Lechuguilla The Lost Dutchman Mine is a fascinating legend from the 19th century. Gold is said to be buried somewhere in the Superstition Mountains, near Phoenix, in the Arizona desert. If this film had really been about the legend, it could have been as poetic and mysterious as the old song by Walter Brennan, "Dutchman's Gold".Alas, the film script, while it is set in the right geographic location, veers away from the legend too much and into a dreary love triangle between three scoundrels. That's my main complaint. The opening narrator, Barry Storm (William Prince), is not the main character. Storm appears in the first and third Acts, both rather brief relative to the middle Act. Storm's purpose is mainly to introduce the film's two big "stars".This middle Act features Glenn Ford and Ida Lupino. They play two of the three scoundrels in the love triangle. None of this middle Act has much to do with the Lost Dutchman legend, except as backstory, which is told in one very long flashback, and initiated by a minor character. The length of this flashback is way too long, making it dreadfully disconnected from the first and third Acts.Another problem is that, despite the claim that this is "the true story of the Superstition Mountains", I found it hard to tell which elements of the film were actually true and which were fictional. I had to research the topic afterwards to determine that an earthquake apparently did occur during the time period, as the film suggests. But the true-life existence of some characters is highly questionable. Also, the main geologic landmark in the area, Weavers Needle, looks nothing at all like it is portrayed in the film. Thus, the film is as frustrating and confusing as the legend. The best Act is probably the third, which has some good suspense, as two characters fight one another on a high cliff.B&W photography and acting are acceptable. Production design is largely irrelevant. Background music consists mostly of nondescript elevator music, common in old movies. I dislike the casting of Glenn Ford and Ida Lupino, which conveys the impression that the film is really intended as a career vehicle for these two Hollywood actors.To enjoy this film, one needs to forget the legend of the Lost Dutchman, and focus instead either on the obvious theme of greed in the Old West or the casting of two big-name "stars", as some viewers always do.

Spikeopath Lust for Gold is directed by S. Sylvan Simon and adapted for the screen by Richard English & Ted Sherdeman from the novel Thunder God's Gold written by Barry Storm. It stars Ida Lupino, Glenn Ford, Gig Young and William Prince. Music is by George Duning and cinematography by Archie Stout.Superstition Mountains, home to the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, and home to many deaths because of it...Is it a mythical legend or is it fact? What we do know is that the story of The Lost Dutchman Gold Mind, apparently located somewhere in the Superstition Mountains, East of Phoenix, Arizona, is one hell of a story and makes for an entertaining and interestingly structured Western flavoured movie. Hell! The film even has a tricky little back story that saw author Barry Storm, who was portrayed in the film by William Prince, sue the makers for misrepresentation of his character. Even citing Communism as being what he claimed were some underhand tactics. Further reading on this subject can be found on the internet and it's most interesting stuff. Also noteworthy is that director S. Sylvan Simon (I Love Trouble) was originally only producing the movie, direction was to be by George Marshall (Destry Rides Again/How The West Was Won), but the two of them clashed considerably so Simon took on directing duties as well.What should be said from the outset is that first time viewers would be well advised to read up on the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine first. This will help considerably to enjoy the film more. This is because the picture covers three different time periods in history, with the beginning and end taking place in present day (1949 that is), and the centre bulk of the story set in 1880 as Dutchy Waltz (Ford) finds the gold and promptly finds hassle (the whole town) and treachery (Lupino's sultry femme fatale Julia Thomas) comes as part of the deal. The third point in history comes by way of an explanation as to the Apache Indian origins of the gold. None of it is confusing, but the flow of the film is inevitably stop-start, and with Prince's character (Barry Storm is related to Dutchy Waltz) providing a one note narration, film isn't as "great" as it should be.However, there is a lot of "great" things "in" Lust for Gold. Cast are mostly ace, with Lupino a dominating presence and Ford doing a nice line as, well, a sympathetic bastard! In secondary support you get a roll call of actors who have earned their spurs in the Western genre. Edgar Buchanan (Devil's Doorway), Will Geer (Broken Arrow), Arthur Hunnicut (The Big Sky) and Jay Silverheels (The Lone Ranger TV series and films). As fun and intriguing as the story is, and it is both, the best thing about the film is undoubtedly the location shooting by Archie Stout (Fort Apache). Originally shot in Sepia tones, the DVD release of the film is in crisp black and white (the Region 2 DVD offers a quality print), where the Superrstition Mountains make for an imposing presence throughout the tale, the beauty and hazards of the rock formations are expertly realised by Stout's photography.Although one can imagine Marshall would have stitched the story together better, and possibly got more mileage out of Gig Young's hapless husband character, Simon doesn't scrimp on the action sequences. There's plenty of fisticuffs within, plus a pulse raising Apache attack sequence. He also proves competent at honing a sweaty stand-off section, where the thirst becomes unbearable under the burning sun. This is a precursor to a genuinely eye opening turn of events before we zip back to the present day. It's then when you most likely will feel like I did, bitten by a yearning to get back to the old West in the company of gold hungry varmints and duplicitous females. 7.5/10

