#raiders of the lost ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark  (1981)

The adventures of Charlie Jones

IMPORTANT NEWS (That only I and a few other people will care about): I am officially upending the long-held notion that the truck chase scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (perhaps the greatest action sequence ever filmed) was an homage to John Ford’s “Stagecoach” chase scene. As much as I love Ford, the parallels never really stuck for me, other than men jumping from moving objects. BUT I am now prepared to state unequivocally that Spielberg’s truck scene is in fact inspired by Michael Curtiz’s 1940 “Virginia City” starring Errol Flynn (which is itself inspired by the success of Stagecoach the year before)! The parallels are inescapable, including the reversal of places while driving, climbing along the sides of a moving vehicle, the vehicle traveling along side cliffs, even someone falling off the front, holding onto the bottom, and then being dragged and climbing up again. Mr. Spielberg, I await your apology, and vindication of my efforts.

ESCAPE
Inktober 18

Happy Birthday

John Williams, born 1932

The Killers [USA 1964, Don Siegel]
The Poseidon Adventure [USA 1972, Ronald Neame, Irwin Allen (uncredited)]
The Long Goodbye [USA 1973, Robert Altman]
The Towering Inferno [USA 1974, John Guillermin]
Jaws [USA 1975, Steven Spielberg]
Star Wars [USA 1977, George Lucas]
Superman [USA / GB / PA / CH 1978, Richard Donner]
Raiders of the Lost Ark [USA 1981, Steven Spielberg]
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial [USA 1982, Steven Spielberg]
JFK [USA / FR 1991, Oliver Stone]

The Peculiarium in Portland, Oregon

Marion Ravenwood, Willie Scott, Elsa Schneider - art by Dave Nestler

Mock-up conning tower of the U-96, featured in the classic Das Boöt.

It also appeared in the lesser-known Raiders of the Lost Ark.

A rare shot of deleted business from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) clings to the periscope of the German sub as it makes its way to the secret Nazi hide-out.

A terrific shot of Paul Freeman, Harrison Ford, John Rhys Davies,  Ronald Lacey and Pat Roach at the UK premiere of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Illustrator Tom Jung.