The blinding sun scorches the dry river beds of a desert landscape. Overhead, a Nazi warplane zooms through the sky as the sound of gunshots echo in the distance. Within seconds, the quickening pace of hoofbeats can be heard as adventurer Indiana Jones rides out of a swirling cloud of dust.

As his horse gallops out of frame, a voice yells "cut" and the scene comes to an end. Actor Harrison Ford dismounts and wipes the sweat from his brow. He pushes his brown Fedora back and smiles. He seems pleased with the scene just shot. But this isn't a new experience for Ford, he's been in similar situations before. This time, however, it's for his third archaeological adventure in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, an adventure which rivals in excitement his earlier search for the Lost Ark.

From such exotic locales as Almeria, Spain and Venice, Italy to the ancient land of Petra in Jordan, Ford and the Indy III crew have created a high-spirited adventure in true Indiana Jones style. Once again, Indy faces sinister Nazis, life threatening situations, and evil henchmen in a race that will ultimately lead to a fabulous prize.

However, in this adventure, Indiana Jones isnt flying solo. Joined by his father, Professor Henry Jones, whose style of archaeology is much different than Indy's, father and son find themselves clashing not only with their adversaries but with each other. After three films, Harrison Ford has grown comfortable playing the intrepid explorer Indiana Jones. For him, the character has become well defined and one the actor admits to having great fun with. Ford describes him as a man who stumbles into dangerous situations and is forced by his own instinct for self-preservation to act heroically.

On the day The Lucasfilm Fan Club met with Harrison Ford, he was not dressed in his usual leather jacket, bullwhip and fedora that moviegoers have come to associate with the heroic image of Indiana Jones. Rather, on this day, he was Pro fessor Indiana Jones - clad in a brown suit and tie, and wear-ing his small, round wire-framed glasses. In a large plush office adjacent to the sound-stages at Elstree Studios, London, Ford, during a break in shooting, sat back in a brown leather chair and in his friendly and soft-spoken manner, thoughtfully discussed his impressions of Indiana Jones.

"He's an archaeologist and a professor of archaeology," he noted. "At the same time, he is an adventurer unconstrained by the usual niceties of the academic world. He is a swashbuckling type but he has human frailties, fears, and money problems. He teaches, but I wouldn't describe him as an intellectual. He does brave things but I wouldn't call him a hero. He's just in there with a bullwhip to keep the world at bay."

In the past two films, Indy has been romantically linked with his two leading ladies - Marion Ravenwood and Willie Scott. In the latest picture, Indy meets up with his father's beautiful German assistant, Dr. Elsa Schneider (played by actress Alison Doody), who joins him in his fantastic adventure. So does this mean that Indy could also be described as a ladies man? "I wouldn't exactly say he's a ladies man," states Ford. "I think a ladies man takes a little bit more forethought in his pursuit of women. Indiana Jones seems to find women along the way but doesn't seem to go out of his way to track them down or encourage them."

For this latest adventure, Ford didn't need much convincing to return. He says they had always planned on doing a trilogy as long as they came up with the script and the concept.

"We were all pretty much sure that we would do three films starting out on Raiders of the Lost Ark. So there was really no question, once we got a new script and a good story, that I would come back for this third film."

In a series, whether it's books, television episodes or films, the characters within it typically grow and change over time. Either new background information is revealed to explain a characters motivations or the incidences and circumstances which a character faces causes a gradual change in their personality. Yet with Indiana Jones, very little of his background has been explained in the two previous films. However, with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, many of the questions surrounding Indy will be answered. So with this new information, has Ford portrayed the character any differently this time around?

"No, I think it's important to be consistent with the character," he answers. "There are different facets of his personality that are exposed in the context of this relationship with his father but I think it doesn't violate anything that we've done before. It's an extension of the character and his personality rather than any change in him. It's just something we haven't seen in his character until now."

Although we'll have a greater understanding of Indy with this third and final installment of the Indiana Jones saga, does Ford feel his character has been dealt with and explored as thoroughly as possible?

"Well, you never know. I had no part in the writing of these films so I can't really say that the concept has been extended to its full range. I don't think we've exhausted the potential of the character or this situation at all. I just think that we all might prefer to go on to something else now. Not that we all don't have the opportunity to do other things inbetween but at the moment this looks like it will be the last Indiana Jones film."

