Random Stories That Prove Making Of 'Raiders Of Lost Ark' Was An Adventure Behind Scenes Too (12 items)

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  (#11) Several Strange Aircraft Inspired The Plane From The Famous Fight Scene 

  When Indy duels with a mechanic in the desert, they are simultaneously avoiding being hit by a nearby plane. This aircraft was made up just for the movie. Though planes with similar features existed in real life, there was nothing quite like the one in RotLA.

  Prop designer Norman Reynolds created the prop with inspiration from actual aircraft, such as the Horten Ho 229, the Northrop N1M, and the Vought V-173. 
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  (#3) Stanley Kubrick's Daughter Delayed The 'Well Of Souls' Scene

  The infamous "Well of Souls" filled with thousands of snakes took a long time to start shooting. When Spielberg arrived on the set he felt the 2,000 snakes didn't fill up enough of the floor and asked for more. The crew flew in as many as 4.500 more snakes from all over Europe and used hoses to fill in the gaps.

  Production team members noticed the movie's stock of anti-venom had expired, and they needed time to locate more. When the shoot began, Vivian Kubrick - the daughter of famed director Stanley Kubrick - visited the set and called the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) to ensure the snakes were safe.

  When all was said and done, the scene had undergone a delay of several days. 
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  (#7) The Same Dog Inspired Both Indiana Jones And Chewbacca

  George Lucas and his then-wife Marcia owned an Alaskan malamute during the 1970s and '80s. The dog was more than simply cute - it was named "Indiana" and inspired the action hero's nickname. This fact was even referenced at the end of The Last Crusade with the line, "We named the dog Indiana."  

  Indiana also inspired Harrison Ford's beloved counterpart in Star Wars, Chewbacca. Thanks to Indiana's habit of sitting in Lucas's passenger seat, the filmmaker decided Han Solo should have a furry creature for a co-pilot, too. 
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  (#10) Spielberg Recycled A Gag From '1941' To Introduce Toht

  Before directing RotLA, Spielberg experienced a minor career setback when his movie 1941 received mediocre reviews. In a deleted scene from the film, a far-right soldier played by Christopher Lee appeared to unfurl a device that promised excitement, but it ended up being a simple coat hanger. 

  Spielberg must have liked something about the gag because he used it for Toht's introduction here as well.
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  (#8) Karen Allen Had To Improvise An Entire Scene For The Movie

  Spielberg and Lucas wanted Marion to change into a dress before the "Well of Souls" scene so she would appear more vulnerable and heighten the tension of the swarming snakes. But the script offered no reason why Marion would change clothes. Actress Karen Allen, who plays Marion, decided to invent a scene to explain the move, as well as better tie in both Marion's bravery and drinking prowess introduced earlier in the film. 

  With the help of Spielberg and Paul Freeman, the scene made it into the movie and enhanced Marion's character and cleared up a potential plot hole.
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  (#6) Water Puppets And A Receptionist Portrayed The Ghosts Of The Ark

  The movie's script was not specific about what happened after the Ark opened, so it was up to the Industrial Light and Magic special effects crew (ILM) to figure it out. The ghosts that ended up as part of the supernatural effects had to be created with puppets.  

  The ILM crew ran the puppets through water to give them an ethereal look, but in the end, they decided one "lead" ghost named Gretel, played by a real woman, would need to approach the camera. They recruited a receptionist for the part.

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