Would "Raiders" have been as popular if the character had been hatless?

[chum]

I, for one, do not think so. I know that the era the movie was set in was "when every man wore hats". I just think that if you took the hat out of the film I would not have enjoyed it near as much. I grew up watching the old Untouchables TV series and all kinds of other things like Superman and never thought "cool hat(s)". After seeing Raiders that is the first thing I thought! The hat made the film, not the other way around!

 

[The Good]

I, for one, do not think so. I know that the era the movie was set in was "when every man wore hats". I just think that if you took the hat out of the film I would not have enjoyed it near as much. I grew up watching the old Untouchables TV series and all kinds of other things like Superman and never thought "cool hat(s)". After seeing Raiders that is the first thing I thought! The hat made the film, not the other way around!

I do think the hat had something to do with it. Raiders of the Lost Ark was made during a time when hatlessness had become the norm already for at least fifteen years. The shape of the hat was definitely unique for a film-portrayed fedora too, as most fedoras that had appeared on film between the 60s and 80s were tear-drops or center-dents with some taper, shorter crowns, and the front creases weren't as sharply pronounced. This is all just my own generalization though. The Raiders fedora definitely looked different from conventional images of fedoras at the time, because of its straight-sided high crown and tight front pinch.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I would agree that the hat played a part in it. Raiders had the benefit of being a great movie, so I don't doubt it's success without the hat. But the iconic status of any movie character relies heavily on distinctive visual characteristics. So it was with Indy and his hat, and thus the movie as a whole.

Raiders is in good company - Casablanca and the trench coat, The Tramp and his bowler, and so on. Good by themselves, all... but elevated by a distinct image.

 

[The Good]

I would agree that the hat played a part in it. Raiders had the benefit of being a great movie, so I don't doubt it's success without the hat. But the iconic status of any movie character relies heavily on distinctive visual characteristics. So it was with Indy and his hat, and thus the movie as a whole.

Raiders is in good company - Casablanca and the trench coat, The Tramp and his bowler, and so on. Good by themselves, all... but elevated by a distinct image.

If not for the fedora, I would think that the leather jacket would be very heavily associated with Indiana Jones, even moreso than now.

 

[Zombie_61]

I think the hat is a part of what made Indiana Jones (the character, that is) so popular, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it "made" the film any more so than any other single element. Given the talent involved I think it would still have been popular if Indy had been hatless, but since that particular style of fedora has become so closely associated with the character it's difficult to imagine him without it..

 

[rmrdaddy]

If not for the fedora, I would think that the leather jacket would be very heavily associated with Indiana Jones, even moreso than now.

The irony is that unless you are a "Gear Head", as NB13 would likely agree, ANY leather jacket is pretty much fair game for "civilians" to classify as an Indy jacket.
Put a genuine screen accurate Indy jacket next to any other waist length leather jacket, even with knits cuffs and waist, and I'd wager 7 out of ten would choose the wrong one.
Covered over at COW more than once I'm sure, but it's still funny to me.

 

[The Good]

The irony is that unless you are a "Gear Head", as NB13 would likely agree, ANY leather jacket is pretty much fair game for "civilians" to classify as an Indy jacket.
Put a genuine screen accurate Indy jacket next to any other waist length leather jacket, even with knits cuffs and waist, and I'd wager 7 out of ten would choose the wrong one.
Covered over at COW more than once I'm sure, but it's still funny to me.

I see your point, and I am actually a member of COW (Club Obi Wan, I'm "The Antiquarian" over there), but the most common leather jacket color around here, is black, in my experience, and I don't think Indiana Jones once, just doesn't occur to me, but more likely the biker or greaser look (of which black seems to be the most common color). But yet, if anyone's wearing a brimmed hat while wearing a leather jacket, that changes things entirely...

 

[S. Beagles]

I believe the hat accented the character of Indi but didn't make the movie any greater a movie. To myself, its only natural that the portrayal of events of the 1930's and 1940's would involve men and women wearing hats, and lots of them. Had the movie been made without the use of any hats, I would have seen it as an inaccurate Hollywood portrayal of events of that time. When I see a hat that looks similar to Indis' hat, I think of the character of Indiana Jones and not the actual movie or even which style hat he wore in which movie.

