Treasure of Silver Lake (1962) Der Schatz im Silbersee (original title)

Director:

Harald Reinl

Writers:

Karl May (novel)
Harald G. Petersson (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 November 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Adventure

Tagline:

Indian Gold! Blood-Red Fury!

Plot:

In their first cinematic adventure, Apache chief Winnetou and mountain man Old Shatterhand pursue a gang of murderous outlaws who will stop at nothing to find the legendary treasure of Silver Lake. |

Plot Keywords:

Local Blockbuster | Murder | Treasure Map | Spaghetti Western | Lake

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Lex Barker	...	Old Shatterhand
Herbert Lom	...	Colonel Brinkley
Götz George	...	Fred Engel
Karin Dor	...	Ellen Patterson
Marianne Hoppe	...	Mrs. Butler
Eddi Arent	...	Lord Castlepool
Ralf Wolter	...	Sam Hawkens
Sima Janicijevic	...	Patterson (as Jan Sid)
Ilija Ivezic	...	Hilton
Mirko Boman	...	Gunstick Uncle
Branko Spoljar	...	Doc Jefferson Hartley
Milivoj Stojanovic	...	Knox
Slobodan Dimitrijevic	...	Rollender Donner
Jozo Kovacevic	...	Grosser Wolf
Velimir Chytil	...	Woodward (as Velimir Hitil)
Pierre Brice	...	Winnetou
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hans-Walter Clasen	...	Hilton (voice) (uncredited)
Josef Dahmen	...	Hartley (voice) (uncredited)
Rudolf Fenner	...	Knox (voice) (uncredited)
Uwe Friedrichsen	...	Großer Wolf (voice) (uncredited)
Benno Gellenbeck	...	Woodward (voice) (uncredited)
Sime Jagarinac	...	Chief Osagen (uncredited)
Erwin Linder	...	Patterson (voice) (uncredited)
Rolf Mamero	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Gerd Martienzen	...	Gunstick Uncle (voice) (uncredited)
Vladimir Medar	...	Saloon-Wirt (uncredited)
Antun Nalis	...	Bruns (uncredited)
Horst Niendorf	...	Old Shatterhand (voice) (uncredited)
Herbert Stass	...	Winnetou (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Harald Reinl

Writing credits
Karl May		(novel)
Harald G. Petersson		(screenplay) (as H.G. Petersson)

Produced by
Erwin Gitt	....	executive producer
Zvonko Kovacic	....	executive producer
Horst Wendlandt	....	producer

Original Music by
Martin Böttcher

Cinematography by
Ernst W. Kalinke

Film Editing by
Hermann Haller

Production Design by
Dusan Jericevic

Costume Design by
Irms Pauli

Makeup Department
Charlotte Kersten	....	makeup artist (as Charlotte Schmidt-Kersten)
Willi Nixdorf	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Erwin Dräger	....	unit production manager
Leif Feilberg	....	production manager
Stipe Gurdulic	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Slavko Andres	....	assistant director
Charles Wakefield	....	assistant director
Radenko Ostojic	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Erik Molnar	....	sound

Special Effects by
Erwin Lange	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Bergmayer	....	assistant camera
Branko Ivatovic	....	director of photography: second unit
Evo Dycke	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irms Pauli	....	costume advisor

Other crew
Gerhard F. Hummel	....	consultant (as Piet Ter Ulen)
Erich Schütze	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Rialto Film Preben-Philipsen (as Rialto Film Preben Philipsen)
• Jadran Film
• Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC)

Distributors

• Exportfilm Bischoff & Company (1962) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Constantin Film (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Planet Film Productions (1962) (UK) (theatrical)
• VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb (1984) (East Germany) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2005) (Germany) (DVD) (Karl May DVD collection)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Video Film Express (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Karl May's Winnetou Collection Vol. 3)

Also Known As:

"Der Schatz im Silbersee" - West Germany (original title)
"The Treasure of Silver Lake" - International (English title) (imdb display title)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

West Germany | Yugoslavia | France

Language:

German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | West Germany:6 (cut) (1964) (nf) | Germany:6 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:AL (2006) (DVD) | West Germany:12 (uncut) (1962)

Filming Locations:

Grobnicko polje, Croatia

Company:

Rialto Film Preben-Philipsen

Trivia:

This was the very first movie to receive the "Golden Screen" (Goldene Leinwand) for having over 3 million visitors within 12 months. It was awarded on 22 January 1964 at the Mathäser-Filmpalast, Munich. The movie also received the Bambi-award 1963 as best box-office-production, handed over on 19 April 1964 at the Schwarzwaldhalle, Karlsruhe. The movie also received a sum of 200.000 DM from the Federal Ministry of the Interior in 1963 as movie-prize. The main title by composer Martin Böttcher, the "Old Shatterhand-Melodie" was the most successful track in German hitparades in the 1960ies, stayed there for several month and was sold with over 100.00 copies. For that time that was very unusual, espcecially for a filmmusic-track without any singers. The music was played by members of the symphony-orchestra of the NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk = North German Radio). The theme later also was recorded as vocal track by several singers, including a version by the movie's actor Pierre Brice (Winnetou). The set-location was in former Yugoslavia (that doesn't have any Alps, as some foreign critics seem to believe). "Der Schatz im Silbersee" was the first filmisation of a novel by author Karl May set in the American West. Earlier movies after his novels were all set in the Near East.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The mentioned butterfly Papilio polymnestor parinda is from Sri Lanka and not from North America.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Auge in Auge - Eine deutsche Filmgeschichte (2008)

