Secret of the Incas (1954)

★ 5.8 1h 40m IMDb

Harry Steele (Charlton Heston) is a tourist guide determined to make his fortune by finding the Sunburst, an Inca treasure.

Secret of the Incas

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Cast

Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston as Harry Steel Died 2008 · Wilmette, Illinois, USA Charlton Heston was an American actor renowned for his towering screen presence and roles in some of Hollywood’s most famous epics. Born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1923, in Illinois, he discove...
Robert Young
Robert Young as Stanley Moorehead Died 1998 · Chicago, Illinois, USA Robert George Young  (February 22, 1907 – July 21, 1998) was an American television, film, and radio actor, best known for his leading roles as Jim Anderson, the father of Father Knows Best (NBC and t...
Nicole Maurey
Nicole Maurey as Elena Antonescu Died 2016 · Bois-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine, France Nicole Maurey (December 20, 1925 - March 11, 2016) was a French actress, who appeared in 65 film and television productions between 1945 and 1997. Born in Bois-Colombes, a northwestern suburb of Paris...
Thomas Mitchell
Thomas Mitchell as Ed Morgan Died 1962 · Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Thomas Mitchell (July 11, 1892 – December 17, 1962) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. Among his most famous roles in a long career are those of...
Glenda Farrell
Glenda Farrell as Mrs. Winston Died 1971 · Enid, Oklahoma, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. She is best known for her role as Torchy Blane in the Warn...
Michael Pate
Michael Pate as Pachacutec Died 2008 · Drummoyne, New South Wales, Australia ​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Michael Pate (26 February 1920 – 1 September 2008) was an Australian actor, writer and director. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Pate, lic...

Audience Reviews

Wuchak 6/10 Nov 24, 2022
**_Indiana Jones three decades before the character existed_**

An American adventurer in Cuzco, Peru, halfheartedly works as a tour guide, but his real interest is a priceless Incan artifact. He schemes to steal a Romanian official’s plane to make it to the lost city of Machu Picchu in the remote high country of the Andes, where he’s surprised to discover an archaeological dig is taking place. Robert Young plays the leader of the scientists.

"Secret of the Incas" (1954) is an adventure flick that became the blueprint for Indiana Jones in the 80s, the first film of course being the exceptional “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” While Harry Steele (Heston) certainly dresses like Indiana Jones, he’s not a noble professor; he’s a cynical and avaricious treasure hunter, not to mention opportunist. In the last act there is a tomb sequence featuring a revealing shaft of light similar to the Map Room scene in “Raiders.”

Being shot in 1953, this naturally has a quainter tone by comparison. The first 45 minutes, for instance, entirely take place in a remote Andes town with a lot of talk and little action, which might turn off fans of Indiana Jones. But I enjoyed Heston’s towering presence and nonchalant mojo. His character, Harry Steele, is similar to Taylor in “Planet of the Apes” (1968), just fourteen years younger.

The Andes sequences are scenic and striking Peruvian vocalist Yma Sumac plays the role of Kori-Tica with a couple of extraordinary singing sequences. Meanwhile Nicole Maurey is sharp as the Romanian defector, Elena.

The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was shot in Peru at Cuzco and Machu Picchu with (obvious) studio scenes done at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The studio sets are surprisingly well done and convincing enough.

GRADE: B-/B

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