wars television series , The Mandalorian . In " Chapter 5: The Gunslinger ", the Mandalorian is forced to set down in Mos Eisley for repairs after a space battle with another bounty hunter. In order to pay for the repairs, the Mandalorian goes to a local cantina to look for

369-553: A reimagined version of the 1977 scene. Footnotes Citations Cantina A cantina is a type of bar common in Latin America and Spain . The word is similar in etymology to " canteen ", and is derived from the Italian word for a cellar , winery , or vault . In Italy , the word cantina refers to a room below the ground level where wine and other products such as salami are stored. As cantine it

410-461: A set of otherworldly jazz-style music. Luke is threatened with violence by two of the customers, Ponda Baba , an Aqualish , and Doctor Evazan , a deformed human , but Obi-Wan intervenes with his lightsaber , cutting Ponda's arm off in the fight. This is the first time a lightsaber is used in combat on-screen in the Star Wars franchise. Obi-Wan introduces Luke to a pair of smugglers, Chewbacca and Han Solo , and they negotiate terms for passage to

451-421: A sip, Is happy to exchange it for a [whole] vat. In rural Mexico , a cantina traditionally is a kind of bar frequented by males for drinking alcohol and eating botanas (appetizers). Some cantinas are also known for being places where people gather to play dominoes, cards or other table games. Cantinas can often be distinguished by signs that expressly prohibit entrance to women and minors, as opposed to

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492-412: A sound that was "both alien and yet familiar at the same time." In 1978 the toy manufacturer Kenner Products released a Cantina Adventure Set as part of its range of Star Wars action figures . The playset consisted of a miniature plastic bar with a cardboard backdrop depicting various cantina creatures and an Imperial stormtrooper . A second version of the playset was brought to market in 1979, named

533-473: A third novel, Crown of Fire , were much more spiritual in nature and, in most markets, were marketed as Christian fiction instead of science fiction . They were published as a single volume edition in 2004. During the same period, Tyers was approached for the Star Wars market again and authored another novel, Balance Point , in addition to short stories for four Star Wars anthologies. Shivering World

574-493: A third novel, Crown of Fire, were marketed as Christian fiction. Tyers continued to contribute to the Star Wars universe with additional novels and short stories. After her husband's death in 2004, she took another sabbatical, during which she worked on an autobiography and earned a Master of Christian Studies degree. The Firebird Saga was completed with two more novels, and Tyers remarried in 2014. Kathy Tyers Gillin (née Moore)

615-629: Is a microbiology graduate and a certified K-12 teacher . She began her writing career in the early 1980s, publishing her first novel, Firebird, in 1986. She continued to write successful science fiction novels, including The Truce at Bakura, which reached the New York Times bestseller list. After taking a sabbatical from writing, Tyers returned to the field, targeting the Christian Booksellers Association. The rewritten versions of Firebird and Fusion Fire, along with

656-455: Is still viewed as scandalous for proper ladies to be seen visiting a genuine cantina . Specifically In the musseques (Rural Areas) a cantina traditionally is a corner shop or bar frequented by the locals where they drink alcohol and eat petiscos (appetizers). Some cantinas in Angola are places where people gather to dance or play games. A cantina in the U.S. is simply a tavern with

697-556: The Dante's View lookout, with a matte painting added in the distance. The actual filming on location took place on the Tunisian island of Djerba . In 1975, during the early stages of production on Star Wars , the appearance of the Mos Eisley cantina and its clientele was realized through the work of concept arts Ron Cobb , Rick Baker and Ralph McQuarrie and costume designer John Mollo . Mollo worked with George Lucas to compile

738-570: The "Cantina Band" melody, including "Cantina Band" (1995) by the rock band Ash , as the B-side of their single " Girl From Mars "; "Digga Digga Doo" (2004) by the Asylum Street Spankers , from their 2004 album Mercurial ; and "Cantina" (2007) by Voltaire from his album Ooky Spooky ; A bluegrass version of the theme is heard during the bar scene in the 2011 film Paul , recorded by Syd Masters and The Swing Riders. In 1979,

779-411: The 2004 DVD, the opening sequence of the cantina scene was modified to replace some practical creatures with completely new computer-generated aliens. This includes, for example, a sinister werewolf -like creature, which was replaced by a pipe-smoking reptile. Throughout the cantina scenes in Star Wars , there is constant background music played by an alien band. This diegetic music was composed for

