Secret of the Incas (1954)

[James Byrne]

Attila,
So you share the Rocket man's derogatory view's on the Yma Sumac segments in SECRET OF THE INCAS, but fortunately didn't include any urge to empty your bladder during these interludes. I just don't get why anybody would have such a problem with Yma Sumac singing about Inca folklore in a movie set in Machu Picchu called SECRET OF THE INCAS. Since she had just knocked Bing Crosby off the top of the album charts, Yma Sumac NOT singing would have been a bit weird, don't you think?
I agree with you Attila that the way the Quechuan community were filmed and represented in SECRET OF THE INCAS is quite dignified, educational and a huge bonus to the movies credibility on a different level than just pure cinematic entertainment.
Regarding Heston's so-called lack of opposable thumbs, I find it slightly baffling that you noticed such a thing. All I see is Heston holding a glass of Pisco Sour.
Al least we agree on Nicole Maurey. She is lovely ... and a very underrated actress. I really appreciate her raised eyebrow when delivering the line, 'I know what I do for you, what do you do for me?' to Heston in her hotel room.
Thomas Mitchell is grand, of course, in every movie he appeared in. His characterization of a pathetic, lonely, slovenly, washed-up old fool with snot and food stains on his cardigan, still dreaming of 'The Big Strike' made Heston's abrupt about-turn in the finale quite credible. Heston realised he was going to probably end up like Ed Morgan so changed his ways.
Attila, your first viewing of SECRET OF THE INCAS was quite different to mine. You had loads of info and reviews of the movie at your disposal, via the internet, before seeing the movie on a tv screen, which may have indirectly influenced your opinion of it. I was ten years old and saw it on the big screen at a cinema in 1963, and knew nothing of the film's content beforehand. All I saw before going into the movie theatre was the eight Front-of-House stills on display outside the cinema, and it looked to be a cool movie. After viewing this extraordinary adventure I instantly recognized it as a special movie in many ways, even as a ten year old. The colourful characters, the eerie musical interludes, the dry humour delivered by Heston and Nicole Maurey, the mind-blowing location shots, and the amazing sets and costumes, made it a hugely enjoyable and very memorable night at the cinema.

 

[James Byrne]

"Shot-for-shot" means "shot-for-shot". (Hate to say that my dear, Debbie, used that expression twice.)
Please do! That film even has its own dedicated thread: Valley of the Kings

I actually prefer "Valley of the Kings" over "Secret of the Incas". (SORRY, James!)

Stoo, why do you prefer VALLEY OF THE KINGS over SECRET OF THE INCAS, I would love to read your reasons. Heston was a far better actor than Robert Taylor and Machu Picchu is more beautiful than the pyramids.

 

[James Byrne]

James, I figured that would be the case with, "Tokyo Joe", but would still like to see it anyway. Keeping with the Eastern theme, I FINALLY saw "China" and was very pleased with it. Alan Ladd's character is definitely another spitting image of Indiana Jones and right up there with Ronnie Reagan in "Hong Kong".

@James, Stephen and WilliamBoyd: Have any of you fellows ever seen "Calcutta" (1947) or "Saigon" (1948)?

I would love to see CALCUTTA and SAIGON Stoo, I'm a great admirer of Alan Ladd movies, but they aren't on legimate dvd as far as I can gather. I watch anything from the 1940s-1950s with the name of a town, city or country in the title, and an American tough guy as the main character, and a pretty redhead in tow.

 

[Stoo]

Stoo, why do you prefer VALLEY OF THE KINGS over SECRET OF THE INCAS, I would love to read your reasons. Heston was a far better actor than Robert Taylor and Machu Picchu is more beautiful than the pyramids.

Don't get me wrong, James, because I'm a big fan of "Secret of the Incas", as you well know. Without a doubt, the acting, dialogue & characters are superior to those in "Valley of the Kings" but certain elements detract when comparing the two (which can't be helped since they were both released in 1954). Ultimately, "Incas" is indeed the BETTER film but I find "Valley of the Kings" slightly more enjoyable for various (strictly, Indiana Jones-biased) reasons.

Production Value & Locations:
"Incas" - ALL of the scenes with the principal actors/actresses at Machu Picchu were done on a soundstage. The large, exterior shots were filmed by a 2nd unit crew without any of the main actors present. For me, this is quite noticeable and ruins the illusion.

