Regie:
Jerry HopperCamera:
Lionel LindonMuziek:
David ButtolphActeurs:
Charlton Heston, Robert Young, Nicole Maurey, Thomas Mitchell, Glenda Farrell, Michael Pate, Leon Askin, William Henry, Edward Colmans, Marion Ross (meer)Samenvattingen(1)
SECRET OF THE INCAS looks terrific with sweeping vistas and wide expanses of Peru's Machu Picchu region. Who better to carry off the familiar role of the avaricious swindler destined to come around and prove hes not such a bad guy after all than Heston? Heston has been stone faced before, but this time hes positively granitelike. In Cuzco, he bilks tourists to come up with the funds to secure an airplane so he can fly up to the Andes. There he believes hell find the fabled treasure of the Incas, a jewel-laden ritual mask known as the "Sunburst." At the same time, a man of equally dubious morals, Mitchell, is also after the same relic. Farrell is a tourist, and Heston gets her to help him nab the plane. Several groups descend on Machu Picchu at the same time. Young is after the mask for quite another reason: he hopes that its discovery might help the local natives get their heritage back. At the site, the various groups get into a fracas. To add to the complications, Maurey, a knockout who happens to be along on the trip, falls for Heston. In the end, Heston gives the Sunburst to the natives, confesses his love for Maurey, and the two leave to spend their lives together. He wants the mask, engages in all sorts of derring-do to get it, then throws it aside for the love of a good woman. Sumac (who everyone at the time thought was a real South American, but who was actually one Amy Camus, a native of New York) has a remarkable five-octave singing voice and does three tunes by Moises Vivanco, "High Andes," "Virgin of the Sun God," and "Earthquake." (officiële tekst van distribiteur)
(meer)Recensie (1)
Quite an interesting film, but despite its 100-minute runtime, there is very little going on. Clearly the best part is Charlton Heston’s creation, whose "Call me Harry" Steele is an adventurer, a con man, a bit of a mannerist tough guy, and a charismatic good-looking guy, from whom Indiana Jones took his wardrobe (including the fedora) in addition to his character. Of the other characters, perhaps only the idealistic archaeologist played by Robert Young and the handsome Nicole Maurey are of interest. The film gets off to a promising start and everything that takes place in Cuzco is perhaps a little reminiscent of Casablanca. After three quarters of an hour, we find ourselves among the Indians in Machu Picchu, we meet a priestess singing at incredible heights, and there's also a villain who wants gold... But that's just a few moments, the rest is rather shallow, the script is unnecessarily "chatty", and you can forget the action scenes... If the film is at least funny at times, it's always thanks to Charlton Heston, who's just spilling some dry lines through his teeth.
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