This episode is a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" parody, in which Magnum is dressed up as Indiana Jones.
Tom Selleck's prior commitment to the series forced him to turn down the role of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). However, production on the series was slated to start in May of 1980, but was delayed by an actors' strike. When the series finally went into production a few months later, "Raiders" had just completed filming. Although this time period would have allowed Selleck to do the movie, Harrison Ford had already been cast in the film by the time the actors' strike began.
Movie connections:
Magnum thinks Peter Riddley-Smythe is reenacting the plot of Nyoka and the Lost Secrets of Hippocrates (1966), a movie made from reediting the movie serial Perils of Nyoka (1942). In Africa, explorer's daughter Nyoka Gordon is searching for the Golden Tablets of Hippocrates, which contain medical knowledge of the ancients. The specific plot Magnum describes is likely from Chapter 2, "Death's Chariot."
Later, Magnum realizes he had the wrong movie, and Connie asks if it is Raiders of Ghost City (1944), another movie serial. Towards the end of the Civil War, a gang of supposed Confederates raids all gold shipments traveling from California to Washington. In Chapter 1, the hero faces almost certain death when he is trapped in a train baggage car that is uncoupled and plunges down a mountain.
Next, Rick thinks it is Perils of Pauline (1933), a movie serial about a scientist and his daughter who travel to Indochina to find an ivory disc that has the formula for a deadly gas engraved on it.
Magnum thinks Peter Riddley-Smythe is reenacting the plot of Nyoka and the Lost Secrets of Hippocrates (1966), a movie made from reediting the movie serial Perils of Nyoka (1942). In Africa, explorer's daughter Nyoka Gordon is searching for the Golden Tablets of Hippocrates, which contain medical knowledge of the ancients. The specific plot Magnum describes is likely from Chapter 2, "Death's Chariot."
Later, Magnum realizes he had the wrong movie, and Connie asks if it is Raiders of Ghost City (1944), another movie serial. Towards the end of the Civil War, a gang of supposed Confederates raids all gold shipments traveling from California to Washington. In Chapter 1, the hero faces almost certain death when he is trapped in a train baggage car that is uncoupled and plunges down a mountain.
Next, Rick thinks it is Perils of Pauline (1933), a movie serial about a scientist and his daughter who travel to Indochina to find an ivory disc that has the formula for a deadly gas engraved on it.
Several times characters use the phrase lost ark by accident instead of lost art, and are corrected by Higgins. This was a play on Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), of which this episode is a parody.
The final line of one scene is a clear reference to what Leslie Neilson says in the cockpit of spoof movie Airplane.
Magnum says "Take off your clothes" She says "this is not the time or place" Magmum says "We need more torches" She says "Why don't you take off your clothes" Magnum says "I saw the movie" She says "what movie" Magnum says "That is not important right now"
Magnum says "Take off your clothes" She says "this is not the time or place" Magmum says "We need more torches" She says "Why don't you take off your clothes" Magnum says "I saw the movie" She says "what movie" Magnum says "That is not important right now"
This story includes many subtle touches that provide the "Indiana Jones" 1930's movie serial theme. One of these include a gasoline truck with the oversized word "GAS" on the side. Another is a stack of boxes of supplies labeled "supplies." There are also a number of classic transitions, such as a "wipe" effect between scenes and a keyhole transition in which the image is reduced to a small circle.
When torturing Higgins they do not use the classic bamboo in the toenails but wooden matches, which would give Higgins the comical classic "hot foot."