20 Things You Didn't Know About Raiders Of The Lost Ark
13. How Do You Get A Monkey To Salute?
When George Lucas first discussed making this film with Steven Spielberg, he emphasised the story needed to include a "spy monkey" and Lucas wanted to "really make him a villain". Instead of dismissing this ridiculous idea, Spielberg asked, "Can it wear a turban? It should be dressed up."
Thankfully, the directors decided not to have the monkey don a turban. Instead, it did something far more ridiculous. When he is revealed to be working with the enemy, the insidious simian performs the Nazi salute.
Which brings me to the strangest question I have ever asked; how do you make a monkey perform the "Heil Hitler" salute? Unsurprisingly, Spielberg didn't have a clue. The director brought on an animal wrangler to coax the cheeky monkey to raise his hand out for the scene. After trying multiple methods, the wrangler found the best tactic was to dangle a grape on a fishing pole out of frame.
I have absolutely no idea why Lucas was so desperate to include this scene. Then again, he thought Indy hiding in a fridge in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a great idea so what do you expect?