Film & Movies
The Early Multimedia World of Oz
Are you a friend of Dorothy’s? Well, even if you’re not, you’re sure to enjoy this column of Jim Korkis’, which details the many different forms that L. Frank Baum’s fabulous fantasy has taken over the years.
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“Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas any more,” stated little Dorothy Gale of Kansas and, for almost a century, millions of people have joined her in her adventure to a magical fantasy land called Oz.
The success of THE WIZARD OF OZ by Lyman Frank Baum in 1900 led to thirteen additional Oz books by the author and more than thirty sequels by a half a dozen other authors. Even Russia had its own series of original Oz books written by Alexandr Volkov.
A musical stage production of THE WIZARD OF OZ was personally supervised by Baum in 1902 and it was followed by a variety of other appearances including silent movies (several produced by Baum himself), radio programs, animated cartoons, television programs and the memorable MGM musical film from 1939 and the Seventies’ Broadway smash THE WIZ. (It was conservatively estimated in 1939 that over eighty million people had read THE WIZARD OF OZ.)
THE WIZARD OF OZ was written by L. Frank Baum who was born on May 15, 1856 in upper New York State. Indulged by his well-to-do parents, Baum explored many fascinations including chicken breeding (his first published book was about the subject), printing (he published a weekly newspaper unsuccessfully for a time) and acting (during a tour of a play he had written, he met his future wife). For a number of reasons, Baum seemed to have financial bad luck in whatever endeavor he was involved in at the time. His attempts at opening his own variety store, Baum’s Bazaar, and his later flings at newspaper reporting, being a buyer for a department store, and finally a traveling salesman definitely indicated that he had not found his niche.
His mother-in-law encouraged him to write down the bedtime stories he was telling his sons and the result was Baum’s first children book, MOTHER GOOSE IN PROSE in 1897. It was the first book illustrated by Maxfield Parrish, who would receive great acclaim as an artist within the next decade.
The success of the book convinced Baum to concentrate on writing and he was able to launch a trade magazine entitled THE SHOW WINDOW, about how to “dress” store windows to attract more customers. This new venture not only supplied Baum with a steady income to support his family but also allowed him to stay at home and write.
Baum became a member of the Chicago Press Club where he met William Wallace Denslow, a book jacket artist and poster designer who already had a strong reputation. They were the same age (early 40s) but Denslow lived up to the artistic stereotype of being touchy and tempermental.
The two men became partners and put together a book of Baum’s verse and Denslow’s pictures entitled FATHER GOOSE: HIS BOOK which appeared in 1899 and within two years sold almost 60,000 copies. Baum had bits and pieces of another story in his head which he sometimes shared with his children and their friends and decided now was the time to put it down on paper and publish it. (Legend has it that the name “OZ” came from Baum looking at one of his filing cabinet drawers which was labelled “O-Z”.) Denslow claimed that he was also involved in the development of the story and after the informal partnership later fell apart, he went on to chronicle alternative adventures.
The book underwent a number of title changes from THE EMERALD CITY to FROM KANSAS TO FAIRYLAND to THE FAIRYLAND OF OZ until it was eventually published in September 1900 as THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ. Of the two hundred and two reviews Baum kept in his scrapbook, only two were unfavorable. However, Baum produced four other children’s books that year and as a result the sales for WIZARD were barely 20,000.
By 1902, the publisher went bankrupt and Baum signed on with Bobbs-Merril which issued several new Baum books including LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS and eventually a new edition of WIZARD entitled THE NEW WIZARD OF OZ so that it could obtain a copyright for the work since there was some difficulty about the original 1900 copyright. That new edition officially ended the collaboration of Baum and Denslow.
It is generally reported that what broke up the team was the stage production. In 1901, Baum joined with composer Paul Tietjens to devise a musical stage production based on THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ. Denslow also felt the material had stage possibilities and became involved, fully expecting that he would receive a large portion of the profits even though he was only contributing costume designs. The play had little to do with the book, concentrating primarily on the comedy team of the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. (The Cowardly Lion was not involved at all.) The Wizard’s army was played by chorus girls in tights. Dorothy is accompanied to Oz not by her dog but by her cow, Imogene, and Dorothy is now a young lady rather than a child so that there can be some romantic involvement. There is even a waitress from Topeka called Tryxie Tryfle whom the Wizard lured into his balloon before the cyclone blew them to Oz. Certainly, it was a different interpretation to say the least.
It was also a spectacular hit, running fourteen weeks in Chicago and then moving to Broadway where it opened on January 20, 1903 and ran for 293 performances. It was one of the greatest successes on Broadway up to that time and the show toured the country for the next decade. Baum, who had always had a love for the theater, was already thinking about another Oz book that he might also convert into a stage musical. However, the fighting between Baum and Denslow increased in intensity as Denslow felt he was not receiving the credit nor the money he deserved.
Each man went his separate way and began to independently develop further adventures for the Oz characters. Understandably, there was a deep bitterness and a very real competition between the two creators.
