Best Indy Influences:Before Indiana Jones

[Indy 4]

As we all know Indiana Jones is based on the adventure seriels from the forties and fifties. From reading the Indy Influences article, we can see there are many films which Lucas nd Speilbeg got their ideas for our favorite film adventurer from. Which of the influnces is your favorite and why?
As for me, I'm a fan of Secret of the Incas, for two reasons. One I'm a BIG Charlton Heston fan, and second the character of Harry Steele is most like Indiana Jones out of all the pre-Indy adventurers. His outfit is similar, and the locations throughout the film do indeed look quite "Indyish". I look foward to reading your comments.

[Attila the Professor]

I'm a big fan of John Ford's Stagecoach, of course, which influenced the truck chase. I'm also a Casablanca fan. However, I must choose Lawrence of Arabia as my favorite Indy influence.

[swords]

I think Lawrence wins my vote as well, the film's just plain hypnotic(just can't take your eyes off it).

[00Kevin]

Lawrence of Arabia, best modernday middleeastern adventure (modern day as in last 100 years as oposed to last 1000 years)

casablanca, smashing film, as for indy influence, not so much in my opinion, one thing I like to connect Casa. and indy is the idea of the restraunt (or bar) of "trouble makers" and intese events :D

"Play it Sallah." :rolleyes: hmmmm....

[Attila the Professor]

Originally posted by 00Kevin
Lawrence of Arabia, best modernday middleeastern adventure (modern day as in last 100 years as oposed to last 1000 years)



You said it. Beats DeMille's sword and sandals epics anyday.

[00Kevin]

[Intelligent behavior is recommended on this table also. That may have been funny awhile back, but ain't anymore. Kev, you rose high again on "possible vacation on Banana Islands"-list. Could you watch it, please?]

[Edited by Finn on 04-16-2003 at 04:19 am]

[Ben Friend of Indy]

I'm surprised "Gunga Din" hasn't even been mentioned yet. The bridge scene was great. "Strong bridge"...CRACK! Anyone who has seen it obviously knows it was a great influence on TOD. It's also very entertaining. I haven't seen much others, although Lawrence of Arabia was good.

[swords]

Yes, I really want to see Gunga Din.:)

[Edited by swords on 04-21-2003 at 01:03 pm]

[Ben Friend of Indy]

Yes, very great influence. I know they recently showed it on Turner Classic Movies. If you've got cable, you should keep an eye out for it. ;)

[swords]

I just got my cable cut off again.:(

[Edited by swords on 05-14-2003 at 09:09 pm]

[Buzz Kehoe]

Has any one seen The 40s serial "Adventures of Captain Marvel"? In it Billy Batson,played by Frank Couglin Jr.,is on an Archaeological expedition in Siam, he wears khaki jodhpurs and knee boots plus a work shirt and a leather belt with gun and holster, as he explores the ancient tomb the feel and atmosphere is reminiscent of "Raiders".Clearly this serial influenced Kasdan, Lucas and Spielberg on "Raiders" but I think it influenced Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck even more so on "Temple of Doom", because there is a scene in it where a brawny bearded and turbaned Siamese guy with no shirt can be seen striking a gong - a powerful image,one that of course was borrowed for the "Paramount snow capped mountain" opening of TOD.
As for my other favorite pre-indy influences, "Jungle Gents" is right up there it came out around 1954 and has Leo Gorcey somewhere in darkest Africa hacking through the brush with a machete` and wearing(get this)a safari shirt complete with shoulder epulates,and a web belt with brass buckle,but the real kicker is,while everyone else has on a pith helmet, he is wearing a felt fedora! granted the brim is pinned up in the front,but he was the first to have this type of trade mark hat go every where with him.At the beginning of the Last Crusade computer adventure game, Indy wears trunks and his hat into the boxing ring for practice sparring with the coach,just as Leo Gorcey wears trunks and his fedora while boxing his sparring partner, Bobby Stone in the 1943 East Side Kids movie "Kid Dynamite".
Another pre Indy influence that bears mentioning is Doc Savage,a character that inspired Superman as well.The book covers are very "Indy" always wearing a safari shirt,with a sleeve missing and what's left torn and tattered to shreads ala TOD.
The last two Pre-Indy inspirations that I will mention come from films that I saw years ago and do not recall the titles of(help me out if you know them) but contain characters which draw a strong comparison to Indiana Jones, one was a black & white Tarzan picture that featured a guy in it,who if I remember correctly was a villian,but I routed for him anyway because he was so much like Dr.Jones in appearance.He wore a wide brimmed hat with leopard skin band,the typical safari clothes,but what stood out was that he was carrying a bullwhip!!!
The other movie whose title escapes me was a technicolor picture from the fifties starring Ronald Reagan. In it Ronnie is dressed head to toe like Indiana Jones:brown leather diesel or bomber jacket, a brown snap brim fedora,khaki safari or work shirt and a pair of tan chinos.
He is somewhere in Asia amidst a war,is wounded and is nursed back to health by a lovely local woman.There is a very weird scene soon after that in which Reagan is taken before a statue of a multi headed dragon(Angor Thom?)he kneels before it and is brought a wooden bowl containing a hallucinogenic drug,which he drinks and is soon tripping out of his mind and he sees the statue come to life as all of the dragon's heads dart and writhe at the screen.Bone chilling.Needless to say I am diligently hunting for this
flick.It may well be called "Hong Kong" and re-released under the title "Bombs Over China" I am not sure.

