Secret of the Incas

source: Secret of the Incas

I first saw this movie in my early teens to say the the beautiful pic of Peru took my breath away would be and understatement. I have been waiting for it to be put to DVD for years!! I had hoped that since they release the CD soundtrack for it the movie would be coming soon after... unfortunately no such luck ..... I believe that a lot of the old movies have great story and actors and it's a shame that the kids now can appreciate the good older movie even if the wanted too there not out to see on VHS or DVD but if given the chance to see this it great actors like chuck Heston could show a lot of new actor how to play a role

Spoiler alert. This is the missing link between "Only Angels Have Wings" and Indiana Jones. Charlton Heston creates the hard drinking, unshaven, take women or leave 'em archetypal pilot, right down to his worn leather flight jacket and khaki pants. Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford should send him a case of Pisco, Peruvian hard liquor that tastes like gasoline, in gratitude. Charlton also seduces older tourist women on the side, for fun and profit! The high point for me was the colorful native ritual dance, complete with men in pink tutus, shot on location at Macchu Picchu. This movie was made back when you could do anything you wanted, at any sacred site you wanted. Just when I thought it couldn't get any gayer, Yma Sumac pops up out of nowhere, singing "Babalu" in her unique style. Thomas Mitchell, an old hand at chewing scenery from Stagecoach, Gone With The Wind and Only Angels Have Wings, returns to the Andes to ham it up as Heston's seedy competitor. The French woman of questionable virtue and Robert Young are given little to do. This movie is a true Bigfoot, and it deserves to be re-released. BC

This is the most disappointing Heston film I've seen, redeemed only by the scenery and Yma Sumac's singing. The sound on my recording wasn't great and I wasn't clear why Elena Antonescu was so important a refugee. She may have arrived in Peru with very little money but she was very well dressed, even after she had changed into clothing more suitable for her flight; thus she joined the long list of women able to retain their glamour despite arduous conditions. At least we were spared the cliché of her being frightened by wild life though Heston did get to spy on her as she bathed (not in a jungle pool, but indoors). Heston's character is far from likable and there was no-one much else to empathise with; Robert Young's archaeologist was very likable until he proposed marriage to Elena. (Sad old man.) Another commentator has noted how the gold starburst seems very lightweight, and early on in the film I noted a reference to it weighing 30 pounds, which makes the elderly Mitchell's flight even more athletic. That was just about the only action in the film.

This film has been called the predecessor of "Indiana Jones" and indeed, Charleton Heston has a very similar costume. The film holds up rather well, and it is uplifted by the glorious singing of Yma Sumac. Miss Sumac, who I will agree is an acquired taste, sings several amazing numbers in the course of the film, as well as singing over the opening and closing credits. The film also has some surprising sexual innuendo between Mr. Heston and Glenda Farrell. The Technicolor is good and there is good native atmosphere (the film was partly filmed on location). All in all, this is an interesting film with good 50's atmosphere and some amazing music.

Secret of the Incas proved to be Peru's best wind fall for increased tourism in 1954. The one element that made this an excellent film was the shroud of mystery that the photography captured (especially night scenes) of a really spiritual place. The exotic sounds of Yma Sumac along with the photography made this film almost spooky. That was the feeling I had coming out of the theater in 1954 when I was just 14 years old. This knock off of the book, "Secret of the Andes" (very little similarity), kept enough of the archaeological flavor (discovery of Incan mummy burial sites)to make it scantly believable. I have seen this film a total of three times and would own a VHS or DVD copy if there was one. To date I have yet to find any copy available. Maybe cable TV will air this fine old movie treasure.

For those who have suggested that Indiana Jones was based on Heston's character in this movie, you are wrong, but not that far off. Jones was loosely based on Hiram Bingham, the Yale explorer who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911. Bingham, a very interesting character, later became a U.S. Senator. I don't know what movie everyone else was watching, but this one is on my short list of worst films I have ever seen. I have been to Machu Picchu and Cuzco ---and I thought this was an insult to Incan/Peruvian culture. The plot is predictable, the acting mediocre, and as someone else pointed out, Steele turning into a good guy at the end is a cop out.

Stinkin' Incan tripe starring everybody's favorite bad actor, Chuckleton Messton. Messton is a cocky Peruvian guide who caters to people with names like Morris who have lots of money while concomitantly dissing people with names like Morgan who are considered crud in this cruddy flick. Not much happens for eons until another burro wanders into a scene to up-stage the actors... again. It's a rather bad film when the jackasses are more interesting than the characters in the story. Add this movie to your list of stuff to watch after you've run out of Sominex.... you really have to make sure you're stocked up on those sleeping pills so viewing garbage like this won't be necessary.

There is no secret here or rather nothing to be gained unless you enjoy watching caricatures of what Peruvians are really like. One need to only see the actors in the film to realize that the movie has no Peruvian actors except for Yma Sumac who plays the "exotic" female for all to gaze at. Some might see this movie as an early Indiana Jones type film and this is true. Western Archaeologist playing God and thinking he's going to save someone else's "dead" culture by taking that which is sacred to them. I think of movies like Laurence of Arabia, King Kong or any Indian Jones film when watching this film. One film I would suggest that has any pertinence of reality would be Aguirre: The Wrath of God.

This movie always amazes me that it has escaped notice. In it we have the prototypical Indiana Jones right down to the five o'clock shadow, fedora, and leather jacket. I read one time about the costume designer fretting so mightily over the IJ costume and wondered if they had seen this movie and subconsciously used the character of Harry Steele for their template. The similarity is amazing and Charlton Heston does a great job of keeping this movie alive and out of the ditches. One almost wishes that Lucas/Indiana would remake this movie, updated with today's visual effects, and add it to their library of plots. Didn't we all think the openings of the Indiana series represented great story lines of their own? Here's their chance to get back to South America and flesh out the opening of the first film. This movie, the 'Secret of the Incas', is a fine film that would carry well with a bit of refreshing. An overlooked gem for certain.