Karen Allen, in the kingdom of the Sonoma International Film Festival

Actress and festival honoree known for Indiana Jones role to take part in SIFF gender-inequality panel|

'Indiana Jones... I always knew some day you'd come walking back through my door.'

— Marion Ravenwood greets Indiana Jones in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

Imagine being a film actress and counting among your career highlights lead or supporting roles in such films as 'Animal House' (1978), 'The Wanderers' (1979), 'Shoot the Moon' (1982), 'Starman' (1984), 'Scrooged' (1988) and 'In the Bedroom' (2000).

And working with such A-list directors as Paul Newman, John Landis, Todd Field, John Carpenter, Philip Kaufman and Arthur Penn.

That partial list is an incredible movie resume to be sure. But then imagine adding one more highlight to the tally: The role of Marion Ravenwood in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' the swashbuckling Steven Spielberg classic from 1981, considered by some to be the greatest action-adventure in American cinema.

Karen Allen's screen career launched in 1978 with the part of Katy in 'National Lampoon's Animal House' and she's gone on to roles in more than 40 films, including two installments – so far – of the Indiana Jones series, as well as her more recent appearances on stage and behind the camera – as director of the short film 'A Tree. A Rock. A Cloud,' which screened last year at the Cannes Film Festival.

Her career peaks yet again this week, as Allen, 66, is among the esteemed guests of honor this week at the Sonoma International Film Festival. On Saturday, March 24 from 10 to 11 a.m., Allen will take part in a film festival panel focused on 'Reversing Gender Inequality by 2020.'

And as for rumors of a fifth installment of 'Indy,' and whether Marion Ravenwood will be in the story: Allen says production isn't planned to launch until 2019, and Spielberg, George Lucas, et al, are being tight-lipped over any details about which characters will be in the script.

But, she points out, Indiana and Marion get married at the end of 'The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' in 2008.

'So,' quips Allen, 'unless the first scene is Indy standing over my grave…'

We asked Karen Allen about the SIFF gender-inequality panel, the #MeToo movement and, of course, matching Indian Jones step for step as Marion Ravenwood.

Welcome to Sonoma – is this your first stint in wine country?

I did a film here years ago called 'Shoot the Moon,' which Alan Parker directed. We were mostly in Sonoma and Napa and a little bit (in Marin); my character's house was in Stinson. It's been a long time, but it's one of my favorite parts of the country.

Some say the wine's pretty good.

All the vineyards in Sonoma – I was amazed how many of them I've never heard of. I'm only in town for the festival, I was thinking I need to come back and really do a couple of weeks.

You're on the film festival panel about reversing gender inequality. How do you anticipate that discussion going?

We'll talk about our experiences as directors and finding our way in a very male-dominated world – some of the things you come up against as a female director. I've been directing theater for maybe 12 years now and I found out right away that it's a very male-dominated profession as well.

In what ways?

I've come up against some men who, you know, it was just very competitive from the very beginning in terms of – they really had zero interest in my ideas as the director. Which just doesn't fly as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't make any sense. I mean, I'm very happy to listen to everyone's ideas, but you know, I need to have my ideas listened to and considered and ultimately I feel like the director has the last word.

The #MeToo movement has rocked the film industry, with some Hollywood veterans seeming surprised at the abuses toward women, others saying it's been a well-known secret for decades. How much is Hollywood a microcosm for male-female power abuses in larger society?

When I was 17, I moved to New York City and through most of my life as an adult female, I've come up against situations that were always potentially very volatile. I grew up in Washington D.C. and since I was very young I always had a bit of a wise-guy, street-smart attitude toward life. But in the '70s, New York was a little bit more of a dangerous place than it is now. I had people break into my house, I had guns put to my head. I remember having a job when I was 14 – a couple of nights a week after school and on the weekends – and I remember the guy, the boss in that job, sort of trapping me and having to, you know, decide if I was in danger on some level of being forced to – I don't know what he wanted me to do – kiss him or something.

How does a woman deal with that?

I've always sort of felt somehow like it was my responsibility to get myself out of these situations and, hopefully, not put myself in them. I read these stories about people being trapped in hotel rooms (by predatory filmmakers) and I must confess – that was the thing that you did early on was in the '70s and '80s in New York, you often met with directors in hotel rooms. That's what happened. When they came into New York, they would stay at hotels and you'd go and meet with them. I guess I knew early enough on that they should be accompanied by the casting director, and there should be other people in the room.

What if there weren't?

If I ever walked into a hotel room and was just left with the director, I think I would have immediately thought this is not OK. But somebody might be like – well, I don't want to jump the gun here; you're not sure whether you're just projecting. But it is a very embarrassing situation to be in.

Marion Ravenwood would've slugged him.

Marion is super street smart. I mean, (when we first see her running a Nepalese bar in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark') she's in the toughest place I've ever seen. A lot of cutthroats. I remember reading (the script) and thinking, wow, that's one of the best introductions to a character.

You've often played don't-mess-with-me characters.

I wouldn't necessarily have pegged myself for those kinds of characters, but certainly those kind of characters often came my way.

Everyone's seen 'Raiders,' and 'The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' and 'Animal House.' Recommend a film of yours that's below the radar.

I did a 'The Glass Menagerie' (1987), directed by Paul Newman, and acted in it with Joanne Woodward. I particularly love that film because it's Tennessee Williams and I had major admiration for Joanne (Woodward), who I had done the play with twice. So that's certainly one of my favorites. And 'Shoot the Moon' never really got very much attention. It was badly timed. I think they released it around Christmas time

Yes, in which the family splits apart and Albert Finney, the dad, gets beaten up in the final scene by the mom's new boyfriend.

You know, it wasn't really a Christmas movie.

I'm going to ask you a tough question: Tell me a story from shooting 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' that you've never told an interviewer before.

(Pause. Allen puts her head in her hands to think. Long pause.) You know, I've talked about this film a lot over the years…

I guess that was a little too tough. How about something memorable from the film that no one ever asks you about?

(Smiles). I think one of the things that was so extraordinary to me were the British art departments (where much of the interiors were staged) – they were like nothing I had experienced before. They created worlds inside of the studio, kind of like the old Hollywood, you know – the Nepalese bar and the Well of Souls. It was just so exciting to go to work every day.

There was some unforgettable locations.

I must admit, I read the script and didn't quite have a picture of what we were going to be doing. I mean, there we were being thrown into pits with snakes, and then I'm in the catacombs with all these strange creatures falling on me. It was just an incredible experience; you're just learning by the seat of your pants. It was a new world.

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be Indiana Jones. But since he's a fictional archaeologist and I'm the editor of a suburban newspaper chances of that coming to fruition are dimming fast. Speaking with you may be about as close as I'm going to get. So will you say Marion's famous 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' greeting to Indy – to me?

(Smiles) Jason Walsh… I always knew some day you'd come walking back through my door.

Email Jason 'Indiana Jones' Walsh at jason.walsh@sonomanews.com.

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