One of the last true Cinerama films was effectively abandoned after a poor showing at it's premiere run in London. A co- production with a Hungarian film studio the film was pulled and then buried and never was shown in the US until the film was restored a couple years back.
The plot has the family of an art expert traveling the rivers of Europe. When he is spirited away to speak at a conference in the kids continue on by boat. Along the way they cross paths with art thieves George Sanders and Buddy Hackett who steal the titled object from a church. A game of cat and mouse ensues.
Part comedy, part travelogue and part Wonderful World of Disney mystery THE GOLDEN HEAD is wildly uneven. Stopping repeatedly to show the scenery the film drags on way past the point where it is welcome. (Chop a half hour out and this might be something). The real problem is the fact that this much too family friendly. By having the kids the focus, the whole mystery is softened and there never is any sense of danger. It's something that isn't helped by Sanders and Hackett being loveable bad guys.
On the plus side this film does have some killer travel sequences that delight. I can only imagine what this would have looked like on a Cinerama screen. Additionally, the chase that is the final 15 minutes is spectacular and worth the price of admission.
The film is currently out on home video from Flicker Alley
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