Years ago, when I was an avid reader of Premiere magazine, I remember reading an article on the making of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and how Spielberg said at the last minute that he wished the end-credits music could have used the themes for Short Round and other characters from the earlier films — to give the “trilogy” a proper wrap-up. Now, lo and behold, the Premiere website has posted that article, to mark the news that Indiana Jones IV will soon go into production, and here is the paragraph that I have remembered all these years:
One could recognize Steven Spielberg as the alchemist of this ambrosial send-off, with its signature homage to classic westerns, even if the baseball-hatted director were not just now romping about the scoring stage shooting home movies with a Sony Handycam. He aims the lens first at Williams’s spirited exertions, then through the glass at his collaborators in the control room. When the orchestra takes a break, Spielberg chases Williams into the room to shoot him working with technicians behind a bank of electronic controls. “You know what we should have done, John?” he says, plopping down on a couch, his camera close by his side. “We should have reprised all the theme songs — Marion’s song, Short Round’s song — for the credits.” As Williams replays an invigorating section of the score, Spielberg settles back and punches the air in front of him to the rhythm.
The most interesting part of this 18-year-old article, in light of the news regarding Indy IV, is this bit, further down:
The Last Crusade mirrors Spielberg’s shifting agenda. At first he was unenthralled at the prospect of another go-round in the thrills ‘n’ chills Cuisinart. But when Lucas and Spielberg unleashed Raiders in 1981, they made a handshake agreement to complete a trilogy. Spielberg’s enthusiasm for the series was subsequently dampened when he made Temple of Doom, although the film grossed more than $100 million.
“I wasn’t happy with the second film at all,” says Spielberg. “It was too dark, too subterranean, and much too horrific. I thought it out-poltered Poltergeist.” He adds, “There’s not an ounce of my own personal feeling in Temple of Doom.”
He could think of only two reasons to make a third film: to honor his commitment to Lucas, and “to apologize for the second one.” Several screenplays were commissioned, but they all left him cold. Someone was going to have to come up with a compelling story line to hook him. “I wanted to make a movie I could stand naked on top of,” he says.
I wonder if anybody talks about that handshake deal nowadays.
It is interesting, BTW, to read that article, and to see how Spielberg saw his past, present, and future, in light of all that has happened in the past two decades. Some things that seemed important to him back then have been completely forgotten — Dad (1989), anyone? — while other predictions look fairly prescient.
(Hat tip to Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere.)
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