George Lucas's first film THX 1138 was released in 1971 to mixed reviews and commercial disappointment. The film was a reaction to the fear of communist rule at a time that also inspired George Orwell's 1984 and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale. While THX 1138 was inspiring to some future filmmakers like Frank Darabont, others found the film impenetrable. One such example is Lucas' own friend and mentor Francis Ford Coppola, who later challenged him to write a script that would appeal to mainstream audiences. This resulted in 1975's American Graffiti, which proved Lucas had what it took to make his stories accessible to wide audiences when he tried. Lucas then shopped around his new 12-page treatment for Star Wars to various Hollywood studios only to be turned down by almost everyone, with Lucas' contemporaries yet again urging him to, according to an IGN interview, reign in his far-out ideas. But did you know that one element of George Lucas' real life at the time inspired both Chewbacca and his future creation Indiana Jones? His dog!
After United Artists and Universal turned down the Buck Rogers-style space epic, 20th Century Fox liked American Graffiti enough to bet on the young filmmaker and paid him to write the first draft of Star Wars. For years, the world of Star Wars was planned to be unrecognizable compared to what we know now. "Luke Skywalker is a grizzled old general, Han Solo is a frog-like alien, there’s a main character named Kane Starkiller and the dark side of the force is called 'the Bogan.'" It was practically unshootable, expensive, and too dense to digest as a reader. Coppola expressed worry over Star Wars' accessibility and even Lucas' partner Gary Zurtz described it as “gobbledygook,” in the aforementioned IGN interview. Star Wars needed some grounding in reality, drawing from Colonial European Empires, the American Revolution, and the Vietnam War alike. By drawing inspiration from tangible real-life elements, Lucas was eventually able to tell his story in a way his audience could understand.
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How Did George Lucas' Dog Inspire Chewbacca?
George Lucas told the New York Times, "I wanted to stay away from the kind of science fiction names like Zenon and Zorba. They had to sound indigenous and have consistency between their names and their culture.'' Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) were names that didn't stand out to audiences as too Earthly but tied the galaxy far, far away to real life in a tangible way. "Vader" is Dutch for Father, foreshadowing a reveal of the character of Vader in The Empire Strikes Back. Darth Vader (David Prowse) is, therefore, the "Dark Father" of Luke (Mark Hamill), whose name derives from the Greek "Leukos" meaning Light. Luke joins the ancient Jedi religion much like the Gospels' Luke converts to Christianity. Despite the New York Times' suggestion that "The Adventures of Luke S." was a stand-in for Lucas himself, Lucas' most personal connection that's been confirmed was with the character of Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew).
In the thirteenth and final issue of Star Wars Galaxy Magazine, before it became Star Wars Galaxy Collector, George Lucas wrote, "I had an Alaskan Malamute when I was writing the film. A very sweet dog, she would always sit next to me when I was writing. And when I’d drive around, she’d sit in the front seat. A Malamute is a very large dog—like a hundred and thirty pounds and bigger than a human being and very long-haired. Having her with me all the time inspired me to give Han Solo a sidekick who was like a big, furry dog. Not quite like a dog, but intelligent." Chewbacca's name derives from the Russian word "Chudovishye" meaning monster and "Sobaka" meaning dog, making Chu-Baka a "Monster Dog."
How Did George Lucas' Dog Inspire Indiana Jones?
"I think I ran over a Wookiee back there" is an ad-libbed line from THX 1138, and was later used by Lucas as the name for Chewbacca's species. It's clear that the image of Lucas' dog sitting beside him as he drove his car planted the seed for Chewbacca's role as Han's co-pilot, but Lucas' Alaskan Malamute would soon inspire yet another of Harrison Ford's iconic Lucasfilm characters. The dog's name was Indiana. That's right, the inspiration for Wookiees was also the inspiration for none other than Indiana Jones! After the success of Star Wars, it was safe to say that Lucas had revived the once-forgotten genre first popularized by Flash Gordon and the likes during the 1950s. But now, with the help of his friend Steven Spielberg, Lucas had set his sights on doing the same for another genre - the 1930s treasure-hunting adventurer.
In January 1978, Lucas sat down with Spielberg and eventual Empire Strikes Back screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan to develop his idea for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Their recordings have since been transcribed and are available online, and detail exactly how each picture was conceived by the three men. The name Indiana is first mentioned by Lucas who suggests the hero's love interest runs an American bar and hostel in rural Nepal. He cites "Rick's Place" from Casablanca as inspiration, to which Kasdan asks, "Do you have a name for this person?" "I do for our leader," says George, to which Spielberg comments, "I hate this, but go ahead." "Indiana Smith. It has to be unique. It's a character. Very Americana square. He was born in Indiana. [...] Or Jones. Then people can call him Jones." Although Lucas' dog is never mentioned, it's clear why, of all the American states, one came to mind first as a name for their hero.
Indiana Jones Is Also Inspired By Sean Connery, Who Then Played His Dad
Indiana Jones may have taken his name from George Lucas' dog, but his character is inspired by countless heroes that came before. Matinee serials and pulp magazines from the creators' past found their way into the making of Indiana Jones, including Allen Quatermain, Professor Challenger, and of course 007 himself, James Bond. In the sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indy is featured at a casino table in a white tuxedo and red carnation, as made famous in the first Bond film Dr. No starring Sean Connery. By the third film, Connery himself was cast as Indy's father Henry Jones. This is a meta-joke since replicated in the Bond parody Austin Powers: Goldmember which also took inspiration from the '60s films of Michael Caine. Caine joins the cast of the series' third installment as Austin's father, referring to the fact that without Caine there might be no Austin (Mike Myers).
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Sean Connery's character refers to his son as Junior throughout, much to Indy's chagrin. When Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) asks the bickering father and son, "Please, what does this always mean? This 'junior'?" Connery's Henry replies, "That's his name. Henry Jones Jr." "I like Indiana" mumbles Indy, to which Henry refutes, "We named the dog Indiana!" And finally, with this line of dialogue, Lucas could bring the whole idea full circle. Not many dogs have claim to being the inspiration for two of the most iconic characters ever to grace the screen, but Indiana Lucas the Alaskan Malamute indeed can. The scene continues by solidifying the reference when Sallah laughs, "The dog? You're named after the dog?" "I've got a lot of fond memories of that dog," explains Indy, which also works as an explanation from Lucas. His companion and canine friend Indiana made a lasting impression on the filmmaker, who in turn was able to immortalize the "good boy" in a way few dog owners could.
