Mondo Esoterica Boxset Mini-Reviews


Der Ölprinz (1966) a.k.a The Oil Prince

 Stewart Granger and Terence Hill in this relatively small scale Karl May Western. UFA German R0 boxset disc, no English options.
 


The Film in brief:

Storyline Summary:A man known as the Oil Price decides that he wants to lay claim to an area of land, but a group of settlers is about to stop there first, so he tries to turn a local Native American tribe against them. Winnetou and Old Surehand arrive and save the settlers from the Prince's men, but when the Prince frames the settlers for the murder of the Indian Chief's son, only Winnetou and Surehand can save them from the angry natives...
Notes:
  • One of the 'smallest' of the Karl May Westerns with much less of the spectacle of the first films and similar the other Old Surehand films, it conveys much more of a tradional Western theme.
  • Includes some rather creaky optical effects shots during the opening oil well explosions (which uses footage originally shot for Winnetou 2. teil (1964)) and later in a river rafting sequence.
Anyone famous in it? Stewart Granger - a former Hollywood star including co-lead in John Wayne Western North to Alaska (1960)
Elke Sommer - a German actress, best known to cult fans for her roles in two of Mario Bava's horrors.
Terence Hill - one of the big stars of the Spaghetti Western boom, including My Name is Nobody (1973)
Directed by anyone interesting? Alfred Vohrer - a lesser known German director who shot three of the Karl May Westerns.



The DVD

Visuals Original Aspect Ratio  - 2.35:1 anamorphic wide-screen. Colour.
The image is very good - with some noticable grain, but great colours and detail. 
Audio German 5.1 and mono. Strong audio. The remix is quite good with use made of the surround channels.
Subtitles German HOH
Extras The disc includes:
  • Bonus Trailer reel (same as other discs.
Packing Only available in the Karl May Collection 2 boxset.
Region Region 0 (worldwide) - PAL
Other regions? Other German releases from Kinowelt - no English options.
Cuts? The film is believed to be fully uncut. Titles and credits are in German.

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All text in this review written by Timothy Young - 22th November 2006.
Text from this review not to be used without authorization.

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