Raiders 1978 story conference transcript leaked

[ATMachine]

OK, as no one has posted about this on Mojo yet I thought I'd bring it up:

 

Somebody has posted on the Internet an almost-complete copy (missing 2 pages) of the transcript of an audio tape lying deep within the Lucas vaults. Said audio tape records a 1978 meeting between Lucas, Spielberg, and Larry Kasdan, in which the first two bombard Kasdan with story ideas before he goes off and writes the Raiders first-draft script.

 

In other words, this is not just a gold mine of unused story ideas, but it also represents the quintessence of Indiana Jones, as imagined back when Lucas and Spielberg were in their prime.

 

What are you waiting for? Go download! And preferably do it before the Lucas lawyers get to it.

[Jeff]

Awesome, thanks for posting it up! Downloading it now, should be very interesting to read.

[Thrik]

It's pretty cool that this has come to light, although it's unlikely I'll ever actually read it. I bet people into writing themselves and whatnot will get a kick out of seeing highly esteemed creative minds at work. ;

[Jeff]

Yes it is quite long isn't it. ;o Well I want to at least look it over and read part of it, I am sure I won't make it near all the way through.

[Remi]

Why read the whole thing when somebody else has done it for you? http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/raiders-story-conference.html

[ATMachine]

I spent the better part of today reading it (thank goodness for vacation from university!).

 

Among the most notable points are:

 

-Marion is a creation of Larry Kasdan's, out of whole cloth: her name, relationship to Indy, and role in the film's plot are all his ideas.

 

Lucas's original concept for the female lead was a Marlene Dietrich-esque German singer living in Cairo, whom Indy pays to retrieve information from the Nazis' camp - which she obtains via an affair she conducts with a German officer. Of course she casts her lot with the good side in the end by rescuing Indy from the Well of Souls, in which he is trapped alone.

 

(This concept eventually turned into Elsa in Last Crusade, albeit minus the crucial "good all along" part.)

 

-Belloq was originally thought of as Chinese. Instead of showing him stealing the idol from Indy at the beginning (Indy gets to keep it!), the idea was to first mention him during Indy's meeting with the Army officers. The idea is that Indy would go after the Ark partly to prevent the Belloq character from getting it.

 

Lucas explicitly likens their relationship to that of Holmes and Moriarty - competitors who professionally detest each other. He sees Indy as a man who robs tombs so that the artifacts can end up in museums - he wants to turn the artifacts over to the RIGHT people and as such sometimes even steals from shady private collectors. Whereas the Belloq figure (unnamed as yet) is unscrupulous, will sell to anybody, and often breaks up priceless artifacts, then sells the pieces for a handsome profit.

 

-There are several set pieces that were cut from the film, most of which survived up until the third script draft: first, a fight in Shanghai where Indy breaks into a Chinese warlord's house for a piece of the Staff of Ra headpiece (and fights some Japanese troops along the way). This was originally conceived as a raid on Belloq's museum and later changed when Belloq became a Frenchman.

 

Also, the parachuting-from-plane and life-raft-through-jungle sequence from Temple of Doom occurs on Indy's journey to Nepal.

 

The basket chase in Cairo involves Indy hunting down the car carrying Marion while on camel-back! This detail was in the first script draft but didn't carry further.

 

The Well of Souls trap was originally conceived as a room which filled gradually with sand or water (they couldn't decide) when Belloq trapped Indy within. Eventually they decided this was too unbelievable, and filled the room with snakes, which led them to decide that Indy needed to be afraid of snakes!

 

The horse chase where Indy goes after the truck with the Ark was originally envisioned having Indy ride a motorcycle.

 

Lastly there is a mine cart chase which takes place after the Nazis are killed by the Ark. Indy and Marion load the Ark onto a mine cart and race to the island's edge, pursued by a cart full of Nazis. Meanwhile the Ark's manifestation has started a fire which is spreading to a Nazi ammunition reserve.

 

The ammunition explodes, destroying the Nazi base under the island, just as Indy, Marion, and the Ark plunge off the rails into the water: then the cast credits roll! Following this (rather oddly modern) fake-out ending, Indy, Marion, and Ark resurface in the water. Cut to Washington, etc, etc.

 

Of course the mine cart sequence was salvaged in ToD.

[ThunderPeel2001]

A bit disturbing about the child molester background for Indy, but I suppose they were just thinking about what's "interesting" for a story.