Despite Spielberg and Lucas having Jaws and Star Wars under the belts, no studio would touch the script before Paramount finally said yes, Indiana Jones was originally Indiana Smith (after the Steve McQueen movie Nevada Smith), and Tom Selleck was signed up to star.

But, there is no messing with Hollywood kismet, and three weeks before filming commenced Harrison Ford replaced Selleck, who could not wriggle free of his Magnum contract, and on the first day of shooting Indiana Smith became the catchier Indiana Jones.

Is a plot recap necessary after all this time? Quickly then – 1936, and archaeologist Indiana Jones is dispatched by the American government to find the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis discover it and use its fabled devastating power.

Along for the ride are Indy’s one time squeeze Marion (Allen) and Egyptian digger Sallah (Rhys-Davies), while competing with Dr Jones is his arch-nemesis and Nazi collaborator Belloq (Freeman).

The adventure takes Jones from the jungle of Peru to the mountains of Nepal and the deserts of Egypt, encountering booby traps, a snake filled tomb, and one of the best car chases ever filmed.

Everyone was at the top of their game for this movie, even George Lucas who created the story with Philip Kaufman before sensibly handing over screenwriting responsibilities to Lawrence Kasdan.

Harrison Ford clicked with the rough and tumble archaeologist in a way he never did with Han Solo (or arguably any other role), a supporting cast showcased Kasdan’s smart characterisation and sparkling dialogue, stunt co-ordinator Glenn Randall Jr. staged live action derring-do that cemented the film’s place in history, and John Williams added another instantly recognizable score to his CV.

But, the true star of Raiders of the Lost Ark is Spielberg, who again demonstrated his near supernatural ability to vibe with audience expectations.

Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan aside, the director works best serving up the breakneck thrills first, and the weighty messaging second.

Here he starts off with a bang: the retrieval of a gold idol from a booby trapped Peruvian temple, featuring the now legendary rolling stone ball, and the action never stops.

The chase through Cairo's backstreets (featuring the priceless swordsman gag) and the jaw-dropping truck chase as Indy steals the Ark back from the Nazis are so memorable, the shoot-out in Marion’s bar (dangerous fire and fisticuffs stuntwork ahoy) is often overlooked.

Along with Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark also confirmed Spielberg as a blockbuster director who would chill as well thrill.

Family fare this may be, but Raiders has its dark side: the snake-infested Well of Souls is what nightmares are made of and the supernatural climax as the Ark's contents are revealed is a literal face off – one physog melts, one head implodes, one explodes and the angels are less than cherbic.

But, because the movie evokes the 1940s Republic serials so vividly, Raiders of the Lost Ark has an innocence, a charm and a joyfulness that kept it a PG and made it one of the best movies of all time.

Rob Daniel

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