Der Berg des Schreckens (1949)

Der Berg des Schreckens: Directed by S. Sylvan Simon, George Marshall. With Ida Lupino, Glenn Ford, Gig Young, William Prince. Fortune seeker Barry Storm stumbles onto some clues that may lead him to the fabulous Lost Dutchman Mine, but others have tried and been murdered.

“u0026quot;Have a gumdrop,u0026quot; offers the cranky Jacob Walz as he woos the scheming Julia Thomas (Ida Lupino). Not the most romantic way of winning a ladyu0026#39;s affections, but then Walz can afford a million gumdrops, having just found the fabulous Lost Dutchman gold mine. No wonder she looks pleased taking a little gooey one.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDonu0026#39;t let this fool you– the movieu0026#39;s a fine under-rated adventure yarn, skillfully weaving together two time-lines surrounding the Westu0026#39;s most legendary lost mine. So whou0026#39;s murdering unwary fortune hunters in the real time-line (1949)? Maybe if we follow the flashback to the 1880u0026#39;s weu0026#39;ll find out. Itu0026#39;s then that Walz stumbles onto the mine first worked by Mexicans who ended up being massacred by Apaches. From that point on, the story really takes off.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eExcellent production values. The earth-shaking special effects are unexpected and expertly done by the usually budget-minded Columbia studios. Ditto the cliff-side sets that blend well with background. Note how efficiently the script establishes the relationship between Julia and husband Pete (Gig Young) in their first scene, one that maybe more importantly satisfied censors of the day.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s a complicated story-line, but very well coordinated by director S. Sylvan Simon. Note how effectively legend, fact, and melodrama are combined into a coherent tale of enchantment. Who would not be enticed by the real life clues leading to the mineu0026#39;s location– all the coded pictographs, mysterious window rocks, and elusive sun spots. I expect more than a few would-be adventurers set- out because of this 90 minutes. However, letu0026#39;s hope they didnu0026#39;t set-out like many characters in the movie– apparently without necessary provisions, that is, nary a burro, pack-horse or jeep in sight. Even Julia unfortunately appears in the desert sans hat!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eStill and all, itu0026#39;s a fine cast. Was there ever a better sleek-looking gigolo than Gig Young, or a more soulful emoter than Lupino. She sure gets her chance, sweating her way up those sharp rocks in a nice slice of poetic justice. Fordu0026#39;s really excellent in those early scenes as the hard-bitten outsider. Note, however, how quickly he becomes Americanized losing his distinctive Dutch accent in the later scenes. And too bad Will Geer, the hayseed sheriff, disappeared from movies for decades courtesy the Hollywood blacklist. His grin here is one of the slyest on record. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTopping things off, the movie finishes up in an exciting action-filled climax with an especially droll final word. All in all, I wouldnu0026#39;t be surprised that the project was inspired by the success of the previous yearu0026#39;s Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a movie with a similar theme of gold and adventure. Iu0026#39;m just sorry this little nugget hasnu0026#39;t achieve greater recognition for the highly entertaining sleeper it is.”