Views From a Ridge
Far from a hive of scum and villany, 2001: A Space Odyssey's Clavius Base might well have been the first visual reference for Mos Eisley
A hive of scum and villainy, and nexus of western, middle-eastern and eastern influences.
Mos Eisley is the nexus of Star Wars's western, middle-eastern and eastern influences.
At once a traditional cantina as seen in any number of westerns, it's also the first time we experience the lightsaber in play. Here is the cantina sequence intercut with Casablanca, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Magnificent Seven and Yojimbo.
WWII was an enormous influence on all kids of the 50s and 60s, and Lucas was no exception. From the general good vs evil nature of the conflict to the specifics of war epics like The Guns of Navarone and air-heroics of The Dam Busters and 633 Squadron, it seems entirely possible that Star Wars would never have existed if not for the war.
With a career stretching almost 60 years, Akira Kurosawa remains one of the most influential directors in the history of the medium. The pinnacle of his popularity however was perfectly timed with a batch of impressionable USC students ready to take on the world, and his impact on George Lucas in particular is the stuff of legends.