Club Obi Wan

Singer, actor, and clothes horse Frank Sinatra famously had one key that fit all the locks on all of his homes. This was so he wouldn't have to carry a bulky key ring in his pocket, which would ruin the hang of his pants.

I notice the same minimalist philosophy with our favorite action hero. It's pretty clear from the way his shoulder bag hangs and from the drape of his clothes that Indy never carries anything in either his bag or his pockets. Heck, the man doesn't even wear a wristwatch. (I always wondered how he knew there was "not much time" when Sallah said the sun hit the map room around 9 in the morning.)

At any rate, I understand that it's a lot easier to match shots if you never have to worry about the outline of a wallet inside your back pocket, just as it is easier and safer to be dragged behind a moving truck if there are no sharp objects in the bag you are laying on top of.

What I'm leading up to is this. I've noticed recently that the pocket flaps on Indy's trousers in Raiders are placed considerably lower than they are on Noel Howard's current replica offering. This got me to wondering - did the film trousers have real back pockets, or were the flaps just sewn on for appearance?

I know, I know, my professors need to assign me more homework -- obviously I have way too much free time on my hands...

Just when I thought we had run out of things to talk about. :idea:
You have posted a quite interesting observation and question, while at the same time given me cause to question my own unflappable disposition.
I have no good answer for you, but it will be interesting to hear what our associates have to say.
Indiana Philip

schwammy wrote:I notice the same minimalist philosophy with our favorite action hero. It's pretty clear from the way his shoulder bag hangs and from the drape of his clothes that Indy never carries anything in either his bag or his pockets. Heck, the man doesn't even wear a wristwatch. (I always wondered how he knew there was "not much time" when Sallah said the sun hit the map room around 9 in the morning.)

I realize that writing is a different medium than film and it's always seemed to me that Indy didn't carry much in the movies. What? His journal or pocket knife? Maybe the sandbag? Obviously those things don't carry much weight. <--- did I word that right?

Anyway, as I read through the novels I was always surprised to see what Indy was pulling out of his satchel whether it was his whip, a chisel, his field journal, a rockhammer, etc. He even put his fedora in there. And there are many references to his pocketwatch. Even then, he didn't appear to carry all those things in the satchel, all the time--just when he knew he would need them. I guess it's like the sandbag in Raiders. Did we ever see it again?

I.J.

Indiana Joe wrote: I guess it's like the sandbag in Raiders. Did we ever see it again?

I.J.

Actually, if you watch Raiders again, you'll see that Indy takes the sandbag out of the basket on Satipo's back just before they enter the temple to look for the idol.
In Raiders he also retrieves Abners ark journal and the little whisk broom from his Mark VII bag when he is in the map room.

I think Schwammy is just spending too much time looking at Indy's ###.

HF was wearing his pants pretty low on his hips, like low-rise pants. That may be the reason for the pocket flaps to appear to be placed lower. I dunno, gotta watch HF's butt, err, the Making of Raiders again. There's this scene when they're filming Indy's entrance to the tent in Tunisia where you can see that Harry wears his pants quite low. That may be due to a slight beer belly he had then.

He couldn't have had much of a beer belly after training with "Body by Jake," followed by five weeks of dysintery (or however you spell it).

See, nobody seems to care about pocket placement on the pants -- just on the jacket!

schwammy wrote:He couldn't have had much of a beer belly after training with "Body by Jake," followed by five weeks of dysintery (or however you spell it).

See, nobody seems to care about pocket placement on the pants -- just on the jacket!

LOL! Man you are observant.

-S

I know HF trained hard for TOD, but for Raiders? Are you sure about that?

Even with his bag and pockets full of stuff, Jones would still probably qualify as a minimalist. After many years in the field, Indy has decided which items he will most likely need. Another thing to consider about films, they are highly concerned with how things look. It looks better on film for Indy to carry around an empty or near empty bag, rather than one bulging with stuff that gets in the way at the wrong time.

Don't forget, he also had a suitcase. So he'd keep the stuff he didn't need in the field: toothbrush, toothpaste, razor (like he used it... ha!), extra ammo, extra shirt, etc, etc in the suitcase. He's probably only take that day what he needed, less clutter that way. Easier to run from Nazi's and Thugs when you don't have extra junk clanking away in your pockets and your bag.... just another 2 cents to the mix...

Minnesota_Jones wrote:Don't forget, he also had a suitcase. So he'd keep the stuff he didn't need in the field: toothbrush, toothpaste, razor (like he used it... ha!) ...

There is a scene in TOD when they show the Palace from the outside. Indy and the others are getting ready for the banquet and you hear Indy shouting to Short-Round, asking where his razor is!

With regards to Harrison training for TOD, I have always wondered, because when he is jumping about on the altar (?) floor after being revived by Short-Round, old HF seems to have a fair amount of stomach wobbling around on screen.

If you have the time, check out the scene in Raiders where Indy stumbles around the bar looking for Belloq. If you look carefully, you can see the outline of his glasses in his shirt pocket.

As for his wobbly gut, ewe.

Hank

In Last Crusade, it seems that his bag looks like it was stuffed with something. Am I the only one seeing this?

Most jeans made for western/cowboy society have higher pockets in the back so that when you sit you are not sitting on your wallet so you don't have a bruise after a day of riding.

Maybe the pocket were changed for last cruisade and they never went back to the old pockets.

I don't believe this is the case, but it is a possibility