Denslow released a small booklet of his drawings for WIZARD with a new story written by Thomas Russell to fit the pictures. From December 1904 to March 1905, Denslow produced his comic page for Sunday newspaper editions entitled “Denslow’s SCARECROW AND TIN MAN.” The feature apparently appeared in only a very few newspapers and Denslow concentrated on the Scarecrow and the Tin Man because of their popularity on the stage. (Baum’s next book was originally going to be titled THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE SCARECROW AND THE TIN WOODMAN for the same reason. In fact, it was dedicated to Fred Stone and David Montgomery, the actors who had achieved much fame playing those two roles in the stage play.) Denslow’s Sunday comic page has little in common with the comics of today. It was a full page, primarily a text story with a series of illustrations scattered throughout and Denslow’s famous “seahorse” signature.
At about the same time, Baum also invaded the comic page. His second Oz book was finally entitled THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ and was published by a new company, Reilly and Britton, in July 1904. Dorothy does not appear in the story (although she would in some of the later books). Instead, the book is filled with some new creations by Baum, including Mr. H.M. Woogle-Bug, T.E.
H.M. (“Highly Magnified”) Woogle Bug, T. E. (“Thoroughly Educated”) gained his great education at a schoolhouse and gained his great size when he escaped after the teacher had projected his magnified image on a screen for the education of the students.
Baum was apparently very excited about the character. Baum wrote another musical stage extravaganza called THE WOGGLE BUG which opened at the Garrick Theater in Chicago on June 18, 1905. This time the shapely girl army in tights belonged to Glinda and the comedy pairing of the Scarecrow and the Tin Man was replaced by a similar team of Jack Pumpkinhead and the Woggle Bug. The plot was generally the same as Baum’s book, MARVELOUS LAND, but unlike the previous stage play, this production was not successful and was branded merely a lifeless copy of THE WIZARD OF OZ. When the production closed less than a month later on July 12, the cast had not been paid in some time and the electric lights used in the show had been repossessed.
About a month after THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ was released, Baum brought Oz to the comic page. The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, The Woggle Bug and other characters came to the United States in *** VISITORS FROM THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ. The Sunday page ran reportedly from August 1904 to February 1905 and was illustrated by Walt McDougall, who was well known at the time for his political cartooning. Running at almost the exact same time as Denslow’s comic page, there were some similarities but also some significant differences. It was similar in the fact that it was primarily a text story with accompanying appropriate illustrations. It was different because Baum did try to use dialog balloons and because of the popular “What did the Woggle Bug say?” contest.
Each episode in 1904 had a problem that was solved by the Woggle Bug and ended with the question “What did the Woggle Bug Say?” Readers could win prizes for getting the correct answer. In fact, it became a national catch phrase. An ad in the September 1904 issue of The Publisher’s Weekly states: “What did the Woggle Bug say? Thousands of children are guessing, thousands are wearing Woggle Bug buttons, 3,000,000 newspapers are asking the question every day… THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ… will be the most extensively advertised book ever put on the American market because of the Children’s Guessing Contest, conducted by a syndicate of newspapers extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific.” The ad continued that there was already free distribution of 500,000 Woggle Bug buttons.
The contest certainly was popular. So much so that by the end of 1904, a rival paper that was not publishing the series did print an ad for Hamm’s Beer featuring the Woggle Bug. The smiling bug, with four overflowing mugs of beer in each of his arm like extensions, was accompanied by the ad copy: “The Woggle Bug SAID Drink Hamm’s Beer.” Doubtless, many considered that the correct answer to whatever question the Woggle Bug ventured to ask.
Baum’s publisher, Reilly and Britton, released sheet music for a song entitled “What Did the Woggle Bug Say?” The music was by Paul Tietjens, the composer of the music for the WIZARD OF OZ stage play, and the lyrics were by Baum himself. Baum also wrote THE WOGGLE BUG BOOK, which was published in 1905 before the disastrous stage play. The book features the Woggle Bug’s adventures in the United States after he had become separated from the other “*** Visitors.” There were also postcards, a Parker Brothers’ Woggle Bug game and other giveaways.
The episodes from the comic page were later collected by Reilly and Lee Co. and heavily rewritten (though still officially credited to Baum) into book form and published in 1960 as THE VISITORS FROM OZ with illustrations by *** Martin.
There may be several reasons why the strip ended. Certainly one of them was that Baum was entering one of the most prolific writing periods of his life. He was churning out many books, most under pseudonyms because he did not want his name on display too frequently so that he could sell more books. While he is remembered for his OZ books which he began to turn out at the rate of one a year, Baum was actively involved in many other projects. Besides his other books under names like “Edith Van Dyne” and “Schuyler Staunton,” Baum developed a multimedia production featuring him on stage, along with silent movie scenes and colored slides, telling stories of Oz. In 1911, Baum and his wife moved to Hollywood, California and by 1913 had formed the Oz Film Compnay which made several silent films before Baum’s death on May 6, 1919.
In WHO’S WHO IN OZ, author Jack Snow claims that Baum was responsible for the creation of 220 characters. However, Ruth Plumly Thompson is credited with 320 characters who populated Oz. After Baum’s death, Thompson was hired by the publishers to continue the series and she ended up writing more books than Baum.
Despite Baum’s death, the popularity of Oz continued to grow. One silent film had comedian Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodman in 1925. The first animated cartoon version was produced and directed by Ted Eshbaugh in 1931. The storyline for the seven minute cartoon was Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man all go to meet the Wizard who does magical tricks involving hens laying eggs containing strange creatures. The cartoon included music by Carl Stalling!
