Indiana Jones III - The Cave Of Death?

ProfessorChaos

New member
Indiana Jones and the Cave of Death... More than a Memory?

A little history behind this Indy film that never came to be... (y)

For those not in the know, Indiana Jones and the Cave of Death was an Indy 3 idea once mentioned in Starlog magazine (and a couple other magazines, if I remember correctly) back in the years following the release of Temple of Doom. They showed concept art (poster art too) for it and eveything, and then it vanished like the Ark of the Covenant. No one knows what happened, only that at some point the Monkey King script was created and rejected and then Last Crusade came to be. But Cave of Death, unlike Monkey King, was lost to time. You can read the script for Monkey King. It's all over the web! But if you Google Indiana Jones and the Cave of Death... nothing turns up. Only a single cryptic reference on a script website which says, and I quote as follows: "Indiana Jones and the Cave of Death - Script." Yet no script at all turns up for it on the site. They had Raiders, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade. They had Monkey King a.k.a. Garden of Life, they had Lost City of the Gods... heck, they even had some of the fan scripts that weren't real. But for Cave of Death there was only an empty entry. Cryptic, isn't it! ;) And that merely adds to the mystery. Just what was it about Cave of Death that made them want to (seemingly) wipe out any traces of it ever having existed?
I know I'm curious. After all... it couldn't have been worse than Monkey King! Supposedly, George Lucas didn't like how dark Temple of Doom was, and that was why he made Last Crusade more light-hearted. Could the reason for the disappearance of all info regarding Cave of Death be because it was going to be darker even than Temple of Doom? Or pehaps just as dark! If you are like me, and find darker takes on things interesting, you're probably just as much curious as I am, if not moreso. Well... this is the place for just that curiosity!

So, what is the purpose behind a thread dedicated to this? :confused:

All most people can say is they remember the pictures, or they remember the name, and they remember the plot featured the return of Willy Scott. But for all intents and purposes, everything else about Cave of Death has been just plain forgotten. So, on behalf of myself and like-minded folks who recall this rejected Indy idea, I've started this thread. Here, anybody with info about it can post their findings. Got images from it? Put 'em up for all to see! Have a link to a site with info on it, or best of all the script (if there was one)? Let's see it. Sure, there were other rejected Indy concepts... but only Indy 3: The Cave of Death got special treatment in Starlog! That makes it different, and because of it's mysterious disappearance from common knowledge... it's an adventure worthy of Indy himself. Rejected Indy concepts are to Indy sort of what the Apocrypha is to Religion. Sure, those texts never made it into the Bible, but reading about Jesus going down into Hell to free souls, in the book of Nicodemus, is still interesting in an epic, Dante's Inferno kind of way. :D
 

Lady in Red

New member
I know this sunds bad, but I kinda stopped reading once I got to the 'return of Willie Scott'. I could barely stand ToD with her, can you imagine a sequel? :gun:
 

ProfessorChaos

New member
Hey, thanks to the powers that be for moving my Cave of Death questions to here! This thread certainly *does* answer all the questions I had about it. :D Having read this whole thread thus far, it seems that my reference to Dante's Inferno was a *most* ironic coincidence, since Indy would have fought the Devil in Cave of Death. Who knew? It looks like I was pretty close in what I remembered. The name of the magazine was Starblazer, not Starlog, and the woman I thought was Willy Scott was actually supposed to be someone else?
Wow! She does look like Willy in that picture though, so you can see why I'd thought it *was* her. I never read the entire article, so I must have missed the part explaining that. So, Indy would have gone to King Solomon's Mines?

Ironically, I was watching the old, original King Solomon's Mines movie the other night on a classic movies channel. I did like the 1980's remake better, though. This wouldn't have been half bad of an idea, having Indy go there, actually! Add Indy fighting the Devil to that and it would have been one dark, creepy adventure! Which proved my theory about why they decided not to go ahead with it: it *was* going a bit darker than they were prepared to go with Indy following Temple of Doom. I too am curious how Indy would have fared, going up against the Devil. This isn't just your typical Indy adversary! Also: would the Devil have had a cult of followers trying to stop Indy, or a group of demons / fallen angels? I'm thinking demons, by the poster artwork.
Although, I can also see how they could have nicely fit both into the movie.
(See my speculations below for one way they could have worked this out.)

