Secret of the Incas Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Legend of the Incas")

Directed by Jerry Hopper
USA 1954

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.

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Charlton Heston stars as Harry Steele, an American treasure hunter moonlighting as a tour guide in the jungles of Peru. He is on a quest to discover the Sunburst, an ancient Incan treasure that has the power to build and destroy civilizations. Shot on location at Machu Picchu in Peru, the film is often credited as the inspiration for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Starring Charlton Heston, Robert Young & Nicole Maurey.

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 28th, 1954

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Comparison:

Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover
		Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:41:26.663	1:41:36.423
Video	1.78:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 37,773,859,103 bytes Feature: 30,015,369,216 bytes Video Bitrate: 32.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video	1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 35,474,908,758 bytes Feature: 33,048,692,736 bytes Video Bitrate: 39.39 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Imprint Blu-ray:
Bitrate Kino Blu-ray:
Audio	LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit Commentary: LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1593 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1593 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English (SDH), None	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Imprint 1.78:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 37,773,859,103 bytes Feature: 30,015,369,216 bytes Video Bitrate: 32.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio commentary by film historian Phillipa Berry • NEW Interview with Chris Poggiali on the Influence of Raiders of The Lost Ark (10:23) • Lux Radio Theater version of Secret of the Incas with Charlton Heston and Nicole Maurey (1954) (49:20) • Gallery (1:00) Blu-ray Release Date: September 9th, 2022 Transparent Blu-ray inside hard case Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 35,474,908,758 bytes Feature: 33,048,692,736 bytes Video Bitrate: 39.39 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Toby Roan • Trailers Blu-ray Release Date: February 28th, 2023 Standard Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 9

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (February 2023): Kino have transferred Jerry Hopper's Secret of the Incas to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Remastered in HD by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative". The Imprint has no such notation and we can see it is a dramatically different 1080P image with heavy blues - where the Kino has a green leaning. The Kino is sharper and the Imprint has some misalignment of colors with subtle shifts throughout. The Kino is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and the Imprint is the slightly bastardized 1.78:1. There is some shifting in the frame with the Kino showing a shade more information in the frame. To further identify the different sources - there are different scratches (see last capture.) Despite the appealing-ness of the color scheme the softer Imprint is the interior of the two video transfers.

NOTE: We have added 44 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono channel and the Imprint a linear PCM 2.0 channel track (both 24-bit) in the original English language. The Kino may export more bass and the Imprint a superior higher-end in Secret of the Incas. There is some action and aggression (gunshots) but the notable audio feature of the film is in both the score by David Buttolph (Street of Chance, The Horse Soldiers, Wake Island, This Gun For Hire, Western Union, Pete Kelly's Blues, Rope, Three Secrets, Kiss of Death, Blood and Sand and many more) and the unique and haunting voice of Peruvian singer Yma Sumac performing three songs; Virgin of the Sun God, Earthquake and High Andes. One of those is Ataypura - which is easily recognizable as the music in The Big Lebowski when "The Dude" goes to Jackie Treehorn's (played by Ben Gazzara) lavish Malibu home. Everyone it played it for got it right away. It's used in the opening and as a performed effort later in the film. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Toby Roan (author of A Million Feet Of Film: The Making Of One-Eyed Jacks.) Toby identifies this as the first film shot in Machu Picchu and he focuses his comments mostly on the many supporting actors in Secret of the Incas noting such small roles like Marion Ross of Happy Days fame and many many more. He has done his research and is always enjoyable to listen to. Kino also offers a handful of trailers although none for Secret of the Incas.

The Imprint also has a new commentary. It is by Phillipa Berry (author of Shakespeare's Feminine Endings: Disfiguring Death in the Tragedies.) Phillipa describes this as an "undeservedly obscure adventure movie" and makes fine comparisons for this as an "adventure Noir' noting films like Plunder of the Sun. Quotes are used from Heston's autobiography In the Arena: An Autobiography, there is discussion of the Machu Picchu history and information on Yma Sumac from Nidholas E. Limansky's book Yma Sumac: The Art Behind the Legend. It is an excellent commentary. There is also a new 10-minute interview with Chris Poggiali on the Influence of Raiders of The Lost Ark and a 50-minute Lux Radio Theater version of Secret of the Incas with Charlton Heston and Nicole Maurey from 1954. Lastly is a gallery.

Both Blu-ray packages have cardboard cases. The Kino has a reversible sleeve (see below.)

We love to have choices and the Blu-rays of Secret of the Incas certainly offers that. The image is surprisingly different and we lean to the greener Kino over the bluer, softer, Imprint. I enjoyed both commentaries but the Imprint includes more supplements with the Chris Poggiali pieces and Lux Radio broadcast. There is a lot of like about Secret of the Incas - fedora-donning Heston as the precursor to Indiana Jones (made after The Naked Jungle that this also evokes), Peruvian singer Yma Sumac (playing Kori-Tica) and her haunting voice, French actress Nicole Maurey remembered for the1962 science fiction cult classic The Day of the Triffids, Edith Head costumes, 500 indigenous people were used as extras and the gorgeous scenery of Machu Picchu (Secret of the Incas caused a surge in tourism to Peru the following year!) A solid adventure effort to have on Blu-ray and we have the option of two diverse packages.