The Jewel of the Nile
(1985)
PG | 115 mins | Adventure | 11 December 1985
Directors:
Lewis Teague, Glenn RandallWriters:
Mark Rosenthal, Lawrence KonnerProducer:
Michael DouglasCinematographer:
Jan de BontEditors:
Michael Ellis, Peter BoitaProduction Designers:
Richard Dawking, Terry KnightProduction Company:
The Stone Group, Ltd.
End credits include the following acknowledgements: “Special thanks to: His Majesty King Hassan of Morocco, The Royal Gendarmarie, Royal Air Maroc,” and “This film is dedicated to the memory of: Richard Dawking, Bryan Coates, Richard Kotch, and Diane Thomas.” Dawking, the film's production designer, and Coates, the location manager, were announced missing in a 22 Mar 1985 DV item after an airplane they were traveling in, piloted by Kotch, had disappeared two days before in Morocco. Three days later, the 25 Mar 1985 DV reported that the plane's wreckage was found by a sheepherder near Fez, Morocco, with all three passengers dead. Diane Thomas, who wrote the film's predecessor, Romancing the Stone (1984, see entry), died in a car accident six weeks prior to The Jewel of the Nile's release.
The 15 Aug 1984 LAHExam announced the sequel to Romancing the Stone would begin shooting in the spring of 1985. The 24 Dec 1984 DV confirmed an Apr 1985 start date and announced locations in Morocco and France, with Michael Douglas returning as the film’s producer, and his brother, Joel Douglas, serving as coproducer.
According to the 6 Feb 1985 Var, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. filed a lawsuit against actress Kathleen Turner for failing to return for the sequel, aiming to prevent her from starring in another picture. However, the 27 Feb 1985 DV reported the problem was resolved, and Turner would be returning to reprise her role, with principal photography set to begin 22 Apr 1985.
Principal photography actually began 29 Apr 1985 in Morocco ...
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End credits include the following acknowledgements: “Special thanks to: His Majesty King Hassan of Morocco, The Royal Gendarmarie, Royal Air Maroc,” and “This film is dedicated to the memory of: Richard Dawking, Bryan Coates, Richard Kotch, and Diane Thomas.” Dawking, the film's production designer, and Coates, the location manager, were announced missing in a 22 Mar 1985 DV item after an airplane they were traveling in, piloted by Kotch, had disappeared two days before in Morocco. Three days later, the 25 Mar 1985 DV reported that the plane's wreckage was found by a sheepherder near Fez, Morocco, with all three passengers dead. Diane Thomas, who wrote the film's predecessor, Romancing the Stone (1984, see entry), died in a car accident six weeks prior to The Jewel of the Nile's release.
The 15 Aug 1984 LAHExam announced the sequel to Romancing the Stone would begin shooting in the spring of 1985. The 24 Dec 1984 DV confirmed an Apr 1985 start date and announced locations in Morocco and France, with Michael Douglas returning as the film’s producer, and his brother, Joel Douglas, serving as coproducer.
According to the 6 Feb 1985 Var, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. filed a lawsuit against actress Kathleen Turner for failing to return for the sequel, aiming to prevent her from starring in another picture. However, the 27 Feb 1985 DV reported the problem was resolved, and Turner would be returning to reprise her role, with principal photography set to begin 22 Apr 1985.
Principal photography actually began 29 Apr 1985 in Morocco and France, according to an HR production chart dated 14 May 1985.
The 26 May 1985 LAT reported troubles on set ranging from props being held up in customs, and eight days of torrential rain that followed six years of drought, and destroyed sets. Additionally, the start of Ramadan resulted in day-long fasting for thirty days that effected the 2,000 background actors, and the resulting hunger created tension during the shoot, according to the 11 Jun 1985 Daily News. The 7 Oct 1985 Us reported temperatures during filming in Morocco ranged from 122--133 degrees. The item also noted the film's production budget was $18 million.
Production notes in AMPAS library files announced filming was completed on 25 Jul 1985, after thirteen weeks in Fez, Ouarzazate, Touaba, and Mekenes, Morocco, followed by three weeks in the French Riviera cities of Nice, Cannes, and Villefranche.
Citing the budget as $21 million, the 4 Dec 1985 Var announced the picture would open on 1,100 screens on 11 Dec 1985, and anticipated an increase to 1,500 screens by Christmas day.
As reported in the 11 Mar 1987 Var, the widow of Richard Dawking filed a $3 million wrongful death suit against Twentieth Century Fox, The Stone Group, and Michael Douglas, citing negligence in her husband’s death.
