Review of The Secret of Monte Cristo

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.