Post by auntym on Jun 12, 2011 13:21:57 GMT -6
blog.moviefone.com/2011/06/12/raiders-lost-ark-30th-anniversary/
30 Things You Might Not Know About 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'
By Sharon Knolle
Posted Jun 12th 2011
In honor of the 30th anniversary of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' we've unearthed 30 little-known facts about the beloved action-adventure movie.
Diehard 'Raiders' fans already know that Tom Selleck, not Harrison Ford, was the first choice to play Indy, but some other big names were in the running too, including a recent Oscar winner who turned down the role of a lifetime.
And you probably know that Indiana Jones got his name from George Lucas's dog, a malamute who also inspired him to create Chewbacca, but did you know Steven Spielberg also had a hand in creating the iconic name?
Read on for more 'Raiders' trivia.
1. Although it sounds like movie legend, 'Raiders' was born as Lucas and Spielberg built sandcastles on the beach in Hawaii, where both were vacationing as 'Star Wars' opened. Spielberg wanted to make a James Bond film, but Lucas told him he had a better idea: something called 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.'
2. Our hero's original name? Indiana Smith. It was changed on the first day of production when Steven Spielberg told Lucas it just didn't sound right and suggested "Jones" instead.
3. Lucas first dreamed up Indy in 1973 with a treatment called 'The Adventures of Indiana Smith,' inspired by 'Buck Rogers' and 'Flash Gordon' serials.
4. Lucas asked Philip Kaufman, director of the 1978 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers,' to develop a script. "Phil Kaufman had provided the [plot device] of the Lost Ark of the Covenant, which his orthodontist had told him about when he was 11 years old," 'Raiders' screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan said in 1993. Kaufman was originally set to direct, as well.
5. Besides Selleck, actors considered for the lead included Nick Nolte, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Tim Matheson, Nick Mancuso, Peter Coyote, and Jack Nicholson, all of whom would have made for a very different film. The actor who turned it down, by the way: Jeff Bridges.
6. Harrison Ford was cast less than three weeks before principal photography began.
7. Amy Irving (who would marry Spielberg in 1985) and Debra Winger were considered for the role of Marion. Sean Young played Marion in the screen test for all the Indy auditions, as seen in the DVD extras. The next year, Young would star opposite Ford in 'Blade Runner.'
8. Sallah's name means "sprout," which is probably due to the much shorter Danny DeVito being offered the role first instead of John Rhys-Davies. (Perhaps this helped him get the part of Gimli?)
9. The role of Nazi interrogator Toht was offered to Klaus Kinski, who instead chose to appear in the horror film 'Venom' because the salary was better. Spielberg then picked Ronald Lacey because he reminded him of Peter Lorre.
10. Indy's well-worn leather jacket was actually brand new. The costume director "aged" each jacket (there were 10 in all) with a metal brush and Ford's own pocket knife. Same with Indy's trademark fedora: It came from Savile Row of London and various members of the cast (including Ford) took turns sitting on it to make it look as battered as necessary.
TO CONTINUE READING ALL 30 FACTS CLICK ON ABOVE LINK
30 Things You Might Not Know About 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'
By Sharon Knolle
Posted Jun 12th 2011
In honor of the 30th anniversary of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' we've unearthed 30 little-known facts about the beloved action-adventure movie.
Diehard 'Raiders' fans already know that Tom Selleck, not Harrison Ford, was the first choice to play Indy, but some other big names were in the running too, including a recent Oscar winner who turned down the role of a lifetime.
And you probably know that Indiana Jones got his name from George Lucas's dog, a malamute who also inspired him to create Chewbacca, but did you know Steven Spielberg also had a hand in creating the iconic name?
Read on for more 'Raiders' trivia.
1. Although it sounds like movie legend, 'Raiders' was born as Lucas and Spielberg built sandcastles on the beach in Hawaii, where both were vacationing as 'Star Wars' opened. Spielberg wanted to make a James Bond film, but Lucas told him he had a better idea: something called 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.'
2. Our hero's original name? Indiana Smith. It was changed on the first day of production when Steven Spielberg told Lucas it just didn't sound right and suggested "Jones" instead.
3. Lucas first dreamed up Indy in 1973 with a treatment called 'The Adventures of Indiana Smith,' inspired by 'Buck Rogers' and 'Flash Gordon' serials.
4. Lucas asked Philip Kaufman, director of the 1978 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers,' to develop a script. "Phil Kaufman had provided the [plot device] of the Lost Ark of the Covenant, which his orthodontist had told him about when he was 11 years old," 'Raiders' screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan said in 1993. Kaufman was originally set to direct, as well.
5. Besides Selleck, actors considered for the lead included Nick Nolte, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Tim Matheson, Nick Mancuso, Peter Coyote, and Jack Nicholson, all of whom would have made for a very different film. The actor who turned it down, by the way: Jeff Bridges.
6. Harrison Ford was cast less than three weeks before principal photography began.
7. Amy Irving (who would marry Spielberg in 1985) and Debra Winger were considered for the role of Marion. Sean Young played Marion in the screen test for all the Indy auditions, as seen in the DVD extras. The next year, Young would star opposite Ford in 'Blade Runner.'
8. Sallah's name means "sprout," which is probably due to the much shorter Danny DeVito being offered the role first instead of John Rhys-Davies. (Perhaps this helped him get the part of Gimli?)
9. The role of Nazi interrogator Toht was offered to Klaus Kinski, who instead chose to appear in the horror film 'Venom' because the salary was better. Spielberg then picked Ronald Lacey because he reminded him of Peter Lorre.
10. Indy's well-worn leather jacket was actually brand new. The costume director "aged" each jacket (there were 10 in all) with a metal brush and Ford's own pocket knife. Same with Indy's trademark fedora: It came from Savile Row of London and various members of the cast (including Ford) took turns sitting on it to make it look as battered as necessary.
TO CONTINUE READING ALL 30 FACTS CLICK ON ABOVE LINK