Changes: Garth

Revision as of 01:15, 13 June 2018

"You lost today, kid, but that doesn't mean you have to like it."

―Garth to Indiana Jones^[src]

Garth, also known as "Fedora", was the leader of a gang of hired treasure hunters who retrieved the Cross of Coronado from a canyon site in Utah in 1912 for the antiquities collector Panama Hat.

Biography

On a looting excavation in Utah in 1912, Garth wore a leather jacket and brown fedora, unaware he was being watched by a young boy scout named Indiana Jones. While Garth's back was turned, Jones stole the Cross of Coronado and raced away on horseback.

Garth and his men chased after Jones in cars, and followed when the boy transfered to the top of a passing circus train. The man in the fedora confronted Jones who backed away and fell through the roof of the lion car. Garth helped Jones escape the dangerous situation but after the scout declared that the artifact should be in a museum he retreated into Doctor Fantasy's Magic Caboose. Garth directed his men to make sure Jones couldn't double back and entered the caboose in time to see Jones hide inside a magic box. Knowing he had the boy trapped, Garth urged him to come out when the box suddenly collapsed with no-one inside. Garth rushed to the back of the train to see Jones flee home.

Fedoras — Garth consoles the young Jones for failing.

Eventually, Garth and his gang approached the Jones house and recovered the salvaged artifact for his client, Panama Hat, with the assistance of the local Sheriff. However, Garth admired young Jones' attempt to claim it, for which he gave the boy some words of encouragement, along with his hat, which he placed on Jones' head before walking out the door.

Behind the scenes

Garth/Fedora was played by Richard Young in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. A few months after the film's premiere, Young reprised the role in a live performance for the opening show (which was produced by Steven Spielberg) of the 1989 National Boy Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. "Fedora" is the name of the character given in the script and credits. While the subtitles on both the 2003 and 2008 editions of the Last Crusade DVD acknowledge the Fedora name spoken by Roscoe, Ryder Windham's junior novelization of the film and the Spanish dub of the film gives his name as Garth.

During the development of the film's script, written by Jeffrey Boam, Fedora was originally going to be the central antagonist of the prologue sequence, before the Panama Hat character was created.^[1] Early drafts also alluded to him being Abner Ravenwood, Indiana's future mentor.^[2] However, all references to this identity have been removed from the final cut, although he still appears more prominently than the other hunters with close-ups.

Additionally, Fedora ended up being the only one who sympathized with the young Indy unlike his companions, prompting them to save the young Jones when he was in danger of being killed by a lion at the Dunn & Duffy Combined Circus train. Interestingly, in the storyboards for the film, Fedora was depicted urging Jones to leave the Cross of Coronado behind (in a manner similar to the film's climax when Indy implores Elsa Schneider to save herself) so he can be pulled to safety.^[3]

The character seems to reappear in Wolfgang Hohlbein's novel Indiana Jones und das Verschwundene Volk (Indiana Jones and the Lost People) where it's suggested his name is Jake, though ambiguities in the story's narrative could be referring to Half Breed instead.

In LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, Fedora and his men chase both Indy and Herman onto the train after discovering them at the canyon site. After the defeat of his men, Fedora manages to reach the magic car but after realizing that the scouts have escaped, he surrenders, so he never regains the Cross of Coronado nor gives Indy his hat. Although the Young Indy sequence is omitted from the sequel, Fedora still appears in a photograph while Marcus Brody speaks with Indy and, in this version, Sallah about their mission to recover the Cross of Coronado.

There were plans by Hasbro in 2009 for an action figure of Garth and an Adventure Heroes set with action figures of the Young Indiana Jones and Garth, but the toyline was cancelled before these could be made.^[4]^[5]

Appearances

Young Indiana Jones and the Lost Gold of Durango (Mentioned only)
Young Indiana Jones and the Plantation Treasure (Indirect mention)
Young Indiana Jones and the Plantation Treasure comic (Flashback)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (First appearance)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade novel
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade comic
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade junior novel
Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead (Mentioned only)
Indiana Jones und das Verschwundene Volk
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Non-canonical appearance)
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Non-canonical appearance) (Portable consoles exclusive)

Sources

Notes and references

[1] The Complete Making of Indiana Jones

[2] Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 4

[3] Young Indy Sequence storyboards at The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

[4] Hasbro Cancelled Indiana Jones Line List at JediDefender.com

[5] Cool Toy Review

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 Additionally, Fedora ended up being the only one who sympathized with the young Indy unlike his companions, prompting them to save the young Jones when he was in danger of being killed by a [[lion]] at the [[Dunn & Duffy Combined Circus]] [[484|train]]. Interestingly, in the storyboards for the film, Fedora was depicted urging Jones to leave the [[Cross of Coronado]] behind (in a manner similar to the film's climax when Indy implores [[Elsa Schneider]] to save herself) so he can be pulled to safety.<ref>[http://lucasmuseum.org/works/gallery/assetcat_id/524 Young Indy Sequence storyboards] at [http://lucasmuseum.org The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art]</ref>
-The character seems to reappear in the [[Wolfgang Hohlbein]] novel ''[[Indiana Jones und das Verschwundene Volk]]'' (''Indiana Jones and the Lost People'') where it's suggested his name is Jake, though ambiguities in the story's narrative could be referring to [[Half Breed]] instead.
+The character seems to reappear in [[Wolfgang Hohlbein]]'s novel ''[[Indiana Jones und das Verschwundene Volk]]'' (''Indiana Jones and the Lost People'') where it's suggested his name is Jake, though ambiguities in the story's narrative could be referring to [[Half Breed]] instead.
 In ''[[LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures]]'', Fedora and [[Fedora's Gang|his men]] chase both Indy and [[Herman Mueller|Herman]] onto the train after discovering them at the canyon site. After the defeat of his men, Fedora manages to reach the magic car but after realizing that the scouts have escaped, he surrenders, so he never regains the [[Cross of Coronado]] nor gives Indy [[Fedora|his hat]]. Although the Young Indy sequence is omitted from [[LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues|the sequel]], Fedora still appears in a photograph while [[Marcus Brody]] speaks with Indy and, in this version, Sallah about their mission to recover the Cross of Coronado.