Secret of the Incas
| Secret of the Incas | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Jerry Hopper |
| Produced by | Mel Epstein (associate) Hal B. Wallis (executive) |
| Written by | Sydney Boehm Ranald MacDougall Boehm Maximum |
| Starring | Charlton Heston Robert Young Nicole Maurey Thomas Mitchell Glenda Farrell Yma Sumac |
| Music by | David Buttolph |
| Cinematography | Lionel Lindon Irma Roberts |
| Editing by | Eda Warren |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 6, 1954 |
| Running time | 100 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English, some Quechua, Romanian, and Spanish |
Secret of the Incas is a 1954 adventure film starring Charlton Heston as adventurer Harry Steele, on the trail of an ancient Incan artifact.
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- Charlton Heston as Harry Steele, adventurer
- Robert Young as Stanley Moorhead
- Nicole Maurey as Elena Antonescu
- Thomas Mitchell as Ed Morgan
- Glenda Farrell as Mrs. Winston
- Yma Sumac as Kori-Tika
[edit] Plot
An Incan legend states that the Inca Empire was destroyed by the gods when a gold and jeweled starburst was stolen from the Temple of the Sun centuries ago, and that the ancient civilization will be reborn once the treasure is returned. Harry Steele (Charlton Heston), an American adventurer, is seeking the artifact, as is his nemesis Ed Morgan (Thomas Mitchell), along with Elena Antonescu (Nicole Maurey), an Iron Curtain refugee.
[edit] Production
Secret of the Incas was filmed by Paramount Pictures on location in Peru at Cuzco and Machu Picchu, the first time that a major Hollywood studio filmed at this archeological site. Five hundred native Indians were used as extras in the film.[1] The film also featured the Peruvian singer Yma Sumac as Kori-Tica. The film caused a surge in tourism to Peru in 1954.
[edit] Influence on Raiders of the Lost Ark
The film is often cited by film buffs as a direct inspiration for the Indiana Jones franchise of films, with many of the scenes in Secret of the Incas bearing a striking resemblance in tone and structure to scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Throughout Secret of the Incas, the main character, Harry Steele, can be seen wearing the "Indiana Jones" outfit - brown leather jacket, fedora, tan pants, an over-the-shoulder bag, and revolver.[2] The character also sometimes wears a light beard, unusual for films of its time, and there is a tomb scene involving a revelatory shaft of light similar to the "Map Room" sequence in Raiders.
Raiders' costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis noted that the inspiration for Indiana's costume was Charlton Heston's Harry Steele in Secret of the Incas: "We did watch this film together as a crew several times, and I always thought it strange that the filmmakers did not credit it later as the inspiration for the series" and quipped that the film is "almost a shot for shot Raiders of the Lost Ark."[3]
[edit] Other media
On December 19, 1995, Charlton Heston and Nicole Maurey reprised their roles in a Lux Radio Theatre version of Secret of the Incas.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Production Notes - Secret Of The Incas @ TCM Database
- ^ Review @ TheRaider.Net
- ^ Mike French & Gilles Verschuere (2005-09-14). "Debora Nadoolman interview". TheRaider.net. http://www.theraider.net/features/interviews/deborah_nadoolman.php. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
[edit] External links
- Secret Of The Incas at the Internet Movie Database
- Secret Of The Incas at the TCM Movie Database
- Secret of the Incas Website
- Review @ TheRaider.Net
- "Indiana Heston" by Brian Mosely - Times-Gazette - Shelbyville, Tennessee - Posted Sunday, April 27, 2008, at 5:03 PM
- "Charlton Heston: The First Indiana Jones?" by Richard von Busack - Cinematical.com - Posted April 8, 2008 12:32 PM
- "Indiana-Jones Tintin not the inspiration for Indiana Jones?" by John Urschel - Examiner.com - Posted October 4, 2009 @ 8:44 AM