There was a radio show in the Thirties sponsored by Jell-O. Then there was the MGM movie with Judy Garland (although Shirley Temple had been the first choice). It is now also know that the part of the Wizard was turned down by actors like Ed Wynn and Wallace Beery before going to Frank Morgan and that Buddy Ebsen was the first Tin Woodman but had an almost fatal allergic reaction to the makeup.
In the mid-Fifties, Walt Disney purchased the theatrical rights to the thirteen Baum Oz books (MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ to GLINDA OF OZ) and planned to make a live action movie called THE RAINBOW ROAD TO OZ featuring the Mouseketeers. Disney even had plans to include a glimpse of Oz inside the Big Rock Candy Mountain ride for Disneyland in 1955. That attraction was never built.
In 1960, Shirley Temple appeared as Tip and Ozma in a television adaptation of THE LAND OF OZ. Filmation produced a full length animated feature in the mid-Seventies which featured Judy Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnellli doing the voice of Dorothy and good old Margaret Hamilton not as the witch but as the voice of Aunt Em! One of the most underappreciated versions was the 1985 Disney live action version entitled RETURN TO OZ which launched the career of Fairuza Balk (recently seen in THE WATER BOY) and was severely criticized for its “dark” vision of Oz.
In 1987, a national survey was conducted. One of the questions was “What is the first thing you think of when I say ‘Kansas’?” One person in six answered “Dorothy”, “Wizard of Oz” or “Yellow Brick Road.” Another four percent said “tornadoes.” It is obvious inhabitants and visitors are just as alive today in the hearts and minds of millions of people as when they were first created.
Film & Movies
How Disney’s “Bambi” led to the creation of Smokey Bear
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When people talk about Disney’s “Bambi,” the scene that they typically cite as being the one from this 1942 film which then scarred them for life is – of course – the moment in this movie where Bambi’s mother gets shot by hunters.
Which is kind of ironic. Given that – if you watch this animated feature today – you’ll see that a lot of this ruined-my-childhood scene actually happens off-camera. I mean, you hear the rifle shot that takes down Bambi’s Mom. But you don’t actually see that Mama Deer get clipped.
Now for the scariest part of that movie that you actually see on-camera … Hands down, that has to be the forest fire sequence in “Bambi.” As the grown-up Bambi & his bride, Faline, desperately race through those woods, trying to find a path to safety as literally everything around them is ablaze … That sequence is literally nightmare fuel.
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Mind you, the artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios had lots of inspiration for the forest fire sequence in “Bambi.” You see, in a typical year, the United States experiences – due to either natural phenomenon like lightning strikes or human carelessness – 100 forest fires. Whereas in 1940 (i.e., the year that Disney Studios began working in earnest of a movie version of Felix Salten’s best-selling movie), America found itself battling a record 360 forest fires.
Which greatly concerned the U.S. Forest Service. But not for the reason you might think.
Protecting the Forest for World War II
I mean, yes. Sure. Officials over in the Agricultural Department (That’s the arm of the U.S. government that manages the Forest Service) were obviously concerned about the impact that this record number of forest fires in 1940 had had on citizens. Not to mention all of the wildlife habitat that was now lost.
But to be honest, what really concerned government officials was those hundreds of thousands of acres of raw timber that had been consumed by these blazes. You see, by 1940, the world was on the cusp of the next world war. A conflict that the U.S. would inevitably be pulled into. And all that now-lost timber? It could have been used to fuel the U.S. war machine.
So with this in mind (and U.S. government officials now seeing an urgent need to preserve & protect this precious resource) … Which is why – in 1942 (just a few months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor) – the U.S. Forest Service rolls out its first-ever forest fire prevention program.
Which – given that this was the early days of World War II – the slogan that the U.S. Forest Service initially chose for its forest fire prevention program is very in that era’s we’re-all-in-this-together / so-let’s-do-what-we-can-to-help-America’s war-effort esthetic – made a direct appeal to all those folks who were taking part in scrap metal drives: “Forest Defense is National Defense.”
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And the poster that the U.S. Forest Service had created to support this campaign? … Well, it was well-meaning as well. It was done in the WPA style and showed men out in the forest, wielding shovels to ditch a ditch. They were trying to construct a fire break, which would then supposedly slow the forest fire that was directly behind them.
But the downside was … That “Forest Defense is National Defense” slogan – along with that poster which the U.S. Forest Service had created to support their new forest fire prevention program didn’t exactly capture America’s attention.
I mean, it was the War Years after all. A lot was going in the country at that time. But long story short: the U.S. Forest Service’s first attempt at launching a successful forest fire prevention program sank without a trace.
So what do you do in a situation like this? You regroup. You try something different.
Disney & Bambi to the Rescue
And within the U.S. government, the thinking now was “Well, what if we got a celebrity to serve as the spokesman for our new forest fire prevention program? Maybe that would then grab the public’s attention.”
The only problem was … Well, again, these are the War Years. And a lot of that era’s A-listers (people like Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, even Mel Brooks) had already enlisted. So there weren’t really a lot of big-name celebrities to choose from.
But then some enterprising official at the U.S. Forest Service came up with an interesting idea. He supposedly said “Hey, have you seen that new Disney movie? You know, the one with the deer? That movie has a forest fire in it. Maybe we should go talk with Walt Disney? Maybe he has some ideas about how we can better capture the public’s attention when it comes to our new forest fire prevention program?”