"Kings" - This film has the main actors on location at the actual sites of ancient structures, etc. (Sets were used only for certain scenes.) It has a larger cast of extras and is much more ambitious & robust in its overall scope. Better cinematography, too!

Pursuit of Artifact:
"Incas" - Only 1 temple. The story has few settings: Cuzco area, the voyage to the destination and finally Machu Picchu, itself. Once the story gets there, it stays in one place.

"Kings" - 3 temples. The hunt leads the characters from clue-to-clue, hopping from one place to another. The story travels around more and is constantly moving, making it quite Indy-ish in that regard.

Action:
---
"Incas" - Very little action.

"Kings" - A wagon chase, a murder, 2 thrilling fights, and other Indy-esque situations of 'daring-do'.

Musical Interludes:
---
"Incas" - Too many and too long. While I greatly admire Yma Sumac's talent, her musical interludes disturb the flow of the story.

"Kings" - Native music is never used as a 'showcase' feature.

Booby Traps & Creepy-Crawlie Creatures:
---
"Incas" - No booby traps. No creepy-crawlie creatures.
"Kings" - One booby trap + a scene in a temple with BATS!

Special Effects:
---
"Incas" - It has the cool, light rays but...
"Kings" - Has a couple of EXCELLENT matte paintings!

James, DESPITE ALL OF THAT...there is a lot to say about why "Secret of the Incas" is better than "Valley of the Kings"!

 

[Stoo]

I would love to see CALCUTTA and SAIGON Stoo, I'm a great admirer of Alan Ladd movies, but they aren't on legimate dvd as far as I can gather. I watch anything from the 1940s-1950s with the name of a town, city or country in the title, and an American tough guy as the main character, and a pretty redhead in tow.

I've been on Alan Ladd spree lately.

"China" (1943)
"Saigon" (1948)
"Calcutta" (1947)
"Thunder in the East" (1952)
"Wild Harvest" (1947)

The only one I didn't really enjoy was, "Saigon". Funnily enough, Alan Ladd flies a cargo plane in 3 of them: "Calcutta", "Thunder in the East" and "Saigon". His character in "Wild Harvest" looks a bit like Indiana Jones during the climax and does some great, Indy-ish stunts!

 

[Stephen Jared]

Ladd is known for his noir films and Shane. But I prefer Stoo's collection. I asked Alan Ladd Jr. if his dad ever mentioned anything about any of those films. Nope.

He was a terribly under-appreciated actor.

James, if it makes you feel better, I have more fun watching Incas than Valley. Although, I do think Valley has the superior score. That's not a knock against Yma Sumac, just that Miklos Rosza's score for Valley is fantastic.

 

[James Byrne]

Stoo,
Admittedly none of the main actors in the cast of SECRET OF THE INCAS were filmed at Machu Picchu, but at least there are some terrific scenes of Charlton Heston stomping around the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco showing his "pigeons with feathers" the magnificent Cuzco Cathedral. Not to mention Heston crossing the Plaza Rejocigo on his way to his hotel just before Morgan's hired sniper takes a warning shot at him. There is also a very brief long-shot of Chuck standing outside the real Cuzco Airport: the close-up scenes that follow involving Heston milking the American tourists were, of course, filmed at Paramount Studios. Fraser Heston told me that his father also filmed at the megalithic fortress of Sacsayhuaman, this is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it few seconds at the end of the movie.
Nicole Maurey was adamant that the stunning Peruvian locations shots were originally a 'documentary about a man and a woman who were touring Machu Picchu and were later added to SECRET OF THE INCAS.' Even though I explained to her that Paramount sent Irmin Roberts and a film crew to Peru to film all the exteriors, and that Heston and his wife went with them, Nicole still remained unconvinced. I even got Nicole's famous raised eyebrow as she seriously disputed what I was telling her (and I have our little 'argument' on film). The thing is, all the actors were told during the filming at Paramount that documentary footage of Machu Picchu was being added to the movie later. None of them were told that the producer Mel Epstein actually sanctioned this and that Heston had already filmed certain scenes in Peru. They thought it was just footage that Paramount had bought from another source. Yma Sumac told me virtually the same thing that Nicole said, word for word, in a letter six years ago. Nicole Maurey was most surprised when I said that I have over a hundred colour stills of Heston phhotographed in the most historical sites of Cuzco as 'proof' that he was there. "Oh well James" she sighed, "You know more about the movie than me!" and gave me a lovely smile.

