Ronald Lacey portrayed Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark who is never referred to by name beyond the credits and only has a total of sixteen lines in the film. Although Dennis Muren plays a similarly bespectacled, nameless Trenchcoated European Spy who boards the plane in San Francisco with Indy, this is not Toht. Author Campbell Black in his Raiders novelization has Toht boarding with Indy in Shanghai and not San Francisco).
The Raiders novelization establishes Toht's first name as "Arnold," but in Marvel's Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, the character's sister Ilsa refers to him as "Ernst Toht." The third issue of the UK Indiana Jones Comic reconciles both names, establishing Ernst as Toht's middle name.
The character originally identified as "Belzig" in Lawrence Kasdan's Raiders of the Lost Ark screenplay, remains unnamed in the film dialogue and was renamed "Toht" in the closing credits of the film. Although he has this name in Campbell Black's novelization, Toht does not die as he does in the film, but is killed flying off a cliff in The Truck Chase (being aboard the jeep driven by Gobler). The original script for Raiders of the Lost Ark portrayed Toht as a cyborg with a metal arm that could change into a machine gun and a flamethrower. The next script gave him a light in his right eye,eventually this was decided as too far-fetched by the directors.
He is referenced as "Major Arnold Toht" on the website of the "LEGO Indiana Jones" video game.
Ronald Lacey shaved the top of his head to play Toht in Raiders; when he removes his hat to wipe the sweat off his head, stubble showing his hairline can be seen.
The character was the basis for the character Herr Otto Flick in the British comedy 'Allo 'Allo!
1 comment:
I had no idear he drove off a cliff in the comic. Glad the movie kept him around for the gooey climax. Nobody could melt a face like that guy.
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