Star Friends

"When friends drink too much—even in galaxies far, far away—friends don't let friends drive drunk."

―Announcer^[1]

Star Friends was a short Star Wars-themed drunk-driving public service announcement (PSA) released by the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway and Safety Administration on television in 1979 as part of their "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" campaign.^[2]

Plot summary

Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes play "Mad About Me" to a crowd of drinking, carousing aliens in a cantina. An inebriated Talz patron seen arguing with the bartender while sitting at the bar has had too much to drink. A Duros patron offers to drive his friend home rather than allowing the drunk to drive intoxicated. After the Duros calms his friend down and helps him to get up and walk away from the bar, the pair flies away in a YT-1300 light freighter.^[1]

Behind the scenes

The announcement features characters from the Mos Eisley Cantina scenes of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and The Star Wars Holiday Special, appearing in an unidentified cantina. The bartender is the only character that does not resemble any character from the film or television special, looking very different than Wuher. Sound from the film is also used, but the angry Talz's voice sounds like the voice of Chewbacca.^[1]

The title is not seen in the commercial itself, but is seen in its entry in the National Archives Catalog. The commercial is one of the few works licensed by the short-lived Lucasfilm subsidiary Black Falcon.^[2]