Raiders of the Lost Ark

Trivia: Actor Peter Coyote auditioned in costume for the part of Indiana Jones, but he tripped and stumbled over power cables during the audition (conveying an awkward and nervous image, just the opposite of the confident and sure-footed Indiana Jones image that Steven Spielberg wanted). So, Coyote didn't get the part. But Spielberg never forgot Coyote's earnestness, and he later cast Coyote as the compassionate Agent Keys in "E.T. The Extraterrestrial".

Charles Miller

Trivia: Tom Selleck was chosen for the main role but he was already involved in Magnum P.I. The show had a chapter named Raiders of the Lost Art as a nod to this, showing him playing Indiana Jones.

oswal13

Trivia: Because of his commitment to the film, Harrison Ford was unable to play Han Solo in the NPR radio dramatization of Star Wars. The role was taken over by Perry King, who had been among those auditioning for the role in the movie before Ford was cast.

Cubs Fan

Trivia: Arnold Toht has only 16 lines in the entire film.

Trivia: Originally, the golden idol had moveable eyes that were supposed to follow Indy's moves when he is about to snatch it. Compare the idol inside the temple to the one Belloq later holds in his hands.

Trivia: Frank Marshal, producer of the film, has a cameo as the German pilot who shoots Indy.

oswal13

Trivia: In the original script, instead of all dying together in the infamous scene during the opening of the Ark, Belloq, Toht and Dietrich were to die at different points in the film: Toht was to die together with Gobler during the truck chase, Belloq would die during the opening of the Ark (which was shorter), and Dietrich was to die in the mine cart chase through Geheimhaven that took place after the closing of the Ark and was cut from the film.

Big Game

Trivia: Some characters in this film had other names during its development, before retaining the ones that appeared in the film. Some of these names were: - Rene Belloq's original name was Victor Lovar. - Toht's was Belzig. - Dietrich's was Schliemann. - the Imam's was Amir. Several characters were also deleted, such as Eric Davona, Calvin Stansbury, Tengtu Hok, Bang Chow, Buzz Kehoe, Stanton, Abu (not the Imam's apprentice), Jules Spencer and Petrovich.

Big Game

Trivia: The main ghost was played by receptionist Greta Hicks, made up and dressed in a white robe. She was suspended with wires and filmed flying away from the camera. The footage was reversed for the film (this can be spotted in the ghost's hair). For the Angel of Death, a life-size skeletal dummy dressed as Greta was filmed and superimposed on the film.

Big Game

Raiders of the Lost Ark mistake picture

Continuity mistake: Near the beginning of the movie where Indiana is running away from the tribe of South American Indians after Belloq robs Indiana of the gold statue, in one shot you can see that the Indians are only a few meters behind Indiana, but in the next shot, they are at least 50 meters behind. (00:11:20)

More mistakes in Raiders of the Lost Ark

Marion: You're not the man I knew ten years ago.
Indiana: It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

More quotes from Raiders of the Lost Ark

Question: I first saw "Raiders" at the cinema when it was released in Australia and I distinctly remember a scene which has never appeared on video or DVD. After the end credits, there's a cut back to the crate housing the Ark in the warehouse, and the U.S Govt. stamp on the side of the crate is slowly burning off, as if a fire within the crate is scorching it. One other friend (also in Australia) also remembers. Does anyone else remember this, and can anyone shed any light on what happened to this scene?

Answer: I also remember this scene. After the ark is sealed, the camera performs a close up of the side of the crate. The stamp reads "Top Secret Army Intel 9906753 Do Not Open" This stamp is burned off just like the swastika is in the scene on the submarine, because in the eyes of God, no nation is holy or worthy enough to claim ownership of the ark. However, this final scene was cut (the burning of the stamp) from the film for a variety of unclear reasons. While it was in theaters, this scene was not included on the DVD version.

Add me to this. We saw the movie in a "pre release" version in Orlando Florida. No advance warning of the movie. We went to see another flick and at the end were "invited" to see this if we were willing to critique it afterwards. This scene was included. I also always wondered why the change.

I also remember seeing this mysterious 'burning' of the logo, most likely it was on a VHS copy of this movie. Yes, it did exist.

I saw it in former Czechoslovakia in the second half of 80's in cinema (west movies came to the east countries' cinemas years later). And I thought it was a great joke that burning out the swastika wasn't just because the Nazis are bad but because nobody is great enough to own the arc. Then after the Velvet revolution I saw the film again on TV (beginning of 90's) and said everyone around: watch it until the end, wait on the post-credit scene, there will be a surprise.

And there was a surprise. The scene was cut off! I was angry on the TV they didn't show the scene. I cannot be influenced by internet discussion or urban legend. The internet didn't exist yet.

I saw it in Portland, Oregon, and was so impressed with the message it carried, that I told friends and we went several times just to see it. Funny thing was when I mentioned it a few years ago, many people said I was a LIAR that it never happened. I could not convince anyone. It was removed because it wasn't Politically Correct. USA is a force for good, God would not burn off AMERICAN TEXT! BUT WE DID SEE IT. Thanks to our Australian eye witness, we know we did not imagine it.

Answer: I also remember that scene.

Answer: This scene never existed. Plus, the crate never has a US Govt logo stamped on it. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbr.com/movie-legends-revealed-alternate-ending-for-raiders-of-the-lost-ark/amp/.

Bishop73

Answer: I remember the side of the crate being "charred" when it was in the ship's cargo hold, in the scene when the Nazi's arrived in the submarine. It was the Nazi swastika on the side of the crate that was burned off. It also showed a rat keeling over dead from the energy it emitted. (I just watched this again on the Paramount cable channel.)

raywest

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