Raiders of the Lost Ark was made in 1980 and released in June 1981 it became the top grossing film of 1981 earning $384 million worldwide at the box office.  It is now 30 years old and remains one of the highest grossing movies ever made.   The film begins when an exploration party penetrates the thick jungle of South American in 1936 when the leader archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) stops to examine some map fragments when one of the other group members pulls a gun,  hearing the click as the turncoat chambers a round he pulls out a bullwhip and disarms the man,  sending him fleeing back through the jungle.   Indy and his remaining companion enter an ancient temple filled with booby traps to retrieve a Golden Idol,  as Indy removes the idol from its resting place the temple begins to collapse and Indy barely escapes when he is cornered by the Hovitos the local tribe who are led by Dr Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman) a rival archeologist.   Indy is forced to surrender the idol to Belloq and flees chased by the Hovitos Indy escapes in seaplane that is waiting for him.  Back stateside Indy teaches archeology when he is visited by two Army intelligence agents who want to talk to him about Abner Ravenwood Indy’s former teacher.   The Army officers are concerned because they’ve intercepted a German cable concerning a mammoth archaeological dig in the Egyptian desert,  they read the cable to Indy and Marcus (Denholm Elliott) who realize the Nazis have discovered Tani’s an ancient city buried in a gigantic sandstorm in 980 BC and is the possible burial site of the Ark of the Covenant which is said to contain the stone tablets on which Moses inscribed the Ten Commandments.  The Nazis are searching for his old mentor who is in possession of the headpiece of an artifact called the Staff of Ra and is the leading expert on the ancient Egyptian city of Tani’s.  The Staff of Ra is the key to finding the Well of Souls in the buried city of Tani’s which is where the Ark is said to be buried.   Indy flies to Nepal to confront Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) who runs a tavern in Nepal because he needs the headpiece to the Staff of Ra Indy offers her $3,000 for the headpiece and the promise of more when they return stateside, after Indy leaves she ponders it as she wears it around her neck.  Toht a German agent and several Sherpa heavies enter the bar and hold Marion hostage,  Toht is about to torture her for the headpiece when Indy returns and a firefight erupts during which the fireplace is dislodged and the building begins burning down.  Taking cover Toht finds the headpiece but burns his hand on the searing hot headpiece as he tries to grab it,  leaving an image of one side of the headpiece branded into his hand.   Indy and Marion escape with the headpiece with Marion declaring she will accompany Indy in his search for the Ark so he can repay his debt they both travel to Cairo where they learn from Sallah (John Rhys Davies) Indy’s friend and a skilled digger that the Nazis are currently digging for the Well of Souls with the aid of Belloq and a replica of the headpiece modeled after the scar on Toht’s hand.  While shopping in Cairo Indy and Marion are attacked by sword wielding Arabs working for Nazi agents Indy fights them off but in the confusion Marion is trapped in a large basket which is carried away with her inside it by two Nazi agents.  Indy follows the two Nazi agents carrying Marion to a truck filled with explosives he shoots the driver and the truck crashes exploding killing Marion.  Heart broken over the death of Marion Indy drowns his sorrows in a drink but is met by more Nazi agents who escort him to a table where Belloq is seated who gleefully talks about finding the Ark,  no longer caring whether he lives or dies Indy reaches for his sidearm only to be pulled away by a large brood of children sent by Sallah.  That evening while deciphering the markings on the headpiece Indy and Sallah realize that the Nazis have miscalculated where to dig for the Well of Souls, using this to their advantage, Indy and Sallah infiltrate the Nazi dig and use the Staff of Ra to correctly determine the location of the Well of Souls.  Sneaking around the camp Indy is shocked to find Marion alive but does not free her out of fear that it will draw the Nazis attention to him,  Indy gathers a small group of diggers and uncovers the Well of Souls which is filled with snakes.  Indy clears an area of snakes with burning torches then lowers himself into the chamber followed by Sallah and the two eventually find the gigantic chest that is the Ark.  Belloq and the Nazis arrive and surround the site to take it for themselves leaving Indy and Marion sealed inside the Well of Souls.  Indy and Marion manage to escape the temple and discover the airfield at the excavation camp where there is a transport plane waiting to take the Ark away the two sneak up to the plane but Indy is attacked by a mechanic and a fight ensues  the mechanic is killed by the plane’s propellers.  Marion seizes one of the plane’s machine guns and opens fire on Nazi soldiers in the process setting a fuel dump aflame the fire destroys the the plane which explodes but Indy and Marion escape. The Ark is loaded on a truck for Cairo,  Indy takes a horse and pursues the convoy,  seizing the truck containing the Ark and surviving a brutal chase and fight with Nazi soldiers Indy drives the Ark to safety.  Indy and Marion board a ship taking the Ark back to the US but are intercepted by a Nazi submarine and are boarded by the Nazis who once again steal the Ark and kidnap Marion,  Indy stows away on the Nazis U boat which takes them to an isolated island where Belloq and the Nazis trek to the top of a mountain and plan to test the power of the Ark before presenting it to Hitler.  Indy reveals himself to Belloq and threatens to destroy the Ark with a rocket launcher but Belloq calls his bluff for as archeologists they both want to see it open as badly as each other. Indy surrenders and is tied to a post with Marion who can only watch as the Ark is opened but it contains nothing but sand,  suddenly spirits emerge from the Ark  aware of the supernatural danger of looking at the opened Ark  Indy warns Marion to close her eyes.  Belloq and the Nazis do not look away and are all killed by the Ark’s divine powers and the Ark closes itself with a crack of thunder.  Back in Washington DC  Army intelligence agents tell a suspicious Indy that they are sending the Ark away to be studied by top men  In reality the Ark is sealed in a wooden crate and stored in a giant government warehouse filled with similar crates.
