There is action and intrigue aplenty in this tale, but it ends in disappointment and death for all 4 of the original instigators of this project, searching for a possibly mythical treasure on the small island of Monte Cristo, half way between central Italy and the large island of Corsica. This 1961 film is known by 2 titles: "The Secret of Monte Cristo", and "The Treasure of Monte Cristo". As the latter, it is easily confused with the quite different 1949 film of the same title......The basic plot is quite preposterous, yet enticing. The 4 quarters of a map that supposedly indicates the location of the treasure were distributed among 4 men, of various nationalities. Now, they plan to get together in Italy and collectively search for the treasure: a scenario that invites intrigue and backstabbing(literally). After all the fuss about the map, in the end, the map proves of minimal value in locating the treasure and, by the end of the film, all 4 of the original seekers have died, one by one, along the way. In addition, collectively, the 4 or their comrades have killed quite a few men, most relating to the treasure. Renato(John Greyson) is the leader of a group of men who check out the various people who occasionally come seeking the treasure. Initially hostile, Renato changes his tune after Corbett(Roy Calhoun) beats him in a knife fight. Then, he is willing to help them search for the treasure, and makes a friend of Corbett, who is the protector of Pauline(Patricia Bredio), daughter of Colonel Jackson(Ian Hunter), who was murdered on the trip across France. Jackson was one of the 4 map recipients, Pauline retrieving his map portion. Corbett had previously killed or beat off several men who held Jackson up in the hotel where he and Corbett were staying.......Initially, Pauline hated Corbett, who had accidentally walked in on her in the hotel. According to standard formula, eventually, she softened up, especially after he performed more heroics, and her father was killed. Another unattached beautiful woman(Gianna Canole, as Lucetta) is in the stew. She is the stereotypical bad girl, to Pauline's good girl image. She came with Boldini((Peter Arne): another recipient of a quarter of the map, and who lives in a castle on Monte Cristo. Lucetta is ambitious to be awarded a portion of the treasure, and tries to get several others of the party, including Corbett, interested in her. But, they all smell a fickle gold digger, and turn her away. ......A common fault of adventure and western films is that the superhero(s), pitted against the adversaries(many men, here) nearly always come out the winner , in various incidents. That's certainly true here, especially in the last part, where Renato's bunch, guarding the treasure chest, are slaughtered by Boldini's soldiers who, later, are slaughtered by Corbett and Renato, again, mostly using swords. Boldini and Lucette nearly escape with the treasure, while Corbett and Renato are out at sea, but fate intervenes. Since he lives on the island, Boldini feels he has a greater claim to the treasure than the others. The last part of the film takes place in and around his castle, where Corbett and Renato separately take care of Boldini's guards, then Corbett simultaneously sword fights Boldini and his accomplice, inside the castle, with Pauline and Lucetta looking on. Boldini meets his end in an unexpected way while so engaged. Lucetta is devastated at Boldini's death and the contents of the treasure chest. The others laugh and leave.

This was another film I was introduced to via its vintage poster in my father's scrapbook of titles he watched during his childhood; however, it took me this long to get the opportunity to check it out for myself – thankfully, it was via Warner's "Archive Collection" transfer, where the movie sported the U.S. moniker THE SECRET OF MONTE CRISTO, so as not to be confused with the 1949 noir of the same name! Incidentally, this was one of four higher profile efforts by the writer/producer/director/cinematographer team (who, when they died, had a combined age of 193!) that I own and also their last outing for the big screen and, as it coincidentally turned out, I watched this on a day that would have been Berman's birthday! Given the title, there are some obvious ties to the fictional fortune made famous by Alexandre Dumas; however, rather than a relative of Edmond Dantes (who discovered the treasure), here we have the descendant (played by Peter Arne) of the friar who actually stashed it on the island. Even so, he has only one-fourth of the map indicating its location: the other parts are owned by French playboy Francis Matthews, German seaman David Davies and English military officer Ian Hunter (accompanied on the venture by daughter Patricia Bredin, valet Sam Kydd and 'bodyguard' Rory Calhoun{!} just as Arne himself has Italian Gianna Maria Canale tagging along). Characters are very clearly defined from the outset: Bredin and Calhoun begin by disliking each other but eventually fall in love; Hunter expires early on; Kydd supplies incessant yet scant comedy relief; Matthews is gallant with women but ruthless when it comes to the gold; Arne, inevitably, emerges the true villain; Canale is ambitious and has no qualms about using her femininity to get a bigger stake of the riches.The journey to the island is only half the narrative, however, for they run into Sicilian bandits – led by a hammy John Gregson (who shows his chops by eating a raw onion!) – soon after landing there. Needless to say, with so many fingers clamouring for a piece of the pie, double-cross and murder soon become the order of the day...but Gregson proves he is not as rough as he makes out to be (after Davies dies to save his life), taking sides with Bredin, Calhoun (even after having engaged in a knife-fight with him) and Kydd against Arne, Canale and Matthews. Though hardly a classic, the movie makes for a pleasant diversion (with an ironic fate for the much sought-after loot): if anything, the appealing locations – colourfully shot in the Dyaliscope ratio – generally manage to take one's mind off the flaws...most irritating, perhaps, being Calhoun's constantly cheerful countenance (which had likewise marred the Sergio Leone peplum THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES, actually the preceding title in his filmography released the same year)!

