Im Reiche des goldenen Condor

This is a wonderful hour and a half of pure escapism with several ingredients from successful past Hollywood films: Citizen Kane (young boy gets ripped from poor parents and sent to live with rich relative), Wuthering Heights (stable boy falls in love with woman above his station), Lost Horizon (Conway returns to his Shangri-la and true love), a forerunner to Indiana Jones, and The Naked Prey, and a prelude to the French Revolution to boot. Some of my favorite actors are in this film (Leo G Carroll and Cornell Wilde), and a dash of 1942's Son of Fury with Tyrone Power and George Sanders, two more of my favorite screen personalities. So the film may not be perfect, but it is certainly entertaining, and helps us forget about COVID for an hour and a half. That alone is worth 7 stars these days.

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.

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.

The location of the injustice is changed from 18th century Great Britain to 18th century France and the treasure is emeralds and not pearls found now in Guatemala instead of the South Seas. But the plot of Treasure Of The Golden Condor is easily recognizable as that of Tyrone Power's Son Of Fury. Cornel Wilde who was another of those standbys for Power in both their times at 20th Century Fox in the Forties when Zanuck's favorite star was otherwise occupied stands in well for Power when Zanuck decided to remake the film.

The story is that of a man deemed illegitimate because no proof of a marriage can be found and disinherited from title and lands by a cruel and avaricious uncle George MacReady. George Sanders played the uncle in the original and both Sanders and MacReady were first rate cads.

The women in Wilde's life are Constance Smith the daughter of Finlay Currie his partner in fortune hunting and Anne Bancroft whose got a yen buzzing for her cousin Wilde. Bancroft in her third feature film is MacReady's daughter, she's quite the vixen.

Wilde was always one of the best action adventure stars of his days, but he never got to the top tier level. Instead of going to television as so many of his contemporaries did he went into production of his own films that usually played as B pictures. In terms of quality they varied greatly. This film is an opportunity to see him at his swashbuckling best as he was one of the best at the fencing game. He was a member of the 1936 US Olympic team.

In the supporting cast note Leo G. Carroll as the lawyer who aides Wilde in proving his lineage, a sincere but cynical performance. Also Fay Wray as MacReady's wife, a most unhappy woman. Just married to George MacReady is reason enough.

Cornel Wilde's fans should be pleased. Technicolor as well.

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.