26
May
Star Wars Devil Cantina Alien Mask Preservation
Preserving the original Rick Baker Star Wars Devil cantina alien mask.
The Star Wars Devil cantina alien mask has a long and interesting history! Made for an early 70’s John Landis movie pitch (which Rick Baker recalls as being called “I was a Teenage Vampire”), this devil mask was made by Baker around that time. In 1974, the mask found use in one of Bob Burns’ infamous Halloween shows, “the Thing in the Attic.”
In Star Wars, A New Hope, the character again appeared, this time in the famed Mos Eisley Cantina. Alternatively known as Labria and Kardue’sai’Malloc, the production called him “Louie” while Rick Baker always refers to him simple as “the devil guy.”
Years later, “the devil guy” was gifted to Rick’s (and our) dear friends, movie prop collectors Bob and Kathy Burns. The original latex devil mask made famous in 1977 became a bit misshapen over time, and required a bit of careful conservation to help preserve the very rare movie prop.
Bob entrusted us to clean and preserve the vintage Rick Baker latex mask. Each movie prop conservation has its own challenges, and in this mask’s case it was that over time the mask’s shape had become quite distorted. We gently coaxed the devil head into a more displayable position. Once that was done, the eyes and any holes were backed with black fabric and the entire latex mask was foam filled for long term stability and the prop was mounted on a simple black base. Unfortunately, the condition precluded a full restoration, but our small improvements made a nice visual impact and will help to keep this prop in better condition over time.
Do you have an original movie or television prop that is in need of restoration or display? Email or call today and let’s discuss your project!
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