Secret of the Incas (1954)
Director: Jerry Hopper
Starring: Charlton Heston, Robert Young, Nicole Maurey
Synopsis:
An American working as a tour guide in Peru secretly pursues an Incan relic.
Impressions:
When this movie was brought to my attention as one of the inspirations for Raiders of the Lost Ark, I had to check it out for myself. This is a neat adventure story that takes full advantage of being largely shot on location. Charlton Heston of course shines as the morally grey protagonist who gets his values challenged over the course of the story. There's some interesting character work posing antagonist Ed as what Harry could end up being and Elena as someone who can't quite pull of the femme fatale act. While her singing numbers do feel a bit long if you're focused on moving the plot forward, Yma Sumac's performance is quite striking.
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