DAILY DIRT: Ford’s ‘Indiana Jones’ farewell opens this week

Who will replace him in the next installment of the classic series? … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 650 of The Daily Dirt.

1. The latest “Indiana Jones” movie opens Friday, which has me thinking … which one of the previous Harrison Ford films is the best?

Here’s my thoughts:

Gold medal: “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Ford’s natural mix of moxie and screen presence, not to mention co-star Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, brought the original Indiana Jones film to a vivid life.

“Throw in a hefty dose of Harrison Ford’s charm and vulnerability, and you’ve got a recipe for an enduring masterpiece,” writes Adam Chitwood of collider.com.

Silver medal: “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” This is the film that genuinely evokes comparisons of Indy to James Bond, which is no accident considering Sean Connery served as the perfect co-star. The film is solid from start to finish, albeit a few of the sequences are a bit strained. It’s a quality runner-up, however, to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Bronze medal: “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Kate Capshaw was a welcome addition, but too much reliance on comic relief kept this entry from becoming a classic.

Honorable mention: “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Well, there’s a clunker in every bunch. It’s hard to believe this series could produce such a yawner, but thanks largely to an overabundance of computer-generated special effects it did just that.

Ford has said “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is his final film in the series. That’s easy to understand. He’ll soon be 81. 

It will be hard to watch “Dial of Destiny” without wondering who will replace Ford as Indiana Jones. Here are some of the candidates creating the most buzz:

Bradley Cooper: This may be my No. 1 pick, considering his wide-ranging dossier, including “American Sniper” and “A Star is Born.”

Scott Eastwood: Clint’s son is a rising star in the action film world.

Idris Elba: Another solid pick, probably my No. 2 choice. He may have missed out on James Bond (according to most reports), but I think he would make a great Indiana Jones.

Tom Hardy: Another would-be James Bond, I’m not not sure he would be a good fit. So many of his roles have been so “dark” it might be difficult to flip the switch to providing Indiana Jones’ style of comic relief. 

Ryan Gosling: There are some critics who feel he is the man to follow Ford. My only reservation is whether or not he has established enough of an action background to take over a role that has been 42 years in the making.

2. This week’s happy birthday wishes go to:

• Former NFL quarterback John Elway will be 63 on Wednesday.
• Entrepreneur Elon Musk will be 52 on Thursday.
• Former boxer and general troublemaker Mike Tyson turns 57 on Friday. 
• Actor Jamie Farr, who played Klinger on “M*A*S*H, will be 89 on Saturday.
• NASCAR legend Richard Petty will be 86 on Sunday.

3. Another week, another interesting collection of items “Found on Facebook”:

• “Kids today are soft. I died once when I was 5, and my mom made me walk it off.”
• “When in doubt, always wrap it in bacon.”
• “Stop complaining about your life, There are people literally living in California.”
• “She said her kids have A.D.D. I said, ‘All different daddies.'”
• “How much does a roof cost? Nothing! It’s on the house.”

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Have you ever wondered if memory foam mattresses wish they could forget?