And it turns Walt did have an idea. Which was to use this government initiative as a way to cross-promote Disney Studio’s latest full-length animated feature, “Bambi.” Which been first released to theaters in August of 1942.
So Walt had artists at Disney Studio work up a poster that featured the grown-up versions of Bambi the Deer, Thumper the Rabbit & Flower the Skunk. As this trio stood in some tall grasses, they looked imploring out at whoever was standing in front of this poster. Above them was a piece of text that read “Please Mister, Don’t Be Careless.” And below these three cartoon characters was an additional line that read “Prevent Forest Fires. Greater Danger Than Ever!”
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According to folks I’ve spoken with at Disney’s Corporate Archives, this “Bambi” -based promotional campaign for the U.S. Forest Service’s forest fire prevention campaign was a huge success. So much so that – as 1943 drew to a close – this division of the Department of Agriculture reportedly reached out to Walt to see if he’d be willing to let the U.S. Forest Service continue to use these cartoon characters to help raise the public’s awareness of fire safety.
Walt – for reasons known only to Mr. Disney – declined. Some have suggested that — because “Bambi” had actually lost money during its initial theatrical release in North America – that Walt was now looking to put that project behind him. And if there were posters plastered all over the place that then used the “Bambi” characters that then promoted the U.S.’s forest fire prevention efforts … Well, it would then be far harder for Mr. Disney to put this particular animated feature in the rear view mirror.
Introducing Smokey Bear
Long story short: Walt said “No” when it came to reusing the “Bambi” characters to promote the U.S. Forest Service’s forest fire prevention program. But given how successful the previous cartoon-based promotional campaign had been … Well, some enterprising employee at the Department of Agriculture reportedly said “Why don’t we come up with a cartoon character of our own?”
So – for the Summer of 1944 – the U.S. Forest Service (with the help of the Ad Council and the National Association of State Foresters) came up with a character to help promote the prevention of forest fires. And his name is Smokey Bear.
Now a lot of thought had gone into Smokey’s creation. Right from the get-go, it was decided that he would be an American black bear (NOT a brown bear or a grizzly). To make this character seem approachable, Smokey was outfitted with a ranger’s hat. He also wore a pair of blue jeans & carried a bucket.
As for his debut poster, Smokey was depicted as pouring water over a still-smoldering campfire. And below this cartoon character was printed Smokey’s initial catchphrase. Which was “Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!”
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Which makes me think that this slogan was written by the very advertising executive who wrote “Four out of five dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.”
Anyway … By the Summer of 1947, Smokey got a brand-new slogan. The one that he uses even today. Which is “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.”
The Real Smokey Bear
Now where this gets interesting is – in the Summer of 1950 – there was a terrible forest fire up in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. And over the course of this blaze, a bear cub climbed high up into a tree to try & escape those flames.
Firefighters were finally able to rescue that cub. But he was so badly injured in that fire that he was shipped off to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and nursed back to health. And since this bear really couldn’t be released back in the wild at this point, he was then put on exhibit.
And what does this bear’s keepers decide to call him? You guessed it: Smokey.
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And due to all the news coverage that this orphaned bear got, he eventually became the living symbol of the U.S. Forest Service’s forest fire prevention program. Which then meant that this particular Smokey Bear got hit with a ton of fan mail. So much so that the National Zoo in Washington D.C. wound up with its own Zip Code.
“Smokey the Bear” Hit Song
And on the heels of a really-for-real Smokey Bear taking up residence in our nation’s capital, Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins decide to write a song that shined a spotlight on this fire-fightin’ bruin. Here’s the opening stanza:
With a ranger’s hat and shovel and a pair of dungarees,
You will find him in the forest always sniffin’ at the breeze,
People stop and pay attention when he tells them to beware
Because everybody knows that he’s the fire-preventin’ bear
Believe or not, even with lyrics like these, “Smokey the Bear” briefly topped the Country charts in the Summer of 1950. Thanks to a version of this song that was recorded by Gene Autry, the Singing Cowboy.
By the way, it was this song that started all of the confusion in regards to Smokey Bear’s now. You see, Nelson & Rollins – because they need the lyrics of their song to scan properly – opted to call this fire-fightin’-bruin Smokey THE Bear. Rather than Smokey Bear. Which has been this cartoon character’s official name since the U.S. Forest Service first introduced him back in 1944.
“The Ballad of Smokey the Bear”
Further complicating this issue was “The Ballad of Smokey the Bear,” which was a stop-motion animated special that debuted on NBC in late November of 1966. Produced by Rankin-Bass as a follow-up to their hugely popular “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (which premiered on the Peacock Network in December of 1964) … This hour-long TV show also put a “THE” in the middle of Smokey Bear’s name because the folks at Rankin-Bass thought his name sounded better that way.
And speaking of animation … Disney’s “Bambi” made a brief return to the promotional campaign for the U.S. Forest Service’s forest fire prevention program in the late 1980s. This was because the Company’s home entertainment division had decided to release this full-length animated feature on VHS.
What’s kind of interesting, though, is the language used on the “Bambi” poster is a wee different than the language that’s used on Smokey’s poster. It reads “Protect Our Forest Friends. Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.” NOT “Forest Fires.”
