". . . As if a starring role opposite cliffhanger king, Harrison Ford's Indiana
Jones, in the sure-to-be-box-office smash opening Wednesday wouldn't be enough
to cinch a gal's career. But that's not necessarily so.
"Karen Allen, Ford's spunky, hard-drinking cohort Marion of Raiders of the
Lost Ark has never come close in subsequent films to the success of the 1981
release--her first major starring role. It didn't matter how much the critics
loved her or how long she hung by her thumbs over that pit of poisonous snakes,
she continues to be confused with her contemporaries, Margot Kidder and Brooke
Adams.
"Kate Capshaw went from middling reviews as the nightclub floozy Willie
screaming her way through Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to starring
roles in Best Defense with Dudley Moore and Eddie Murphy, and Spacecamp.
"As with Allen, the Indiana Jones action-adventure was Capshaw's first major
role and nothing that followed has come close to its success.
"One might ask why Indiana Jones is able to hang on to his hat and his
bullwhip through three films filled with hell and high water, but can't seem to
keep track of his women. Why must there be a different love interest in every
film?
"George Lucas, the Indiana Jones series producer, co-creator (with Steven
Spielberg) and co-story writer of Last Crusade, (with Menno Meyjes) explained
that the switch from Allen to Capshaw in the second film had to do with story
logic.
" `Temple of Doom was set in 1935, one year prior to Raiders. Since
Allen's Marion and Harrison Ford's Indy hadn't seen each other in 10 years, the
decision was made . . . not to have Karen Allen return,' Lucas said.
"For the third film, set in 1938, Karen Allen's character could have been
brought back, `but we decided to get somebody fresh,' he said. `The primary
relationship (in Last Crusade) is between father (Dr. Henry Jones, played by
Sean Connery) and son. Karen's character would have been a tag-along. We wanted
a strong role and a reason for it to be there.'
"Thus was born Dr. Elsa Schneider, who shares Indy's fearlessness and
passion for science.
"Lucas said the film makers chose to focus on the father-son relationship
between Connery and Ford as a `concrete way to explore the abstract metaphors
of the film--the search for the Grail itself, the quest for personal happiness
and satisfaction in a caring, lasting relationship with another person. We
decided those themes were best served by the father and son.'
"Not to say that Indiana Jones isn't capable of a lasting, caring
relationship with a woman. The question is, who would it have been? There was
real chemistry between Indy and the spunky spitfire Marion. She could hold her
own against Nazis and still look great in a dress. And being the only brunette
of the trio, you'd think she'd be ready for kids, cooking and card writing at
Christmas.
"Willie, the Shanghai nightclub performer of "Temple of Doom," was too
squeamish to last long with our hero. He'd drop her as soon as he got the first
late-night phone call to come kill a spider in the bathroom. No doubt, she'd
drop him for the first guy who pulled up in a Bugatti.
"Indy and the sophisticated, Aryan queen Elsa could have made for a fun
couple, the Sly Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen of the faculty party circuit, but
philosophical differences would seem to head them for career conflicts.
"Lucas said Marion was Indy's best hope of a long-term relationship. "The
assumption can be made that they went off and were at least good friends,"
Lucas says. He cautions that `Steven might have a different opinion,' but
ventures the thought that `her character was his equal as much as any have
been.'
". . . After Raiders of the Lost Ark, Allen did impress as Albert Finney's
mistress in Shoot the Moon, but by 1985 was publicly grousing that she wished
to shake her identity with Raiders. She is currently in Australia filming
Confidence [Ed. Sweet Talker], starring Bryan Brown and directed by Taylor Hackford. . ."
Copyright © 1989 Times Mirror Company