Colorful Schnitzel/Gibanica Western co-produced between Germany and Yugoslavia

First entry of a string based on the famous saga about Karl May novel inspired by Fenimore Cooper with the ordinary Pierre Brice as Apache leader and the serious Lex Barker as a German adventurer , being well produced by great producer Horst Wendlandt . This was the first shooting of a novel by author Karl May set in the American West and his earlier movies after his novels were all set in the Near East . Glimmer and exciting Western that contains adventures , action , crossfire and gorgeous Yugoslavian exteriors magnificently photographed and in which take place the emotive meeting between Winnetou (Pierre Brice) and a bearded Old Shatterhand (Lex Barker) , being subsequently replaced by Old Surehand (Stewart Granger) . This is a thrilling and stirring adventure based on Karl May novel with two agreeable characters as Old Shatterhand and Winnetou , being stunningly played by Lex Barker as an expert scout and Pierre Brice as an Apache chief respectively . Old Shatterhand and Winnetou investigate the murder of a man at a stagecoach , being committed by a greedy outlaw named The Colonel (Herbert Lom) supported by his hoodlums . The stagecoach's passenger had a map that describes the treasure of Silver Lake and his son named Fred Engel (Gotz George) sets out in pursuit the murderers . Fred befriends Old Shatterland and Winnetou who along with the usual , the butterfly hunter named Lord Castlepool (Eddi Aren't) and Sam Hawkens (Ralf Wolter) set off in seek for treasure and chase the killers . Meanwhile , Fred saves and falls in love with Ellen Patterson (a gorgeous Karin Dor , director's wife who will follow playing other characters in various episodes) . Later on , there takes place a spectacular assault on a fort, a fighting between Shatterland and an Indian chief and a spectacular climax at Silver Lake.

This is an acceptable episode about one of the series of popular German made Western , featuring the intimate duo formed by valiant ¨Old Shatterhand¨ who agrees to guide the revolt against outlaws located at Indian territory and immortal ¨Winnetou¨ , both of them will repeat their same notorious roles as dignified as always . There appears Pierre Brice as noble Apache chief , he was hired in 1962 when the German producer Horst Wendlandt searched for an actor who should play the Native American chief Winnetou and got to know Brice at the Berlin Film Festival , as he got the role and portrayed "Winnetou" in ten more movies with his co-star Lex Barker as "Old Shatterhand" . These very successful productions made him a superstar in Germany, winning several awards such as Bambi or the Golden Otto . Although appearing on countless other movies and TV shows, he will always be best remembered as "Winnetou", whom he also played at theater. Highlights of the movie are the spectacular attack at a fort and the final scene in Silver Lake . This enjoyable saga benefits from sensational adventures , shootouts , action , emotion , larger-than-life characters and spectacular scenarios ; set-location was in former Yugoslavia , as Grobnicko Polje, Croatia , Paklenica National Park, Plitvice, Croatia and Hamburg, Germany . The immutable and incombustible Winnetou-Pierre Brice plays , as usual, his excellent and unforgettable role to be continued in a TV series . Lex Barker scored especially high marks , though he played as a serious and intelligent man who joins forces with Winnetou , while Stewart Granger as Old Surehand performs with humor and joy , he's the perfect counterpoint to Winnetou . Enjoyable relationship between Old Shatterhand/Lex Barker and Old Surehand/Stewart Granger along with Winnetou/Pierre Brice is quite match . The highbrow Lex Barker played most part of series : ¨Apache gold (1963)¨ by Harald Reinl , ¨Apaches last Battle(1964)¨ by Hugo Fregonese , ¨Last of renegades(1964)¨ , ¨The desperate trail¨, being succeeded by Stewart Granger : ¨Old Surehand¨ (1965) directed by Alfred Vohrer, ¨Rampage at Apache Wells or ¨Der Olprinz¨ by Harald Philipp . Stewart Granger as Old Surehand took the role in three occasions , he starred a diverse character but the role is pretty similar to Old Shatterland , he plays with mirth and liking manner but in ironic tone , almost parody style , as ¨Among vultures¨ and ¨Winnetou and Surehand¨ . Besides Rod Cameron starred only one : ¨Old Firehand¨ in which chemistry between stuffy Cameron and Brice is inexistent .

This time the support cast is top-notch such as Götz George (The Deathmaker) , the gorgeous Karin Dor (Topaz) and special mention to excellent villain Herbert Lom (Inspector Clouseau) . The film displays a colorful and rousing cinematography by Kalinke . Catching , sensitive musical score by Martin Bottcher , series' ordinary , and achieved super-retails , being eventually replaced in some episode by Peter Thomas . The "Old Shatterhand-Melodie" was the most successful track in German hit parades in the 1960s ; the theme later also was recorded as vocal track by several singers, including a version by the movie's actor Pierre Brice . The film achieved a successful box office and was the very first movie to receive the "Golden Screen" for having over 3 million visitors within 12 months . The motion picture produced by Rialto Productions (by producer Wendlandt who was subsequently succeeded by Arthur Brauner) was professionally directed Harald Reinl who directed various Karl May episodes and was a German thriller expert called Krimi - Edward Wallace adaptation . Rating : 6'5/10 , acceptable and passable first installment . Worthwhile seeing for marvelous scenarios and breathtaking outdoors from Yugoslavia including breathtaking falls , canyon , rivers , lake and mountains; all of them as spectacular as Almeria- Spain- outdoors where at the same time were shot numerous European Western .