820-648: The Creature Cantina Action Playset. In September 2020, LEGO Released a Master Builder Series (MBS) Mos Eisley Cantina (set number: 75290). It featured 3,187 pieces, 21 Minifigures and cost USD / EUR   349.99. The first piece of music from the Cantina scene was released in 1977 on the Star Wars Original Motion Picture Soundtrack , entitled simply "Cantina Band". Later CD re-releases of

861-475: The Mandalorian and the child and collect all three bounties. The Mandalorian, however, is able to overcome Calican and rescue the child and Peli, a mechanic that was repairing his ship and watching the child. The Mandalorian gives Peli the reward for Shand as payment for the repairs and he and the child depart Tatooine. The first view of Mos Eisley in Star Wars is a shot of Death Valley in California from

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902-651: The band were played by a number of the Industrial Light & Magic crew, including Phil Tippett, Jon Berg, Rick Baker, who all mimed to the Benny Goodman tune " Sing, Sing, Sing " at George Lucas's suggestion. The exterior scene was initially filmed in 1976 at the little town of Ajim , which is a fishing port on the Isle of Djerba , Tunisia . The film crew added some false frontage to the structure, which has seen no refurbishment since 1976. The local owner

943-405: The cantina and its clientele further. The book names the establishment as "Chalmun's Cantina", introducing its proprietor as a Wookiee named Chalmun; it also reveals that the bartender is named Wuher. The book also explores the reasons for the cantina's ban on droids: the bartender claims to dislike everyone, but lashes out at droids because they are the only thing that will not try to fight back;

984-515: The cantina was the setting of a drunk driving PSA produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation 's National Highway and Safety Administration . In the PSA, Muftak 's friends help him stagger out of the cantina and the message "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" is shown. In 2010, clothing company Adidas created a FIFA World Cup advertisement featuring electronic music duo Daft Punk , Snoop Dogg , David Beckham , and others inserted into

1025-462: The cantinas and places of ill repute a large quantity of merchandise..."). The cantina features in one of the sonnets of Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645). This is a quatrain from that sonnet: Esta cantina revestida en faz; esta vendimia en hábito soez; este pellejo, que, con media nuez,' queda con una cuba taz a taz. This wine-cellar covered with a face; This wine-harvest [clad] in filthy habit; This wine-skin, which, with just

1066-509: The entrance into the cantina suddenly presented the audience with an array of outlandish species. Working from Lucas's direction and a maquette , set designer John Barry created the cantina set complete with circular bar and shady alcoves. Mollo included a few costumes borrowed from Westerns , and based some other costumes on characters from the 1950 film Destination Moon and the 1960s television series Lost in Space . The alien musicians in

1107-495: The film by John Williams , and consisted of two pieces written for trumpet , three saxophones , clarinet , Fender Rhodes piano and percussion, along with steel drum and synthesizer . George Lucas briefed Williams to imagine "several creatures in a future century finding some 1930s Benny Goodman swing band music ... and how they might attempt to interpret it". Williams combined traditional jazz instruments with instruments associated with Afro-Caribbean music in order to create

1148-511: The final cut of the cantina scene, and beginning with Lucasfilm's release of the Special Edition of Star Wars in 1997, made a number of changes to it. He adjusted the confrontation between Han Solo and Greedo, to portray Greedo firing at Han first. This change was repeatedly further altered and has proved one of the most controversial among Star Wars fans, giving rise to the popular slogan " Han shot first " in protest of it. For

1189-481: The heat of Tatooine's twin suns . The cantina is described as a dark, sinister bar full of "one-eyed creatures and thousand-eyed, creatures with scales, creatures with fur". The narrative describes "Tentacles, claws and hands... wrapped around drinking utensils". The Expanded Universe anthology of intertwined short stories , Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina , edited by Kevin J. Anderson , explores

1230-478: The make-up in previous shots due to Freeborn's illness, and was now able to fully realize the scene with several close-ups of alien creatures, complete with Freeborn's masks. Lucas also supplemented the limited coverage he had from the Tunisia footage with footage from Death Valley. The new material was cut into the film by Lucas's editors, including Lucas's then-wife, Marcia Lucas . Lucas remained dissatisfied with

