Le secret du Grand Canyon

Like all of Don Siegel's movies we are immersed in the action from the beginning of this spectacularly shot mystery thriller.Not a single frame,word or gesture is wasted just like in all of Don's films.No wonder Clint Eastwood attributes his own economical movie-making style to him. Cornel Wilde's deputy sheriff carries the whole film very well like in a old school noir mystery he is in almost every scene piecing the puzzle along with us and we are not given any information other than what he learns therefore the final revelation is as shocking to us as is to him. Like of all Don Siegel movies the supporting cast is great; including the late and great Edgar Buchanon, Siegel regular Jack Elam and the very beautiful and charming Victoria Shaw.But like in all his films the bad guy (revealed at the end)is awesome. Kudos to Don Siegel ,one of my all time favourite directors. Special mention has to be made of the film's stuntmen's work in the climax.I won't spoil it but it's a nail biting sequence.

Unusual outdoor suspenser from Columbia studios, guided by sure-hand of cult director Don Siegel. It's a super-slick production that makes great scenic use of the magnificent Grand Canyon. Nothing profound or head-scratching here, just A-grade movie entertainment.

A string of mysterious murders in a remote Arizona ghost town has deputy Cornel Wilde flummoxed and sheriff Edgar Buchanan about to lose his job. Add to that the sassy and beauteous Victoria Shaw in red-haired Technicolor, gabby bartender Mickey Shaugnessy, and professional hick Tom Fadden, and you've got a cast lively enough to compete with the compelling scenery. Even the stolid Wilde loosens up more than usual, though his countrified accent sort of comes and goes.

Great staging. I really liked the scene at the abandoned mine, where Shaw explains what happened to the fabled gold-mining industry after the war. This may be the only screenplay to take up that topic, which seems odd given the metal's rich role in the settling of the West. So if you're curious about why the industry suddenly disappeared from the American landscape, this is the movie to catch.

The episode in the "dancing bucket" is a real hair-raiser. If I recall a book correctly, Shaw was terrified of doing those high-wire scenes and Siegel had to go to some lengths to get them shot. Given the heights involved, that's not surprising. Anyway, there's action, mystery and plenty to look at including Miss Shaw who unfortunately died much too young. So if you've got a spare 90 minutes, scope out the kind of movie Hollywood was making back when Cinemascope was trying to lure audiences away from the little screen.

An older gray-haired man, in a dark blue suit, drives to the edge of an unpaved road along the Grand Canyon, gets out, and, directly in front of his late-model yellow car, gazes over the canyon with his binoculars. While he is thus occupied, another man, younger and heavier set, sneakily walks up to the car, releases the brakes, and pushes it; his intent is to strike the older man and so that both he and his auto will plunge over the canyon. The car misses the well-dressed man who jumps out of the way. The younger man lunges for the older one but the ensuing quick struggle results in the victory for the older man. The younger one falls a long way to his death.

Right after we see Eli Jones (Tom Fadden) who fruitlessly tries to get the attention of deputy sheriff Les Martin (Cornel Wilde). Eli has seen the older man walking aimlessly (after the struggle), but Eli has previously "called wolf" once too often, so the sheriff dismisses him. Instead he chases after a fast driving young lady (Janice Kendon, played by Victoria Shaw) and gives her a speeding ticket. Later we find out that her brother Bob (Rian Garrick) is a drunk. Their father Jim (Alexander Lockwood) is an owner of the nearby Kendon mine. Meanwhile Eli returns to his office (the Kendon Mine Corporation), a remote frame structure. He sees the older man, the one in the dark blue suit, hanging from the ceiling with his hands tied behind his back. Sheriff Edwards (Edgar Buchanan) and Deputy Martin, who have been summoned by Eli, are on the scene of the crime. "Well, at least we know it's not a suicide," quips Edwards.

While Deputy Martin is investigating the case, he meets with guano mining foreman Bill Ward (Jack Elam), who tells him that his watchman, Charlie Piper, is missing. Martin discovers that the current mining operation (US Guano) involves 500,000 tons of bat guano (sold for fertilizer). A tram car supported by cable traverses 9,000 feet across the canyon. The expression "over the rim" had cropped up in Martin's investigation. The tram has something to do with something nefarious. At Scotty O'Brien's bar in town (Kendon), Martin gathers no information. A little more than a half-hour into the film, Martin and Bill Ward are being flown over the canyon where they spot a crashed yellow car and Charlie Piper's body. (Piper was the dude who tried to kill the older man at film's beginning.)

