The Treasure of the Silver Lake (1962)

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.

Director:

Harald Reinl

Writers:

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

Stars:

Pierre Brice, Lex Barker, Herbert Lom

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)

Storyline

In Arkansas, a stagecoach is robbed by Colonel Brinkley's gang. What the gang is really after is a treasure map one of the stagecoach passengers carries. However, Mr. Engel only has half the map. The other half of the treasure map is held by Engel's partner, a Mr. Patterson. Even so, the gang kills Engel and steal his half a map. Later, Fred Engel, the son of the murdered stagecoach passenger, seeks help to find his father's killers and retrieve the map. He contacts famous frontier scout Old Shatterhand and his Apache blood brother Winnetou. The three men set out to catch the killers. Fred Engel reveals to his two friends that his father's missing map pinpoints the location of a gold treasure at Silver Lake. They head toward the farm owned by Mr. Patterson, Engel's business partner. Patterson has the other half of the map and a daughter, Ellen, whom Fred is in-love with. Unfortunately, Colonel Brinkley's gang has the same idea of retrieving the other half of the treasure map, since ...

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Plot Keywords:

lake | treasure | euro western | bare chested male bondage | siege | 

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Taglines:

Lake Of Terror! Battle Of Vengeance!

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Genres:

Western | Adventure

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Details

Country:

West Germany Yugoslavia France

Language:

German

Release Date:

1 November 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Treasure of the Silver Lake

Filming Locations:

Croatia

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 2,900,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rialto Film Preben-Philipsen, Jadran Film, Rialto Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

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 hit-parades in the 1960ies, stayed there for several month and was sold with over 100.00 copies. For that time that was very unusual, especially for a film music-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 Yugoslavia (that doesn't have any Alps, as some foreign critics seem to believe). "Der Schatz im Silbersee" was the first screening of a novel by Karl May set in the American West. Earlier movies after his novels were all set in the Near East.

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Goofs

The mentioned butterfly Papilio polymnestor parinda is from Sri Lanka and not from North America.

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Alternate Versions

When the film was submitted to the FSK, they offered the distributor the choice of either a "Not under 12" rating for the uncut version or a "Not under 6" rating if some fight scenes were removed. Distributor Constantin decided to release the uncut version. However, for the re-release in 1964, some scenes were removed and the film was released with a "Not under 6" rating. Unfortunately, these cuts were done to the original negative and the removed parts were destroyed.

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Connections

Featured in Auf den Spuren Winnetous (2004)

User Reviews

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 .