The Shadow of Chikara main backdrop
The Shadow of Chikara main poster

The Shadow of Chikara

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4.7/10 • 16

1977-07-151h 54m

HorrorWestern

Two former Confederate captains try to remove diamonds hidden in the Arkansas mountains, but a native spirit guards the sacred site against intruders.

Directors
Earl E. Smith
Writters
Earl E. Smith

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Joe Don Baker

    Joe Don Baker

    Wishbone Cutter

  2. Sondra Locke

    Sondra Locke

    Drusilla Wilcox

  3. Ted Neeley

    Ted Neeley

    Amos Richmond - Teach

  4. Joy N. Houck Jr.

    Joy N. Houck Jr.

    Half Moon O'Brian

  5. Dennis Fimple

    Dennis Fimple

    Posey

  6. John Davis Chandler

    John Davis Chandler

    Rafe

  7. Grady Wyatt

    Grady Wyatt

    Dancer

  8. Linda Dano

    Linda Dano

    Rosalie Cutter

  9. Slim Pickens

    Slim Pickens

    Virgil Cane

Reviews1

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Wuchak Avatar

Wuchak

Apr 26, 2025

6/10

Western set in northern Arkansas with Joe Don Baker and Sondra Locke After one of the last battles of the Civil War, a captain and his half-breed scout (Baker and Joy N. Houck Jr.) team-up with a college geologist (Ted Neeley) to find a deposit of diamonds in a cave in the Ozarks. On the way, they are joined by a woman (Locke), but are hindered by shadowy pursuers. "The Shadow of Chikara” (1977), also known as “The Curse of Demon Mountain” (amongst other titles), is worth seeing because of the unique locale for a Western, as well as the quality cast. Speaking of which, Locke and John Davis Chandler (in a small part) previously appeared together in “The Outlaw Josey Wales” from the year before. Sondra’s new beau from that flick, Clint Eastwood, visited the set a few weeks into the shoot for a respite, checking out the area and doing some fishing. I’ve heard this referred to as a cheap production, but it’s not. For instance, the opening Civil War battle scenes are convincing, not to mention the characters are fleshed out and well acted. The second half does get tedious though, yet there’s a nice surprise at the end. The blurry version currently available on streaming runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, but the original cut runs 23 minutes longer, which explains the abrupt (amateurish) editing in the short version. It was shot in north-central Arkansas at Bull Shoals State Park; and Yellville, which is a dozen miles to the southwest, as well as Buffalo National River, which is 15 miles further south. GRADE: B- (if I saw a quality print of the original version, I might rate this higher)

Media

  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
arkansastreasure huntghostconfederate soldieramerican civil wardamsel in distressdiamondshorror western