Bound for South America, buxom blonde Anita Ekberg (as Rena) ends her tenure as apparent sex play-mate for a Las Vegas bigwig; not to worry, he has two beautiful women standing sexily by, ready to assume her positions. Also headed down south are retiring professor Cameron Prud'Homme and his exacting wife Beulah Bondi (as Henry and Martha Spangler), gangster affiliated Jesse White (as Pete Boswick) and his quickly orphaned nephew Jon Provost (as Tommy Malone), plus slightly smarmy businessman Gene Barry (as Jud Ellis) and his pretty fiancée Phyllis Kirk (as Louise Melhorn). The co-pilots on our flight are possibly alcoholic Robert Ryan (as Bill Lonagan) and handsome hero-type Keith Andes (as Joe Brooks); the stewardess is Adele Mara (as Maria Alvarez)...
Before the long flight, they pick up German-accented Rod Steiger (as Vasquez), on his way to execution, and armed guard Fred Clark (as Crimp). It should be no surprise the plane encounters turbulence, then the passengers are informed only four people, plus young Provost (who has "Lassie" in his future), will be able to make the trip out of an Amazon jungle, which is possibly inhabited with cannibals looking for human heads to shrink. Nasty business. Writer Richard Carroll and adapters do well in foreshadowing the shrunken head threat, as Provost is presented with one early; and later, Mr. Steiger describes the grisly process. This film is director John Farrow's re-make of his own "Five Came Back" (1939); the original film seems to be the most favored, but this one works, too.
******* Back from Eternity (9/7/56) John Farrow ~ Robert Ryan, Rod Steiger, Anita Ekberg, Keith Andes
Before the long flight, they pick up German-accented Rod Steiger (as Vasquez), on his way to execution, and armed guard Fred Clark (as Crimp). It should be no surprise the plane encounters turbulence, then the passengers are informed only four people, plus young Provost (who has "Lassie" in his future), will be able to make the trip out of an Amazon jungle, which is possibly inhabited with cannibals looking for human heads to shrink. Nasty business. Writer Richard Carroll and adapters do well in foreshadowing the shrunken head threat, as Provost is presented with one early; and later, Mr. Steiger describes the grisly process. This film is director John Farrow's re-make of his own "Five Came Back" (1939); the original film seems to be the most favored, but this one works, too.
******* Back from Eternity (9/7/56) John Farrow ~ Robert Ryan, Rod Steiger, Anita Ekberg, Keith Andes