 

[James Byrne]

Ladd is known for his noir films and Shane. But I prefer Stoo's collection. I asked Alan Ladd Jr. if his dad ever mentioned anything about any of those films. Nope.

He was a terribly under-appreciated actor.

James, if it makes you feel better, I have more fun watching Incas than Valley. Although, I do think Valley has the superior score. That's not a knock against Yma Sumac, just that Miklos Rosza's score for Valley is fantastic.

Yes Stephen, that makes me feel much better, thanks. Miklos Rosza's score for VALLEY OF THE KINGS is awe-inspiring, but the incidental music in SECRET OF THE INCAS (particularly when Heston and Nicole are talking at the table in the bar) is very underrated, I think. Speaking of Heston and the Robert Taylor movie, Chuck stayed a night at the St Catherine's Greek Orthodox monastery a year after Bob Taylor filmed his scenes there. Chuck was making a little movie about Egypt for Cecil B. DeMille called THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

That Alan Ladd adventure movie list of Stoo's is mouth-watering! I would snap them up immediately if they were released in a boxset. Alan Ladd was a favourite of mine, I even like the movies he made in England in the 1950's, and I am a massive fan of SHANE, but he really found his feet in 1940's film noir classics.

 

[James Byrne]

Congratulations Stoo

I would like to offer my congratulations to Stoo for his recent remarkable success on gaining 192,000 hits on his Indiana Jones mini-masterpiece. Its about time your great talent has been recognized Stoo - and I also like the fact that those 192,000 are being alerted to the secret delights of SECRET OF THE INCAS, so thanks for that as well mate.

 

[Stoo]

Thanks a lot, Mr. Byrne. Now it's up to 225,000 views which is just shy of a quarter million hits. Growing exposure to Harry Steele! I was also interviewed by an Australian news site and plugged "Secret of the Incas" some more. Here are the relevant bits:

---
"Seeing Secret of the Incas on late-night TV around 1991 was the trigger moment," he told news.com.au
---
Until then, Pittman recommends Indy fans spend some time checking out the full-length versions of the films he spliced sequences from for Raiders of the Lost Archives.

His top three?

"King Solomon's Mines (1937 version), Secret of the Incas and Valley of the Kings."

Full interview can be read here.

 

[JuniorJones]

Thanks a lot, Mr. Byrne. Now it's up to 225,000 views which is just shy of a quarter million hits. Growing exposure to Harry Steele! I was also interviewed by an Australian news site and plugged "Secret of the Incas" some more. Here are the relevant bits:

---
"Seeing Secret of the Incas on late-night TV around 1991 was the trigger moment," he told news.com.au
---
Until then, Pittman recommends Indy fans spend some time checking out the full-length versions of the films he spliced sequences from for Raiders of the Lost Archives.

His top three?

"King Solomon's Mines (1937 version), Secret of the Incas and Valley of the Kings."

Full interview can be read here.

Mr Pittman must be a very, very special guy who would spent use his talent, time and resources without cost to us in supporting our knowledge base here at the raven and the wider Indiana Jones community.

Who here can say they do that?

I applaud you, International Man of Mystery.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

 

[James Byrne]

Stoo, was the interview conducted over the phone, or by email?
Just read some of the stuff by the loonies who wrote that they "hate" you for making that film. Bizarre or what?
I have deleted loads of stuff on my guestbook from the nutcases who hate Heston because they didn't like his political stance. Just delete all the hate trash Stoo. At least the great majority appreciate your fine work of artistic excellence, and by next weekend you could have half a million hits the way things are going.

 

[Montana Smith]

I applaud you, International Man of Mystery.

It's the helmet. Chicks dig the helmet.

He's groooovy, baby!


How can it be, that of all Chuck Heston's movies, this one never saw an official DVD release? What gives?

 

[Stoo]

Mr Pittman must be a very, very special guy who would spent use his talent, time and resources without cost to us in supporting our knowledge base here at the raven and the wider Indiana Jones community.

Who here can say they do that?

I applaud you, International Man of Mystery.

Thanks a lot but the same can be said for yourself, as well, JuniorJones. (Regarding the photo of Jason King from "Department S": The "S" doesn't stand for "Stoo", it stands for "Secret of the Incas"!)

