Raiders of the Lost Ark but it's only Arnold Ernst Toht

There is a good rivalry between Indiana Jones and René Belloq, but Arnold Ernst Toht was a standout due to his threatening presence and desire to torture.
Instagram: @gabriel_dietrichson
#IndianaJones #RaidersOfTheLostArk

[@nick37104]

It's pretty incredible that Ronald Lacey managed to create probably the best and most diabolical villain in the Indiana Jones series, if not in cinema in general, with a little over five minutes of screen time in a two hour film. Aside from the heroes and Belloq, arguably no one is as memorable from the villains as Lacey, and look at how little he's actually in the film. Hats off.

[@czzp77]

@@wades9327 he had small role but very effective. That's something cinema need.

[@ronaldlaceyfans]

Very well said! 👌

[@harryturner8701]

And face off😂😂😂

[@BrendanCescon]

was just randomly thinking of him, so i looked up this compilation... I'm blown away realizing now how little screentime he had. Amazing.

[@PixarMan2001]

"Always overdressing for the wrong occasion" said the main wearing a three-piece suit in the middle of the desert. I'm surprised he didn't melt right then.

[@navylaks2]

Well eventually he did 🙃🙃

[@LiamDeege]

He melted not from the heat of the fire, but from the Power of God as they say.

[@hamedrahmani9925]

Love the subtleties that the late actor Ronald Lacey brought to the character of Toht. The nervous twitch of the face, the stuttering, the raspy low growl of his speech, his sudden high-pitched vocalizations, the creepy Germanic mannerisms...Toht reeks of demented mental/emotional instability barely held together, a true psychopath...this is all conveyed with relatively little screen time and sparse dialog uefa. Absolutely memorable acting from Mr.Lacey (RIP).

[@ronaldlaceyfans]

He was pretty incredible!

[@Neilapolitan08]

“Overdressing for the wrong occasions?” You’re wearing an all black three piece suit in the Egyptian desert!

[@CraftySouthpaw]

Most unforgettable death in the history of cinema.

[@SanjuroJoe]

Totally was what it was like when I did DMT

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

@@SanjuroJoe what's that

[@callinater6133]

For better or for worse 😱

[@lynnbell6353]

My late husband and I saw “Raiders” when it was released in June of 1981, and like the rest of the audience, we were spellbound! He and I noticed the incredible performance of Ronald Lacey, and it truly stood out in our minds. Though we’d never done such a thing before, on a whim, we sent Mr. Lacey a Christmas card that year. To our utter amazement, he and his wife sent us a card in return-and we continued to exchange cards in succeeding years! Mr. Lacey was British and had been working as a character actor for a decade or so. He was just on the verge of switching careers, since acting paid less than a job as an actors’ agent! He decided to accept one more role in the upcoming “Raiders” movie since it was predicted to become a megahit-and the rest is history! The evil yet darkly witty Toht is unforgettable, and the melting face end sequence is one of the most famous of all time! I’m sorry that my husband and I didn’t get a chance to meet Mr. Lacey in person. As with all famous movie villains, (Karloff, Lugosi, Lorre, Price), he was the nicest person imaginable in real life. He even sent us a lovely signed photo of himself in a London stage “panto” role as a melancholy Victorian clown. Lacey was only in his thirties when he played Toht, but the producers and Spielberg wanted him to look older, so they shaved the top of his head! And yes, in that black suit and hat on a desert island, he was really as hot as he looked! It’s a miracle that he didn’t have a heat stroke! In conclusion, I’m very sorry to say that Mr. Lacey passed away in the early 1990s from the effects of a lifelong illness. May he rest forever in loving memory. I’m so grateful that we had the privilege to know him. ❤️🖤❤🖤❤️🖤

[@RawrDinosaurgrr]

Thank you for this lovely story.He’s very special to me too. ❤

[@ethanporter3179]

Major Toht is indeed most Terrifying villian in Indiana Jones

[@nathancruz9172]

1:16 he reminds me of judge doom sometimes.

