#virginia city
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.
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