Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’s funniest joke was completely improvised. Thanks to the vaudevillian tag team of Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his father, Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), the movie is one of the most comedic in the franchise as they continue to banter throughout their search for the Holy Grail. Having Indy’s father be none other than the original James Bond is almost as legendary as the humor that the two actors shared on the set of a movie that allowed Connery to be funny, highlighting his comedic skills and timing.
The Jones Boys bicker in a way that can seem mean-spirited on the outside, but their jokes help differentiate the film from the rest of the series. It turns the film into more of a buddy movie and ensemble piece, particularly ith the addition of other characters in the Indiana Jones movies that return for the adventure like Sallah and Marcus Brody, which allows a different side of Indy to come out. Ordinarily, he’s the one calling the shots as the expert, but having his father around to remind him of areas he has yet to master adds a layer of complexity.
Sean Connery Improvised Last Crusade’s ‘She Talks In Her Sleep’ Line
According to an archived article of Empire that features commentary from the principal cast, Julian Glover (who plays Walter Donovan) said that his favorite memory included Connery making up the line, “She talks in her sleep,” on the spot after Indy asked his father, “How did you know she’s a Nazi?” in reference to Dr. Schneider. Connery’s line was so hilarious that the crew had to stop filming because “everybody just fell on the floor and Steven said, ‘Well, that’s in.'” No one could have predicted that Connery would have come up with something so perfect for the scene.
By the third film, Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford had developed a truly collaborative creative relationship, and Connery felt free to improvise while developing his character. To Indy, Henry Jones Sr. came across as a stern figure, but over time the fans came to know him as a charming adventurer just as charismatic as Indy, and Henry’s reveal about Dr. Schneider meant that they shared more than a love of ancient artifacts. The fact that Indy and his father both slept with Elsa added to the laundry list of material that was ripe for arguments, and kept the energy crackling throughout the film.
Henry Jones Sr.’s Last Crusade Joke Is A Perfect Tribute
One of the benefits of casting Connery as Henry Jones Sr. was that his character naturally inherited charisma from Connery’s most famous role – James Bond. Not only was the line Connery improvised hilarious, but it was also a great tribute to 007, and was exactly the sort of thing that Connery’s Bond would say in that situation. His Bond epitomized the secret agent as a lady’s man who was irresistible to women and had a new love interest in every film, sometimes more than one, and it’s clear spending so much time in the role rubbed off on the Scottish actor.