Anyway, that’s how Disney’s “Bambi” led to the creation of Smokey Bear. Thanks for bearin’ with me as I clawed my way through this grizzly tale.
Film & Movies
“Indiana Jones and the Search for Indiana Jones”
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News came late last week that NBC was cancelling the “Magnum PI” remake. This series (which obviously took its inspiration from the Tom Selleck show that originally debuted on CBS back in December of 1980 and then went on run on that network for 8 seasons. With its final episode airing on May 8, 1988).
Anyway … Over 30 years later, CBS decided to remake “Magnum.” This version of the action drama debuted on September 24, 2018 and ran for four seasons before then being cancelled. NBC picked up the “Magnum” remake where it ran for one more season before word came down on June 23rd that this action drama was being cancelled yet again.
FYI: The second half of Season 5 of “Magnum” (10 episodes) has yet to air on NBC. It will be interesting to see when that final set of shows / the series finale gets scheduled.
This all comes to mind this week – out ahead of the theatrical release of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” because … Well, if CBS execs had been a bit more flexible back in 1980, the star of the original version of “Magnum PI” (Tom Selleck) would have played the lead in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Which was released to theaters back on June 12, 1981.
That’s the part of the Indiana Jones story that the folks at Lucasfilm often opt to skim over.
That Harrison Ford wasn’t George Lucas’ first choice to play Doctor Jones.
Auditions for Indiana Jones – Harrison’s Not on the List
Mind you, Steven Spielberg – right from the get-go – had pushed for Ford to play this part. The way I hear it, Lucas showed Spielberg a work-in-progress cut of “The Empire Strikes Back.” And Steven was so taken with Harrison’s performance as Han Solo in that Irwin Kershner film that he immediately began pushing for Ford to be cast as Doctor Jones.
Whereas Mr. Lucas … I mean, it wasn’t that George had anything against Harrison. What with Ford’s performances first in “American Grafitti” and then in “A New Hope,” these two already had a comfortable working relationship.
But that said, Lucas was genuinely leery of … Well, the sort of creative collaboration that Martin Scorcese and Robert DeNiro. Where one actor & one director repeatedly worked together. To George’s way of thinking, that was a risky path to follow. Hitching your wagon to a single star.
Which is why – when auditions got underway for “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1979 — Mike Fenton basically brought in every big performer of that era to read for Dr. Jones except Harrison Ford. We’re talking:
- Steve Martin
- Chevy Chase
- Bill Murray
- Jack Nicholson
- Peter Coyote
- Nick Nolte
- Sam Elliot
- Tim Matheson
- and Harry Hamlin
Casting a Comedian for Indiana Jones
Please note that there are a lot of comedians on this list. That’s because – while “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was in development — Spielberg was directed his epic WWII comedy, “1941.” And for a while there, Steve & George were genuinely uncertain about whether the movie that they were about to make would be a sincere valentine to the movie serials of the 1930s & the 1940s or more of a spoof.
It’s worth noting here that three of the more ridiculous set pieces found in “Temple of Doom” …
- the shoot-out at Club Obi Wan in Shanghai
- Indy, Willie & Short Round surviving that plane crash by throwing an inflatable life raft out of the cargo hatch
- and that film’s mine cart chase (which was not only inspired by Disney theme park favorites the Matterhorn Bobsleds & Big Thunder Mountain Railroad but some of the sound effects that you hear in this portion of “Temple of Doom” were actually recorded after hours at Disneyland inside of these very same attractions)
… all originally supposed to be in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” I’ve actually got a copy of the very first version of the screenplay that Lawrence Kasdan wrote for the first “Indy” movie where all three of these big action set pieces were supposed to be part of the story that “Raiders” told. And I have to tell you that this early iteration of the “Raiders” screenplay really does read more like a spoof of serials than a sincere, loving salute to this specific style of cinema.
Casting Indiana Jones – Jeff or Tom
Anyway … Back now to the casting of the male lead for “Raiders” … After seeing virtually every actor out in LA while looking for just the right performer to portray Indiana Jones, it all came down to two guys:
- Jeff Bridges
- and Tom Selleck
Jeff Bridges as Indiana Jones
Mike Fenton was heavily pushing for Jeff Bridges. Having already appeared with Clint Eastwood in 1974’s “Thunderbolt & Lightfoot” (Not to mention that “King Kong” remake from 1976), Bridges was a known quantity. But what Fenton liked especially liked about Bridges when it came to “Raiders” was … Well, at that time, Jeff was just coming off “Heaven’s Gate.”
Mind you, nowadays, because we’ve all now had the luxury of seeing the director’s cut of this Michael Cimino movie, we recognize “Heaven’s Gate” for the cinematic masterpiece that it is. But 40+ years ago, that honestly wasn’t the case. All audiences had to judge this movie by was the severely truncated version that United Artists sent out into theaters. Which – because “Heaven’s Gate” had cost $44 million to make and only sold $3.5 million of tickets – then became the textbook example of Hollywood excess.