Western frontier hero Rory Calhoun swapped his six-gun for a sword in this competent British swashbuckler from 1961 about greedy fortune hunters after the treasure of the Count of Monte Cristo. Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman, who later produced the popular television show "The Saint" with Roger Moore, share the director's credit and serve as their own cinematographers. Calhoun looks sorely miscast as Captain Adam Corbett, an elegantly tailored but down-on-his-luck former British army officer, who learns to his chagrin that his landlord has evicted him and given his room to a father and daughter combo. No, Rory doesn't adopt a British accent, and the movies provides little in the way of a backstitch for his character. Corbett discovers to his surprise that the father is another former officer from his regiment, Colonel Jackson (Ian Hunter of "The Adventures of Robin Hood"). Jackson and his pretty daughter Pauline (Patricia Bredin) are spending the night before they embark on a ship for the continent. During the evening, two assailants try to murder the colonel. Corbett thwarts the assailants; he slays one ruffian and sends the other scurrying into the night. Meanwhile, crafty Colonel Jackson and daughter Pauline check out of the hotel without notifying Corbett and board their ship. The authorities arrive at the inn in time to arrest Corbett for killing one of Jackson's assailants. Before the authorities can clap Corbett in irons, the elusive fellow gives them the slip, plunges through a nearby window and catches up with Colonel Jackson. Jackson hires the resourceful Corbett as a trouble-shooting escort, but that doesn't deter the villains from trying to kill Jackson. As it turns out Jackson has one-quarter of a map to the buried treasure. The other three characters have their quarter-sections ready to combine but remain uneasy about trusting each other. There is plenty of intrigue in Leon Griffith's shallow but constantly moving screenplay. "The Secret of Monte Cristo" is not half as entertaining as Rory's shoot'em up westerns. The chemistry between Rory and leading lady Patricia Bredin never generates any sparks. Predictably, the filmmakers spend about three-fourths of the film on the long journey to a remote island in the Mediterrean. No sooner do our protagonists set foot on land than they encounter inhospitable native bandits, led by Renaldo (John Gregson of "The Longest Day")who alternates between being a villain and a good guy. The lack of a budget is apparent in the scarcity of supporting actors, but the film appears to have been shot on location. The authentic feel of things gives the enhances the film's anemic production values. One of the three fortune hunters is Gianna Maria Canale, a woman of striking beauty, who tries to separate Calhoun from Bredin. The widescreen color cinematography of Baker and Berman,their choice of camera setups, and the exotic scenery in which they stage the action adds immeasurably to the overall quality of the film. Naturally, everybody participating in the treasure hunt seems determined to double-cross everybody else in this necessarily loquacious film. Indeed, there is a far amount of talking. Rory Calhoun lacks his usual aplomb in this part because he looks more like a dude than an armed escort. The villains are strong, persistent, and keep Corbett on his toes. This superficial saga amounts to a routine potboiler that occasionally simmers, though not often enough to enliven the early 19th century action. Altogether lackluster in the choreography of its sword fights and brimming with forgettable dialogue, "The Secret of Monte Cristo is best left for die-hard Rory Calhoun fans.

This turgid, talky, and static widescreen adventure stars Rory Calhoun as an all-American hero in search of buried treasure. Unfortunately for Rory, he's doing this in the 17th (or very early 18th) century, and seems completely out of place with his late 1950s greasy quiff. This paint by numbers feature looks quite nice--though the day for night cinematography frequently leaves something to be desired--and is mired in bland dialogue and unimaginatively choreographed action sequences. Clifton Parker's predictable score sounds like leftovers from a television series. About the only saving grace is a cheeky performance by the great Sam Kydd--here sounding remarkably like Parker from The Thunderbirds--as Alfred, a loyal servant who helps our hero find the treasure.