When Does "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984) Take Place?
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" is a crime? historical fiction film written by George Lucas with Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz that released May 23rd, 1984. So when is "Temple of Doom" set?
It takes place in the year:
We know this because Chattar Lal says, "The British worry so about their empire. Makes us all feel like well-cared for children." just before sitting down to dinner with Doctor Indiana Jones, Captain Phillip Blumburtt, and Maharajah Zalim Singh at Pankot Palace in India. Britain owned the majority of what is now India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Myanmar under a real-world governmental control structure called the British Raj that only existed from June 28th, 1858 AD to July 18th, 1947 AD. So it must be before July of 1947 AD.
1935 AD
We know this because Chattar Lal says, "The British worry so about their empire. Makes us all feel like well-cared for children." just before sitting down to dinner with Doctor Indiana Jones, Captain Phillip Blumburtt, and Maharajah Zalim Singh at Pankot Palace in India. Britain owned the majority of what is now India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Myanmar under a real-world governmental control structure called the British Raj that only existed from June 28th, 1858 AD to July 18th, 1947 AD. So it must be before July of 1947 AD.
Also, Dr. Jones says, "Shorty's family were killed when the Japanese bombed Shanghai. He's been living on the streets since he was 4." about Wan Li/Short Round. The Japanese Imperial Army bombed Shanghai in mid to late February of 1932 AD as part of a real-world military operation called the January 28 incident or Shanghai incident. So it must be after February of 1932 AD.
(HOWEVER, there is second instance of the Japanese bombing the city of Shanghai, during the Battle of Shanghai in August of 1937 AD to November of 1937 AD. It is possible Jones is referring to this and the story takes place years later.)
Short Round appears to be a tween he must be somewhere between ages of 9-years-old to 14-years-old and was orphaned in February of 1932 AD.
9 - 4 = 5
or
14 - 4 = 10
and
1,932 + 5 = 1,937
to
1,932 + 10 = 1,942.
Furthermore, in the very first scene of the movie on a red time and place setting title card appears superimposed over the footage that reads: "SHANGHAI, 1935".
It is the earliest chronological film series in the Indiana Jones universe and can be watched at its timeline point.
It was adapted to prose in 1984 and to comics as "Marvel Super Special" #30 in late 1984.
v
