Six facts about Indiana Jones

(Paris) From the release in 1981 of Raiders of the Lost ArkIndiana Jones has established himself as an iconic figure in popular culture, ranking on the podium of “the greatest heroes and villains of cinema”.

In four decades, he has also become the hero of TV movies, novels, comics, video games, toys and even amusement parks.

Here are six things to know about the archaeologist with the whip, played by Harrison Ford for the fifth time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyscreened Thursday at the Cannes Film Festival, out of competition.

Born on a beach in Hawaii

Marked by the B series heroes of his childhood, George Lucas imagines, even before making Star Warsthis adventurer in search of relics with supernatural powers.

The project materializes on a Hawaiian beach, where he is on vacation with Steven Spielberg. Who dreams of directing a “James Bond”. “I have better! The Raiders of the Lost Ark Lucas whispers to him.

Bank! With the success that we know. The first film is followed by The cursed temple (1984), The Last Crusade (1989) and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). Before The Dial of Destinythe last part with Harrison Ford, 80 years old, and perhaps the end of the saga, the first four opuses brought in nearly 2 billion dollars at the global box office.

Name of a dog

Same actor and always the same look: three-day beard, old fedora hat, worn leather jacket, canvas bag slung over the shoulder and whip on the belt.

Lucas and Spielberg are inspired by real or imaginary characters to give birth to their “Indy”. There is archaeologist Hiram Bingham, discoverer of Machu Picchu. But also the universe of Hergé, the westerns of Clint Eastwood or the French film The man from Rio.

Named Henry, the adventurer has the nickname Indiana. Nothing to do with the American state. That’s the name of… Lucas’ dog. Already, for Star Warsshe was the one who gave him the idea for the thick-furred character, Chewbacca.

Hi Star Wars

In the “Indiana Jones”, the nods to the intergalactic saga are not lacking. For example, the droids R2D2 and C3PO hide in the hieroglyphs of the Well of Souls. And the seaplane is registered OB-CPO, a reference to Obi Wan and C3PO.

Fans also had fun spotting bugs and other anachronisms.

The action takes place in 1936, but we see Indiana using a Bazooka, a weapon invented… five years later! Ditto for the map with “Thailand” while the country is still Siam.

Neither Magnum nor Sharon Stone

To interpret Indiana, Spielberg wants Harrison Ford, but Lucas is not hot. He fears confusion with Han Solo, his character from Star Wars.

They approach Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges, Bill Murray, before choosing Tom Selleck, still little known. Who should refuse the role, because he has signed up for Magnum. Spielberg then convinces Lucas that Harrison is their man.

To play Willie, a thousand actresses are auditioned, including Sharon Stone. Kate Capshaw landed the role. She will not have a great career in the cinema, but in 1991 becomes M^me Spielberg.

The fabulous destiny of “Half-Moon”

The illustration of the American dream. Refugee in the United States with his Vietnamese parents, Ke Huy Quan landed at 12 the role of Demi-Lune, a young sidekick from Indiana in The cursed temple. Then confirm in The Gooniesanother commercial success.

It is then the crossing of the desert before a return to the cinema in 2018 and the consecration in Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), which earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Ophiophobes refrain…

The hero’s weak point is ophiophobia: fear of snakes! It must be said that, very young, Indiana fell into a pit filled with these reptiles.

For this scene that has remained famous, Spielberg does not skimp on quantity and robs pet shops. Some 6500 snakes in total. But it is still missing and the director must add bits of garden hose.

The most dangerous, the cobra, is filmed in a glass cage. At the end of filming, we realize that some snakes have made themselves beautiful.