Louis L'Amour Story Is A Diamond Among Television Movies

Few writers have been as beloved or as prolific as Louis L'Amour. Best known for writing classic westerns, L'Amour penned stories in other genres as well, including action-adventures. One such story, "Louis L'Amour's The Diamond of Jeru" has been adapted into a made-for-television movie for the USA Cable Network.

Set during 1955 in the jungles of Borneo, the movie tells the story of a married couple who comes to Borneo in hopes of finding the perfect diamond. The couple, John and Helen Lacklan, soon meet up with American guide Mike Kardec. He has been assigned by the local officials to escort the important visitors on their journey. The husband instantly recognizes the attraction between the guide and his wife and fires him. The husband soon hires a local guide, Dyak Boy, to lead them instead.

Unbeknownst to Lacklan, Dyak Boy wishes to lead the diamond expedition to a group of local headhunters. Because he is a scientist, the headhunters believe that Lacklan's head will bring them powerful magic. Aware of the potential danger for Lacklan and her husband, Kardec and his friend Raj follow them on their journey to try and keep them from harm.

"Louis L'Amour's The Diamond of Jeru" has a stellar cast. Included among them are: Keith Carradine ("McCabe and Mrs. Miller") as John Lacklan, an American scientist who helped develop the atomic bomb; Paris Jefferson ("The Day of the Panther") as Lacklan's wife Helen, a beautiful woman with a sense of adventure; Billy Zane ("Titanic") as the American guide Mike Kardec and Jackson Raine ("Beastmaster") as Raj, Kardec's loyal friend.

Co-directors Dick Lowry ("Atilla") and Ian Berry ("Flight of the Reindeer") do a nice job of letting the scenes and the characters speak for themselves. The material takes center stage and viewers are not subjected to constant camera movement or scenes with lots of fast editing. There is no need for that here as the material is rock solid.

Shot on location in Australia, the film is full of picturesque jungle scenes. Viewers should be aware that some of the action scenes are intense, though not too graphic in nature. Viewers are subjected to brief scenes showing some of the heads collected by the headhunters, however.

"Louis L'Amour's The Diamond of Jeru" was adapted for television by L'Amour's son Beau. The project is the first non-western movie based on L'Amour's works since "East of Sumatra" in 1953. Beau L'Amour is a respected author in his own right and oversees Louis L'Amour Enterprises.

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