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American actor and producer he is best known for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series.   His films include A Time for Killing (1967), Journey to Shiloh (1968), Zabriskie Point (1970), Getting Straight (1970), American Graffiti (1973), The Conversation (1974), Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977), Heroes (1977), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Apocalypse Now (1979), Hanover Street (1979), The Frisco Kid (1979), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Blade Runner (1982), Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (1983), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Witness (1985), The Mosquito Coast (1986), Frantic (1988), Working Girl (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Presumed Innocent (1990), Regarding Henry (1991), Patriot Games (1992), The Fugitive (1993), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Sabrina (1995), The Devil’s Own (1997), Air Force One (1997), Six Days Seven Nights (1998), Random Hearts (1999), What Lies Beneath (2000), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Hollywood Homicide (2003), Firewall (2006), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Crossing Over (2009), Extraordinary Measures (2010), Morning Glory (2010) and Cowboys & Aliens (2011).    He has appeared in TV series such as The Virginian, Ironside, The Mod Squad, My Friend Tony, Gunsmoke, Kung Fu and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Karen Allen
Karen Allen is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).  Her films include National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), Manhattan (1979), The Wanderers (1979), Cruising (1980), A Small Circle of Friends (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Shoot the Moon (1982), Split Image (1982), Until September (1984), Starman (1984), Terminus (1987), The Glass Menagerie (1987), Backfire (1988), Scrooged (1988), Animal Behavior (1989), Sweet Talker (1991), The Turning (1992), Malcolm X (1992), The Sandlot (1993), King of the Hill (1993), Ghost in the Machine (1993), Til There Was You (1997), The Basket (1999), Falling Sky (1999), Wind River (2000), The Perfect Storm (2000), In the Bedroom (2001), World Traveler (2001), The Root (2003), Briar Patch (2003), Poster Boy (2004), When Will I Be Loved (2004), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and White Irish Drinkers (2010).  She has appeared in TV series such as Knots Landing, East of Eden, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Road Home, Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Denholm Elliott
Denholm Elliott was an English actor his films include Dear Mr Prohack (1949), Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952), The Ringer (1952), The Holly and the Ivy (1952), The Cruel Sea (1953), The Heart of the Matter (1953), They Who Dare (1954), Lease of Life (1954), The Man Who Loved Redheads (1955), The Night My Number Came Up (1955), Pacific Destiny (1956), Scent of Mystery (1960), Station Six-Sahara (1962), Nothing But the Best (1964), McGuire Go Home (1964), You Must Be Joking (1965), King Rat (1965), Alfie (1966), The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966), Maroc 7 (1967), Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1968), The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968), The Sea Gull (1968), Too Late the Hero (1970), The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970), Percy (1971), The House That Dripped Blood (1971), Quest for Love (1971), Madame Sin (1972), The Vault of Horror (1973), A Doll’s House (1973), The Last Chapter (1974), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), It’s Not the Size That Counts (1974), Russian Roulette (1975), To the Devil a Daughter (1976), Robin and Marian (1976), Partners (1976), Voyage of the Damned (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It (1977), Sweeney 2 (1978), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978), Little Girl in Blue Velvet (1978), The Boys from Brazil (1978), Saint Jack (1979), Zulu Dawn (1979), Game for Vultures (1979), Cuba (1979), Rising Damp (1980), Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980), Sunday Lovers (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Brimstone & Treacle (1982), The Missionary (1982), Trading Places (1983), The Wicked Lady (1983), The Razor’s Edge (1984), A Private Function (1984), Transmutations (1985), A Room with a View (1985), The Whoopee Boys (1986), Defense of the Realm (1986), Maurice (1987), September (1987), Keys to Freedom (1988), Stealing Heaven (1988), Hanna’s War (1988), Return from the River Kwai (1989), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Sunday Pursuit (1990), Killing Dad or How to Love Your Mother (1990), Scorchers (1991), Toy Soldiers (1991) and Noises Off (1992). He has appeared in Tv series such as Lux Video Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Hour of Mystery, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Vanity Fair, Hancock, The Wednesday Thriller, Mystery and Imagination, Armchair Theatre, Tales of the Unexpected, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Noble House and Worlds Beyond. Denholm Elliott was diagnosed with HIV in 1987 and died of AIDS related tuberculosis in 1992.
