 Lucas , Huyck , and Katz had been developing Radioland Murders ( 1994 ) since the early 1970s . The opening music was taken from that script and applied to Temple of Doom . Spielberg reflected , " George 's idea was to start the movie with a musical number . He wanted to do a Busby Berkeley dance number . At all our story meetings he would say , ' Hey , Steven , you always said you wanted to shoot musicals . ' I thought , ' Yeah , that could be fun . ' " 
