Le trésor du Guatemala

Delmer Daves has assembled an impressive cast but they all rather just go through the motions in this routine swashbuckler. Cornel Wilde takes top billing as the dispossessed "Jean-Paul" who finds himself robbed of his inheritance. He has but one chance to avenge things - and that is to head to remote Guatemala and seek out a treasure that, Monte-Cristo style - will help him right the wrongs done to him. Were it ever to have escaped the confines of the studio, then perhaps it might have delivered a bit better but the action scenes are all too stage-bound and the jungle looks no more authentic than the greenhouse at Kew. Anne Bancroft brings some glamour as the "Comtesse" and George Macready some menace as the scheming "Marquis" but it's all rather too predictable and Wilde is nowhere near his charming, charismatic - or acrobatic - best. It's watchable and as a fan of the genre i still quite enjoyed it - but it isn't very good and is, frankly, instantly forgettable.

Lovely to watch and very difficult to spot those who would become a lot more famous later in their film careers. A familiar plot similar to that of the repetitive Mills and Boon series of period romantic novels. Mr. Waverley from The Man From Uncle looked odd in this as he is so used to being seen in that role, I kept expecting him to mention "channel D". No expense spared on costumes and scenery and it looks great with a nice story line and good acting. Well worth watching and if you spot a young Anne Bancroft very well done as she looks nothing like she does about 15 years later in The Graduate.

Cornel Wilde is nephew to an 18th Century Marquis (George McReady) who treats him meanly. The Marquis fears that Wilde may be the rightful heir to his title and he needs to keep that possibility a secret. The Marquis nearly kills his nephew but the local priest intervenes. Fay Wray returns to the screen after 11 years to play the Marquise who also helps to save Wilde. The priest secures a getaway plan for Wilde by arranging travel for him on a treasure-seeking expedition. Before leaving, Wilde does a revenge attack on the Marquis which is a hanging offence in France. He goes to Guatemala with Finlay Currie to search for the treasure of Maya Land, which is seemingly guarded by a boa constrictor as part of an ancient curse. I reckon the beautiful scenic locations of Lake Atitlan and the Tikal Highlands are the real stars of this movie.

This film was the Indiana Jones of the fifties. I cannot recall much of the film except remembering Jean Paul in the cave during the final scene and he battles the condor and the roof of the cave comes crashing down. This was an exciting picture and I remember wishing that I could see it again but poverty prevented me from doing so. It was a thrilling film- from the beginning to the end. Its really amazing how, although it was filmed without the modern gadgetry and the computer, we were entertained with some of the finest films of which this was one. I wish I could see it again and show my children that after fifty years, the only thing that has invaded our screen is the lack of real heroism and the glorification of sex.

Here is some trivia on "Treasure of the Golden Condor" (which is by the way a remake of Fox's "Son of Fury". It's by now a well-known fact that Otto Preminger directed some retakes on that film. That was indicated to me by producer Paul Buck, on the set of Preminger's film "Rosebud". (Buck was also Peter O'Toole's producing partner).Preminger had mentioned it to me earlier, in Paris. He did not remember the title, but gave me enough indications to find out that it was "Teasure of the Golden Condor". He said at that time that he only worked on one short scene "dealing with a snake" (of which he was terribly afraid). The extent of Preminger's contribution however is not clearly established, as Buck seemed to indicate that it went a bit further than just one day.