This iconic Indiana Jones scene was not planned! 7 anecdotes about the saga of Harrison Ford

Scar skillfully explained!

A whip, a hat and a scar on the chin: these are the three characteristics of Indiana Jones. The latter is actually a continuation of the actor’s car accident. Often overshadowed by the makeup of Harrison Ford’s other films, he’s still very much a presence in the franchise. So the screenwriter found a story for him.

The opening scene of the third episode, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, shows the hero as a teenager at the time and the late River Phoenix. With the first crack of his mythical whip in front of the lion, he opens his chin, thus revealing the mark on his face for the rest of the saga!

Hollywood’s most influential dog

How can we talk about Indiana Jones without mentioning the friendship that connects its director Steven Spielberg with George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars? With Adventurer in the making, the two filmmakers search for a name and agree to use the name of George Lucas’ dog: Indiana.

This Alaskan Malamute also inspired another iconic character a few years ago, namely Chewbacca, Han Solo’s sidekick played by… Harrison Ford. The circle is complete!

A close connection with the famous French-speaking hero

During the European promotion of Raiders of the Lost Ark, French journalists emphasize the resemblance of Indiana Jones to Tintin. Unbeknownst to him, Steven Spielberg instantly absorbed every volume and became a fan before buying the movie rights to the comic in 1983.

If The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn hits theaters 28 years later, the Belgian reporter’s influence in writing Le Temple maudit was immediate. The character of Maharaja is directly inspired by Hergé’s work.

A shot that was not in the script!

This is one of the most iconic scenes in the entire tetralogy. While he is the prey of an Egyptian mercenary hired to thwart his plans, an archeology professor draws his sword. And while we wait for the epic duel, he grabs his gun and dispatches the job in seconds.

The originally planned, choreographed and masterfully orchestrated fight scene was changed at the last minute by Harrison Ford himself. The actor did suffer from violent dysentery, which forced him to make many round trips in his caravan. A failure that gave birth to this wonderfully rhythmic face-off with memorable comic effect.

Busy first day

Alfred Molina (Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2) makes his Hollywood film debut with Raiders of the Lost Ark: A Dream Come True.

But little did he know that his very first scene would be one of the most difficult of his career: the one where a cohort of live tarantulas climbs onto his back. To add a dose of realism, the breeder put in a female tarantula to stir up the male…realism guaranteed!

A trick to avoid trouble

As his poignant 1993 masterpiece Schindler’s List points out, Steven Spielberg, the son of a Jewish World War II veteran, knows how to confront the Third Reich, no matter how difficult the challenge.

In the third Indiana Jones opus, the scene of the Nazi auto-da-fe, which unites hundreds of extraterrestrials in uniform, is bloody. That’s why the director asked the extras to cross their fingers behind their backs to avoid feeling guilty.

A scene you will never see the same again

In 1989, Steven Spielberg fulfilled his teenage dream by directing Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. But the iconic James Bond of the 60s can sometimes let go of the sophistication of the British spy…

During the filming of the scene where the characters sit on the airship, the late actor did not hesitate to remove his pants to fight the heat of the set. Harrison Ford did the same. It’s impossible to relive the scene without seeing the two friends in their underwear!

Find the Indiana Jones trilogy now on Prime Video.