RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

By Frank Garcia     June 08, 2001

When two of Hollywood's most successful filmmakers, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, joined forces to make a film, they looked back, way back, in Hollywood's history for inspiration--to the thrilling days of the 1940s black-and-white movie serials. Action figures from yesteryear like Spy Smasher and Humphrey Bogart in THE TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE served as models for the grizzled archaeologist hero Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford slipped on the leather jacket, the fedora and cracked a whip. Movie audiences worldwide were enthralled with Indy's fast-paced action and adventure. From the very first moments of the film, when our hero ran from a gigantic rolling boulder, audiences were captivated and hung on the rollercoaster ride in his search for the elusive Lost Ark of the Covenant. We gasped with delight when Indy swung down ropes, jumped on moving trucks, climbed aboard submarines and ultimately defeated the Nazi. Lucas and Spielberg reawakened our love for movie heroes and the thrill of going to the movies. - Frank Garcia