Treasure of Silver Lake is one of the most entertaining films I've ever seen. Establishing the template for every euro-western that followed, it features non-stop action, beautiful scenery (unfortunately compromised by the pan and scan version recently aired on Encore Westerns),and an amusing and watchable cast. Like most euro-westerns the film is more sympathetic to Native Americans than a typical Hollywood movie, but the Indians aren't really the focal point of the story--though they do ride around a great deal and emit fearsome war whoops. The Good Guys, led by sometime Tarzan Lex Barker, have a treasure map that will lead them to, erm, some treasure. The Bad Guys, led by a re-dubbed Herbert Lom (and who seem to have an unlimited supply of men, horses, and ammo),want that map! Much gunplay ensues. Lom gets to whip some of his men into shape (literally),there's a trapper with a frightwig (literally),and another trapper who speaks in rhyme! Highest recommendation, as long as you know what you're getting: a fun movie with lots of action.

"Der Schatz im Silbersee" is a German western movie from almost 55 years ago and as it is a collaboration with other countries again, the cast here includes French actor Pierre Brice as Winnetou and several Yugoslavian actors in supporting roles. This 105-minute movie was the beginning to the really successful Winnetou franchise. I have seen some of these films and will probably see more in the future, but I personally am disappointed overall with the outcome. So with "successful", I am only referring to the commercial success. This one here also won a Golden Screen, so no surprise many other films would follow. The story here I found entirely disappointing and not memorable at all. It is probably not Brice's worst performance compared to some truly weak efforts later on, but the antagonists here are quite uninteresting and this lack of opposition hurt the film irreparably. Also, the title sounds a lot more interesting than the film finally turns out. For large parts of the film, the focus moves entirely away from the treasure and you wonder why it was even called like that. If you ask me, it was not really necessary to make more (or even many more) films after this one. But they loved the cash obviously. Final criticism: Götz George was criminally underused here. He would have been the one man who may have made this a more interesting watch, but he was not given the material. I do not recommend "The Treasure of the Silver Lake". Thumbs down.

No pun intended ... the first outing of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand ... still when they made the Winnetou trilogy they began from scratch. As if they never had met before and all that. Interesting and really good casting choices. A European cast and therefor surely a babylonian effort to make this work - everyone surely talking in their native language. What I did not have on my radar when I watched this as a kid, was the fact that one very infamous actor from the Pink Panther movies would be in this ... the one that does not work well with Inspector Clouseau that is.

Here he plays a villain again - though a very straight one. These westerns were made in Europe and mostly in Jugoslavia ... it still looks really good. If you are a fan of the movies back then, you will cherish them ... if not, it might be better to start off with the Winnetou trilogy first ... see if you like what you ... see. Continue from there if that is something you'd like to do.