 

[rmrdaddy]

but the most common leather jacket color around here, is black, in my experience...

I'd have to disagree. The most discussed jackets on this forum would have to be A-2's, especially original military contract jackets. All shades of brown to my knowledge. Second in frequency of discussion would probably be a modern Aero offering, probably a Highwayman or Halfbelt in FQHH

 

[The Good]

I'd have to disagree. The most discussed jackets on this forum would have to be A-2's, especially original military contract jackets. All shades of brown to my knowledge. Second in frequency of discussion would probably be a modern Aero offering, probably a Highwayman or Halfbelt in FQHH

Oops, I should have clarified. What I meant by "around here," is around my local area, extending possibly to the whole county or parts of the state that I frequently travel.

 

[Burton]

I believe the fedora does add to the now iconic image of the Indy character and also helps capture the era during which the movies are supposed to occur. While the leather jacket is certainly now part of the "Indy" image I always had a hard time seeing him wear it in the jungle locations as it would be the last thing you would really want to wear. Great films though

 

[fenris]

I believe the fedora does add to the now iconic image of the Indy character and also helps capture the era during which the movies are supposed to occur. While the leather jacket is certainly now part of the "Indy" image I always had a hard time seeing him wear it in the jungle locations as it would be the last thing you would really want to wear. Great films though

Actually, wearing a felt hat in a hot and humid jungle might also be too much for both the hat and the wearer... but hey, it's what made Indy's image so iconic!

The hat defined how Indy looks... it never defined the film's story.

 

[jharrell]

I, for one, do not think so. I know that the era the movie was set in was "when every man wore hats". I just think that if you took the hat out of the film I would not have enjoyed it near as much. I grew up watching the old Untouchables TV series and all kinds of other things like Superman and never thought "cool hat(s)". After seeing Raiders that is the first thing I thought! The hat made the film, not the other way around!

I think the real question should be, would Harrison Ford have been as good in the part without the hat? I don't think so. Many actors rely on a prop of some type to help them "find" the character. I've always thought that when Ford put on the hat before shooting a scene he "became" Indy.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

The irony is that unless you are a "Gear Head", as NB13 would likely agree, ANY leather jacket is pretty much fair game for "civilians" to classify as an Indy jacket.
Put a genuine screen accurate Indy jacket next to any other waist length leather jacket, even with knits cuffs and waist, and I'd wager 7 out of ten would choose the wrong one.
Covered over at COW more than once I'm sure, but it's still funny to me.

a-Yup!

Of course, the same can be said of the hat, outside hat-aware communities like this one. In fact, there was a recent post on COW about a guy who was wearing an AB Indy 4 hat in a store and an self-professed Indy fan complimented his hat. However, that fan noted politley, with casual but confident authority, that the ribbon was incorrect, and should be leather. lol

In terms of icon images, I don't think the jacket is distinct enough. The brown bomber is such a common item, with infinite variations, and many a movie/tv hero has worn one. I would venture to say that Indy Gear would not be as studied or popular today if it wasn't for the hat. Which is funny when you consider that the details of the hat are the least "original" when compared to the rest of the outfit.

A wise man once said; 'Location, location, location!" A hat is like the cherry on an ice cream sundae. It might be small, even plain, but it sits on top and it's what you see. It completes the look. Take the jacket off of Indy, he's still Indy. Take the hat off of Indy, he's... Professior Jones.

 

[Yeps]

I just watched Raiders again recently (it had been a while) and it struck me as funny, but I think they were really pushing the whip to be the iconic part of the ensemble for Indy, as opposed to the hat, which by the time of Last Crusade (I avoid Temple of Doom as much as possible), had clearly gotten much more popular.

On a side note, if I were to try to dress like anyone in that movie, it would be Belloq. That man had style, and much more appropriate to the climate.

