The inspiration of Indiana Jones

Phlip

New member
So we all know Indiana Jones was inspired by the 30's pulp hero serials, the Saturday afternoon matinees etc. But what I'm interested in is, what out of these types of shows/films are there to be watched today?
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Hi, Flip. I'm very pleased that you're interested in the inspirations! Hats off!:hat: Don't know what you've seen already but here are some titles to start with:

Movies:
1919 Die Spinnen (Spiders)
1931 Trader Horn
1937 King Solomon's Mines
1939 Gunga Din
1948 Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1953 Plunder of the Sun
1954 Secret of the Incas
1954 King Solomon's Mines
1954 Valley of the Kings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(y)
1957 Legend of the Lost
1959 Watusi
1973 Trader Horn

+ most pre-1981 Tarzan films

Serials:
1937 Zorro Rides Again
1939 Zorro's Fighting Legion
1941 Jungle Girl
1942 Perils of Nyoka (Nyoka and the Tigermen)
1943 Secret Service in Darkest Africa (Manhunt in the African Jungle)
1944 Tiger Woman (Perils of the Darkest Jungle)
1953 Jungle Drums of Africa

Tonnes more to mention but this is just a basic 'starter' list of the classics. If you have time, take a look at these threads:

Cliffhangers - Republic Pictures & Other Saturday Matinee Serials
Raiders of the Lost Archives: A Shot-by-Shot Comparison

Anyone who has more to add, please do so!:whip:
 

Phlip

New member
Thanks for that grand list, I knew you'd be the person to ask, having seen a certain YouTube video of yours. :)
 

Stoo

Well-known member
You're very welcome, Phlip.:) It's always nice to see someone else curious about older adventure films.(y) If & when you do manage to see any, it would be great to read your thoughts (& that goes the same for anyone else).

For easy reference, here's a list of threads about some of them:

King Solomon's Mines
Gunga Din
Plunder of the Sun (1953)
Secret of the Incas (1954)
Valley of the Kings Movie (1954)
Legend of the Lost, John Wayne, Sophia Loren, 1957

Surprising (& not so surprising) that there isn't a thread about "Treasure of the Sierra Madre", considering that Spielberg (back in 1981) said that Indiana Jones was partly inspired by the character, Fred C. Dobbs.

P.S. "Legend of the Lost" is slow-moving and sort of a romance so that one isn't a top priority (even though it has many Indy-ish elements).;)
 

Goodeknight

New member
And let us not forget the real life inspirations of those fictional inspirations.

Otto Rahn was an archaeologist searching on his own for the Holy Grail, until he was conscripted by the Nazis to continue his search.
Rahn-Face-On.jpg


The adventures of paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews in Mongolia and elsewhere played on big screen news reels and kept audiences wanting more.
Indiana-Jones-Roy-Chapman-Andrews.jpg


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Of course there are numerous other real life adventurers who helped inspire the fictional heroes of those early b-movies: T.E. Lawrence, archaeologists Percy Fawcett and Hiram Bingham III (Machu Picchu), among others.

Andrews and Rahn are the two standouts in my mind, though.
 
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