Stephen Spielberg And Harrison Ford can look back on an unprecedented joint success story thanks to the “Indiana Jones” series. Between the first Indy adventure “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) and its sequel “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984), Spielberg was otherwise busy: he shot an episode for the movie “Twilight Zone wrote and produced Tobe Hooper’s haunted house horror “Poltergeist” – and in 1982 directed “ET – The Extra-Terrestrial”, the movie many probably associate with his name like no other.
The film about the friendship between little Eliot and the homesick alien is an absolute masterpiece and perhaps the best film the legendary director has ever made: it has thrilled and frightened generations of children and left no one to shed a tear. Almost everyone has seen the movie at least once in their life. Few people know that “Indiana Jones” star Harrison Ford played a role in the sci-fi landmark…
Of course, as with almost any production, not every scene shot for ET made it into the finished film. Remember when Eliot, through his telepathic connection to the alien, wreaked havoc on the school, freeing dozens of frogs? Originally, this sequence was followed by a scene where Eliot is called to the principal’s office. The director’s face is unrecognizable (as with almost all adults before the third act), but his voice will sound familiar to some: it’s Harrison Ford’s!
Although the scene is just under a minute long and Ford can only be seen from behind (if at all), Spielberg feared the star’s extreme popularity would do his movie more harm than good – and without further ado apply the scissors . You can watch the scene in full here:
Harrison Ford too famous for “ET”?
Ford was one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the early 1980s as he starred in two of the most successful movie franchises of the time: “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars”. “ET – The Extra-Terrestrial” is largely devoid of big names, which certainly helped make it arguably the most intimate and personal blockbuster imaginable. Spielberg wanted to leave it at that – and felt Ford’s presence alone could be too distracting for viewers.
It’s debatable whether the scene would have actually damaged the film in the long run. But since it has now been made public, you can get an idea for yourself.