1271-464: The planet Alderaan , which prompts Luke to sell his landspeeder to get the money they need to pay Han. After Luke and Obi-Wan have departed, Han is involved in a brief confrontation with Greedo , a green-skinned gangster; the exchange ends violently when Han shoots and kills Greedo. As the group prepare to leave, they are followed to Docking Bay 94 by Garindan , a spy working for the Empire . Following

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1312-461: The proprietor Chalmun does not tolerate droids because they do not drink, and therefore occupy valuable space. The backstory of the cantina's resident swing band is also expanded in the short stories "We Don't Do Weddings: The Band's Tale" by Kathy Tyers and "Empire Blues" by Daniel Keys Moran . The band is named as Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes and it is revealed that the players belong to

1353-425: The soundtrack album included the second piece, which was titled "Cantina Band #2". The first "Cantina Band" number has since been retitled "Mad About Me". That same year, the record producer Meco released a space disco version of the Star Wars title theme and "Cantina Band" on his single " Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band ". Since then, numerous popular cover versions and parodies have been released which feature

1394-465: The spaceport may be dangerous. Upon arrival, Luke and Obi-Wan enter Chalmun's Cantina, a dimly-lit tavern patronised by visiting starship pilots. Strong drink is on sale at the bar and there are frequent outbreaks of violence among the clientele. The cantina attracts a range of exotic alien species , although droids are not permitted to enter; the bartender orders them to leave, saying "We don't serve their kind in here". A band of domed-headed aliens plays

1435-851: Was approached with an opportunity to write a novel in the Star Wars Expanded Universe . Her novel, The Truce at Bakura (1993), reached the New York Times bestseller list . Despite her success, after the sale of her novel, One Mind's Eye , Tyers took a complete sabbatical from writing from 1994 to 1997. She eventually returned to writing, specifically targeting the Christian Booksellers Association in an attempt to sell Christian science fiction, and Bethany House Publishers published rewritten versions of Firebird and Fusion Fire . The rewritten versions, published in 1999 and 2000 along with

1476-465: Was born and raised in Long Beach, California. She obtained a degree in microbiology from Montana State University , where she met her first husband, Mark Tyers. After their marriage, she returned to school and became certified to teach grades K-12 . When their church opened a private school, she took over teaching the lower grades. In 1979, she retired from teaching to start a family; her son Matthew

1517-552: Was born in 1981, and she began writing in earnest two years later. Tyers published her first novel, Firebird , with Bantam Spectra in 1986. She subsequently published Fusion Fire (1988; a sequel to Firebird ), Crystal Witness (1989) and Shivering World (1991). During this period she also authored a nonfiction travel book and, with her husband, released two CDs of folk music , Leave Her, Johnny and The Very Best Dreams on which she played flute and Irish harp. In 1991, while working on another speculative fiction novel, she

1558-454: Was reimbursed eight dollars a day. The interior set was constructed and filmed on Stage 6, Elstree Studios near London. Harrison Ford filmed his first scene with Alec Guinness ; Ford later remarked that the prospect of working with Guinness "scared the shit out of me". As filming progressed, Lucas encountered many problems; the production was running over-budget and both cast and crew were suffering health problems. Stuart Freeborn fell ill and

1599-521: Was revised and re-released in early 2004. Tyers' husband, Mark, died from alcoholism in 2004. She took another sabbatical from fiction writing, working with guitarist Christopher Parkening on his autobiography Grace Like a River . In 2006, she entered Regent College in Vancouver , British Columbia, and after earning a Master of Christian Studies degree, she lived in Bellingham , Washington for

1640-417: Was unable to complete his work on the cantina creature masks. In early 1977, under pressure to complete his movie (now more than $ 2 million over budget), Lucas negotiated limited additional funding from 20th Century Fox executives to support second unit filming . Some of the most important additional footage shot was to enhance the cantina scene at Hollywood Center Studios . Lucas had been dissatisfied with

1681-699: Was used to refer to the shop of a sutler , an army camp follower. In Spain , a cantina is a bar located in a train station or any establishment located at or near a workplace where food and drinks are served. Cantina was one of the foreign words that entered in from Renaissance Italy . During the 16th century, the Spanish Empire included large holdings in Italy. Luis de Bávia wrote in his Tercera y Cuarta Parte de la Historia Pontifical y Católica (1621): "Perdiéndose en las cantinas y lugares baxos [sic] gran número de mercaderías..." ("Losing itself in

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