Paula Hammond - Features EditorGermany isn’t perhaps a country that you’d naturally associate with Westerns but the genre is hugely popular there — and one of the most popular names in Westerns is Karl May.
Known for his thrilling tales, May didn’t just write Westerns. He also wrote first-person adventure stories, based — or so he claimed — on his real-life travels through the Orient and the American West, where he said he was known as Old Shatteredhand. Following earlier attempts to bring his novels to the screen, it wasn’t until the 1960s, however, that films adapted from May’s tales finally found their audience.
Seven were ultimately produced by Artur Brauner at CCC Film, all starring Lex Barker —best known for his portrayal of Tarzan in five MGM productions — as Old Shatterhand, alongside Pierre Brice as Winnetou. The series was directed by a host of veteran filmmakers including Robert Siodmak (The Killers), Hugo Fregonese (Black Tuesday), Franz Josef Gottlieb (The Mad Executioners) and Harald Reinl (Face of the Frog).
Old Shatterhand and Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death both feature May’s most beloved characters: the frontiersman Old Shatterhand and the Apache chief Winnetou. The first title see the duo caught up in a plot to start a war between Native Americans and white settlers. The second, features a scheme to steal a gold shipment from the US Army.
The Shoot, Through Wild Kurdistan and In the Kingdom of the Silver Lion all follow adventurer Kara Ben Nemsi as he travels through the Balkans and the Middle East.
The Treasure of the Aztecs and The Pyramid of the Sun God chart the exploits of Dr Karl Sternau as he seeks vast riches to fund political action in Mexico.
Wildly entertaining, beautifully shot in lush, cinematic locations, and helmed by some of the most talented filmmakers working in Germany during the 1960s, these popular Karl May adaptations paved the way for the many Italian Westerns that would soon follow.
This May, all seven titles arrive on blu-ray as part of a lavish collection — prepared from brand new 4K restorations – and suitably titled Adventure Calls! This is their first time ever on home video, in both the UK and North America.
Presented as part of The Masters of Cinema Series, the four-disc set is beautifully restored, and comes in a Limited Edition hardbound slipcase along with a 60-page collector’s book.