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Long story short: Given that being associated with “Heaven’s Gate” had somewhat dinged Bridges’ reputation for being a marketable star (i.e., a performer that people would pay good money to see up on the big screen), Jeff was now looking to appear in something highly commercial. And the idea of playing the lead in a film directed by Steven Spielberg (the “Jaws” & “Close Encounter” guy) and produced by George Lucas (Mr. “Star Wars”) was very, very appealing at that time. Bridges was even willing to sign a contract with Spielberg & Lucas that would have then roped him into not only playing Indiana Jones in “Raider of the Lost Ark” but also to appear as this very same character in two yet-to-be-written sequels.
Better yet, because “Heaven’s Gate” had temporarily dimmed Bridges’ star status, Jeff was also willing to sign on to do the first “Indy” film for well below his usual quote. With the understanding that – should “Raiders of the Lost Ark” succeed at the box office – Bridges would then be paid far more to appear in this film’s two sequels.
That seemed like a very solid plan for “Raiders.” Landing a known movie star to play the lead in this action-adventure at a bargain price.
Ah, but standing in Mike Fenton’s way was Marcia Lucas.
Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones
Marcia Lucas, who had seen Tom Selleck’s audition for “Raiders” (And you can see it as well. Just go to Google and type in “Tom Selleck” and “Indiana Jones.” And if you dig around for a bit, you’ll then see a feature that Lucas & Spielberg shot for “Entertainment Tonight” back in 2008 [This story was done in support of the theatrical release of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”]. And as part of this piece, George and Steve share Tom’s original audition for “Raiders.” And what’s genuinely fascinating about this footage is that Selleck’s scene partner is Sean Young. Who – at that time, anyway – was up for the role of Marion Ravenwood) and kept telling her husband, “You should cast this guy. He’s going to be a big star someday.”
And given that George was smart enough to regularly heed Marcia Lucas’ advice (She had made invaluable suggestions when it came to the editing of “American Graffiti” and the original “Star Wars.” Not to downplay George Lucas’ cinematic legacy, but Marcia Lucas was a world-class storyteller in and of her own right), Lucas then reached out to Spielberg and persuaded him that they should cast relative unknown Tom Selleck as Doctor Jones over the already well-known Jeff Bridges.
Now don’t feel too bad for Jeff Bridges. When he lost out on playing the lead in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Jeff then accepted a role in the very next, high profile, sure-to-be-commercial project that came along. Which turned out to be Disney’s very first “TRON” movie. Which was eventually released to theaters on July 9, 1982.
Back to Tom Selleck now … You have to remember that – back then – Selleck was the handsome guy who’d already shot pilots for six different shows that then hadn’t gone to series. Which was why Tom was stuck being the guest star on shows like “The Fall Guy” and “Taxi.” Whereas once word got out around town that Selleck was supposed to play the lead in a project that Spielberg was directed & Lucas was producing … Well, this is when CBS decided that they’d now take the most recent pilot that Tom had shot and then go to series with this show.
That program was – of course – the original “Magnum PI.” And it’s at this point where our story started to get complicated.
“Magnum PI” – Two Out of Three Say “Yes”
Okay. During the first season of a TV show, it’s traditionally the network – rather than the production company (which – in this case – was Glen A. Larson Productions. The company behind the original versions of “Battlestar Galactica” & “Knight Rider”) or the studio where this series is actually being shot (which – in this case – was Universal Television) that has all the power. And in this particular case, the network execs who were pulling all the strings behind-the-scenes worked for CBS.
And when it came to the first season of “Magnum PI,” CBS had a deal with Glen A. Larson Productions and Universal Television which stated that the talent which had been contracted to appear in this new action drama would then be available for the production of at least 13 episodes with an option to shoot an additional 9 episodes (This is known in the industry as the back nine. As in: the last nine holes of a golf course).
Anyway, if you take those initial 13 episodes and then tack on the back nine, you then get 22 episodes total. Which – back in the late 1970s / early 1980s, anyway – was what a full season of a network television show typically consisted of.
Anyway … The contract that Selleck had signed with Glen A. Larson Productions, Universal Television & CBS stated that he had to be available when production of Season One of “Magnum PI” began in March of 1980. More to the point, Tom also had to be available should CBS exercise its option to air 22 episodes of this new series on that television network over the course of “Magnum PI” ‘s first season.
Which then made things complicated for George Lucas & Steven Spielberg because … Well, in order for “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to make its June 12, 1981 release date, that then meant that production of the first “Indy” movie would have to get underway no later than June 23, 1980.
But here’s the thing: Production of Season One of “Magnum PI” was scheduled to run through the first week of July of that same year (1980). So in order for Tom Selleck to play Indiana Jones in “Raiders,” he was going to need to be wrapped on production of “Magnum PI” by June 22, 1980 at the absolute latest.
So Spielberg & Lucas went to Glen A. Larsons Productions and asked if Selleck could please be sprung from his “Magnum PI” contractual obligations by June 22nd. And they said “Yes.” Then Steven & George went to Universal Television and asked executives there for their help in clearing Tom’s schedule so that he’d then be available to start work on “Raiders.” And they say “Yes” as well.
Spielberg & Lucas now go to CBS. But instead of the quick “Yeses” that they got from officials at Glen A. Larson Productions and Universal Television, it takes those suits at the Tiffany Network weeks before they then decided to say “No, they couldn’t release Tom Selleck early to go work on ‘Raiders’ “ because …
I’ve never really been able to get a straight answer here as to why CBS execs dug in their heels here. Why they flat-out refused to release Selleck early from his “Magnum PI” contractual obligation and allow him to go shoot “Raiders.”
