INDIANA JONES 3
July 28th, 2007I thought that I would dig out a few of my stunt photo’s and share some of the moments with you all over the next couple of weeks.
This photo is from the Tank Chase on "INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE" the horse is called "Huracan" and was an Adalucian cross bred. Harrison also rode "Huracan" in all his scenes and loved the horse so much he tried to take him back to the States but because "Huracan" was a stallion and getting on a bit in years it proved nearly impossible, so "Huracan" stayed with his owner Paco Ardura in Madrid.
When I did the jump I had to travel 18 feet laterally to clear the gap between the ledge and the tank and also the tank tracks that rolled around over the top of the tank.
July 30th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Super COOL!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Dear Vic,
I have been following you ever since I was a kid when I saw you on Raiders of the Lost “making of”documentary ( which personally is the best making of ever doc but there you go..)
The documentary captured legends Terry Leonard, Glen Randall and yourself doing what you love doing..great stunts.
My admiration for your work is purely to
the respect and dedication to your craft and you consistantly raising the bar for stunts in films so I thought I would drop you a little mail!
I will say that when I have watched you on documentaries and heard you on audio commentaries you just have a really relaxed way that you speak to people and your mindset is interesting in the way you try to make the most amazing looking stunts look so fresh.
Each year we are bombarded with stunt after stunt but to me you and the late great Dar Robinson brought stuntwork for my generation (im 31) into the spotlight.
I am truly fascinated by your overly apparent love for what you do and now that Indiana Jones 4 is in production was scratching my head to find out if you are involved in it in any shape or form?
Listen I could ramble on for ages about how much i have enjoyed what you do and cannot thank you enough for making the stunts that I watch jaw droppingly exciting.
The Indiana Jones films alone are my favourite and I even took up horseriding on the basis of the scene in raiders when Terry Leonard goes down that mountain onto the truck.
Oh by the way the scene on the tank on Indy 3 is incredible. What goes through your head when you think I am jumping off a horse onto a tank?
Who came up with that idea?
Should you not have got a stunt oscar for that?
Do they organise stunt awards to recognise your work?
I hope The Mummy 3 is keeping you on your toes and your having fun.
Anyway Vic, thanks for the unbelievable work you contribute to movies and can’t wait to see your name on the movie credits soon.
Keep well
Stephen Tiller
Glasgow
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:28 am
Hi Stephen, thank you for your comments, I appreciate them very much. As you say I do enjoy talking about the stunt business, I guess because it has been a very big part of my life and has given me so much. I always think the biggest stunt is trying to be original and put as much of a new spin as possible on everything. I agree with you and think that INDIANA JONES is my favourite movie also. I am very disappointed that I am not on INDY 4 but that is life. You mention Terry Leonard who is one of the greatest stuntmen out there and both Terry and I have been lucky enough to be recipients of the STUNT OSCAR that is a “TAURUS AWARD” which is very generously sponsored by RED BULL who are the stunt industries greatest supporters. My old friend Arnold Schwarzenegger from “CONAN” days presented me with my Taurus and it was a very special night. Thank you again Stephen and keep watching the movies. Regards Vic
August 8th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Mr.Armstrong,
I’m from Brazil and I’m a great fan of your work on cinema in special Indy movies and 007 movies.
I’m very sad because your not in Indy 4, but I hope to see again in the next Bond movie. You and Patch Rouch(R.I.P) were the great stunt of the Indiana Jones movies.
Congratulations for you job,
regards,
Ricardo Melo
August 8th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Thank you Ricardo, Pat Roach was a great friend of mine and he and I have fought on film for about 30 years from commercials to Red Sonja to Raiders to Temple of Doom, he always had fantastically funny anecdotes and is greatly missed. I too am sad that I am not doing INDY 4. Thanks for the comments, Vic
September 10th, 2007 at 6:53 am
Dear Vic,
You have done some of the greatest stunts in the cinema history. Indy movies are great examples of your stuntwork. You are really an essential ingredient and a major success component for this classic movie trilogy. I am really disappointed to hear you are not involved in the latest installment of Indiana Jones as I was also disappointed to learn that Sean Connery will not join the family. Is there any chance that you can still participate in any way in the fourth installment? I think Harrison owes this to you big time. Especially after what you have done for him in the second installment. It is your duty to be part of the fourth movie for the sake of all the indy fans around the world. Could you please promise that you will do your best to try to have at least some involvement with the forth film. Please promise to try to make a last effort to contact them and persuade them. Thank you very much for your consideration to all indy fans.
Hi Indyfan, thanks for the comments, I would have loved to be part of Indy 4 but it is not to be. That is just the way the business works out. I do wish Harrison and the gang the very best succes and he still is a great friend. Regards Vic
October 27th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Hi Vic,
I’m a photo researcher working on a new book for children about movie stunts.
I’m trying to source a photo of Terry Leonard in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” performing the stunt where he is under the truck.
I’ve found a photo online but am trying to contact someone who might have an original and could give me permission to use the photo in our book – can you help?
Any suggestions of who I could contact would be great.
Many thanks in advance Vic for any help you can offer, Ruth
Ruth Owen
Ruby Tuesday Books
UK
August 12th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Hi Vic,
Great fan of your work and particularly on the Indiana Jones movies … I was wondering if you ever do any of the conventions or signing sessions such as London Comic Con etc? These are very popular and i’m sure some of your recollections and anecdotes would go down a storm.
On a different yet tricky subject as there is some debate over this do you happen to have answers to the following:
1/ How many leather jackets were used in the making of the Raiders of the lost Ark film?…
2/ Was the jacket used for the ‘truck drag’ sequence in anyway different from the others?.. tougher or a different material?
3/ Were any of those reused in Temple of Doom? There is a story that Harrison Ford hated his Temple of Doom jackets so much he nicked one you’d kept from Raiders to do most of the scenes in Temple?
I know weird questions but there is a whole mass of Indiana jones fans out there who would love to know the answers to this plus … we might as well ask someone who was actually there and wearing them.
Anyway I hope your filming career is still belting along at its usual breakneck pace and i’d love to see an interview with you on your site sometime with fan submitted questions?
Best regards
Al
August 19th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Hi Al, thanks for the questions and will try and answer a few of them.
I would do signings and I have been asked a lot of times but i never seem to get the time off, I did one in Germany and it was great fun meeting and chatting with all you action fans.
We had loads of jackets for the movies as the action sequences tend to tear them up a bit as far as different style between movies I honestly do not know and cannot remember any changes.
The Jacket Terry used under the truck was a regular one and he had the ground dug instead of reinforcing the jacket which would have looked wrong.
I do know the hats changed from Indy 2 to Indy 3 the originals were made by Herbert Johnson in Bond St and the Indy 3 hats were made by Stetson.
Hope this helps and we may meet at a book signing yet as I have a book coming out next year.t