Indiana Jones is one of the most universally loved action heroes ever made, and it’s thanks to his unforgettable big screen adventures. The Indiana Jones movies have a reputation for being some of the most action-packed, enjoyable, and well-made adventure movies of all time. That being said, Temple of Doom was seen as disappointment at the time of release.
Fans didn’t enjoy the darker tone of the movie, with even Steven Spielberg saying that the film was too dark and violent. This affected Spielberg so much that his films noticeably lost a certain edge after Temple of Doom. That being said, many still enjoy the movie and there has recently been a resurgence in respect for the movie among Indiana Jones fans, perhaps due to the disappointment of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
The Shaman Spoke English Phonetically
D.R. Nanayakkara had one of the most memorable roles in Temple of Doom, with the actor playing the Indian shaman that asking Indiana Jones for help in bringing back the children and the village’s holy stone.
However, what is interesting is that D.R. Nanayakkara didn’t actually speak English. Instead, the actor simply read his lines phonetically as Spielberg gave him prompts off camera. This explains why his dialogue has a lot of noticeable pauses, which were not done for dramatic effect, as some younger viewers thought.
Barbra Streisand Whipped Indiana Jones
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie was when Indiana Jones was tied up and whipped by the Thuggee cultists. Not to let this chance to go waste, the crew decided to play a practical joke on Ford while he was chained to the rock.
Barbara Streisand appeared in a leather dominatrix outfit and proceeded to whip Harrison Ford, saying ‘That’s for Hanover Street, the worst movie I ever saw!’ She even whipped Ford for making way too much money from Star Wars, but then Ford was saved by another surprise guest on set: Carrie Fisher! Luckily, the prank can be viewed online, though the video quality is admittedly quite poor.
Kate Capshaw Didn’t Like Willie Scott
One of the main criticisms leveled on Temple of Doom, aside from its darkness and the often excessive level of violence, was the characterization of Willie Scott. Many critics saw that her as little more than a damsel in distress who screamed and whined far too much, grating audiences’ nerves rather than winning them over.
The critics were not alone in this criticism, as even Kate Capshaw herself admitted that she doesn’t enjoy portraying Willie Scott for these same reasons, saying she was ‘not much more than a dumb screaming blonde’.
It Was Ke Huy Quan’s Film Debut
Some may be surprised to learn that this movie was actually Ke Huy Quan’s first film role. Originally, Quan attended the audition with his brother as moral support, but would ultimately catch the eye of the casting director as he would be constantly giving his brother advice.
Spielberg enjoyed this about Quan and this eventually lead to the improvised scene in which Short Round and Indiana Jones argue about the card game in the Indian jungle. He would later appear in The Goonies and The Encino Man.
Kate Capshaw Was Covered In Real Bugs
Kate Capshaw really got the rough end of the stick during filming for Temple of Doom. During a memorable (and terrifying) scene in the movie, Willie Scott must enter a room with thousands of bugs crawling around in order to save Indy and Short Round.
However, what is shocking about this is that Kate Capshaw actually had to be covered in over two thousand insects for the scene. Capshaw has said that, in order to get through it, she had to take sedatives.
George Lucas Wanted A Nazi-Free Prequel
One of the most memorable aspects of the Indiana Jones mythos is how he always end up fighting Nazis. In 50% of his film appearances, Indy has found himself foiling Nazi plans and even came face to face with Hitler himself in The Last Crusade.
With this in mind, writer George Lucas insisted on a prequel so that the Nazis wouldn’t be the villain again, especially since the film came out immediately after Raiders of the Lost Ark, where the Nazis were the main villainous force.
Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg Got Married
In an early draft for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, audiences learn what happened to Willie Scott in the time between movies. Indiana Jones says that Willie married a ‘big shot director’ and is living her best life. While this sounds like a nice send-off for a franchise character, it’s actually an inside joke from the crew.
The reason behind this line is that Kate Capshaw (Willie Scott) and Steven Spielberg actually got married after the release of Temple of Doom, with their daughter even having a cameo appearance in Crystal Skull. They got married in 1991 and raised seven children together.
The Crew Couldn’t Film In India
Despite the fact that the film is predominantly set in India, the producers couldn’t actually get permission from the Indian Government to film in the country. The government wanted the word ‘Maharajah’ to be removed, as they didn’t believe it accurately reflected Indian culture.
As a result, the filmmakers moved the location to nearby Sri Lanka, allowing filming to take place relatively close to India and technically justify the story’s setting.
There’s A Scrapped Motorcycle Chase In The Great Wall Of China
Originally, there was a plan for a motorcycle chase along the Great Wall of China. However, in a similar manner to the above rejection by the Indian government, the Chinese Government also refused the production crew permission to film in the country.
As a result, this action-packed idea was unable to be brought into reality. Though the prologue takes place in the Chinese city of Shanghai, it is unclear as to why or how the characters would have ended up on the Great Wall.
Harrison Ford’s Stunt Double Did Most Of The Action Scenes
It isn’t uncommon for injuries to take place on film sets, especially action-packed movies. There are countless horror stories of actors being subject to horrific injuries while filming a straightforward stunt for a particular scene in their movie. The same goes for Harrison Ford during Temple of Doom’s filming.
During the fight in the bedroom against an assassin, Ford suffered a herniated disc. Production had to stop while Ford flew back to Los Angeles for surgery. Though Ford was able to return, his stunt double Vic Armstrong had to take care of all his action scenes. Luckily, Armstrong bore such a striking resemblance to Ford that extra measures to hide his face were unnecessary.