Payback from “The Star Wars Holiday Special” Trash Talk
That said, it is worth noting that “The Star Wars Holiday Special” aired on CBS back in November of 1978. And given that – in the years that followed — Lucas wasn’t exactly shy when it came to saying how much he hated that two hour-long presentation (Or – for that matter – how George really regretted caving into the requests of CBS execs. Who had insisted that television stars long associated with the Tiffany Network – people like Art Carney, Harvey Korman & Bea Arthur – be given prominent guest starring roles in “The Star Wars Holiday Special”). And I’ve heard whispers over the years that CBS executives preventing Tom Selleck from appearing in “Raiders” could be interpreted as the Tiffany Network getting some payback for what George had said publicly about the “Star Wars Holiday Special.”
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/lucas-quote-1024x576.jpg)
Harrison Ford Comes to Rescue “Indiana Jones”
Anyway … It’s now literally just weeks before production of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is supposed to begin and Spielberg & Lucas have just learned that that they’ve lost their film’s star. CBS is flat-out refusing to release Tom Selleck early from his “Magnum PI” contractual obligation. So Steven & George now have to find someone else to play Indy … and fast.
The real irony here is … The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists would go on strike in the Summer of 1980. Which then shut prematurely shut down production of the first season of “Magnum PI.” (As a direct result, the first full season of this action drama to air on CBS only had 18 episodes, rather than the usual 22). And because this job action lasted ‘til October 23rd of that same year … Well, this meant that Tom Selleck would have actually been free to start shooting “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on June 23, 1980 because production of Season One of “Magnum PI” was already shut down by then due to that AFTRA strike.
But no one knew – in May of 1980, anyway – that this job action was going to happen in just a few weeks. All that Steven Spielberg & George Lucas knew was that they now needed a new lead actor for “Raiders.” And circling back on Jeff Bridges was no longer an option. As I mentioned earlier, Jeff had agreed to do “TRON” for Disney. And – in the interim – Bridges gone off to shoot “Cutter’s Way” for MGM / UA.
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/tron-jeff-bridges-1024x576.jpg)
So this is where Harrison Ford enters the equation. As he recalls:
In May of 1980, I get a call from George Lucas. Who says ‘I’m messaging a script over to you this morning. As soon as it gets there, I need you to immediately read this script. Then – as soon as you’re done – I need you to call.
So the script arrives and it’s for ‘Raiders.’ I read it and it’s good. So I call George back and say ‘It’s good.’ And he then says ‘Would you be interested in playing Indy?’ I say that it looks like it would be a fun part to play.
George then says ‘ That’s great to hear. Because we start shooting in four weeks. Now I need you to meet with Steven Spielberg today and convince him that you’re the right guy to play Indy.’
Of course, given that Spielberg had been pushing for Ford to pay Indy ever since he had first seen that work-in-progress version of “The Empire Strikes Back” … Well, Harrison’s meeting with Steven was very, very short. And just a few weeks later, Spielberg, Lucas & Ford were all at the Port de la Pallice in La Rochelle. Where – on the very first day of shooting on “Raiders” (which – again – was June 23, 1980)– the scene that was shot was the one where that Nazi sub (the one that Indy had lashed himself to its periscope by using his bullwhip as a rope) was arriving at its secret base.
And all of this happened because Harrison immediately agreed to do “Raiders of the Lost Ark” when the part of Indy was first offered to him in mid-May of 1980.
Before “Star Wars” was “Star Wars”
So why such a quick yes? Well, you have to remember that “Empire Strikes Back” wouldn’t be released to theaters ‘til May 21, 1980. And no one knew at that time whether this sequel to the original “Star Wars” would do as well at the box office as “A New Hope” had back in 1977 (FYI: “Empire” would eventually sell over $500 million worth of tickets worldwide. Which is roughly two thirds of what the original “Star Wars” earned three years earlier).
More to the point, the four films that Harrison had shot right after “A New Hope” / prior to “Empire Strikes Back” (i.e., “Heroes” AND “Force 10 from Navarone” AND “Hanover Street” AND “The Frisco Kid”) had all under-performed at the box office. So to Ford’s way of thinking, taking on a role that Tom Selleck was no longer available to play – one that had the potential of spawning two sequels – seemed like a very smart thing to do. Especially after three years of cinematic stumbles.
By the way, whenever this topic ever comes up, Harrison Ford is very gracious. He always makes a point of saying that he’s grateful to have gotten this career opportunity. More to the point, that he still feels kind of bad that Tom Selleck never got the chance to play this part.
Tom Selleck After “Indiana Jones”
That said, we shouldn’t feel too bad for Tom Selleck. After all, the original “Magnum PI” proved to be a long running hit for CBS. And in an effort to smooth over any residual bad feelings that may have resulted from Tom being forced to give up “Raiders” back in May of 1980, Selleck was eventually allowed to create his own production company (i.e., T.W.S. Productions, Inc. As in Thomas William Selleck Productions). Which – after the fact – was then cut in on some of those “Magnum PI” -related revenue streams.
