- Jones: "Well, you make sure to tell your uncle thanks for the use of his car again."
- Shorty: "Oh, he don't mind. We leave for America soon?"
- ―Indiana Jones and Short Round[src]
The man Short Round called "Uncle Wong" was the owner of a cream-colored Auburn Speedster in Shanghai, China.
Biography[]
"Uncle Wong" was a German consul who the Chinese pickpocket Short Round met at a brothel in 1935 while shining his shoes. The child overheard the diplomat telling the madame that he was going to visit family in Alsace for a fortnight.[1]
While he was away, Short Round broke into the German's garage and hot-wired the Auburn Speedster inside for use by Indiana Jones several times over the week.[1] He took the vehicle for the last time while helping Indiana Jones by waiting outside Club Obi Wan for the archaeologist and Wu Han.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
In Chinese culture, the term "Uncle" is frequently used for non-family members as a sign of closeness and respect by younger people. Since Short Round was an orphan, it is not clear whether Uncle Wong was actually a relative of Short Round or merely a respected elder friend.[1]
The Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom novelization by James Kahn would imply Short Round simply steals the car from the German, and is explicit in that the two characters don't know each other.[1] However, Short Round's Marshall College entry on IndianaJones.com leaves it ambiguous whether the two are actually blood relations.[3]
Appearances[]
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom novel (First mentioned)
Sources[]
Short Round's Marshall College entry on IndianaJones.com (backup link on Archive.org)- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide