Les Chercheurs d'or de l'Arkansas

Second Sauerkraut Western from Rapid Film with Brad Harris and EUROPEAN FILM AWARD nominee Mario Adorf

After the gigantic cinema success of the Karl May film adaptation "Der Schatz im Silbersee / The Treasure in the Silver Lake" (1962), the clever film producer Wolf C. Hartwig from Rapid-Film came up with the idea of building on this success of the Rialto and the Constantin Film and To film works by one of May's predecessors. The writer Friedrich Gerstäcker, who was born in Hamburg in 1816 and died in Braunschweig in 1872, also wrote several westerns. His novel "Die Regulatoren von Arkansas / The Regulators of Arkansas" (1846) became the basis for the second western produced by Rapid-Film after "Die Flusspiraten vom Mississippi / The River Pirates of the Mississippi" (1963). The German-Italian-French co-production (Mario Siciliano was also there with his Metheus film) was directed by the experienced Paul Martin, who had already made "Ein blonder Traum / A Blonde Dream" and "Glückskinder" in the 1930s with his then partner Lilian Harvey. Herbert Reinecker, who would later write all episodes of the globally successful television series "DERRICK" (1974-1998), was also involved in the script. The film, which was released in West German cinemas on November 20, 1964, was shot in the forests of Bohemia and in the Barrandov Studio in Prague.

The gold rush breaks out in tranquil Marble City when it becomes known that there must be a rich vein of gold somewhere in Indian territory. Many settlers make their way to the small town in Arkansas in the hope of finding great wealth. In this unrest, Phil Stone's (Brad Harris) father is shot in cold blood. Together with his friend Dan (Horst Frank) he tries to find the murderer. They get to know different people among the newcomers: a resolute mother (UFA star Marianne Hoppe, who was also there in "Schatz im Silbersee") with her adult children (Dorothee Parker, Olga Schoberova, Thomas Alder), Pastor Benson (Dieter Borsche, also in "Der Schut"), the completely overwhelmed trek leader (Ralf Wolter, also well known as Sam Hawkins, "if I'm not mistaken"), a card-sharp (Mario Adorf, "Winnetou I", the murderer of Nscho- tschi!) and another obscure guy (Philippe Lemaire). Until the murderer is unmasked, there is still a lot of fighting (Brad Harris is of course back in his element as a stunt choreographer), but also singing (Ralf Paulsen sings the hit "Viel Gold und keine Freunde / Much Gold and No Friends").

This is certainly not a Western masterpiece, but the film is a lot of fun. Above all, it offers a reunion with many popular actors. Also in a supporting role is Josef Egger, who, in his signature role as a comical Western oddball, also appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's "For a Fistful of Dollars" (1964). For Olga Schoberova and Brad Harris, it was the second film together after "Das Geheimnis der chinesischen Nelke / The Secret of the Chinese Carnation" (1964). The American muscle man and the Czech sex bomb formed a dream couple who were also married from 1967 to 1969 and have a daughter together.

This film, also known as "Alla conquista dell'Arkansas" and "Massacre at Marble City", is well worth seeing and an important example of the short but still popular wave of sauerkraut westerns produced in German-speaking countries.

This is an oater Western plenty of action , hatred , gun-play, an agreeable love story...in a word : emotion ; besides it contains effective action sequences as the Indian raids on the town and over a train wagon . The film is totally set in Arkansas and in a town called Marble City , during the ¨Gold Fever¨ that reunited gunfighters , outlaws as well as killings , vice , drinking and corruption . There the rowdy , free-spending cowboys attracted saloon keepers , gamblers , brothels and all types of frontier riff-raff , the town became notorious for its lawlessness . Gunmen were hired for a time to keep the peace in Marble City . With the numerous presence of homesteaders the town prospered , stabilized and grew , its lawabiding citizens decided to discourage the troublesome cattle trade with his transient cowboys . It follows the exploits of two adventurers , Phil Stone (Brad Harris) and Dan McCormick (Horst Frank) who attempt to seek peace and justice and to return tranquillity and calmness that characterized Marble City . They take on a mean card player and saloon owner , Matt Ellis , (Mario Adorf) and ambitious gold seekers who kill Phil's father . Later on , Indian Mescaleros raid a wagon train , but the settlers are helped by Phil and Dan . Meanwhile , Phil falls in love for the gorgeous Mary Brendel (Olga Schoberová , in real life married Brad Harris) .

The picture gets Western action , crossfire , Indian attacks , a love story , and results to be entertaining , but mediocre . It's a medium budget film with passable actors , technicians, production values and ordinary results . Of course , there are ritual shootouts among gunslingers confronting each other in some quick-draw duels in the accepted Western movie fashion . This is an average Spaghetti/Snitchzel Western with some moments genuinely entertaining if you can avoid thinking too much . Being realized in the wake of ¨Karl May's Winnetou and Old Surehand¨ series , a lot of movies produced in the sixties by the powerful German company ¨Constantin Films¨ , starred by Pierre Brice , Lex Barker , and Stewart Granger . In fact , in ¨Massacre at Marble City¨ there is even an Indian chief dressed in similar style to Winnetou/Pierre Brice . It stars Brad Harris who began doing stunt work , in the late 50s he traveled to Europe and he soon found himself working in Musclemen epics such as ¨Sansone¨ , ¨Goliath against the giants¨ , ¨Fury of Hércules¨ and he eventually moved into Spaghetti Western and spy movies . Brad Harris married the beautiful co-starring Olga Schoberová . Olga became the Czech sex-symbol because she was the first beauty from Czechoslovakia to appear on Playboy, and made it on the front cover, too . After winning the leading role in The vengeance of She (1968), Paramount renamed her Olinka Berova . She and Brad Harris have one daughter . Olinka played several films along with his husband Brad , such as "Poppea's Hot Nights" , ¨Formula 1¨ , "Kommissar X¨ or ¨Kill me gently¨ and a Western titled "Black Eagle of Santa Fe" . Secondary cast is formed by some familiar faces from Spaghetti Western such as Joseph Egger , Serge Marquand and Ralf Wolter , the latter ordinary in Winnetou films . And Horst Frank , usually playing bad guys , here he plays a good guy .

The picture displays a resounding and inappropriate musical score by Francesco De Masi , being composer of the Italian version except main title , while Heinz Gietz was composer all country versions except Italian rendition . This film titled ¨Die Goldsucher Von Arkansas¨ or ¨Alla Conquista dell'Arkansas¨ or ¨Conquerors of Arkansas¨ or ¨Massacre at Marble City¨ was middlingly directed by Paul Martin , a craftsman who directed all kind of genres as ¨Diamond Walkers¨ , ¨Lucky Kids¨, ¨La Paloma¨, ¨Marina¨, ¨O Sole Mio¨, ¨Ramona¨ , among others .