CLASSIC IMAGE: UGLIES INC.

Stuart Freeborn certainly proved himself as one of the STAR WARS saga's definitive UK talents in make-up and creature construction, as seen here with this motley group of monster heads that would be used in the original film's 1976 April/May cantina filming at ELSTREE. All of the monsters in there, and in later US re-shoots with additional Rick Baker creatures, would become icons, especially Freeborn's Greedo, whom George Lucas would take a shine to when he first saw the creature in his workshop after it had been previously constructed for use as an alien in a UK BIRDS EYE peas commercial of the early seventies, though subsequently re-dressed (for legal reasons) for his eventual doomed confrontation with Han Solo.

Graham and Kay Freeborn with the UK Elstree creatures created for the Cantina in April 1976.

Due to illness (later declared as a stomach bug), Stuart was unable to complete all the required UK masks for the Cantina sequence, which begs the question, are there any surviving pieces of original 1975/76 artwork or designs, whether they be in the LUCASFILM archives or in a private collection, that show those creatures that ultimately never made it to reality? It would surely be fascinating to see them, eh?

With thanks to Ian Trussler for the group image.