What’s Harrison Ford’s best movie character? Strong cases can be made for both Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Even Red Hulk might be in contention in the future, but there’s no doubt that Jones appeals to a broader audience. George Lucas created the character as a homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials, and since the ’80s, he has been equally adored by adults and children.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark

Release Date

June 12, 1981

Runtime

115 Minutes

The archeology professor is known for his accouterments. With a fedora, bullwhip, satchel, and leather jacket, Jones is always off for a day to remember. He is also a funny guy who loves to run, and fears snakes a lot more than a globetrotter like him should. Among the numerous Indiana Jones films, the first one (Raiders of the Lost Ark) — a mosaic of action on land, water, and air — remains a favorite for many.
The movie has many iconic scenes, including one where the Cairo Swordsman swings his scimitar and goads Jones into a duel. As audiences ready themselves for a colosseum-type moment, Jones simply pulls out his revolver and shoots the man, causing the surrounding crowd to burst into cheers. Well, the scene was never meant to play out the way it did. The shooting only happened because Harrison Ford suddenly fell ill.
Indiana Jones Is Up Against Nefarious Nazi Excavators in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’

Part action film, part ethnographic field study, Raiders of the Lost Ark is a hypnotic glimpse of ancient culture and the primal decrees of warfare. In it, The Military Intelligence Corps briefs the dashing and free-spirited Indiana Jones about Nazi Germany’s plan to steal the Ark of the Covenant from Egypt. Hitler believes the artifact will make his army invincible. Understandably, no one wants the führer to be more of a nuisance than he already is, so Indiana Jones is tasked with taking care of the problem.
Jones sets out to find the Ark, aided by his domineering former romantic interest Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), who really isn’t the best choice, since she is a sweet but unpredictable neurotic continually teetering on the edge of disaster. The two must outwit both the bumbling Nazis and Jones’ rival archaeologist René Belloq (Paul Freeman), who is more than happy to be at the Third Reich’s service.

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Thanks to its plot, fast pace, creative action sequences, and a soundtrack of bouncy, yet oddly fitting ‘70s and ‘80s ballads, the film was a major hit, grossing $354 million globally, and playing in some theaters for over a year due to high audience demand. At the Academy Awards, it was also nominated for five Oscars. In an interview with Empire, Steven Spielberg described it as his most perfect film in the franchise since he didn’t feel the need to change a single thing about it during the filming and editing phases.
The ‘80s blockbuster also caused a surge in students studying archeology, and numerous modern archaeologists have singled it out as an inspiration. Actor John Rhys-Davies claims to have met over 150 lecturers, professors, and archaeologists who admitted their interest in the field began with the Harrison Ford film.
The Cairo Swordsman Scene Happened Because Harrison Ford Developed a Bout of Dysentery

Still stricken by her incandescent beauty, Indiana Jones tries to rescue a recently kidnapped Marion in a crowded marketplace, only to be confronted by a hopelessly inept man with a scimitar (played by Terry Richards). Instead of taking on the man in a fair fight, Jones simply shoots him. Well, this was never in the original plan. There was supposed to be a lengthy duel, ending with Jones as the victor. Regrettably (or rather fortunately), Harrison Ford had developed a bout of dysentery and needed to rush to the toilet. He thus suggested to Spielberg that his character just shoot the man. Spielberg agreed.

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In an interview with CNN, Ford admitted that the improv was unfair to the Cairo Swordsman actor because he had practiced the fight for weeks. Nonetheless, it had to happen.

“That guy, the swordsman … had worked for months to perfect his skills with the scimitar. We were to have filmed a four day whip and scimitar fight in a marketplace. And I was suffering from dysentery, so were many members of the crew. … So it was up to me to say, ‘Listen, I can’t stay out of the dressing room for very long. Should we think about cutting this down? Let’s just shoot the son of a bitch.’ And Steven said, ’I was just thinking about that myself!’ But it was a terrible disappointment to the poor guy that had been working all this time to perfect his skills.”

Ford further revealed that the dysentery wave swept nearly the entire crew, except Spielberg, who had a creative way of keeping illness at bay. According to the actor, the filmmaker “put gaffer tape over his mouth every time he went to the shower, and traveled with a trunk full of Spaghetti-O’s.” All this to avoid contact with bacteria.
The Improv Boosted the Film’s Quality and Saved on Time, but a Key Crew Member Hated it

Having a sick cast and crew is a major headache for a producer keen on preventing the budget from ballooning. What’s worse? Being behind schedule. During THR’s Producer Oscar Roundtable in 2016, producer Frank Marshall admitted that simplifying the Cairo Swordsman scene helped save time.

“We had been shooting in Tunisia in 130 degrees for six weeks and we had three days left. We were supposed to shoot this huge fight between the whip and the sword. It took the whole morning to shoot just three storyboards. After lunch, we did three shots, and we were two days ahead of schedule, and it’s the biggest moment in the movie.”

We can’t help but imagine what the intended whip vs. scimitar duel would have looked like, but the cynical improv heralded a change in Indiana Jones’ characterization, from a traditional hero to a more morally complex problem solver. He became a spontaneous character who could do whatever he felt like and make even the most violent moments seem funny. He also became more Bond-like, punishing villains in ways they didn’t expect. Who can forget the time he threw a Nazi out of a blimp for “having no ticket?”

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Understandably, the film’s writer, Lawrence Kasdan, didn’t appreciate the change. The scene was inserted against his wishes and didn’t align with the rest of the movie. He had originally pictured Jones as a character with a “No Kill” rule like Batman, and prior to the incident, the adventurer hadn’t used his weapon.

“It was very popular, but it disturbed me. I thought that was brutal in a way the rest of the movie wasn’t. I’m never happy about making jokes out of killing people. Steven is more in touch with popular tastes than I am”

The disapproving Kasdan has a valid opinion, and it makes sense for him to be sad, given how much work he had put into the script. But the audience reception proves that Spielberg and Ford were right.