Stoo, was the interview conducted over the phone, or by email?
Just read some of the stuff by the loonies who wrote that they "hate" you for making that film. Bizarre or what?
I have deleted loads of stuff on my guestbook from the nutcases who hate Heston because they didn't like his political stance. Just delete all the hate trash Stoo. At least the great majority appreciate your fine work of artistic excellence, and by next weekend you could have half a million hits the way things are going.

To avoid time-difference complications, the interview was eventually conducted by e-mail. Since I don't really believe in censorship, the hate trash won't be deleted and will remain as a testament to the 'loonieness'.

James, you may be pleased to know that, out of the hundreds of YouTube people who wrote comments, *at least one person* recognized clips from both "Secret of the Incas" & "The Naked Jungle". Chuck's political stance doesn't sway my love for his films. Some people cannot seperate the two and that is sad. (Ex. Wagner was anti-Semitic but I don't deny that his music was great.)

How can it be, that of all Chuck Heston's movies, this one never saw an official DVD release? What gives?

Don't you know, Smiff? It's a grand conspiracy, cover-up attempt to thwart all claims of thievery, plagiarism & copyright infringement. Just ask the multitudes of ignorant commentators on YouTube who have never even seen (nor heard of) "Secret of the Incas"!

---
While all of your comments are VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, please don't forget about this thread: Raiders of the Lost Archives: A Shot-by-Shot Comparison

 

[Montana Smith]

Don't you know, Smiff? It's a grand conspiracy, cover-up attempt to thwart all claims of thievery, plagiarism & copyright infringement. Just ask the multitudes of ignorant commentators on YouTube who have never even seen (nor heard of) "Secret of the Incas"!

So that's it. Lucas convinced Paramount to hide away the source for his "shot for shot remake" (!) to preserve the illusion that he actually has new ideas.

I hate him!

 

[James Byrne]

Stoo, I agree with you about censorship to a certain degree, but some of the slimeballs were posting stuff like "I'm glad Heston's got alzheimers" etc. on my guestbook and I didn't want that kind of hatred existing in print on my site. Great that you have brought SECRET OF THE INCAS to the attention of the masses, and between your RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVES and the other mini-classic RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK 1951, the old Heston flick is being reborn in unusual circumstances to a new generation of fans. Well done Stoo.

 

[Stoo]

Stoo, I agree with you about censorship to a certain degree, but some of the slimeballs were posting stuff like "I'm glad Heston's got alzheimers" etc. on my guestbook and I didn't want that kind of hatred existing in print on my site.

James, were it my own, personal website I'd probably delete those types of comments, too. That said, what kind of a person would bother visiting a website dedicated to an obscure Heston film if they hated him that much? The term, "slimeballs", is correct.

Great that you have brought SECRET OF THE INCAS to the attention of the masses, and between your RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVES and the other mini-classic RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK 1951, the old Heston flick is being reborn in unusual circumstances to a new generation of fans. Well done Stoo.

Hey, who knows? Maybe this will help make one step forward to a legitimate DVD release! (Mind you, I kind of enjoy the fact that the film is not available nor widely known. It's akin to being part of a secret club.)

 

[James Byrne]

SECRET OF THE INCAS fansite to close!

It is with deep regret that I have to announce that my site

http://www.secretoftheincas.co.uk

will be terminated on 19 May 2012. If you want to know why, check out the SECRET OF THE INCAS forum here

http://charltonhestonforums.freeforums.org/other-charlton-heston-movies-f25.html

If you don't want to read the first thirteen pages, then just click straight on to page 14 for all the grisly details.

 

[Stoo]

James, that is very unfortunate to hear! I read the conversation and your situation sounds like a distressing one. A good idea would be to, at least, get a copy of the code so that whomever you can find to build a new site in the future won't have to start from scratch.

It would be a shame if your wonderful ode to "Incas" disappeared forever.

 

[Stephen Jared]

James,
You have to keep the site going. Please consider, as Stoo suggests, getting someone else to take over the technical upkeep. I can happily recommend the guy who built my site -- I do nothing for it, except tell him what I want it to look like and provide images and texts. Might have him take a look at what you currently have and see what he says. His costs are very reasonable. He's Canadian. I've never met him in person, but would love to as he couldn't be nicer and more professional. Check out my site at www.stephenjared.com

His name is Andy Bowers and his site is www.halfadot.com
Best,
Stephen