Marion Paul Freeman. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Play Trailer. Ford portrays Indiana Jones, a globe-trotting archaeologist, vying with Nazi forces in 1936, to recover the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, a relic said to make an army invincible. He had recently discovered screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and helped him sell the script for Continental Divide (1981). Spielberg was determined to avoid criticism for another schedule overrun. [10] Conversely, archaeologist Winifred Creamer described Jones as the "worst thing to happen to archaeology" as he "walks a fine line between what's an archaeologist and what's a professional looter.

Johnston was tasked with combining all three. [17][25] Spielberg said he learned to "like" instead of "love" to avoid using too much time trying to achieve the perfect take. [14] The script only described the opening of the film as "all hell breaks loose". Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 PG 1h 56m Children & Family Movies When Indiana Jones is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime. Of this figure, $72 million was estimated to have been returned to the studio; the profit-sharing deal with Spielberg and Lucas meant that after marketing costs, Paramount had earned $23 million in profit. Earn 125 points on every ticket you buy. • Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones: An archaeology professor and adventurer. ", "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular to Undergo Renovation, Should Be Updated In Time For 'Indiana Jones 5, "The Great Movie Ride was the first time I experienced 'Disney magic, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: An Oral History", "Indiana Jones Conquers Box-Office Competition", "The Making Of Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade", "This Week In Genre History: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Nukes The Fridge", "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: A critical conversation", "The Opening of 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' Makes the Perfect Old Man Indiana Jones Movie", Raiders! It's a film loaded with great characters, action and dialogue, and it's hard to picture anyone but Ford in the role now.

Full Cast & Crew: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Cast (60) Harrison Ford.

The snakes, tight spaces, and special effects dust made Allen anxious and frustrated. This was the film that Spielberg...read more, Patrick Durkin She singled out Freeman for praise, however, for continuing his performance after a fly crawled into his mouth;[79] Freeman jokingly called it the best review of his career.

These pieces became the main theme and musical bridge of "The Raiders March". [8][16] Kasdan wanted to create a supporting cast with their own unique characteristics.

[1] The interior scenes at Jones' school were filmed at The Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, near Hertfordshire; the exterior is the University of the Pacific in California. Don Fellows and William Hootkins appear as United States Army Intelligence agents Colonel Musgrove and Major Eaton, respectively. [119] In 1997, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked Raiders of the Lost Ark number 60 on its 100 Years...100 Movies list recognizing the best American films. He had 10 days left on his contract when Lucas and Spielberg asked the show's studio, CBS, to release him early so they could begin filming Raiders of the Lost Ark. Their film came to the attention of director Eli Roth in the mid-1990s, who brought it wider attention during a film convention in late 2002.

He described Ford's performance as taciturn and stubborn character in the vein of Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but with the ability to laugh at himself. [35][36] Constructed by the British engineering firm Vickers, they then dismantled it because of its size, and shipped it to Tunisia. [67][98][86], Ford was cast in the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner because of his performance in Raiders of the Lost Ark. [11] The Ark provided a source of conflict for the hero and the Nazis, playing off Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's historical fascination with the occult. [7] After Spielberg had shown the rough cut to Lucas, the trio were happy with it. Cast Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Paul Freeman. [7] Special effects artist Chris Walas sculpted Lacey's melting face by using different colored layers of gelatin placed over a carved, stone skull that could withstand heat. [178] Following the conclusion of the film series, Lucas developed a television series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, that debuted in 1992. [24][23] Lucas often spent several weeks at a time visiting the locations during filming,[7] and directed some second unit shots. [16], For Jones' love interest, Marion Ravenwood, Spielberg wanted someone akin to early 20th-century leading ladies like Irene Dunne, Barbara Stanwyck and Ann Sheridan, who could hold their own against their male counterparts. [7][16] Even so, they still contacted Lucas to negotiate terms. [14], Lucas' visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic handled the film's special effects, under the supervision of Richard Edlund. He's super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. ", "Behind-the-Scenes Photos of ILM's Greats: Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and Beyond", "How Raiders of the Lost Ark's Face Melt Was Filmed (Without CGI)", "6 Artists You Didn't Know Made Your Favorite Movie Moments", "How Indiana Jones's Fedora Became an Artifact With a Life of Its Own", "Indiana Jones' Lost Ark Found Again...On Antiques Roadshow", "Weekend Domestic Chart for June 12, 1981", "Weekend Domestic Chart for June 19, 1981", "Weekend Domestic Chart for June 26, 1981", "Weekend Domestic Chart for July 3, 1981", "Weekend Domestic Chart for July 17, 1981", "Hollywood Is Joyous Over Its Record Grossing Summer", "Hollywood Shivers In A Crisis Of Confidence", "Top 1981 Movies at the Domestic Box Office", "Top 1981 Movies at the International Box Office", "Top 1981 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office", "What Movies Will Be The Big Winners This Summer? He then stumbles upon a secret cult committing enslavement and human sacrifices in the catacombs of an ancient palace. Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist. [16] However, Ford thought it would be a fun project and agreed to the deal. [19] Most of the crew—over 150 people—became sick with amoebic dysentery from eating the local food. The remnants of the destruction were encased in plastic and turned into the Diana Jones Award—"...diana Jones" being the only legible part of the burnt remains". Lucas conceived Raiders of the Lost Ark in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, he sets off a deadly trap but miraculously escapes. As well as the main cast, Raiders of the Lost Ark features: Wolf Kahler as ruthless Nazi officer Colonel Dietrich, and Anthony Higgins as Major Gobler, Colonel Dietrich's right-hand man. [2] Allen was reportedly so scared that she could not scream on cue. [15][8][9] Spielberg hated the character's name. [30][6][19] Afterward, they struggled to obtain anti-venom, and local supplies had expired; it had to be imported from India. Raiders of the Lost Ark [140] In 2019, it was ranked the sixteenth best film of all time, based on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes user votes and critical ratings.

For other uses, see, 1981 action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, The Adventures of Indiana Jones role playing game, "Raiders of the Lost Ark: 14 revelations about its epic opening scene", "30 Things You Might Not Know About 'Raiders of the Lost Ark, "The Story Behind Raiders Of The Lost Ark", "Cinema: Slam! and elan that it became an instant classic. [1] A steel rod in the wall, concealed by rubber rock outcroppings, controlled the boulder.