Caboblanco (1980)

In 1948, an assortment of shady characters are searching for Nazi loot, sunken off the coast of Peru.

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Víctor Andrés Catena (story), Jaime Comas Gil (story) (as Jaime Comas)

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Dominique Sanda

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Gifford Hoyt
Jason Robards	...	Gunther Beckdorff
Dominique Sanda	...	Marie Claire Allesandri
Fernando Rey	...	Police Captain Terredo
Simon MacCorkindale	...	Lewis Clarkson
Camilla Sparv	...	Hera
Gilbert Roland	...	Dr. Rudolfo Ramirez
Denny Miller	...	Horst
James Booth	...	John Baker
Jorge Russek	...	Provincial Minister
Clifton James	...	Lorrimer
Ernest Esparza III	...	Pepe (as Ernest Esparza)
José Chávez	...	Bustamante
Carlos Romano	...	Miguel
Martin LaSalle	...	Aparicio

Storyline

Offshore near Caboblanco, Peru, an explorer of sea wrecks is murdered. However, local authorities decide that the official cause of death is "accidental drowning." Among the skeptical is Giff Hoyt, an expatriate American, longtime Caboblanco resident and popular innkeeper. Giff's interest is further piqued when Marie arrives in town. Her passport is confiscated by the corrupt authority, and Giff protests. Furthermore, a Nazi named Beckdorff lives in a well-fortified compound near town, and he might be responsible for the explorer's death. Beckdorff himself seeks sunken treasure in the area, as well as protection from local interference. Can Giff Hoyt stifle the evil Beckdorff, save the lovely Marie, and possibly even locate sunken treasure?

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | sunken treasure | peru | nazi | expatriate | 

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Taglines:

An epic adventure that explodes at the edge of the world.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Mexico USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cabo Blanco

Filming Locations:

Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arco Films,Cabo Blanco Production Inc.,MVS Televisión

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Veteran Actor Gilbert Roland appears in this movie which has been likened to Casablanca (1942). In the year that Casablanca (1942) was theatrically released, Roland was appearing in Isle of Missing Men (1942) and Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen (1942). Caboblanco (1980) was Gilbert Roland's penultimate film. Barbarosa (1982) was his last.

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Goofs

When the diving device is raised from the deck(at around 3 mins), the winch is rotating in the wrong direction, and when the capsule is lowered into the water, the rotating direction is the same as when lifting.

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Quotes

Gifford Hoyt: I don't want that girl to die here like the Englishman.
Gunther Beckdorff: How can I be responsible, whether she lives or dies? Death comes to us all, Giff, at one time or another. And to die in Caboblanco, well... there's always that colorful cemetery on the beach.
Gifford Hoyt: I'm glad you think it's colorful. Because if anything does happen to that girl... rest in piece.

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Alternate Versions

A much longer version of this film was released in theaters in Europe. The character is featured in several scenes in this version. His entire role was cut out in the shorter American version.

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Connections

Referenced in The Making of Cabo Blanco (1980)

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Soundtracks

The Very Thought Of You
Sung by Nat 'King' Cole
Composed by Ray Noble
Published by Warner Bros Music, a division of Warner Bros, Inc.
Courtesy of Capitol Records

User Reviews

Regular and badly paced USA/Mexican/Spanish coproduction about a variety of shady roles searching for a valuable treasure

An inkeeper : Charles Bronson and an assortment of misfit characters are searching for a nazi treasure with unexpected consequences. This variety of other characters include an ex Nazi officer : Jason Robards , a mysterious French woman : Dominique Sanda , a suspect police chief : Fernando Rey , an adventurer : Simon MacCorkindale , among others .All of them assemble in Peru after WWII and everyone shares a common interest : to find a missing treasure of gold , lost in a ship wreck.

This is an adventure, thriller, suspense movie full of flaws and gaps , dealing with a motley group searching for a Nazi loot sunken off the coast of Peru. The plot sounds familiar as the film results to be a very inferior crossover between Casablanca and The treasure of Sierra Madre , taking parts here and there . Average screenplay by Victor Andres Catena and Jaime Comas Gil with plenty of twists and turns .The main and support cast is frankly excellent though really wasted , giving mediocre interpretations. Bronson plays in his usual wooden style a tough and two-fisted bartender who runs the local watering hole ; Dominique Sanda is a beautiful woman searching for his lover ; Jason Robards plays a nasty Nazi who controls the townsfolk and the police chief well performed by Fernando Rey . Here appears an important plethora of secondary actors as Gilbert Roland , Camila Sparv , Simon MacCorkindale , Clifton James , Anna De Sade and brief appearance by the Spanish Aldo Sambrell . Atmospheric cinematograhy by the Mexican Alex Phillips , being necessary a perfect remastering because of film copy is washed-out. Adequate and sunny scenarios by the expert production designer Jaime Perez Cubero. Evocative musical score by Jerry Goldsmith , but far from his great soundtracks.

The motion picture was regularly directed by J.Lee Thompson . Lee made various Charles Bronson vehicles , both of them got some successes , working in titles as St Ives, White Buffalo , Ten to midnight, Death Wish the crackdown , The evil that men do, Murphy Law , Messenger of death , Kinjite forbidden subjects and this Cabo Blanco . Thompson's greatest hit was Navarone guns as well as MacKenna gold . Rating : 4.5/10 . Mediocre , though the movie will appeal to Charles Bronson fans