At the abandoned gold mine post Martin arrests a vagrant, Suds Reese. He has binoculars with the initials R.E.W. They are obviously not his; Reese claims he found them. But this comes to nothing. While Martin's investigation continues, his budding romance with Janice Kendon romance has amplified. One night at the Kendon Office Eli, alone, watches a TV show. A man, whom we do not see, enters. Through the man's eyes we observe Eli. Eli tells the man that he has spotted something of interest on the framed photograph hanging on a wall. It is Jim Kendon posing in a group photo next to the murdered man in the dark blue suit. Eli says that he will immediately call the sheriff. Thereupon the stranger takes a knife and stabs Eli to his death. Another murder!

The next scene focuses on a coroner's inquest that the politically minded county attorney is using for his own advantage. He is backing his own candidate for sheriff with the intention of removing both Edwards and Martin. The CA tries to rile up the citizen's committee. The coroner reminds the CA that the purpose of the inquest is to discover the identity of the dead man (blue suit) and the cause of his death. Because of the budding political situation over the unsolved three deaths, it is imperative that there is break in the case.

A break does occur about an hour into the feature. Deputy Martin discovers that the identity of the man in the blue suit was Randall E. Whitmore of New York, Executive Vice-President of Kendon Mining Corporation. Martin quickly drives out to the Kendon family home where all three family members (Jim, Bob, and Janice) happen to be present. Jim is genuinely shocked to discover that the dead man was Whitmore. And why was he out in Arizona instead of the NY offices? Martin surmises that Whitmore found out that someone was taking some of the gold from the Kendon mine without permission. Difficult, but can be done, says Jim Kendon. While this is transpiring Bob gets a telephone call and leaves. Janice, suspicious, says she will make a pot of coffee, and leaves the room. Instead of heading out into the kitchen, however, she takes her car and follows Bob to the local airstrip. At the airstrip things come together and we see the main bad guy, who comes as a surprise. I will not reveal his name. The movie climax occurs about 15 minutes later, and it involves a shootout on the suspended tram high above the Grand Canyon.

Using a USA National Park/Monument in movies goes back a long way. For instance, the first motion picture featuring aerial views of the Grand Canyon was a Tom Mix western, "Sky High" (1922). Yellow Sky (1948) was filmed at Death Valley National Monument (now Park). John Ford's beloved Monument Valley was the setting for many of his westerns, including "Stagecoach" (1939) and "The Searchers" (1956). Alfred Hitchcock used the Statue of Liberty National Memorial in "Saboteur" (1942) and Mt. Rushmore NM in "North by Northwest" (1959). In "Dangerous Mission" (1954) the star was Glacier National Park. "Close encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) featured Devil's Tower National Monument.

The cinematography is simply excellent. It must be also said that the acting is decent, even with Wilde's strange accent. Victoria Shaw looks great and for once Jack Elam is not the heavy. Entertaining and suspenseful!

"Edge of Eternity" is without question the finest color photography I have ever seen. The colors of the Grand Canyon are displayed in razor sharp beauty, especially when viewing "Twilight Time's" limited edition Blueray. While the murder investigation is rather ordinary, and the love interest between Cornel Wilde and Victoria Shaw kills time, all is forgiven with the spectacular aerial photography, unbelievable stunts, and fabulous fifties cars on display. The highlight of course is seeing the U.S. Guano tram swinging wildly over the Canyon as Wilde and Mickey Shaughnessy engage in a gun battle. This is truly a one of a kind film, not for it's story, not for it's acting, but for the unforgettable photography and the unique and exciting climax. "Edge of Eternity" is a must see. - MERK

Edge of Eternity is directed by Don Siegel and written by Richard Collins. It stars Cornel Wilde, Victoria Shaw, Mickey Shaughnessy, Edgar Buchanan and Rian Garrick. A CinemaScope production with music by Daniele Amfitheatrof and cinematography by Burnett Guffey.

Contemporary Western that finds Wilde as the local deputy sheriff trying to solve a murder case in the Ghost Town of Kendon.

It's not got a strong plot and the performances of the cast are hardly out the top draw, but it's a solid murder mystery set to the magnificent backdrop of The Grand Canyon. Siegel keeps things pacey as Guffey brings the scorching vistas to life, and it all builds to an exciting finale, where some rear projection work not withstanding, it's breath holding stuff. 7/10