[@ethanporter3179]

​​​​@@nathancruz9172kinda a little 1:16

[@ethanporter3179]

1:34 I love this when he screams 😂😂😂😂

[@ethanporter3179]

1:41 Goofball freaking out in the snow 😂😂😂😂

[@agentzurg3592]

I actually noticed Arnim Zola human body in First Avengers was super familiar to another Nazi film. Who had more darkest and cruel personality.

[@dennisjansson6239]

4:42 I like that Toht are calm & dosent react to the exploding lamps.

[@seanposey2264]

Lacey gave a master class in acting with this role.

[@rebelfriend765]

I like to think that Toht looks up at 4:07 because he’s actually impressed somewhat with Belloq’s gamble. Toht’s background with interrogation techniques would’ve likely meant he’s used to dealing with people and being in tough spots (such as having a rocket propelled grenade pointed at you). Belloq is a man that Toht is shown to have very little respect for. While Belloq doesn’t quite understand how Toht’s mind works, Toht probably thinks Belloq to be just some bumbling archaeologist with no use in combative, conflict situations. When the situation becomes dire as Indy threatens to blow up the ark, Toht cares very little because with Marion in his clutches he still has all the cards in his hands. However when the bumbling French archeologist decides to up the ante and creates a window to capture both of the meddling Americans, Toht decides to take a look seeing if the Frenchman’s gamble will pay off. I’d like to think this became a moment of mutual respect between Toht and Belloq.

[@trolololotrololo853]

he still laugh at him when he opened the arc later xd

[@1980StarWarsGuy]

I like how in some scenes, Toht is presented as a force to be reckoned with, however when faced with a legitimate threat he cowers, as if he has "bitten off much more he can chew", which makes sense considering the only sequences he seems properly unsettling is in The Raven and the tent sequences, as he is trained in interigating and torture and has no experiance in supernatural business or archeoligy and has no interest in the Ark

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

Fun fact: that’s not the actor who plays Toht with the Life Magazine. That’s effects wiz Dennis Muren who happened to resemble Ronald Lacey enough for the magazine shot. 😆

[@joevictor53]

Although, he's not playing Toht in that scene. Muren himself said he wasn't standing in for Ronald Lacey

[@nathancruz9172]

0:03-0:17 I should’ve known that.

[@Ad-fu6tj]

Exactly, that's probably some Nazi spy. I think some people might remember it was Toht because of LEGO IJ game where it was actually him

[@samalvey8168]

It is actually somewhat historically inaccurate for a Gestapo agent like Toht to be assigned to a project like seeking the Ark as they were focused on the internal security of Nazi Germany, though I suspect that he was there to make sure that the Nazis overseeing the dig were truly loyal to Hitler rather than planning to abscond with the artefact.

[@PU8698]

Maybe he was also in the SS Ahnenerbe? Not sure if you could be in Ahnenerbe and Gestapo at the same time though

[@Garl_Vinland]

I don’t think he ever explicitly states he’s gestahppo

[@samalvey8168]

@@Garl_Vinland No, but he wears the typical uniform. All-black, fedora, trenchcoat.

[@PU8698]

@@samalvey8168 I just went through the wiki, and it states that he was a Sturmbannführer in the Gestapo and that he was sent to Nepal by "The Third Reich Special Antiquities Collection", which was either a part of the Ahnenerbe or a rival to it.

[@navylaks2]

Yeah, that was the most inaccurate part of the movie 🙃🙃

[@KendraWilloughby-ob2ny]

its pretty incredible that Ronald lacey managed to create probably the best and most diabolical villain in the Indiana Jones series if not in cinema in general with a little over five minutes of screen time in a two hour film aside from the heroes and how little he's actually in the film hats off

[@BM-vi5hk]

Ronald Lacey's performance is a homage to the late, great Hungarian/German/American character actor Peter Lorre (1904-1964)-- the soft but menacing German accent, the pale moon face, the facial twitching, the high pitched laughter. In fact, Raiders takes place in 1936, which was the year after Lorre came to America and introduced film goers to his unique and unforgettable characterizations. A year later he would debut as Mr. Moto, but it wasn't until he signed with Warner Brothers in 1942 that he began a string of unforgettable roles with Humphrey Bogart, Sidney Greenstreet, et al. Lacey's performance as Arnold Toht echoes Lorre's role as the Baron in "Invisible Agent"-- both characters are mild mannered yet psychopathic torture enthusiasts. Lacey was a formidable character actor in his own right.