John Rhys Davies
John Rhys Davies is an English actor his films include The Black Windmill (1974), Penny Gold (1974), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), Sphinx (1981), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Island of Adventure (1982), Victor Victoria (1982), Sahara (1983), Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1984), Best Revenge (1984), King Solomon’s Mines (1985), In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1986), Firewalker (1986), Predator: The Concert (1987), The Living Daylights (1987), Tusks (1988), Waxwork (1988), Young Toscanini (1988), Rising Storm (1989), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Journey of Honor (1991), The Lost World (1992), Return to the Lost World (1992), Canvas (1992), The Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter (1993), Sunset Grill (1993), The Seventh Coin (1993), South Beach (1993), Cyborg Cop (1993), Robot in the Family (1994), The High Crusade (1994), Blood of the Innocent (1995), Glory Daze (1995), Marquis de Sade (1996), Echo of Blue (1996), The Great White Hype (1996), The Protector (1998), Secret of the Andes (1999), The Gold Cross (2000), Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol (2000), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Scorcher (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Medallion (2003), Coronado (2003), Endangered Species (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), The Game of Their Lives (2005), The Lost Angel (2005), Shadows in the Sun (2005), The King Maker (2005), One Night with the King (2006), In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007), The Ferryman (2007) and 31 North 62 East (2009).  He has appeared in TV series such as Kapitän Harmsen, The Guardians, Dixon of Dock Green, New Scotland Yard, Once Upon a Time, The Adventures of Black Beauty, Zodiac, The Sweeney, Hunter’s Walk, Z Cars, Enemy at the Door, CHiPs, Robin Hood, War and Remembrance, Tales from the Crypt, The Untouchables, Murder She Wrote, Sliders, Star Trek: Voyager, Peak Practice and Legend of the Seeker.
Paul Freeman
Paul Freeman is a British actor his films include Whose Child Am I (1976), The Long Good Friday (1980), The Dogs of War (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1982), Who Dares Wins (1982), The Sender (1982), Flight to Berlin (1984), Shanghai Surprise (1986), Prisoner of Rio (1988), A World Apart (1988), Without a Clue (1988), The Last Island (1990), Eminent Domain (1990), Iron Eagle III (1992), Just Like a Woman (1992), Piccolo grande amore (1993), The Sum of Us (1994), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), The Horseman on the Roof (1995), Squillo (1996), Double Team (1997), The 3 Kings (2000), Morlang (2001), Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War (2002), And Now Ladies and Gentlemen (2002), Haker (2002), George and the Dragon (2004), Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004), The Feast of the Goat (2005), Hot Fuzz (2007) and Centurion (2010).  He has appeared in TV series such as Champion House, The Last of the Baskets, The Protectors, Coronation Street, Couples, Scorpion Tales, Life of Shakespeare, The Sweeney, Crown Court, Cagney & Lacey, Falcon Crest, Yesterday’s Dreams, Under Cover, Boon, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Between the Lines, Tales from the Crypt, Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Inspector Morse, ER, Monarch of the Glen, Waking the Dead, Midsomer Murders, Hotel Babylon and Agatha Christie’s Poirot.
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is an English actor his films include Song of the Shirt (1979), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Ladyhawke (1985), Water (1985), Eleni (1985), Letter to Brezhnev (1985), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Manifesto  (1988), Not Without My Daughter (1991), American Friends (1991), Enchanted April (1992), The Trial (1993), When Pigs Fly (1993), Cabin Boy (1994), White Fang 2 Myth of the White Wolf (1994), Maverick (1994), Hideaway (1995), The Steal (1995), The Perez Family (1995), Dead Man (1995), Species (1995), Before and After (1996), Mojave Moon (1996), Scorpion Spring (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997), The Impostors (1998), The Treat (1998), Pete’s Meteor (1998), Dudley Do Right (1999), Magnolia (1999), Chocolat (2000), Texas Rangers (2001), Frida (2002), Undertaking Betty (2002), Identity (2003), Luther (2003), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), Crónicas (2004), SpiderMan 2 (2004), The Da Vinci Code (2006), As You Like It (2006), The Hoax (2006), Orchids (2006), The Moon and the Stars (2007), Silk (2007), The Little Traitor (2007), Nothing Like the Holidays (2008), Big Guy (2009), The Lodger (2009), An Education (2009), The Pink Panther 2 (2009), Lessons in Self-Defense (2009), Prince of Persia The Sands of Time (2010), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010) and The Tempest (2010).  He has appeared in TV series such as Casualty, Miami Vice, El C.I.D, Boon, Crime Story, Law & Order Special Victims Unit, Law & Order Trial by Jury and Monk.
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