It's been almost 20 years since Indiana Jones last cracked a whip onscreen, and 27 years since "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Now, finally, we get to find out what happened to our favorite action archaeologist once his occult-obsessed antagonists have faded into history. It's no mistake that George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and company chose the World War II era as the original trilogy's setting. Besides giving the films a ready-made array of evil Nazis to battle, it was a direct homage to the exotic locations and peril-filled scenarios of the action serials of the 1930s and '40s. But those short films were cranked out by the dozens in very little time, with microscopic budgets. The Indiana Jones films applied post-"Jaws," post-"Star Wars" blockbuster budgets to the formula. Together with inspired performances by Harrison Ford, some still-classic, set-piece action sequences, and a panoply of bizarre sets, mysterious atmosphere and unforgettable villains, Indiana Jones passed into cinema legend in no time. Now, with "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (opening at midnight Wednesday), Indy leaves the world-in-the-balance battles of World War II for Cold War paranoia -- battling commies and unraveling UFO conspiracies in darkest Peru. Will it stack up to its legendary predecessors• The long, long wait is almost over.

'Raiders of the Lost Ark' 1981 Despite having the dream team of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg behind 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the project was initially turned down by every studio in Hollywood. Only after much persuasion did Paramount agree to do it. It was intended as a small low-budget adventure, but production costs eventually tripled to $22 million. Casting calls Tom Selleck was originally cast as Indiana Jones, but was not able to take the role because he was committed to "Magnum, P.I." "Magnum" did an episode that parodied "Raiders," complete with hat, whip, booby traps, etc. Nick Nolte also turned down the role of Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford was cast less than three weeks before principal photography began. Spielberg originally wanted Danny DeVito to play the role of Sallah. DeVito was set for the role, but he had to drop out due to conflicts with "Taxi" (1978).The role went to John Rhys-Davies What's in a name? The original name of the lead character in the script was Indiana Smith. His name was changed to Jones on the first day of production. Indiana Jones' name comes from the name of George Lucas' dog and is a play on Steve McQueen's eponymous character name in "Nevada Smith" 1966). Indiana the dog, who was a Malamute, also served as the inspiration for Chewbacca in "Star Wars" (1977). In the end of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989), it is revealed by Indiana's father that Indiana is really named Henry Jr., but went by the name of his dog, Indiana. Reference point The hieroglyphics in the Well of Souls include engravings of R2-D2 and C-3PO from "Star Wars." They can be seen on a post to the right of Indy and Sallah as they remove the Ark. I hate snakes! In filming the Well of Souls sequence, the producers scoured every pet shop in London and the South of England for every snake they could lay their hands on. That meant there were snakes that are identifiable from many different geographical areas. But once all the snakes were on set, it became clear that there were not nearly enough of them, so Spielberg had several hoses cut into lengths, and these were used as well. Looking closely, you can tell which are the real snakes and which are not. To achieve the sound of thousands of snakes slithering, sound designer Ben Burttstuck his fingers into a cheese casserole. This sound was augmented by applying wet sponges to the rubber on a skateboard. A sheet of glass separates Harrison Ford and the arched -- and highly dangerous -- cobra when he falls into the Well of Souls. The snake actually did spray venom onto the glass. Sound FX • The giant boulder that chases after Indiana Jones at the start of the film was made of fiberglass. The sound they used for it was a Honda Civic rolling downhill. • The out-of-control airplane actually ran over Harrison Ford's knee, tearing his ligaments. Rather than submit to Tunisian health care, Ford had his knee wrapped in ice and carried on. • To create the sound of the heavy lid of the Ark being slid open, sound designer Ben Burtt simply recorded him moving the lid of his toilet cistern at home.