As popular as the Indiana Jones movies have been, combined with the fact that it's likely this will be the last film, it's a sure bet that the man with the hat will be greatly missed by audiences everywhere. And they're not alone. Even Harrison Ford admits that he'll miss the character as well.

"I'll miss the whole thing," he says. "There is a lot of pleasure in this character for me. I enjoy the kind of humor that we have in these films and I love doing the physical stuff. It makes me feel like a kid. I'll miss the particular fun of playing the character but I think three films is enough."

The Indiana Jones pictures are some of the largest grossing films of all time. Millions have thriIled to his daring exploits - and each film has had its share of unique thrills. Now with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Spielberg and Lucas have added some fresh new elements combined with the action we've come to expect from these films to create a new motion picture experience. Harrison Ford feels that the relationship between Indy and his father lends a different tone to this film than the previous pictures.

"It gives it a certain emotional core." Ford asserts, "that I think the other pictures didn't have. But it's still as much action and fun and there's a lot of humor in this one as well. I think that it's really distinguished by the fact that there is this rather complex relationship with my father played by Sean Connery.

"I think it has all the action and adventure of the first two films," he continues, "but with the addition of this relationship between Indy and his father, it works on various levels."

On screen, Indy and his father, at times, have a very turbulent relationship. However, off screen, Ford's relationship with his co-star Sean Connery was one of the highlights of his work on this film.

"It's been a great pleasure. Sean is, of course, such a terribly experienced actor and that makes it interesting to work with him. He's an awfully nice guy, too! I've enjoyed knowing him as well as working with him. He's really a terrific actor!"

Filmmaking is a strange and unique industry. The key players in this field - actors, writers, producers and directors - are all creative artists whose vision and means of turning that vision into reality often differ. Once in a while, some of these artists clash so strongly that either or both parties cite the term "creative differences" for their inability to resolve their conflicts and work together. These are the type of stories that the press typically latch onto, often ignoring the"happy" film sets where the participants get along as is the case with the Indiana Jones movies. In fact, Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg, who have worked together on the two previous Indy films, have nothing but praise and mutual respect for one another.

"It has always been fun to work with Steven," states Ford. "I enjoy his inventiveness and sense of humor. I think we get along about as well as a director and an actor can. Our ideas are frequently very consistent and we seem to spark each other with ideas. It's a lot of fun working with Steven. He's so skilled and so sure of his skills technically that it makes things go rather quickly, which is a pleasure in this business."

Director Steven Spielberg, who likens Ford to some of the classic film stars of Hollywood's golden age, speaks highly of his leading man's talent and future as a continued leader in the acting profession.

"He's more like Humphrey Bogart everyday...but better looking," Spielberg says with a smile. "I think when Harrison moves into his late fifties, the way Sean Connery has, he's going to really falI into the Clark Gable/Humphrey Bogart roles even in a more suitable fashion than he's assuming those roles today. I think the older he gets, the better he's going to get and he's never going to lose his popularity. I see Harrison being a real face on the Mt. Rushmore of Hollywood."

Now that the final Indiana Jones film has been shot and is preparing for release, it marks the conclusion of the succesful teaming-up of Lucas, Spielberg and Ford. A trio hard to beat. But Ford does not rule out the possibility of this talented group of filmmakers working together again sometime in the future.

"It's not unlikely, the possibility is always there," he says. "I enjoy working with both George and Steven so I wouldn't say that we'll never work together again because there is always the chance that we might."

Harrison Ford holds the remarkable record of having starred in five of the ten most successful films of all time: as the roguish space pirate Han Solo in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi; and, of course, as the intrepid Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Born and raised in Chicago, Ford began his acting career in Wisconsin summer stock, later moving to California to pursue film work. While working as a carpenter in 1970, he was offered the part of drag-racing Bob Falfa in George Lucas' American Grafitti. Since then, his impressive list of credits includes Francis Coppola's The Conversation, Blade Runner, Heroes, Force Ten From Navorone, Hanover Street, The Frisco Kid, The Mosquito Coast, Frantic and most recently the critically acclaimed Working Girl. In 1985, Ford received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in Peter Weir's Witness.

Although he's been given the opportunity to portray a wide variety of characters, most people still recognize Ford most as Indiana Jones. And when you think of Indiana Jones, the first thing that comes to mind is action and adventure - qualities Ford enjoys as well. However, he's quick to point out that the dangerous feats you see Indy perform are a credit to the talented stuntmen and not himself.

