German butler censored in 'Crusade'?

Posted by Martin Q. Blank from 207-172-65-44.s44.tnt6.sbo.ma.dialup.rcn.com on April 09, 2000 at 18:27:28:

Apologies if this has been covered before, but...

In 'Crusade' when Indy is posing as a Scottish guy who wants to see the tapestries, the German butler says something like 'If you're Scottish, I'm Mickey Mouse.' But as I recall the movie cuts to the back of his head as he says 'Mickey Mouse,' a very awkward cut. It seemed to me at the time that he was saying something else that had been dubbed over. Sure enough, in the novelization the butler says "...I'm Jesse Owens."

Just wondering if anyone knew the scoop on this. It is a racist joke, but it seems appropriate for a Nazi butler to say it, since he would be a racist. (especially since Jesse Owens had made the Germans look so bad in the Olympics) Do you think that (a) Spielberg et al. simply didn't think the younger members of the audience would even get the reference, or (b) it was decided to delete a joke that could cause controversy?

As it stands in the movie Indy just seems to punch the guy to get him out of the way, but if the Jesse Owens line had been left in, there would've been another reason: "He's in my way AND he just made a racist joke."

Follow Ups:

The full explanation... Goodsport 02:06:11 4/10/2000 (1)
- Thanks! Martin Q. Blank 08:31:52 4/10/2000 (0)
Re: German butler censored in 'Crusade'? Indy's Girl 19:38:36 4/09/2000 (0)
Re: German butler censored in 'Crusade'? Indiana James Erler 19:06:43 4/09/2000 (2)
- Re: German butler censored in 'Crusade'? New Jersey Hughes 21:10:04 4/09/2000 (1)
  - Whoops New Jersey Hughes 21:40:47 4/09/2000 (0)

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: Apologies if this has been covered before, but...

: In 'Crusade' when Indy is posing as a Scottish guy who wants to see the tapestries, the German butler says something like 'If you're Scottish, I'm Mickey Mouse.' But as I recall the movie cuts to the back of his head as he says 'Mickey Mouse,' a very awkward cut. It seemed to me at the time that he was saying something else that had been dubbed over. Sure enough, in the novelization the butler says "...I'm Jesse Owens."

: Just wondering if anyone knew the scoop on this. It is a racist joke, but it seems appropriate for a Nazi butler to say it, since he would be a racist. (especially since Jesse Owens had made the Germans look so bad in the Olympics) Do you think that (a) Spielberg et al. simply didn't think the younger members of the audience would even get the reference, or (b) it was decided to delete a joke that could cause controversy?

: As it stands in the movie Indy just seems to punch the guy to get him out of the way, but if the Jesse Owens line had been left in, there would've been another reason: "He's in my way AND he just made a racist joke."

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