Edit: I mistakenly used the spelling of historian Hilaire Belloc, instead of René Belloq from the film. I have fixed this now.

 

[The Good]

I just watched Raiders again recently (it had been a while) and it struck me as funny, but I think they were really pushing the whip to be the iconic part of the ensemble for Indy, as opposed to the hat, which by the time of Last Crusade (I avoid Temple of Doom as much as possible), had clearly gotten much more popular.

On a side note, if I were to try to dress like anyone in that movie, it would be Belloc. That man had style, and much more appropriate to the climate.

I have to agree with the Belloq comment. He did have style, and he wore lighter, more comfortable clothing for the Egyptian climate, a linen (I think) suit, and a Panama hat. Indiana Jones must have been drinking a lot of water to wear what he has been wearing in Egypt, the rainforest of Peru, and other climes. He definitely would have been sweating hard! He too had style though.

 

[bendingoak]

Indy wearing a fedora made him unique. You are right when you guys say its to heavy for where his was at most of the time but think of Indy. He took the dogs name. He does things because of his "inner child" Thats a big part of why I like him. Most here are the same way. You don't follow the norm. Most people don't wear fedoras anymore. We all walk to our on beat and wear what we like not what is expected of us. Thats Indy in a nut shell.


and I have to stick in a fire fighters saying here.

" If you can't take the heat, become a cop."

 

[indycop]

and I have to stick in a fire fighters saying here.

" If you can't take the heat, become a cop."

Police, because hosedraggers need heroes...
Firefighters eat til their tired and sleep til their hungry.lol

 

[johnnycanuck]

The Indiana Jones movie/movies were based on the old 1930's Action Movie Serials. Simply put they were cliff hanger adventures where the main character almost dies every episode.

Now, would Indiana Jones be popular if he was not wearing a hat? I think yes. But I think the hat just added to his character especially the fact it never came off his head. It was a uniform. Think about the Lone Ranger with his powder blue suit, white hat, red bandana and silver bullets. Take away the red bandana and its not quite him, like there is a dent in him armor. Same to be said about any other Serial character. Zorro, Roy Rogers, Doctor who, Dick Tracy, Joe Friday, Joe (blondy) the man with no name. Every one has a uniform. When they are out of there uniform its a neon sign they are out of there element (that can also include Marty McFly). Would they still be that character without the uniform? yes but its just not the same and doesn't make the same statement. Think about this, temple of doom Indy get tortured. Hat, jacket, shirt, whip, bag, gone! But later hat, shirt, whip and bag are back. Ooooo bad guys had better look out. It makes a statement.

That being said Brendon Fraser in the Mummy did not wear a hat. Set in the 1920's so he should have, but it is still a very popular movie and popular character.

Johnny

 

[Edward]

Johnny, you're right, IMO, that Brendan Fraser's character in The Mummy franchise should, historically speaking, have been wearing a hat. I always assumed that the reason he didn't was a desire on the part of the filmmakers to avoid too direct a comparison with Indiana Jones.... after all, it's hard to see those films as anything other than a continuation in the same vein as the Jones stories. I mean, I enjoyed them myself (could have done with fewer kids in 'em, but that happened with Shortround too...), but I'd be very surprised had they come into being in a world where Indiana Jones did not exist as such a commercial success.

I personally don't believe that the hat was a big part of the success of the movies. Obviously it's a core part of the iconic image (I was soexcited the first time I saw the trailer for KOTCS, with that bautifully shot sequence of him reaching for the hat, that silhoette.... I think I might almost have let a little bit of wee out. lol Thing is, though, when you watch Raiders, it's all disposable. There's no sentiment about dumping the jacket and hat in the Nazi submarine base. They were simply clothes, not costume. Of course, with the success of the film they became part of the iconography of Jones, hence the return of the outfit in Temple, the snatching the hat from under the dropping stone door, and so on. I am firmly of the opinion that the popularity of the (very good) Indiana Jones look, hat, jacket, et al, is doen to the success of the film, rather than vice versa.