Secret of the Incas (1954)

Director:

Jerry Hopper

Writers:

Sydney Boehm (story)
Ranald MacDougall (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

6 June 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Plot:

An adventurer searchers for hidden treasure in the Peruvian jungles.

Plot Keywords:

Inca | Native | Hidden Treasure | Peru | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Harry Steele
Robert Young	...	Stanley Moorehead
Nicole Maurey	...	Elena Antonescu
Thomas Mitchell	...	Ed Morgan
Glenda Farrell	...	Mrs. Winston
Michael Pate	...	Pachacutec
Leon Askin	...	Anton Marcu
William Henry	...	Phillip Lang
Kurt Katch	...	Man with rifle
Edward Colmans	...	Col. Emilio Cardoza
Yma Sumac	...	Kori-Tica

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Quechua | Romanian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #14852) | UK:U | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Peru

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

"Secret of the Incas" was the final theatrical film of veteran actor Robert Young, who thereafter moved exclusively into television, where he enjoyed a highly successful career for over 30 years.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The "Starburst" is the size of a dustbin lid, several inches thick and made of solid gold. Yet, not only can an old man with altitude sickness run around holding it with one hand, but Pachacutec at the end can seemingly hold it up above his head indefinitely.

Quotes:

Miss Morris: Most men don't enjoy taking money from women.
Harry Steele: I do. It's the hardest to get, and it smells so good.

Heart and spirit...

It is easy to poke fun at this film, since it has its fair share of silliness, but those who do so completely miss the point - it is an original, and its heart and spirit are in the right place. The more I see it the more I am convinced that Heston was Spielberg's original inspiration for Indiana Jones. Also, the geographical settings and atmosphere are wonderful and of a type that is never seen today. There is certainly no "political correctness" or moralizing about Peruvian poverty, of the sort that would no doubt be rammed down our throats should a remake ever be attempted today. It's just a straightforward adventure story in an unusual setting. I hadn't heard of Yma Sumac before I saw this, but I'm sure she's won legions of admirers from cinema audiences who've seen this film.

This is what film making used to be like fifty years ago. In many ways, it was better then than now. If you haven't seen this film, make sure you catch it the next time it's on TV.