"I don't do anything that I would consider a stunt," he says. "A stunt is what's done by stuntmen. But there is a lot of physical acting and I can do most of that myself. I do get sore from time to time and I get a bump here and there, but I leave the difficult stuff to the stuntmen. We have again been blessed with the presence of Vic Armstrong who is one of the premiere stuntmen in the world and a very good photo double for me. We're very lucky to have Vic. Actually, I think the hardest thing about the Indiana Jones pictures, for me, is just that these are big pictures. They take a long time to shoot. As Indiana Jones, I'm in most of the film and it means a lot of hours and a lot of work.

"Physically, it takes a toll on you," he continues. "These pictures do wear you to the bone. We did the first film about nine years ago and the character of Indy hasn't changed in age through the films. However, I keep getting older. It's been about five years between the last film (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) and this new picture. If it takes five years to come up with a new script after this film, I'll be 51 pretending to be 35, and I'm afraid it's going to get to a point where it's too hard to get out of bed in the morning! I just won't be able to do the things I used to do."

"If adventure has a name it must be Indiana Jones" is one of the trademark lines used to describe the series of Indy films. But to complete this recipe of swashbuckling excitement, we must also toss in two very essential ingredients: Indy's brown Fedora and his ever-present bullwhip, which is the trademark of this larger-than-life adventurer. Yet, in order for audiences to believe that Indy actually was an expert with the bullwhip, Harrison Ford was required to practice with it until he was a skillful handler of the whip as well.

"We had a guy come to my house for a couple of lessons with the bullwhip in the beginning," recalls Ford. "I think it was three or four lessons. Then it was up to me to practice with it and get it right. If anybody could explain it in words, I'm sure it would be a lot easier to do. It's a combination of relaxation while snapping the wrist at the proper time. It's really all a matter of timing. Once you've learned how to do it, you remember the basics so you're not lashing yourself with the whip. I usually practice with several bullwhips on posts and trees. It's not an easy thing to learn, though. I did take the bullwhip out a few weeks before I started on Indy III and loosened up a bit."

After bringing such a popular character to life on the movie screen, Ford, as many well known actors, has become a celebrity whose every move is scrutinized by the public and the press. There are advantages to the fame and success of the film industry yet there is also a downside. For Ford, it's the problem of losing "my privacy and anonymity," he says. "And that, not surprisingly, goes along with the job. Those are some of the things you lose. And you have to sometimes make extra efforts to regain that privacy."

One way Ford maintains his privacy is by getting away from all the hurly-burly activity of Hollywood to his 800-acre ranch in Wyoming where he lives with his wife Melissa Mathison (who wrote E.T.) and his son Malcolm. He prefers the quiet life and enjoys the solitude and freedom that his ranch affords.

"I far prefer the country to the city," he says. "The thing about cities is that there is a kind of noise pollution and energy pollution that's hard to resist. There is the tension of everybody rushing around all day long. The noise of that activity tends to store itself inside of you and you're not really aware of it. When you get away from that, to the quiet and peace of the country, you find that you adopt different tempos and your life is lived in a different rhythm. And it's one that I find much more pleasurable."

So what kinds of things does Ford do when he is not working in front of the cameras?

I do the same things that any ordinary person does," he states. "I go grocery shopping, take clothes to the laundry, mend the fence or plow the driveway, depending on the season. I like to walk, I like to fish, I like to camp and I like to play with my kid. I spend a lot of time in my workshop - I enjoy woodworking projects. I'm interested in the area in which I live and the way local politics are conducted there. There's always plenty of work to do. After I make a film, it's nice to go back to my ranch and face reality. It keeps me healthy - physically and emotionally."

Certainly very few actors can claim the kind of success that Harrison Ford has achieved in his life. He continues to explore new and more sophisticated roles but is never completely satisfied with his work. When his career, in the past, wasn't challenging enough, he took a risk and was rewarded. He is always striving to be the best he can be. But with all the accolades that have been placed upon him, is he as successful as he would like to be?

"I would certainly like to do my work better," he responds. Pausing for a moment to focus his thoughts, he continues, "I don't think I will ever get to the point where I think I'll be as good as I want to be. That's just an aspect of my character that I don't think I will ever change. But as far as success in the business," he concludes with a smile, "I'm happy with my situation. I don't really have any complaints."

By Dan Madsen and John S. Davis
LucasFilm Fan Club #7
1989