'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' 1984 This film's original title was "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Death" which was changed because it sounded too foreboding. The movie is generally credited -- along with "Gremlins," also made in 1984 -- with the creation of the PG-13 rating, as many scenes of violence in both movies were too much for a PG rating, but not enough for an R rating. It's widely believed that had Steven Spielberg's name not been on both movies, both might have received an R rating. "The Flamingo Kid" (1983) was the first film to be "given" a PG-13 rating, but sat on the shelves for five months before being released. "Red Dawn" (1984) was the first motion picture released with the PG-13 rating. I hate snakes! and bugs! There was a scene involving Kate Capshaw and a rather large snake which had to be cut out as Capshaw was having panic attacks at the very prospect of it. Director Steven Spielberg jokingly says that the only reason Capshaw married him later was because he allowed the scene to be cut. For the bug chamber sequence, Capshaw was covered with 2,000 bugs. Whip it good While filming the whipping scene in "Temple of Doom," the crew played a practical joke on Harrison Ford. While he was chained to a large stone, Barbara Streisand appeared, dressed in a leather dominatrix outfit. She proceeded to whip him, saying, "That's for 'Hanover Street' (1979), the worst movie I ever saw." She continued whipping him for "Star Wars" (1977), and making all of that money. Carrie Fisher, who also was in on the gag, then threw herself in front of Ford to protect him, and Irvin Kershner chided director Steven Spielberg, "Is this how you run your movies?" This entire sequence was filmed. Casting call Spielberg met his wife Kate Capshaw -- who played Willie Scott -- during the production of "Temple of Doom." Sharon Stone was originally one of the top choices for the role until Capshaw auditioned. Puppy love The three main characters in "Temple of Doom" are named after dogs. Short Round was named after screenwriter Willard Huykck's dog, which was named after the orphan in "The Steel Helmet" (1951). Willie is named after Spielberg's dog. And Indiana is named after George Lucas' dog. Inside edition There are numerous "Star Wars" inside jokes in "Temple of Doom." When Willie is caged and flipped over to face the pit of lava, you can hear the sound of a lightsaber activating when the doors open. The club at the beginning is called "Club Obi Wan," a reference to Luke Skywalker's mentor Obi Wan Kenobi. The vest that Indiana Jones wears in the room in the palace is a Han Solo vest made for the "Star Wars" trilogy. Special FX The "chilled monkey brains" were made from custard and raspberry sauce.

'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' 1989 Spielberg is on record as saying he made this film for two reasons -- to fulfill a three-picture obligation he had with George Lucas, and to atone for the criticism that he received for the previous installment. Bond-ing ritual Having Sean Connery play Jones' father was an inside joke to James Bond being the father of Indiana Jones. Spielberg had always wanted to do a Bond film but did Indiana Jones as a James Bond-type character. The film stars a former James Bond (Sean Connery), a former Bond ally (John Rhys-Davies), a former Bond girl Alison Doody, two former Bond commanding officers (Michael Byrne and Billy J. Mitchell), a former Bond nightclub owner (Vernon Dobtcheff), and three former Bond villains, (Julian Glover, Stephan Kalipha and Pat Roach). Sound FX • To help create the sound of thousands of rats, sound designer Ben Burtt used the higher registers of thousands of chickens. • At the climax, when the temple first starts to split apart, one of the sounds employed is someone rubbing a balloon. I hate rats! When it came to filming the rat scene, the producers inquired of their insurer, Fireman's Fund, whether they were insured if the animals were for some reason indisposed, due to illness, an accident, or simply because they refused to perform. This was a delicate issue, as one lost day of filming can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet the experts at Fireman's Fund were able to reach a compromise that pleased both sides. They asked the director what would be the least number of rats needed for a dramatic shot. If different camera angles were used, 1,000 rats would probably be sufficient, came the answer. Thus Fireman's Fund underwrote the world's first insurance policy with a 1,000-rat deductible. Additional Information:

Catch up

The Sci Fi Channel will show the first three Indiana Jones movies in order starting at 1 p.m. today followed at 9 p.m. by the investigative special 'Mystery of the Crystal Skulls.' The special, which repeats at 11 p.m., explores one of archaeology's most compelling mysteries -- the 13 crystal skulls -- which are at the center of 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.' The 'perfect' skulls have been found in Mexico and Central and South America. Lester Holt, weekend anchor for 'NBC Nightly News,' hosts the special.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---