Harrison Ford became one of the most bankable stars after he starred as Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise and followed it up by playing Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The latter was directed by Steven Spielberg and spawned four sequels and multiple other media. The film itself has cemented itself in pop culture as one of the most known franchises.
The first film is still considered to be one of the best films of the series and has many behind-the-scenes stories that are as interesting as the movie itself. While the crew was filming in Tunisia, a stomach bug reportedly affected the cast and crew, which led to Ford’s co-star John Rhys-Davies losing 22 pounds and Ford himself changing a pivotal scene.
Harrison Ford and John Rhys-Davies Were Affected By A Stomach Bug While Filming Indiana Jones
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg reportedly created the Indiana Jones franchise as a tribute to the B-movies and shows of the ‘30 and ‘40s. Lucas reportedly wanted to create a realistic American hero who would get hurt when he tumbled instead of being invincible. Spielberg cast Harrison Ford despite the latter initially not keen on a multi-film contract.
The first film of the franchise Raiders of the Lost Ark has been regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. It is arguably the best in the series and is a pop cultural milestone. The film follows the story of an archaeologist, Indiana Jones, who is tasked with finding the Ark of the Covenant, which is also being pursued by the Nazis.
Stories behind the making of the film are filled with hilarious anecdotes, and the production was reportedly extremely tough for the crew, especially when they were filming in Tunisia. Ford’s co-star John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah in the franchise, mentioned that the whole crew was affected by a stomach bug, which resulted in the actor losing 22 pounds in two days. He said in the podcast Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum,
“I’m lying in this hotel bed…I have a temperature of around 105. I’m dying. I’m dying probably of dysentery or diphtheria. And, I hear the key go in the lock, and the little flame of life begins to pick up as the door opens. In comes our wonderful Australian lady doctor. And she doubles over and she says, ‘Oh Christ, John, I see you’ve got it too. Can I use your toilet?’ God died at that moment. I knew there was no hope… I wanted to die.”
The stomach bug reportedly also affected Harrison Ford, and he was so tired from its results that he convinced Spielberg to shorten a scene. Thus, one of the most iconic scenes of the franchise was born, where Indiana Jones shoots a henchman with a sword instead of a proper fight.
Everyone Except Steven Spielberg Got Sick while Filming Raiders of the Lost Ark
No one was reportedly spared from sickness on the sets of Raiders of the Lost Ark. No one except Steven Spielberg. While John Rhys-Davies had an embarrassingly terrible time on the Tunisian sets of the Indiana Jones film, others such as Harrison Ford and producer George Lucas were reportedly dealing with their own illnesses.
Lucas reportedly came into the schedule as a second-unit director after already excusing himself from a schedule in France after suffering from seasickness. He then reportedly got a sunburn in Tunisia and a face-swelling that caused great concern to Spielberg. He said to Empire,
“George became a casualty…When he came to Tunisia and grabbed a second camera, he not only got bad sunburn but his face had swelled up to twice the normal size. I could have turned the camera around and shot a horror movie.”
However, Steven Spielberg reportedly came out of the film unscathed as the only person on set who did not become ill. The filmmaker mentioned how he avoided the food in Tunisia, which gave everyone the stomach bug and caused a great deal of pain, and only ate Sainsbury’s cans in his room. He said,
“I was one of the few people who didn’t get deathly ill with the turistas. I’d heard that some people on Star Wars had gotten pretty ill. I had 120 cans from Sainsbury’s sitting in my hotel room. I ate three squares a day cold out of a can with a fork and a spoon.”
However, all the suffering faced by the cast and crew seemed to be worth it as the film became one of the most recognized film franchises and has become an irreplaceable part of pop culture.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is currently streaming on Disney Plus.
