THE TREASURE OF THE FOUR CROWNS

Italy, 1982, 97 minutes, Colour.
Tony Anthony, Ana Obregon, Gene Quintano.
Directed by Ferdinando Baldi.

The Treasure of the Four Crowns is an enjoyable enough derivative adventure story designed for exciting audiences with its 3D effects.

Produced by the prolific Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, the film is an Italian production filmed in Spain and Portugal. The star is the laconic Italian Tony Anthony (Blind Man). Anthony had appeared in the excessively gruesome western 3D feature, Comin' At Ya. On the strength of its box office success, this film was made. It is far less gory than its predecessor, and is entertainment for a very wide audience.

Its rather emotionless but superhero is discovered at the beginning of the film in the middle of adventures in a haunted castle in Spain. The 3D effects come to the fore and to the front, immediately. The film improves as it goes along when some reason and motivation is given to the characters and the events. It soon becomes clear than there is great acknowledgement in the 'original screenplay' to Indian iones and Raiders of the Lost Ark. There is also an acknowledgement of the popularity of religious cults and American maniacs brainwashing people. The cult sequences are of some interest with their fake healings and excitable religious spirit. However, the important action is the recovery of the four crowns by a team of experts (though on their last legs - and most of them die). There is an alcoholic, an ageing acrobat with a heart condition and his daughter. The adventures of stealing the four crowns are very reminiscent of Jules Dassin's robbery film Topkapi. Needless to say there is a partially happy ending, and the laconic hero concealing the crowns from the allegedly good men who want to control the world with their secret powers.

The film is distinguished by at Ennio Morricone score - which has overtones of liturgical music.