Secret of the Sacred Forest

Provost plays a brave teenager who sneaks into the Philippines in order to search for his brother, Parsons, a famed investigative reporter whose plane crashed in the middle of the jungle while he was trying to expose a drug-smuggling ring. American embassy official Merrill learns the boy has entered the country illegally and heads off into the bush after him. In the meantime, Provost has found a guide, native boy Martinez, to help him in his search. Pursued by black marketeers, unsympathetic government agents, headhunters, and Merrill, Provost finds his brother and is shocked to learn that he is a member of the drug-smuggling ring. The confusion ends, however, when Parsons explains that he staged his disappearance in order to join the smugglers so that he could expose them. Lost jungle adventure starring Jon Provost and Gary Merrill

Directed by Michael Du Pont, Secret of the Sacred Forest leans on a strong ensemble — Gary Merrill, Jon Provost, Leo Martinez — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about adventure titles of 1970.