Almost 70 years ago, a B-movie that would unknowingly change cinema premiered in theaters. Not directly, mind you, but it did have a considerable influence on a much later film.
That movie released in 1954 was "Secret of the Incas," a popcorn adventure flick starring none other than Charlton Heston as American expat and occasional treasure hunter Harry Steele. Heston's character lived in Cusco, Peru (which is part of the reason why I'm writing this, having married a Peruvian and all), as a tour guide and something of a hustler to the tourists coming to go and see Machu Picchu.
Steele is pitted against his shady associate Ed Morgan (Thomas Mitchell) in a race to find the Sunburst, an Incan treasure said to be at the site. Romanian defector Elena Antonescu (Nicole Maurey) gets mixed in, and the movie features an appearance by legendary Peruvian singer Yma Sumac. Plus, it was filmed on location in Machu Picchu and Cusco.
So what's so special about this movie other than me having a personal connection to it?
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Well, Charlton Heston's Harry Steele spends much of the movie wearing a leather jacket and a fedora, which inspired the look of a far-better known adventurer and archaeologist, Mr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr.
After all, the Indiana Jones series is a love letter to the old-school pulp novels like Doc Savage and other adventurers, but the look had to come from somewhere.
In 2005, Indy fan site The Raider interviewed Deborah Nadoolman, costume designer for "Raiders of the Lost Ark." She confirmed Heston's appearance in "Secret of the Incas" was the inspiration for Dr. Jones' iconic outfit, going so far as to say the two movies are almost "shot-for-shot" similar, with both movies having a scene where the hero manipulates a beam of sunlight to find the location of the main artifact.
"We did watch this film together as a crew several times, and I always thought it strange that the filmmakers did not credit it later as the inspiration for the series. 'Raiders' stands on its own as a modern classic, but the fedora jacket and whip are right there on Charlton Heston in 1954," Nadoolman said.
While "Secret of the Incas" is nowhere near as action-packed as the Indiana Jones movies, nor is the defeat of its villain anywhere near as supernatural, it still feels like an Indy movie with its setting, tone, and overall feel, minus a scene where Yma Sumac gets to show off her singing skills. Then again, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (I happen to like that one) opened with a big musical number set in Shanghai, so that can arguably still count.
Still, one must wonder why "Secret of the Incas" remains largely obscure, only recently being released on DVD/Blu-Ray and on streaming services and relegated to being a bit of trivia for Indiana Jones fans.
One thing I can tell you is that it was still more memorable than "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." I pretty much forgot everything that happened in that one just days after seeing it in a near-empty movie theater.
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It is truly ironic that a low-budget popcorn flick from the '50s could stick in your memory better than a modern multi-million-dollar blockbuster with better effects.
