The story idea for Raiders of the Lost Ark came from George Lucas. He had postponed the film to concentrate on the Star Wars series, and eventually suggested to Steven Spielberg that he direct the movie. Spielberg liked the idea, and the two of them hammered out the details. Neither expected the 1981 film to be the blockbuster that it turned out to be. It won a total of five Oscars and spawned three more Indiana Jones movies. To maintain consistency with the other films, the movie was renamed
Tom Selleck was the first actor chosen to star, but he was committed to Magnum P. I. And had to turn the role down. Lucas had resisted offering the lead to Harrison Ford because Ford had previously been in not only Star Wars but another Lucas film, American Graffiti. Lucas did not want Ford to be handicapped by appearing to be a constant actor in his films. Ultimately, however, the role was given to Ford not long before filming was to begin. The movie is credited by many with turning Ford into a true star and establishing him as a fan favorite.
Debra Winger had first refusal for the part of Marion Ravenwood. Karen Allen was then signed to play the part of Marion, the daughter of Indy's mentor, Abner. John Rhys-Davies was cast as Sallah, Indiana's Egyptian friend. The museum curator Marcus Brody was portrayed by Denholm Elliott. Paul Freeman was cast as Belloq, the French archaeologist who is Indy's nemesis.
The budget for the movie was about $20 million. When he filmed it in 1977, Lucas's budget for Star Wars was around $18 million. The next year, Harrison Ford would star in Blade Runner, which carried a price tag of around $28 million. Raiders earned over $380 million in box office receipts, the most for 1981. Every studio had passed on the idea until Paramount finally accepted, and the film's success was no doubt a nice surprise for the studio.
The action takes place in 1936, centering around the exploits of Indiana Jones, the archaeologist. He teaches at a college and travels to remote parts of the globe in search of valuable artifacts. Within the first few minutes, he hacks his way through the jungle and dodges booby traps to retrieve a priceless idol. Belloq, however, has a tribe of natives on his side, and forces Indy to hand over the idol. Jones escapes from the natives and goes back to the classroom. Almost immediately, he is contacted by federal agents, who tell him that the Nazis, led by Belloq, are after the Staff of Ra. Indy's friend, Abner, is the last known owner of the staff. Indy realizes that the Nazis are searching for the Ark of the Covenant and flies to Nepal in search of Ravenwood. He finds Abner is dead, but the staff's headpiece is in the possession of Abner's daughter. Marion, however, bears Indy no love and delays giving him the headpiece. The Nazis raid her bar, and she and Indy escape with the headpiece. They endure many more dangerous encounters before finally losing the Ark to the Frenchman Belloq and his Nazi colleagues. However, Belloq wants to test the Ark before he delivers it to Adolph Hitler, so he opens it. This kills everyone except Jones and Marion, who keep their eyes closed. At the end, the Ark arrives in America and is promptly stored in a warehouse.
The film earned Oscars for Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound Effects Editing, Sound, and Visual Effects. It lost the nomination for Best Picture. Visual effects were furnished by Industrial Light and Magic, and Ben Burtt was in charge of sound effects. John Williams composed the score and was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to Vangelis, who provided the score for Chariots of Fire.
Cast and crew faced several challenges while filming on location in Tunisia. One was the heat, but many also fell ill from dysentery. One trademark scene, where Indiana shoots a swordsman bent of displaying his skill with the blades, was not scripted initially. Ford was feeling too ill to perform the scene as written and suggested shooting the guy instead. In addition, he was injured during the filming of a fight scene when an airplane tire ran over his leg.
Raiders of the Lost Ark was a fan favorite from the time it was released. In 2008, a DVD version fixed some errors that had been present in earlier versions. It is available alone or as part of a set.
Tom Selleck was the first actor chosen to star, but he was committed to Magnum P. I. And had to turn the role down. Lucas had resisted offering the lead to Harrison Ford because Ford had previously been in not only Star Wars but another Lucas film, American Graffiti. Lucas did not want Ford to be handicapped by appearing to be a constant actor in his films. Ultimately, however, the role was given to Ford not long before filming was to begin. The movie is credited by many with turning Ford into a true star and establishing him as a fan favorite.
Debra Winger had first refusal for the part of Marion Ravenwood. Karen Allen was then signed to play the part of Marion, the daughter of Indy's mentor, Abner. John Rhys-Davies was cast as Sallah, Indiana's Egyptian friend. The museum curator Marcus Brody was portrayed by Denholm Elliott. Paul Freeman was cast as Belloq, the French archaeologist who is Indy's nemesis.
The budget for the movie was about $20 million. When he filmed it in 1977, Lucas's budget for Star Wars was around $18 million. The next year, Harrison Ford would star in Blade Runner, which carried a price tag of around $28 million. Raiders earned over $380 million in box office receipts, the most for 1981. Every studio had passed on the idea until Paramount finally accepted, and the film's success was no doubt a nice surprise for the studio.
The action takes place in 1936, centering around the exploits of Indiana Jones, the archaeologist. He teaches at a college and travels to remote parts of the globe in search of valuable artifacts. Within the first few minutes, he hacks his way through the jungle and dodges booby traps to retrieve a priceless idol. Belloq, however, has a tribe of natives on his side, and forces Indy to hand over the idol. Jones escapes from the natives and goes back to the classroom. Almost immediately, he is contacted by federal agents, who tell him that the Nazis, led by Belloq, are after the Staff of Ra. Indy's friend, Abner, is the last known owner of the staff. Indy realizes that the Nazis are searching for the Ark of the Covenant and flies to Nepal in search of Ravenwood. He finds Abner is dead, but the staff's headpiece is in the possession of Abner's daughter. Marion, however, bears Indy no love and delays giving him the headpiece. The Nazis raid her bar, and she and Indy escape with the headpiece. They endure many more dangerous encounters before finally losing the Ark to the Frenchman Belloq and his Nazi colleagues. However, Belloq wants to test the Ark before he delivers it to Adolph Hitler, so he opens it. This kills everyone except Jones and Marion, who keep their eyes closed. At the end, the Ark arrives in America and is promptly stored in a warehouse.
The film earned Oscars for Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound Effects Editing, Sound, and Visual Effects. It lost the nomination for Best Picture. Visual effects were furnished by Industrial Light and Magic, and Ben Burtt was in charge of sound effects. John Williams composed the score and was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to Vangelis, who provided the score for Chariots of Fire.
Cast and crew faced several challenges while filming on location in Tunisia. One was the heat, but many also fell ill from dysentery. One trademark scene, where Indiana shoots a swordsman bent of displaying his skill with the blades, was not scripted initially. Ford was feeling too ill to perform the scene as written and suggested shooting the guy instead. In addition, he was injured during the filming of a fight scene when an airplane tire ran over his leg.
Raiders of the Lost Ark was a fan favorite from the time it was released. In 2008, a DVD version fixed some errors that had been present in earlier versions. It is available alone or as part of a set.
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