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A Lewis Teague Film
After six months sailing around the world with boyfriend, Jack Colton, romance novelist, Joan Wilder, is ready to return home. However, Jack wants to continue their adventure. On the French Riviera, Joan works on a new novel, and suffers writers block. Later, at a reception for her upcoming book, Joan is invited by Omar Khalifa to journey down the Nile and write a biography of the soon-to-be emperor. Omar wants to document the historic event that would unite rival African tribes and end bloody civil wars. Joan is flattered by the opportunity. Jack distrusts Omar, and suggests he and Joan go their separate ways. As Joan departs with Omar, a man named Tarak stabs him, but Omar, wearing a protective vest, is unharmed. Jack is confronted by his old nemesis, Ralph, who seeks revenge against Jack and Joan for thwarting his attempts to acquire a valuable gem, and having him locked in jail. As Ralph holds Jack at gunpoint, Tarak throws knives at Ralph, pinning him to a wall. Tarak then appeals for Jack’s help to retrieve a jewel Omar has stolen from Tarak’s people. Jack declines, and his sailboat explodes in the water behind him. Tarak blames Omar for the explosion, and warns that Joan is in danger. Ralph refuses to leave Jack’s side, and the three men fly to Africa. Upon landing, Tarak summons a caravan of camels to take them across the desert to Omar’s palace. Meanwhile, Omar and Joan are warmly welcomed to the palace, and Joan is given permission to explore the grounds. While taking photographs at a ... + −
After six months sailing around the world with boyfriend, Jack Colton, romance novelist, Joan Wilder, is ready to return home. However, Jack wants to continue their adventure. On the French Riviera, Joan works on a new novel, and suffers writers block. Later, at a reception for her upcoming book, Joan is invited by Omar Khalifa to journey down the Nile and write a biography of the soon-to-be emperor. Omar wants to document the historic event that would unite rival African tribes and end bloody civil wars. Joan is flattered by the opportunity. Jack distrusts Omar, and suggests he and Joan go their separate ways. As Joan departs with Omar, a man named Tarak stabs him, but Omar, wearing a protective vest, is unharmed. Jack is confronted by his old nemesis, Ralph, who seeks revenge against Jack and Joan for thwarting his attempts to acquire a valuable gem, and having him locked in jail. As Ralph holds Jack at gunpoint, Tarak throws knives at Ralph, pinning him to a wall. Tarak then appeals for Jack’s help to retrieve a jewel Omar has stolen from Tarak’s people. Jack declines, and his sailboat explodes in the water behind him. Tarak blames Omar for the explosion, and warns that Joan is in danger. Ralph refuses to leave Jack’s side, and the three men fly to Africa. Upon landing, Tarak summons a caravan of camels to take them across the desert to Omar’s palace. Meanwhile, Omar and Joan are warmly welcomed to the palace, and Joan is given permission to explore the grounds. While taking photographs at a bazaar, gunfire explodes around her, and Joan learns of a “jewel” from writings on a wall. When she takes pictures of the writings, her film is confiscated by a gunman. Returning to the palace, Joan asks to leave, but Omar refuses to let her go, and ignores her questions about the jewel. Elsewhere, Jack and Ralph set up camp with Tarak’s colorful nomadic people. Later, Joan witnesses the arrival of a British illusionist and secretly photographs the activities. She overhears Omar’s scheme to fake a miraculous event and secure the loyalty of his people. While exploring, Joan falls through a rooftop and meets a man who introduces himself as “the Jewel.” The man explains that he is the true spiritual leader and rightful emperor, and reveals Omar’s plot to ravage North Africa. Omar enters, and Joan threatens to write the truth about him. However, he claims no one would believe a fantasy writer, and reveals that Jack is dead. Joan is locked in the room with the Jewel, distraught over Jack’s death, but determined to expose the truth about Omar. When Jack and Ralph arrive at the palace and ask to see Joan, they are turned away. Joan and the Jewel manage to escape along a rooftop, and she sees Jack on the street below. As she falls, Jack catches her, and she kisses him. Omar’s men shower them with gunfire, while Tarak and his people storm the village, inciting a battle. Jack, Joan, and the Jewel hide inside a jet, and Jack drives the aircraft through the village, shooting rockets. As tanks pursue them into the desert, they escape, driving through a sandstorm. Elsewhere, Tarak sees Jack and Joan fleeing with the Jewel, and assumes they are kidnapping the holy man. Tarak threatens Ralph, who he assumes is working with Jack. While walking through the desert toward the border, Jack and Joan begin to bicker, and he claims to have only come to the palace to retrieve the Jewel, and not to see her. Joan hides the Jewel’s identity from Jack, and says his name is “Joe.” As Omar’s men continue to pursue and shoot at them, Jack wonders what they are after. They escape over a mountain, and are met by a Nubian tribe. When the chief’s son takes an interest in Joan, Jack is forced to fight him for Joan’s hand. After Jack wins the fight, his love for Joan is renewed, and they are honored with a celebratory fertility ritual. Joan joins in the dancing, and Jack kisses her passionately, then carries her into a tent where they make love. The next day, they continue their journey across the mountains, and Joan confesses that the man is actually the “Jewel of the Nile,” and that the title refers to his status as a holy man. Jack is angry that Joan lied to him. They arrive in a town to board a train to Kadir, but gunmen search for them, and they jump on top of the train to escape. As Joan dangles from the side, Jack comes to her rescue. Meanwhile, Tarak and his cavalry, with Ralph in tow, follow the train on horseback. Joan, Jack and the Jewel enter a train car to find Omar waiting inside. Arriving in Kadir, Omar ties up Jack and Joan, and hangs them over a bottomless pit while rats gnaw at their ropes, mimicking a scene from one of Joan’s novels. Outside, an assembly has gathered where Omar will claim himself to be the new emperor and perform illusions to fool the crowd into believing he is their rightful ruler. As they face certain death, Jack and Joan declare their love for each other, and Jack proposes marriage. Ralph arrives but refuses to save them until they give him the Jewel, but does not believe the tied-up man who claims he is the Jewel. Ralph stumbles, knocking over a ladder, and inadvertently saves Jack and Joan. Outside, Tarak’s men fight Omar’s guards, while Jack and Joan sabotage Omar’s speech. A fire spreads onstage, and the Jewel walks through it, revealing that he is the true spiritual leader. Omar makes a final attack on Joan, but Jack rescues her. The couple shares a passionate kiss. Sometime later, Jack and Joan are married in the desert, and the Jewel performs the ceremony. + −
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