I wonder how the other chapters Stoo never finished putting up would have gone? Here is my own humble guess as to how this story would have gone:
The Plot: "Greater than Raiders and Temple"
Somehow a portal to Hell has opened in King Solomon's Mines and the Devil has turned the place into his personal stomping grounds. Indy is going there looking for the legendary diamonds but now he has to deal with finding some way to banish the Devil back to Hell and closing the portal, thus freeing the mines from his influence. The natives offer the diamonds if Indy can succeed, since they are afraid to go near the mines since the Devil escaped from Hell.
An evil cult is responsible for the Devil's release, but in a twist the members are all really demons / fallen angels who are working for their infernal master.
(You know, this *actually* sounds a bit like the plot of the PC game Diablo!)
The Snake: "Indy Fights the Serpent of Evil"
The Snake would have been a form the Devil takes at some point in order to fight Indy, for two reasons: A. The Devil took the form of a snake in the Bible and B. Indy's greatest fear is snakes; the Devil would be aware of that, and seek to use it against Indy. Indy would have had to conquer his fear at last.
Perhaps just like Indy had to break free of Kali's "Black Sleep" in Temple of Doom, he'd have had to resist the Devil trying to possess him in this story.
The Axe:
I'll bet that the axe would have been some sacred native relic for fighting against evil. In the remake of King Solomon's Mines, James Earl Jones played a native king who journeyed with Alan Quartermain and had a poweful axe. Perhaps this axe Indy is shown with might have belonged to such a king in Cave of Death's story, and the natives give it to Indy in order to protect him?
It ends up being the only thing that can kill the Devil in the form of the snake.

Now, there's only one way to know: if Stoo puts up the other chapters, we can compare and see if I was close or far off with my own speculations about the storyline of Cave of Death and how it ties in with King Solomon's Mines. ;)

Either way, I agree they should revisit this idea for Indy 5. They really need to find a way to end the series with a bang, and the only way to top all of Indy's previous adventures would be to involve a fight with the Devil. Really. Plus, I think fans would be most happy if Indy returned to the darker roots of Raiders and Temple of Doom. This certainly would be one way to do that. :)
 

Dewy9

New member
I know a lot of people thought aliens (or interdimensional beings) were too weird for an Indy flick, but I think that Indy battling Satan would be entirely too bizarre. It sounds like something out of a Mummy movie.

I do want Indy to really come face to face with his own mortality in Indy 5, if it comes to be. And I love 4, but it was not set up as a sendoff, IMO. 3 was, though, and 5 needs to be.
 

Paden

Member
Dewy9 said:
I do want Indy to really come face to face with his own mortality in Indy 5, if it comes to be.
The mortality aspect was ground I had hoped would be covered in the fourth chapter, as something of a dignified coda to the series. Obviously, Kingdom came nowhere near that but, should the powers that be insist on a fifth installment, I sincerely hope that's the direction they take it in.
 

Dewy9

New member
Paden said:
The mortality aspect was ground I had hoped would be covered in the fourth chapter, as something of a dignified coda to the series. Obviously, Kingdom came nowhere near that but, should the powers that be insist on a fifth installment, I sincerely hope that's the direction they take it in.

The only time he really thinks about it in the movie is when Jim Broadbent is at his house and they're lamenting over Henry Sr. and Marcus not being around. The novelization, which I'm still reading, goes in a little deeper about how Indy worried if anyone would even care when he was gone.
 

michael

Well-known member
Stoo said:
CaveOfDeath_small.jpg
I want this poster soooooo bad.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Indiana Jones and the Cave of Death - Part 2

michael said:
I want this poster soooooo bad.
Maybe I'll take out the crease in the centre and re-post it (and, for fun, maybe even add the title). I also noticed that the cover image in the 1st post isn't viewable anymore so I should probably scan mine and add it again (to show people how tacky it is).:p To accompany the story, there are also 3 more pieces of b/w artwork within the article, itself. I'll add those when they get to the actual "cave".

@Professor Chaos: Are you still around?

This follows post #38 on page 3:

Indiana Jones and the Cave of Death - Part 2
Starblazer Magazine

Indy musters all that he has, and butts himself against the door. It smashes open, as he sees the girl tied down to the bed, with three men with guns menacing her. The mustached man turns, aims his pistol at Indy, but before he can fire Indy grabs at a nearby chair flinging it at the gunman, as the gun goes off into the ceiling. Throwing himself into the fray, Indy leaps, fists flying, into the three men. A raging fistfight begins, chairs and tables are thrown about, and Indy throws about the three guys.

In the middle of this chaos, Short Round is crawling on the floor between the action, dodging the things that are being thrown around. He crawls to the bed, where he cuts loose the girl, and the two race toward the window.

Indy just has one guy left to beat up. He turns to the two, who are by the window, and tells them to ?Jump.? The girl says ?I can?t swim,? but Short answers, ?You?ll learn,? and pushes her out. The two drop into the bay, by a pier. Instantly, Indy ducks a punch, and leaps out the of the window into the drink.

To be continued...
 

cdatkins

New member
drjones said:
I came across a picture of a magazine that I remember having when I was younger. It was called Starblazer and it was the Spring 1985 special issue. It had a cover story about the 'third' Indiana Jones movie being called The Cave Of Death. Did anyone besides me ever have, seen, or remember this? Weird and very creepy:

81897630185.2.GIF

Yep, I remember this. I read it on the school bus on the way home from school one day...good find!
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Indiana Jones and the Cave of Death - Part 3

The three swim under the pier as cohorts of the kidnappers have gotten into the room. They fire guns down to the water, barely missing Indy, Short and the girl.