MartinHafer While I really don't think there is a genre called 'Western Noir', this film seems to blend a traditional western with the traditional film noir to create a very unusual hybrid--and a very good one at that. And, a very brutal film--one of the more cynical and brutal films of the era.The film is based on some legendary lost mine in Arizona--one that apparently MIGHT exist but apparently people have been murdered in pursuit of this mine. It's a fictionalized piece about the history of the mine and it's taught in a very unusual fashion. The beginning and end of the film are set in the present day--with the grandson of the man who discovered the mine trying to locate it once again. Then, the middle portion is about that man who discovered it--a very unsavory character played by Glenn Ford. In some ways, he's great--very cold and nasty--an easy guy to hate. But, he also is supposed to be a German--and his accent seems to come and go! I would have either not made him German or re-shot the scenes or simply got an actor who had a better command of the language and accent. But I cannot complain too much, as he's given a lot of wonderfully juicy moments--brutal and realistic to a level rarely seen at that time. Overall, this is an exceptional film because of its unflinching approach to the subject matter.If you do watch the film, there are two actors to note. First, in a tiny scene there is a little boy who is given a HUGE number of cookies. The kid is Billy Grey--'Bud' from "Father Knows Best". Also, one of the deputies is Jay Silverheels--'Tonto' from "The Lone Ranger".

johno-21 I haven't seen this film in a long time and it seems to be a relatively unknown film but this is worth looking for. This is the story of the lost Peralta mine in Arizona's Superstition Mountains near Pheonix better known in legend as The Lost Dutchman's Mine. The film begins in the present day of the film's release of 1949 and we discover there have been several murders recently related to the unknown whereabouts of the mine. The film goes back in time to 1880 and tells the story of the German-born prospector John Walz erroneously called The Dutchman. Between 1880 and his claims to have discovered the mine that had been known by the native Arizona Indians long before, and up to 1949 some 20 murders have been associated with the mine. This film takes some liberties from the story of Walz who didn't come to the area until he was 58 years old and by the time of the film's setting in the 1880's he was in his 70's. Glen Ford stars as Walz in this unusual film noir/western. Ida Lupino is Julian and Gig Young is Pete. In the excellent supporting cast are Edgar Buchanan, Will Gere, Jay Silverheels, Arthur Hunnicut, Paul Ford and William Prince as Barry Storm who wrote the book Thunder God's Gold from which this film is adapted from. S. Sylvan Simon was a versatile director best known for comedies he directed for such comics as Red Skelton and Abbot & Costello but also a film noir director of such films as Grand Central Station, I Love Trouble and Washington Melodrama. Archie Stout who would win an Oscar along with Winton C. Hoch for their photography in The Quiet Man is this film's cinematographer. Ida Lupino would tap Stout to be the cinematographer of her directorial debut in Never Fear, the first of three films they would do together. I would give this an 8.5 out of 10.