Legend has it that on his deathbed in 1891, German prospector Jacob Waltz identified where hidden gold was buried in the Superstition Mountain Range in Maricopa, County, Arizona. Since that time, gold hunters and treasure seekers have come to the region seeking thousands of gold bars, supposedly linked to the Peralta family of Mexico and currently worth more than six billion dollars. This documentary focuses on one such group of treasure hunters led by retired missile scientist Robert Kesselring whose research and subsequent identification of GPS coordinates leads him to believe he knows the location of buried gold.
The inexperienced hikers accompanying Kesselring and his adult son are a retired blackjack dealer, veterinary assistant, and lawyer as well as a friendly black Labrador dog. The intended location is on federally restricted lands and even though Kesselring is denied federal support and digging permits, the intrepid gold seekers set out in the barren desert.
Blistering high temperatures, rugged terrain, and personality conflicts are just a few of the obstacles facing the men who eventually come upon an abandoned backpack, bomb-making equipment, and burrowed-out tunnels seemingly left by another treasure hunter. The sheriff is notified, and the expedition is put on hold until the lawyer and a companion go back out on an unsuccessful five-day expedition.
Bill Wendell’s music score, short snippets of a classic film also titled Lust for Gold, interviews with a state historian, and footage of a treasure hunters award program in a western-themed saloon break up the expedition footage. A short featurette “The Tomb” begins the program that helps introduce the principal players but is initially confusing because they are in another locale at what is called the Jesuit Tomb. Menu selection includes a bonus interview with an Arizona State historian discussing Superstition Mountain Range. An optional purchase is suggested for history buffs, treasure seekers, and viewers interested in western legends. Aud: P.