Adventure Calls!: Karl May at CCC

Four-disc set includes: Old Shatterhand (1964)Offbeat and interesting German-made Western, third in the "Winnetou" series based on Karl May's novels. Lex Barker stars as grizzled ex-railroader Shatterhand, who, along with Indian blood brother Winnetou (Pierre Brice) tries to stop a power-hungry Cavalry officer (Guy Madison) from fermenting war between the Apache and Comanche. Sultry Daliah Lavi also stars. AKA: "Apaches' Last Battle," "Old Surehand," "Shatterhand." 98 min. In German with English subtitles. C/Rtg: NR The Shoot (1964)When a malevolent mystery man known as "the Shoot" kidnaps foreign nationals in Ottoman Empire-era Albania, bold adventurer Kara Ben Nemsi (Lex Barker) and his sidekick Hadschi Halef Omar (Rolf Wolter) are recruited for a quest to rescue the abductees. First of three CCC efforts with Barker as Karl May's intrepid 19th century hero co-stars Maria Versini, Marianne Hold, Rik Battaglia, Friedrich von Ledebur; Robert Siodmak directs. AKA: "The Yellow One." 118 min. In German with English subtitles. C/Rtg: NR Treasure Of The Aztecs (1965)In 1864, German physician Karl Sternau (Lex Barker) was summoned by Abraham Lincoln (Jeff Corey), out of concern over the French's interventions in Mexico... and the doctor embarked on a quest to help subsidize Juarez' forces by uncovering the lost wealth of the Aztecs. First half of Robert Siodmak's epic take on Karl May's adventure prose also stars Rik Battaglia, Gérard Barray, Michèle Girardon, Alessandra Panaro. AKA: "Mercenaries of the Rio Grande." 101 min. In German with English subtitles. C/Rtg: NR Pyramid Of The Sun God (1965)In the closing half of Robert Siodmak's riveting Karl May adaptation, Karl Sternau (Lex Barker) managed to sidestep certain doom in his literally volcanic confrontation with the treacherous Capt. Verdoja (Rik Battaglia), but can he prevail in his quest for Montezuma's riches once Verdoja finds indigenous allies who also desire the gold? Gérard Barray, Michèle Girardon, Alessandra Panaro, Gustavo Rojo, Rolf Walter also star. 102 min. In German with English subtitles. C/Rtg: NR Through Wild Kurdistan (1965)Kara Ben Nemsi (Lex Barker) and Hadschi Halef Omar (Rolf Wolter) ride into further adventure in the Ottoman Empire of the 1800s, as a treacherous Turkish militia chief (Djordje Nenadovic) kidnaps the son (Gustavo Rojo) of the Bedouin sheik (Charles Fawcett) who heads Hafa's tribe. Rip-roaring Karl May adaptation also stars Maria Versini, Dieter Borsche, Chris Howland, Werner Peters, Wolfgang Lukschy. AKA: "Wild Kurdistan." 95 min. In German with English subtitles. C/Rtg: NR Kingdom Of The Silver Lion (1965)When Kara Ben Nemsi (Lex Barker) looked to end a kidnapping and ransom targeting the guardian of a Chaldean treasure, he hadn't anticipated that the scheme was hatched by his thought-dead nemesis, the Machredsch (Djordje Nenadovic)... or that it's endgame would see Kara on the run as a disgraced fugitive. Barker's third and final foray as Karl May's German adventurer also stars Rolf Wolter, Maria Versini, Gustavo Rojo, Sieghardt Rupp, Charles Fawcett. 95 min. In German with English subtitles. C/Rtg: NR Winnetou And Shatterhand In The Valley Of Death (1968)The final Karl May sagebrusher from CCC partnering Lex Barker and Pierre Brice as tough frontiersman Old Shatterhand and Apache chief Winnetou finds the blood brothers confronted with the mystery of how a gold shipment and it's escort could vanish without a trace in the middle of the Ozarks. Karin Dor, Rik Battaglia, Ralf Wolter, Kurt Waitzmann, Heinz Welzel also star. AKA: "The Valley of Death." 95 min. In German with English subtitles. C/Rtg: NR Widescreen; Soundtrack: German; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; featurettes; theatrical trailers.