Has Indy Interested You in the 1930s?

Have the Indy movies gotten you interested in the 1930s?

  • Yes! Thanks to Indy, I've become fascinated with the 1930s!

    Votes: 23 67.6%
  • No, I just enjoy the movies and that's all.

    Votes: 11 32.4%

  • Total voters
    34
When I was ten and ROTLA burst upon the world, it not only opened up my imagination, but my friends and I thought of the 1930s as a great, adventurous time. We were fixated on Marvel Comics' ROTLA adaptation and the fact that it gave the date of the Peru adventure as 1936. We started reading up on Nazis and WWII more than before (we always had an interest) and we began asking our parents about old movies that may have been like Raiders.

As an adult, I find myself delving into that decade which has become a source of fascination for me: the music, the movies, the art, literature, world events, the politics, fashion, etc. I think that my childhood exposure to Indy's world stayed with me and eventually jump started an ongoing interest that has only gotten more intense as the years go by.

How 'bout you? Have the Indy movies gotten you interested in his era? How so?
 

deckard24

New member
Definitely!

Considering the fact that my folks were born in the 30's only added to it as well. I grew up watching old movies from the 30's-50's, so that period of time has always been fascinating to me. Watching the Indy films though only added to the appeal. There's just something so cool and classy about that time period that sadly is missing today, everything from the clothes, the art, the automobiles, the building designs, etc.. was in a class of its own.
 

Dr. Wolfwood

New member
Sort of in the middle here. I'm somewhat interested in the 30's and like the fedoras from that time, but I'm not fascinated by it.
 

|ZiR|

New member
Sort of?

I don't know. As much as I love the films, the Indiana Jones movies have never seemed very "period" to me. Or overly period, rather.

What really sparked my love for the 1930s was, of course, Paper Moon. It's hard to think of another film which captures the feel of the era that wasn't actually made then. Love it.

Hm. It's hard to express what appeals so much to me about that time. There was this sense of ideals--what was "right" and what was "wrong"--that I find attractive (however misguided they may have been). Men were men; they wore suits and hats. They smoked and they drank. They worked hard for the American dream. I like that. The jargon was fantastic, too.

I almost wish I'd been able to live during the time, hardships aside. I feel so out of place in the '00s.
 

Forbidden Eye

Well-known member
|ZiR| said:
I feel so out of place in the '00s.

Same here dude, same here.

As for the topic, not really. 1930's has never been a decade that was overly fascinating to me. The decade was mostly spent suffering and recovering from the Depression, and of course, the start of WWII. Hard times. And like |ZiR| said, Indiana Jones never felt like it came straight from the 1930's with the exception of the Nazis(and even then the stories probably could've worked in the 1940's) so I can't even say the world's great archaeologist made me overly interested in the 1930s.

The 40s, 50s, 70s and 80s were much more interesting to me.
 

NoCamels

New member
Not really, though I am a history buff. Any interest I have in the 1930s is completely unrelated to Indiana Jones. (my grandparents mostly, and I like Swing.) Though you have to love the hats. (y)

However, Young Indy really got me interested in the 1910s. I would never have thought too much about it if not for that show-it always gets skipped over in school, even though that time was really the birth of the 20th century and it's kind of amazing how events from almost 100 years ago are still shaping what's going on in the world today.

I think the memory of watching Young Indy as a kid is why I took Modern European History in college. It was a very interesting class- the roots of modern society.
 

Falcon

New member
I'm a history buff anyway, and since Indy has piqued my interest in the 30's, I have just finished reading Frederick Allen's books Only Yesterday (about the 1920's decade) and Since Yesterday (about the 1930's decade). Both books were written by Allen immediately at the end of the corresponding decades, so he experienced what he wrote. It's amazing the parallels between the events of the Great Depression and our current economic crisis. Very interesting reading.
 

Kevin

Member
I have been very interested in 30's and 40's attire, culture and history for quite some time, but I can't say that's because of Indy. If you look closely, the Indy films are filled with anachronisms and historical goofs (not just related to German uniforms and weapons).

However, I have recently started to watch some of the older films that "inspired" Lucas and Spielberg, films like Secret of the Incas and Green Hell. I would love to see some of the old Republic serials that Indy is based on. I've watched Commander Cody, but that show is more sci-fi than adventure. Anyone have any suggestions?
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Hey, Kevin, how were you able to see "Green Hell"?!?!?? I've been looking for that for a loooooong time.
My fave Indy-type Republic serial is "Perils of Nyoka" (a.k.a. "Nyoka and the Lost Tablet of Hippocrates"
a.k.a. "Nyoka and the Tigermen"). Also keep your eye out for "Jungle Drums of Africa" and "Spy Smasher".:hat::whip:

P.S. Just remembered, "Zorro Rides Again" is showing every Saturday this month on Turner Classic Movies. More in this thread:
http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?t=17618&highlight=Zorro
 
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RedeemedChild

New member
No I can't say that it has. Yet, the Indiana Jones franchise has caused me to take an interest in Archeology, World History, Museums, Egyptology and things of that nature. Indiana Jones also caused me to take a light interest in Universal's The Mummy. Yet I do not find the Mummy as exciting or as enjoyable as Indiana Jones. Still The Mummy rides at Universal Studios do spark a lot of excitement compared to the movies. On the other hand The Mummy has served to cause a lot of youth to take an interest in the Chinese Terracotta Army and the exhibit at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
 

Mervyn_Peake

New member
It was kind of the other way around

I mean, I had grown up watching and liking movies from the Thirties (such as _The General Died At Dawn_ and _Shanghai Express_ and _King Kong_), and was already interested in the Thirties, and that made me all the more eager to see _Raiders_ when it came out in 1981, when I had just turned 24. Of course, I was and am interested in earlier periods as well.

Mervyn
 

Kevin

Member
Stoo said:
Hey, Kevin, how were you able to see "Green Hell"?!?!?? I've been looking for that for a loooooong time.

Got it from this guy: http://www.ioffer.com/i/26631606

The quality is not that great, but its the only way to see these classic films unless you happen to catch them on TV.

Thanks for the suggestions on the serials!
 

vf wing

New member
The movies, not really, but the box sets of the tv show come with about 100 documentaries mostly pertaining to the WWI era. So I've been immersing myself in that particular history lesson. I'm watching one as I type this! :whip:
 
Falcon said:
I'm a history buff anyway, and since Indy has piqued my interest in the 30's, I have just finished reading Frederick Allen's books Only Yesterday (about the 1920's decade) and Since Yesterday (about the 1930's decade). Both books were written by Allen immediately at the end of the corresponding decades, so he experienced what he wrote. It's amazing the parallels between the events of the Great Depression and our current economic crisis. Very interesting reading.

A fascinating book I'd recommend is The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s by Piers Brendon. Each chapter covers the goings on in the countries during the decades preceding WWII, The author is an engaging writer and has a great wit, as well.

As much as I agree with how Indy seems both a part and apart from the decade, I think that's more testament to how they achieved such a great balance in not overdoing or wallowing in aspects of the 1930s. It's an odd but brilliant tightrope act that no other period film has duplicated.
 

Dr.Jonesy

Well-known member
I always had an interest in the '30s but Indy never made me any more interested in the era. It was mainly old music.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
I can't remember if it was Indy that got me interested in the 1930s, as I've been interested in that decade for as long as I can remember. To me it's an era of great style, and of great opportunity and possibility. The world was becoming truly modern (following the Great War which had accelerated modernity), but at the same time the world was still full of dark and mysterious places. It's the perfect era for adventure, which is why the world or Indy (and also of King Kong) appeals so much to me.
 
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