[@dragonzilla6482]

I think Toht is my favourite Indiana Jones villain.

[@LiamDeege]

Same here!

[@goodsonicfan5016]

This guy is the creepiest character in the franchise!

[@nathancruz9172]

5:08 especially the face melting.

[@paulkenney700]

because he was the best actor

[@osmanyousif7849]

And has the most creepiest death…

[@agentzurg3592]

R.I.P Ronald Lacey (1935- 1991)✋🪦🔥🙏

[@nathancruz9172]

1:34-1:37 way before, Harry got his 🖐🏻 🔥 on the doorknob in home alone.

[@zacharyloizides6453]

Toht & Him Both Ronald Lacey Arnold Ernst Toht Joe Pesci Harry Lyme

[@omarhabrawi4156]

Toht is the secondary antagonist of Raiders of the Lost Ark

[@agentzurg3592]

True, but Toht was the most focused on his objective to find the Ark and deliver it to Hitler while, Belloq was simply the hired help who interested in its power and claim his Trophy which was both Marion and The power of Ark.

[@bobbylee2853]

@@agentzurg3592Belloq was the Vichy collaborator.

[@ArditThePhysicalMediaGamer06]

5:07 this traumatized me when I was little and I thought it was Freddy Kreuger for a minute

[@EngPheniks]

RIP Ronald Lacey, the man who immortalized a scene that gave every 1980s and 1990s kid his worst nightmare.

[@allosaurus5401]

2:57 cut scream

[@navylaks2]

The most remarkable thing is he was about to quit acting, and then he had to be convinced to take this role, and it ended up renewing his career.

[@RawrDinosaurgrr]

Anthony Hopkins was going to stop acting before silence of the lambs also. I thank God neither of them stopped!❤

[@chasefreak]

The Life magazine cover is legit-dated Nov. 30, 1936

[@davidholman48]

Yet such a sweet man in real life. RIP Ron.

[@johnn278]

Brilliant acting! Underated actor, gone too soon R.I.P.

[@Dannymart_88445]

You forgot the last part where his body is carried by the fire

[@GabrielD2002]

Was that him? I always thought it was someone else.

[@Dannymart_88445]

@@GabrielD2002 yep that's him. You can tell by the trenchcoat

[@ArnoldTohtFan]

@@Dannymart_88445 I'm pretty sure that was just a random soldier.

[@jakestumm4101]

I think it’s Belloq. He was dressed as a Levite Priest and personally desecrated the Ark by opening it and performing the ritual. At least I think lol

[@CosmoKraemer]

@@jakestumm4101 can’t be beloq, his head exploded. If you look at the body in the flames it has white wrist collars which Toht also has and it looks like he’s wearing all black so it’s him.

[@Sancho_Retablez]

I'm sure 1:36 works like an omen or an anticipation of 5:05

[@hamedrahmani9925]

Oh absolutely. Even I noticed that as a kid. His early scream is bad enough; his death scream is horrific.

[@tonnhawchannel3789]

You forgot the scene where he's entering the plane(before 0:01)

[@toddjones1480]

That and the first clip aren't Toht, just Nazi Spy.

[@JAKECOT_CENTER]

I feel like this guy inspired Slugworth and Judge Doom

[@omarhabrawi4156]

Toht was actually in the movie for around 8 or 9 minutes because there was the truck chase scene where you can see him a bit

[@Spider-Man-bb2ef]

1:34 HIS SCREAM WHEN HE BURNED HIS HAND😂

[@YourLocalGummiBearsFan]

1:35

[@LiamDeege]

Toht is my favorite villain in the whole franchise of Indiana Jones! The amount of times I have quoted him…..

