20 Things You Somehow Missed In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

7. The U-boat Is Borrowed

Raiders of the Lost Ark Harrison Ford
Paramount Pictures

The U-boat pen at La Pallice wasn't the only thing that Steven Spielberg borrowed from Wolfgang Petersen's ground-breaking 1981 German language film, Das Boot; he also borrowed the actual U-boat itself and models representing it. In the original script by Lawrence Kasdan, the U-boat is christened as Wurrfler or U-26.

The U-boat was not an actual vessel, of course; it was a shell propelled by a small motor, which is why it is only ever seen cruising on the surface of the water during the film. Nevertheless, its hull was secure enough for Harrison Ford to run across it and climb onto the conning tower.

Curiously enough, the production company on Das Boot had failed to inform the crew that they had loaned the U-boat out to Spielberg's film, so they turned up one morning to start filming only to discover that it was gone!

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.