[Pilot]

The title of the Ronald Reagan movie is "Hong Kong", as I remember it.

[Buzz Kehoe]

Have you seen it? Reagan is extreemly satanic in it worshiping that dragon statue don't you think? Do you know if it available anywhere? What an unsung Indiana Jones influence. I believe UCLA film dept. has it for viewing on campus.

[Pilot]

The last time I saw it was about ten years ago on AMC. The Indy influence is unmistakeable. Not a great movie, but interesting nonetheless.

[James-Bean]

I'm surprised "Gunga Din" hasn't even been mentioned yet. The bridge scene was great. "Strong bridge"...CRACK! Anyone who has seen it obviously knows it was a great influence on TOD. It's also very entertaining. I haven't seen much others, although Lawrence of Arabia was good.

Me too, Gunga Din is my favorite Indy influence as well. This isn't cinematic but I also think Doc Savage might be another favorite Indy influence of mine. After all that's how Indy got his Ripped Temple Of Doom style khaki shirt from

[jonesissparrow]

1. Gunga Din because like TOD it had an old fashion sense of adventure and a sense of zany humor. Grant, McLaggen, and Fairbanks is what made the film SO successful there friendship is what keeps them going to which I admire and I wish had.

2. Casablanca, what can I say I just think it was a great romance adventure story to which Spielberg tries to recreate in Raiders and give a nod in the beginning of TOD.

3. The Treasure of Sierra Madre, an adventure story that paints Humphrey Bogart as the villain is truly something different for him and shows that Indy could be that way when he is near an artifact.

4. Lawrence of Arabia, this actually my favorite Iny influence of the bunch. The scenery and the complexity of Peter O' Toole's character makes this one of the greatest films of all time. This is one of the films that greatly influenced Spielberg as you can see throughout ROTLA.

5. Mackenna's Gold, I think throughout the series you can see influences of this film from the character of Gregory Peck to the atmospheric space of the desert. This is an underrated western indeed.

There are more influences that Lucas and Spielberg mention for KOTCS and two of my favorites are Them! and Around the World In 80 Days. Them! simply because it involved giant ants and the use of the old professor adds a nice touch to the film which think Indy tries to be in KOTCS. Around the World In 80 Days because it takes place all over the world and Phileas Fogg and his servant, Passpertout have many adventures and the scenes of the different locations of the world is still breathtaking and the film's script is witty and funny and to which I'm glad the film won best pciture.

[deckard24]

Wow this is an old thread!

The bases have already been covered, but here would be my picks: Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Secret of the Incas, Casablanca, Gunga Din, The Greatest Show on Earth(due specifically to Heston's look in that film), Goldfinger(once again due to Connery's famous tuxedo entrance), The Naked Jungle, Stagecoach, and Lawrence of Arabia.

[Stoo]

This isn't cinematic but I also think Doc Savage might be another favorite Indy influence of mine. After all that's how Indy got his Ripped Temple Of Doom style khaki shirt fromHave you ever seen the film version with Ron Ely? It pre-dates "Raiders" but, wow, what a stinker! Good for a laugh.:D
I really don't understand why "Lawrence of Arabia" is considered by some to be a major influence on the Indy films.
Excluding the TV series, there is not much of a connection other than the desert and a white man in Arab clothing.
David Lean-esque shots of the digs at Tanis?:confused:

My favourites in no particular order:

King Solomon's Mines (1937 & 1950)
Gunga Din
Spiders
Perils of Nyoka
Secret Service in Darkest Africa
Secret of the Incas
Valley of the Kings
The Naked Jungle
East of Borneo
Trader Horn (1931 & 1973)
Tarzan and His Mate + Tarzan Escapes
Zorro's Fighting Legion
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

Does anyone know of pre-1981 films that feature a single-engine float plane? For years, I've been working on
a shot-by-shot re-creation of the first 15 mins. of "Raiders" using clips from earlier films. It's almost finished but
I still need something to replace Jock fishing and climbing into his cockpit. I thought "Murphy's War" might have
some useable shots but it doesn't.:( Any ideas? Help!