Just over 40 years after its premiere, Ford’s archaeologist continues to be one of cinema’s most popular characters. However, several things must have happened for George Lucas and Steven Spielberg to decide to summon him to direct the saga, available since these days on Disney+ and whose fifth opus is already ready.
Six minutes of uninterrupted ovation. It’s been fifteen years since the last time Harrison Ford , one of the essential actors of Anglo-Saxon cinema, wore for the last time the worn hat which so long linked him to IndianaJones the incredible archaeologist created by george lucas And Steven Spielberg who revolutionized adventure cinema.
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Today, one of the most lucrative sagas in history returns with new tunes: for the first time without Spielberg in the direction – now the chair is occupied by James Mangold – and with a digitally rejuvenated octogenarian protagonist, the adventures of Indy will soon return to the big screen with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate. The film achieves several cinematic milestones, as it will not only involve Ford’s official farewell with one of its most iconic characters. This will also be John Williams’ last soundtrack. the mythical composer behind the most endearing melodies of modern cinema.
For all it is its recent premiere at Cannes was charged with particular emotion. None of those present hesitated to rise from their seats to profusely applaud the work of Mangold and a Harrison Ford who could barely hold back his tears. And that’s also why the organization of the festival has decided to take the opportunity to honor the actor with the Honorary Palme d’Or as a way to recognize his nearly six-decade career in the industry.
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However, his acting journey hasn’t been entirely smooth. To succeed in embodying Professor Henry Walton Jones, Ford had to go through several professions, roles and prejudices that jeopardized his choice as the protagonist of IndianaJones, whose films arrived last week in the Disney+ catalog.
From carpenter to an essential industry
His acting debut is more or less known. The son of a Catholic father and a Jewish mother, he was born in Chicago on July 23, 1942. During his school years, he was not exactly an exceptional student for his academic results, but just as he enters the university to study English literature and philosophy. It was then that he began to take drama lessons which, little by little, ended up convincing him that acting was his vocation.
At the time, he decided to settle in Los Angeles with his first wife, also an actress. Marie Marquart , but moving closer to Hollywood territory hasn’t been enough to improve their job opportunities. In fact, at the beginning, it was quite difficult for him to find moderately relevant roles: Ford’s first jobs were, precisely, secondary and extra. Some of them weren’t even enough to get his name in the credits, like in thief and lover (1966) , his debut on the big screen, and Luv…means love (1967).

Little movement within the industry led him to practice as a self-taught carpenter , and it is there that, in the middle of work at Goldwyn Studios, he meets a young director who will change his life forever: George Lucas. With him, Ford got his first major role, in the movie american graffiti (1973). And while the role meant a huge uptick in offers, they still had to seal the deal that would see them both jump to definitive stardom.
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While Ford was doing carpentry work at his house, Lucas took the opportunity to ask him for help casting his next project. a kind of space opera which will soon become the successful saga of Star Wars. At first, the director was reluctant to offer him an official audition. He didn’t like working with the same actors and Ford had already been part of American graffiti. But when he saw his performance, he ended up being convinced that there was no other actor as suitable as him to embody. Han Solo , perhaps one of the most beloved characters in the Skywalker saga. A role he was even considered for Al Pacino.

Avoid the Scorsese-De Niro formula
In May 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope it exploded at the box office and with it, the fame of both. The collection figures were more than good, and Ford was finally able to focus exclusively on acting. On the day of the premiere, Lucas was vacationing on a Hawaiian beach with Steven Spielberg, one of his closest friends in the industry. . Thus, Spielberg emerged from the success of Shark, and amidst the whirlwind that the reception of this work meant, he told Lucas of his intention to make a new film of James Bond.
Lucas recalled the project he left on file in the early 70s: the story of an adventurer named Indiana Smith who remembered the epic movies he used to watch as a child . and who worked with Philippe Kaufman . That day on the beach, the man behind ET endorsed his friend’s idea, sealing one of the most successful creative marriages in movie history. It had only one dimension: changing the last name Smith to “Jones”.

The following year, the two filmmakers embarked on a screenwriting and an odyssey to find a movie house. Despite the fact that the two already enjoyed a name in the business, Spielberg was known to be a director who exceeded budgets and recording dates. However, Lucas was unwilling to compromise on a change in director’s chair, and it was ultimately Paramount who reluctantly agreed to finance the film.
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With the main issues resolved, the duo plunged into an even bigger task, that of finding the perfect actor to play the archaeological hero who would travel the world in search of gadgets and fight against those who sought to make evil through them. . Spielberg never doubted: for him, Harrison Ford was the right man to wear the Indy costume. But Lucas maintained his stance of not rehearsing his actors between projects.
His answer has been recorded in the anecdotes of modern cinema, because, having worked twice with Ford, he adamantly refused to let Ford become his “Bobby De Niro”. referring to the cinematic relationship of Martin Scorsese with robert de niro and what are commonly called “fetish actors”. However, finding another name would not be easy.

Among the actors who marched as possible Indianas were Tim Matheson, Peter Coyote, John Shea and Tom Selleck , until they decide to hire the latter. In any case, Selleck could not accept the role, because he had a contract with the series Magnum, PI Time was passing, the shooting date was getting closer and they still didn’t have the lead actor. Two weeks before filming began, and after the film’s producers saw Ford’s performance as Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back ¸ Spielberg offered him to play in the film again. Perhaps it was due to time pressure or the difficulty of finding more candidates. The important thing is that Lucas ended up accepting Harrison Ford for the lead, not imagining that it would probably be one of the best decisions around the franchise.
Ford’s performance as the archaeologist is a separate story. From the beginning, the actor insisted on being the only one himself to direct the film’s action scenes , which was no less than a part of the story. Even so, there was a stuntman who, in practice, was limited to only taking a few takes.

However, the decision also had its consequences. During the filming of the lost ark he injured the ligaments of a knee and a shoulder and for the temple of fate suffered a herniated disc after riding an elephant, which would leave him paralyzed just as the scene of the fight against a thug in his room was filmed.
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There is a particularly striking story in the anecdote of Indiana Jones, and what does it have to do with one of the most memorable scenes of the saga, where the archaeologist confronts an Arab who makes showy maneuvers with his sword. Just that day, Ford and part of the team had a stomach ache. The actor’s discomfort forced him to constantly go to the toilet, therefore the recordings of this day were made at 10-minute intervals. For this scene, Spielberg had planned one of the many epic fights that characterized the franchise, until Ford, suffering from gastritis, said to him, “Why don’t I shoot him?” The idea made it very funny and ended up setting up one of the film’s most memorable moments. All the more reason to reaffirm that, despite the doubts and difficulties, the Lucas-Spielberg duo made a good decision. The rest is history.
Source: Latercera

I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.