More to the point, while “Magnum PI” was on hiatus following its second year in production, Selleck flew off to Yugoslavia. Where he then shot his own Indiana Jones-esque film for theatrical release. Which was called “High Road to China” in the States, but – overseas – was promoted as “Raiders of the End of the World.”
FYI: Warner Bros. released “High Road to China” stateside 40 years ago this year. On March 18, 1983, to be exact. It didn’t do all that great at the box office. $28 million in ticket sales versus $15 million in production costs.
And over the years, there’s even been some talk of finding a way to maybe set things right here. By that I mean: Finally finding a way to officially fold Tom Selleck into the world of Indiana Jones.
Could Tom Selleck Work with Indiana Jones?
The way I hear it, between the time when “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” was theatrically released in May of 1989 and when “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” debuted in May of 2008, there were a number of ideas for Indiana Jones sequels tossed around. And from what I’ve been told, there was at least one treatment for a fourth Indiana Jones film written that proposed pairing up Harrison Ford & Tom Selleck. With the idea here being that Selleck was supposed to have played Ford’s brother.
Obviously that film was never made. And – no – I don’t know what state Indiana Jones’ brother was supposed to be named after.
This article is based on research for Looking at Lucasfilm “Episode 80”, published on June 29, 2023. Looking at Lucasfilm is part of the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network.
Film & Movies
Will “Metro” – that “Cars” Spin-Off Which Disney Developed – Ever Get Made?
![Will Metro Ever Get Made?](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/will-metro-cars-spin-off-ever-get-made.jpg)
First came “Cars” in June of 2006.
This Pixar Animation Studios production did so well (Of all the high grossing films released that year, “Cars” was No. 2 at the box office. Only “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” sold more tickets in 2006) that Disney execs asked John Lasseter to develop a sequel.
“Cars 2” came out in June of 2011 and also did quite well at the box office (It took the No. 7 slot in the Top-Ten-for-ticket-sales that year). Which is why Disney then asked Pixar to prep a follow-up film.
“Cars 3” would eventually arrive in theaters in June of 2017. But in the meantime, Disney & Pixar began exploring the idea of expanding this film franchise. Largely because the amount of money that the Mouse was making off of the sales of “Cars” -related merchandise was … To be blunt here, mind boggling.
Don’t believe me? Well, then consider this: In just the first five years that the “Cars” film franchise existed, global retail sales of merchandise related to these Pixar movies approached $10 billion. That’s billion with a “B.”
So is it any wonder that – while Pixar was still trying to get a handle on what “Cars 3” would actually be about – the Mouse (through its DisneyToon Studios arm. Which produced home premieres like those “TinkerBell” movies) began actively looking into ways to expand this lucrative franchise?
“Planes” – The First “Cars” Spin-Off
The first “Cars” spin-off to arrive in the marketplace was “Planes.” This Klay Hall film (which was set in “The World Above Cars”) was released theatrically in August of 2013, with the Blu-ray & DVD version of “Planes” hitting store shelves in November of that same year.
“Planes: Fire and Rescue” followed in the Summer of 2014. And while a “Planes 3” was definitely put in development (At the Disney Animation panel at the 2017 D23 Expo, John Lasseter not only shared a clip from this film. But he also revealed that this project – which, at that time, was entitled “Space” – was slated to be released theatrically in April of 2019) … This animated feature was abruptly cancelled when DisneyToon Studios was shuttered in June of 2018.
But wait. There’s more … In addition to the aborted “Planes 3,” Disney had other “Cars” spin-offs in the works. One was supposed to be built around boats. While yet another was supposed to have shined a spotlight on trucks.
“Metro” – The World Below Cars
And then there was “Metro.” Which was supposed to have been set in the inner city and focused on what went on in “The World Below Cars.” As in: Down in the subway system.
Just in the past week or so, a few pieces of concept art for “Metro” have surfaced online. Giving us all an intriguing look at what might have been. These preproduction paintings suggest that this “Cars” spin-off would be far grittier than … Say … the sort of adventures that Lightning McQueen & Mater would typically have out in Radiator Springs.
![Metro - Cars Spin-Off Movie Poster](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cars-spin-off-metro-concept-art-8-645x1024.jpg)
![Metro - Cars Spin-Off Concept Art](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cars-spin-off-metro-concept-art-6-1024x570.jpg)
![Metro - Cars Spin-Off Concept Art](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cars-spin-off-metro-concept-art-4-1024x436.jpg)
![Metro - Cars Spin-Off Concept Art](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cars-spin-off-metro-concept-art-1-1024x429.jpg)
That said, it’s worth noting here that – just in the past year or so – we’ve seen Disney & Pixar attempt to expand the turf that these two characters could comfortably cover. Take – for example — “Cars on the Road,” that nine-part series which debuted on Disney+ back in September of last year. This collection of animated shorts literally sent Lightning McQueen & Mater off on a road trip.
So who knows?
Given that Bob Iger (at Disney’s quarterly earnings call held earlier this week) revealed that the Company now has sequels in the works for “Frozen,” “Toy Story,” and “Zootopia” … Well, is it really all that far-fetched to think that – at some point further on down the road – Disney & Pixar will put yet another sequel to “Cars” in the works?
One that might send Lightning McQueen & Mater off to explore the gritty inner-city world that we glimpsed in all that concept art for “Metro,” that never-produced “Cars” spin-off.
Time will tell.
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