Directed by:
Jerry HopperCinematography:
Lionel LindonComposer:
David ButtolphCast:
Charlton Heston, Robert Young, Nicole Maurey, Thomas Mitchell, Glenda Farrell, Michael Pate, Leon Askin, William Henry, Edward Colmans, Marion Ross, Alvy Moore (more)Plots(1)
Charlton Heston stars as Harry Steele, an American treasure hunter moonlighting as a tour guide in the jungles of Peru. He is on a quest to discover the Sunburst, an ancient Incan treasure that has the power to build and destroy civilizations. Shot on location at Machu Picchu in Peru, the film is often credited as the inspiration for Raiders of the Lost Ark. (Via Vision Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (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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