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'Raiders' digs 20 years of fame

© Lon Mills

Indiana Jones - the new hero from the creators of JAWS and STAR WARS. It was 20 years ago June 12, 2001 when that tagline boldly jumped off movie posters in theaters around the country. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and its swashbuckling archaeologist were born.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's hybrid of James Bond and Zorro lit up the summer box office in 1981, making it the number one hit of that year. The film grossed $242 million in the U.S. alone and $383 million worldwide. The domestic gross still stands strong. "Raiders" clocks in at number 18 on the all-time box office gross list, sandwiched between "Toy Story 2" (17) and "Twister" (19).

A hefty box office wasn't all "Raiders of the Lost Ark" claimed for 1981. The film went on to receive eight Academy Award nominations and won five (one being a special achievement award for Sound Effects Editing). During that time "Raiders" was up against some stiff competition. The categories the film fell into included:

* Best Picture - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Reds, Atlantic City, On Golden Pond and Chariots of Fire (winner). * Best Director - Louis Malle, Atlantic City; Hugh Hudson, Chariots of Fire; Mark Rydell, On Golden Pond; Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark; Warren Beatty, Reds (winner). * Best Sound - On Golden Pond, Outland, Pennies From Heaven, Raiders of the Lost Ark (winner) and Reds. * Best Film Editing - Chariots of Fire, The French Lieutenant's Woman, On Golden Pond, Raiders of the Lost Ark (winner) and Reds. * Best Cinematography - Excalibur, On Golden Pond, Ragtime, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Reds (winner). * Best Visual Effects - Dragonslayer and Raiders of the Lost Ark (winner). * Best Art Direction/Set Decoration - The French Lieutenant's Woman, Heaven's Gate, Ragtime, Raiders of the Lost Ark (winner) and Reds. * Best Score - Chariots of Fire (winner), Dragonslayer, On Golden Pond, Ragtime and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

"Raiders" also achieved acclaimed from the Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film by winning Best Fantasy Film, Best Actor (Harrison Ford) and Best Actress (Karen Allen). Spielberg also picked up nominations for Best Director for the Golden Globes and the Director's Guild of America. He claimed a Best Director win from the Boston Society of Film Critics. The movie won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture of 1981, snagged a Best Album of Original Score Grammy award for John Williams, and a Best Comedy screenplay nomination from the Writer's Guild of America.