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 an 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.

For thoughts on Secret of the Incas, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Secret of the Incas debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative remastered by Paramount. The presentation is striking throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being very strong. Fans of the picture will be thrilled as instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have all been cleaned up substantially with clarity and detail looking impeccable. You may still spot a minor speck or two, but this is by far the best the film has probably ever looked.

This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with a pleasantly refined look rather than a clumpy ordeal. Colors are well saturated with the vivid hues of the setting and costumes shining through. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with no major examples of crush. This presentation is a top tier effort that should be appreciated by all.

Audio Quality

This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that sounds pretty engaging throughout this adventure. As with the video side of the equation, the audio track avoids pretty much all instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. Even when things get a bit more active, everything comes through crisp and clear without becoming a sonic mess. Everything is presented with clarity and a strong fidelity as it fills the room. Dialogue holds up firmly, coming through precisely without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. This track does everything it needs to do appropriately well. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Toby Roan delivers a very informative commentary track in which he discusses the history of the film, the background of various creative figures attached to the film, some of the flaws of the narrative, the history and reception of the picture, details about the shooting locations and more.

Trailers: There are trailers provided for Touch Of Evil, The Big Country, Night Passage, Thunder Bay, Against All Flags and Naked Alibi. .

Final Thoughts

Secret of the Incas is not Charlton Heston at his very best, but it is still Charlton Heston. Chuck has a screen presence which looms large in every role he takes, and he makes a meal out of this role opposite the beguiling Nicole Maurey. The narrative is not too innovative in basic plotting, but it delivers the necessary fun to overcome any of these shortcomings. There are a few dated elements that do not play as well in a modern context, but largely this film provides great escapism. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray with an excellent A/V presentation and a great commentary track. If you are a fan of old-fashioned adventures and Charlton Heston, have yourself a good time with this. Recommended

Secret of the Incas will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 28. 2023.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.