[@peterdavies2960]

He also plays the baby eating Bishop Of Bath & Wells in the Elizabethan Blackadder 😂

[@danishmorgan22]

0:08 I get this dramatic cue on my mind everytime some badguy enters the train or room I'm in! RIP Ronald Lacey, one of the many, many legends who have participated in this beautiful movie, one of the best ever made!

[@maxfrankow1238]

Knowing he reported directly to Hitler made him even scarier.

[@iamrys5940]

Ronald Lacy put his A game in this role. Toht is such an intimidating and creepy villain. His voice, his appearance, his mannerisms, twitching and sadistic enjoyment all bring the traits of a perfect sociopathic villain. Even at 3:40 when he wipes the top of his head says everything. It’s almost like he’s trying too hard to act human when he’s really not. Probably one of the most memorable villains ever. Reminds me of Judge Doom.

[@Andrew_Anderson_]

That guy scares me, but I like him.

[@ambermeanswell]

I wish he would have had more screen time. I really enjoyed his character. He was more than effective with the little screen time he had but I want more. 😅

[@jrcasselman]

Given his complexion, I cannot help but wonder if Toht had Syphilis.

[@LTDANMAN44]

THIS DUDE HAD THE BEST LINES

[@Writer67]

The first scene is not to be meant to feature Toth. It is actually Special Effects Master Denis Murren on the plane as a nazi spy.

[@rohanyamid]

I remember how I used to say "Now, what shall we talk about?" because Lacey delivered it in such a cool, badass way, and then my brother explained to me how saying that can be socially awkward since it puts too much pressure on starting a conversation

[@itzmidnightkitty]

1:51 damn strong grip

[@HollywoodLego]

I always preferred him over Belloq. Just because of his creepy personality, and a seemingly smarter villain. Especially how he handled Marion. Belloq fell for her charm immediately.

[@leviathan9865]

his drip was wild

[@nathanielalcazar05]

Avoid the enemies Me: time for the suit up 1-2-3 Magical Source Mystic Force (Galwit Mysto Ranger)

[@francolive5718]

Got his comeuppance pretty much throughout the movie

[@topskek9786]

funny when he laughed at the dust in the ark

[@paulkenney700]

laugh in an episode of Porridge where Lacey screamed on a wrist break - few years before this

[@jerometripier-mondancin2312]

The first character behind LIFE magazine is NOT Toht, but another character performed by Dennis Murren

[@mrmosty5167]

3:45 What's the matter Toht Bag?! Too hot for ya?!

[@joeb6853]

Ronald Lacy the best of this movie. He was in Firefox film with Clint Eastwood

[@jjayflash]

I always thought he was the real villain in this movie.

[@peterdavies2960]

Baron Heinrich Von Ludendorff’s grandson 😂

[@mikeypine6854]

For the record, that first scene where Indy flies to Nepal is not Ronald Lacey. That’s just a nazi spy who only showed up on the plane

[@BM-vi5hk]

Different glasses

[@Christopher_hall_theatre]

Yep different glasses

[@paulkenney700]

imagine the film was like this - like WTF

[@one7decimal2eight]

Great movie but that rpg did not exist in the 1930s.

[@YourLocalGummiBearsFan]

Fun Fact: Raiders of The Lost Ark Was Banned in Germany Due to The Film Using Nazi Symbols

[@bobbylee2853]

Nine.

[@bluearmyspidey6283]

What about last crusade

[@TheBestFriendscoltd]

Rated PG huh

[@caseycarr3339]

Typical gestapo. They can dish it out but they sure can’t take it.

[@yellowgetbright]

Toht to me is the best Nazi villain in the Indy franchise. Sadistic, slimy bastard with a memorable death and accent.