Trivia: In the original script, instead of all dying together in the infamous scene during the opening of the Ark, Belloq, Toht and Dietrich were to die at different points in the film: Toht was to die together with Gobler during the truck chase, Belloq would die during the opening of the Ark (which was shorter), and Dietrich was to die in the mine cart chase through Geheimhaven that took place after the closing of the Ark and was cut from the film.
Trivia: When a Nazi falls from the back of the truck carrying the Ark, a "Wilhelm scream" can be heard.
Trivia: In the Well of Souls, you can see hieroglyphics of C3PO and R2D2 on the wall.
Trivia: On the plane to Nepal, the guy with the Life magazine is Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren. (00:22:40)
Trivia: The filmmakers discovered to their chagrin that the snakes used for the Well of Souls sequence weren't afraid of fire at all - in fact, they would always try to get closer to the fire to warm themselves. At one point director Spielberg was caught on camera picking up a snake and telling it, face to face, "In the script, you're supposed to hate fire. Why do you like fire? You're ruining my movie."
Trivia: Pat Roach (the bald German mechanic in the fight at the plane) actually appears in the first three films. He is a former wrestler and is best known in the UK for playing "Bomber" in "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet."
Trivia: The scene where Indy shoots the sword wielding bad guy wasn't in the original script. Three months' shooting had resulted in Harrison Ford having a nasty case of dysentery, and the choreographed fight would have taken three and a half days to shoot. Harrison Ford really didn't want to stay on set that long, so suggested that it would be a good alternative if he just shot him. Who actually suggested the change isn't certain, but it wasn't a spur of the moment decision, contrary to some thoughts - it was a planned alternative.
Trivia: Another THX-1138 reference from George Lucas: When Indy gets off the Nazi Sub inside the hidden dock, you can hear over the loudspeaker, "ein, ein, drei, acht." (German for one-one-three-eight.)
Trivia: The film was originally given an "R" rating by the MPAA because of Belloq's death (his head explodes and showers everywhere). To overcome the ratings, Spielberg had flames superimposed over the image (although it thins slightly as the head detonates).
Trivia: The infamous sequence in which the three main antagonists are destroyed was achieved by: A) A hollow head model which got the air sucked out of it (Wolf) B) A head made of wax, plaster and gelatin (which melts) under a heating lamp (Toht) C) A false head being blown off by a shotgun (Belloq).
Trivia: When Belloq is yelling at Indy on the island from down in the canyon, you can see a fly crawling about his face. He doesn't flinch, nor does he make any attempt to shoo it. It eventually ends up in his mouth, and he still doesn't react. In editing they removed the few frames where the fly flew off, in order to give the impression Belloq ate it (http://www.theindyexperience.com/interviews/paul_freeman_interview.php).
Trivia: Actor Michael Sheard appeared uncredited as the UBoat captain in Raiders. He also appeared uncredited as Adolf Hitler in the Last Crusade.
Trivia: When Marion tells Indy he's not the man he was 10 years ago, Indy replies, "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage." Harrison Ford ad-libbed this line.
Trivia: When the Nazis have taken the ark from the Bantu Wind (Captain Katanga's ship) and no one can find Indy (until he climbs aboard the sub), Spielberg actually filmed Indy diving off the ship and swimming all the way to the sub. Harrison Ford did the stunt himself, though the footage was never used.
Trivia: Throughout the entire movie, the name of Arnold Toht is never spoken once. His name is only first revealed in the end credits.
Trivia: The truck that Indy gets dragged under and the one that he blows up when he thinks he's killed Marion are actually the same truck. It was built specifically for the moving fight scene because they couldn't find a real truck that would work with all the stunts that were written for it. They used it again in the bazaar scene so that it would look like that type of truck was a common vehicle at the time.
Trivia: According to Steven Spielberg, in the scene when Indy steals the horse and chases after the truck, you can see two men in the camp are cooking a dog on a spit.
Answer: I also remember this scene. After the ark is sealed, the camera performs a close up of the side of the crate. The stamp reads "Top Secret Army Intel 9906753 Do Not Open" This stamp is burned off just like the swastika is in the scene on the submarine, because in the eyes of God, no nation is holy or worthy enough to claim ownership of the ark. However, this final scene was cut (the burning of the stamp) from the film for a variety of unclear reasons. While it was in theaters, this scene was not included on the DVD version.
Add me to this. We saw the movie in a "pre release" version in Orlando Florida. No advance warning of the movie. We went to see another flick and at the end were "invited" to see this if we were willing to critique it afterwards. This scene was included. I also always wondered why the change.
I also remember seeing this mysterious 'burning' of the logo, most likely it was on a VHS copy of this movie. Yes, it did exist.
I saw it in former Czechoslovakia in the second half of 80's in cinema (west movies came to the east countries' cinemas years later). And I thought it was a great joke that burning out the swastika wasn't just because the Nazis are bad but because nobody is great enough to own the arc. Then after the Velvet revolution I saw the film again on TV (beginning of 90's) and said everyone around: watch it until the end, wait on the post-credit scene, there will be a surprise.
And there was a surprise. The scene was cut off! I was angry on the TV they didn't show the scene. I cannot be influenced by internet discussion or urban legend. The internet didn't exist yet.
I saw it in Portland, Oregon, and was so impressed with the message it carried, that I told friends and we went several times just to see it. Funny thing was when I mentioned it a few years ago, many people said I was a LIAR that it never happened. I could not convince anyone. It was removed because it wasn't Politically Correct. USA is a force for good, God would not burn off AMERICAN TEXT! BUT WE DID SEE IT. Thanks to our Australian eye witness, we know we did not imagine it.