When I picked up this title on prerecord, I received several surprises. First, the film was largely filmed in Haiti, so the "heart of voodoo country" motif was authentic. Secondly, it was lensed in color -- something the packaging hadn't suggested on first glance.
In the island nation, Prof. Jordan (Guillermo Gálvez) has perfected a new explosive which rivals the H-bomb in its power. Among the parties interested in this new discovery is Bellamira (Sasha Montenegro), a voodoo priestess who hopes to sell the formula to a foreign power. Unfortunately for her plans, the film starts with the discovery (via visions seen in a mystic pool of water) that Interpol is calling in Santo to safeguard the scientist and his invention.
Santo arrives and is picked up by the local agent he's to work with (Jorge -- played by Caesar del Campo). While driving from the airport, their car has a flat and -- as they prepare to replace the damaged tire -- they're attacked by several unconvincing zombies. After a token grappling, these are repelled when Santo holds up a gross-shaped tire iron.
The duo go on to the professor's house, where we meet the scientist and his daughter Lorna (Elsa Cardenas). Jorge is involved with the girl, and has a vested interest in keeping her father safe. The researcher is not interest in being protected, and feels he can handle things on his own. Never a good attitude to adopt in this kind of film.
Moving quickly, Bellamira turns the researcher into a zombie. Santo, who has recently arrived on the island, is unable to prevent this. Buried, the professor returns to acquire the formula kept in his safe. There is a nice scare scene here, as His daughter is confronted by the walking corpse.
After winning a wrestling match (during which he was to die), Santo oversees the opening of the professor's coffin. It is empty.
Gaining the last of the professor's secrets at her headquarters (where uranium is being quarried for use in the explosive), the voodoo priestess send the zombie home, where it collapses in front of a horrified Lorna.
Lorna moves out, unerringly choosing to spend some time with her friend -- Bellamira. When she follows the priestess into the jungle, she learns too much. Lorna prevents a voodoo assault on the sleeping Santo and is earmarked as a sacrifice for her trouble.
With a little help of a friendly magic practitioner, Michelle (Gerty Jones), Santo winds up at the cult's headquarters. The priestess agrees to a mystic dual with him. Both place an arm in a bag containing a number of deadly snakes.
Though both are bitten, Santo's nobility prevails and the priestess dies. End of story.
Interesting for a huge amount of footage of parades and happy, celebrating vacationers, though this is also one of the film's weaknesses, in that there's too much of this colorful filler. There're a few nice sequences, but the result is an "average" Santo thriller. Not bad, but certainly not his best.
