Peru and Machu Picchu have been in the news lately. Secret of the Incas (1954) starring Charlton Heston harks to an innocent time when Machu Picchu was mystical when Heston descended on the site with Robert Young before he became a father who knew best. The film also featured the exotic Peruvian singer Yma Sumac as Kori-Tica. Raiders of the Lost Ark bears a striking resemblance in tone and structure to Secret of the Incas, cited as a direct inspiration for the Indiana Jones film franchise. The film is getting remastered with a new print by Paramount Pictures from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative.
Screen legend Charlton Heston (Touch of Evil, The Big Country) stars as rugged adventurer Harry Steele in Secret of the Incas, a thrilling action yarn breathtakingly shot at Machu Picchu. Harry earns his living as a tour guide in the jungles of Peru but plans to make his fortune by finding the Sunburst, an ancient Incan treasure that holds awesome power. On his perilous quest, he comes across cutthroat Ed Morgan (Thomas Mitchell, Alias Nick Beal), archeologist Stanley Moorehead (Robert Young, Western Union) and beautiful Romanian refugee Elena Antonescu (Nicole Maurey, The Day of the Triffids). Directed by Jerry Hopper (Pony Express, Naked Alibi) and featuring a rare film appearance by Peruvian-American singer Yma Sumac, Secret of the Incas is a colorful, rip-roaring and romance-filled adventure often cited as a key source of inspiration for the Indiana Jones series.
Available Date : 02/28/2023
Fun Fact: Charlton Heston and Linda Harrison are the only actors to appear in both the 1968 and 2001 versions of Planet of the Apes.