Trivia: Tom Selleck was chosen for the main role but he was already involved in Magnum P.I. The show had a chapter named Raiders of the Lost Art as a nod to this, showing him playing Indiana Jones.
Trivia: The main role of Indiana was offered to Peter Coyote, Tim Matheson, John Shea and Tom Selleck.
Trivia: Because of his commitment to the film, Harrison Ford was unable to play Han Solo in the NPR radio dramatization of Star Wars. The role was taken over by Perry King, who had been among those auditioning for the role in the movie before Ford was cast.
Trivia: Arnold Toht has only 16 lines in the entire film.
Trivia: Originally, the golden idol had moveable eyes that were supposed to follow Indy's moves when he is about to snatch it. Compare the idol inside the temple to the one Belloq later holds in his hands.
Trivia: At the end of the movie, when they lift the top off the Ark, this was actually the sound of a toilet top being pulled off.
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.