Eyeing a handy speedboat, Indy commandeers it as he gets the trio out of harm's way.

As they are speeding off, Indy off-handedly mentions to the girl, "Gee princess, you could at least thank me."

"Well," she said, "What's your name?"

"Indiana Jones."

"Mine's Melissa. Melissa Saint."

"Yeah, I know. Your old man paid me to get you. And your belt." Indy pulls Melissa's belt off. She screams at him, not knowing what is going on. Within her belt is a map. A map leading to the treasures of King Solomon's Mines.

Cont'd...
 

michael

Well-known member
Stoo said:
Maybe I'll take out the crease in the centre and re-post it (and, for fun, maybe even add the title). I also noticed that the cover image in the 1st post isn't viewable anymore so I should probably scan mine and add it again (to show people how tacky it is).:p To accompany the story, there are also 3 more pieces of b/w artwork within the article, itself. I'll add those when they get to the actual "cave".

Stoo! I know you're an incredibly busy guy, globetrotting, exploring the seven seas, but is there anyway you can post some high res artwork from this. ESPECIALLY that main fold out. If Indiana Jones was orange juice, this would be the HIGH AMOUNTS OF PULP variety that only a few like! It's absolutely fascinating. I love it. Just throwing it out there, it would be greatly appreciated!
 

Montana Smith

Active member
michael said:
Stoo! I know you're an incredibly busy guy, globetrotting, exploring the seven seas, but is there anyway you can post some high res artwork from this. ESPECIALLY that main fold out. If Indiana Jones was orange juice, this would be the HIGH AMOUNTS OF PULP variety that only a few like! It's absolutely fascinating. I love it. Just throwing it out there, it would be greatly appreciated!

I second that motion! (y)
 

Stoo

Well-known member
michael said:
I want this poster soooooo bad.
Hi, Michael. Another Ravenhead, Laserschwert, also asked for a high-res version of the centrefold and I completely forgot about it. Yes, this summer has more globe-trotting in the works so I can't promise anything soon. (Going home this Friday for awhile and then Italy in August).

Now you've got me thirsty for orange juice! Unfortunately, the 3 'pieces' of artwork/graphics inside are not in colour but they are 100% PURE PULP (included the paper they're printed on)! One of the images is of a guy being slashed deep in the head with a machete!:dead: Indy is close-up in the foreground with blood all over his face.:eek:

Not sure if anyone cares for the story but I'll transcribe some more paragraphs to whet the appetite in the meantime.
Montana Smith said:
I second that motion!(y)
Matt, why I am not surprised?;)
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
Unfortunately, the 3 'pieces' of artwork/graphics inside are not in colour but they are 100% PURE PULP (included the paper they're printed on)! One of the images is of a guy being slashed deep in the head with a machete!:dead: Indy is close-up in the foreground with blood all over his face.:eek:

Sounds good so far! ;)

Stoo said:
Matt, why I am not surprised?;)

:D
 

michael

Well-known member
Stoo said:
Hi, Michael. Another Ravenhead, Laserschwert, also asked for a high-res version of the centrefold and I completely forgot about it. Yes, this summer has more globe-trotting in the works so I can't promise anything soon. (Going home this Friday for awhile and then Italy in August).

Now you've got me thirsty for orange juice! Unfortunately, the 3 'pieces' of artwork/graphics inside are not in colour but they are 100% PURE PULP (included the paper they're printed on)! One of the images is of a guy being slashed deep in the head with a machete!:dead: Indy is close-up in the foreground with blood all over his face.:eek:

Not sure if anyone cares for the story but I'll transcribe some more paragraphs to whet the appetite in the meantime.

Yes, yes and yes! Thank you sooo much, Stoo! I can't wait!

Ironically, I hate pulpy orange juice. :eek:
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Indiana Jones and the Cave of Death - Part 4

***
The caravan had left the three on horseback somewhere in Kenya, by the Sacred Mountain. The map had led them to this spot. Indy, Short and Melissa had fought Bedouins, Masai, the pirates of the road, but now they were nearly at the end of their journey.

Indy rode on first. He saw the mouth of the cave. It was dark, mysterious, deadly.

As he walked in, he heard a hissing sound. He turned?it was a giant cobra, ready to strike. Indy, bullwhip in hand, chose this moment. He had to strike first! He moved, whip in hand. He struck. And neatly struck the snake, slicing it?s head off.

(Note: 1 or 2 typographical errors fixed.)
michael said:
Ironically, I hate pulpy orange juice.:eek:
So do I (but it's good for you).;)
 
This would make a great comic strip series, given that the story is set in the Temple of Doom timeframe with shortround thats really the only way they could do the story now. If someone did publish a comic strip on this they would make alot of money off of Indy fans waiting for news about Indy 5.
 
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