Since we can’t know whose pen revised which pages (although Spielberg did say that “Tom is pretty much responsible for every line of dialogue.” Let’s just call it a collaboration of some titans of storytelling. Some scenes were filmed but omitted during the edit, like an extended chase through the Zeppelin in which Indy and Henry are pursued by a Gestapo agent and a World War One flying ace.Īnd then there was the uncredited script polish by Barry Watson – you know, the Barry Watson? Never heard of him? Perhaps if we peek under his pseudonym… ah, yes: Sir Tom Stoppard, a four-time Tony winner who later bagged an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love. So who was that? Spielberg himself made certain revisions, such as expanding the desert tank sequence from a few pages to over eleven – injecting some much-needed action into the story. Whoever made these changes possessed a profound grasp of story craft. Whole sections of the Boam draft were reimagined, major set pieces were added, and the pacing and tone were markedly transformed. Differences come as no shock, but with Last Crusade they aren’t just a few deleted scenes and some line changes.
Boam’s final draft, dated Ma(ten weeks before production) differs drastically from the published script which reflects the released version of the film.
Last Crusade was written by Jeffrey Boam, from a story by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes.
