Short Round
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Short Round is Indiana Jones's kid sidekick in the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, often seen sporting a New York Yankees cap. The character was played by Jonathan Ke Quan, his first appearance in a movie. The official site lists his real name as "Wan Li."
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[edit] Background
Short Round is an orphan whose family was killed when the Japanese bombed Shanghai on January 28, 1932. During a visit to Shanghai, Indy caught him trying to pick his pocket, and took it upon himself to help the boy. While the official site gives his age as eleven (the age of the actor and therefore apparent age of the character), adding the age given for his parents' death (Indy claims that he has been on the street since he was four) to the amount of time which has passed since the bombing, he would be seven.
Short Round became close to Indy, and fiercely loyal to him, protecting him from anyone who threatened him. A tough street-fighter, he was able to keep up with Indy when they found themselves in the midst of a dangerous adventure.
[edit] In the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
When Indy and Willie Scott tumble out of the Club Obi-Wan, it is Short Round who is waiting with the getaway car, and who drives through the crowded streets while Indy tries to recover the antidote to a poison he was fed. The three leave China together only to be thrust into an adventure in India.
When they arrive at a poor Indian village, Short Round is the only child present. Indy quickly learns that the village's children were spirited away to the evil Pankot Palace--which has also stolen the village's sacred stone--and the trio of adventurers set off. Short Round is at first delighted to see that the Maharaja of Pankot is close to his own age, but the wealthy boy is distant and haughty. Soon enough, Indy, Willie, and Short Round are drawn to an underground temple which practices human sacrifice. Willie and Short Round are captured while Indy is drugged with "the blood of Kali". It is Short Round, who was forced into slavery in the mines, who learns that the drug-induced spell can be broken by burning. He manages to escape on his own and release Indy from the "sleep of Kali-ma," and together they rescue Willie. In the ensuing fight, Short Round and Indy free the other children, and Short Round realizes that the young Maharaja, with whom he has been fighting, has also been drugged. He releases the other boy, who gives them the information they need to escape from the catacombs. It doesn't work out precisely as planned, and in another scrape involving a high suspension bridge, Indy communicates his escape plans to Short Round and Willie by speaking in Chinese.
[edit] After "Temple of Doom"
Various sources state that in America, Short Round found a new home and family. He still remained in contact with Indy, his "best friend" forever.
[edit] Quotes
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"Wow, holy smokes! Crash-landing!" "Okie-dokie, Dr. Jones, hold on to your potatoes!" "You listen to me more, you live longer!" "Indy, wake up! I love you!" "What's Sankara?" "Bad news." "They crash the plane to make you come here?" "Three aces! I win!" "You make me poor! No fun! Play with you, no fun!" |
"He no nuts; he's crazy!" "Diamonds? Diamonds!" "What's that? Sound like step on fortune cookie." "I step where you step! I touch nothing!" "You call him Dr. Jones, doll!" "Hey lady! You call him Dr. Jones!" "Hey, Dr. Jones! No time for love! We got company!" "No more parachutes!" |
[edit] Trivia
- Short Round appeared as an NPC in Ultima IV.
- A Basic-sized Decepticon Transformer in the Transformers: Cybertron line released in 2006 was also named Shortround. Characterized as a "destructive nerd", the robot bore no outward resemblance to the Indiana Jones character, but the name and bio note made him popular with fans.
- Short Round was parodied on Family Guy: Stewie Griffin the Untold Story when Stewie says that something was worse than that summer he spent in India the movie cuts to a clip where Indie, Willie, and Short Round are in the spike room. He says "Lady only here cause she humping director".
[edit] External links
| The Indiana Jones series | |
|---|---|
| Films | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | The Temple of Doom (1984) |The Last Crusade (1989) | Indiana Jones 4 (2008) |
| Television | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992-1996) |
| Theme Park Attractions | Indiana Jones Adventure (Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea) | Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril (Disneyland Paris) |
| Characters | Indiana Jones | Willie Scott | Marion Ravenwood | Elsa Schneider Marcus Brody | Sallah | Short Round | Henry Jones, Sr. |
| Cast | Harrison Ford | Sean Connery | Corey Carrier | Sean Patrick Flanery | George Hall River Phoenix | John Rhys-Davies | Denholm Elliott |
| Crew | George Lucas | Steven Spielberg | Frank Marshall | John Williams |
