The Lost Mine of Cortez

The Lost Mine of Cortez came about from an idea- five cowboys trying to fit through a town gate, five abreast.

From simple beginnings, a script took shape to write a Western comedy that was both an ensemble piece lead by a strong protagonist, but also a character driven story of individuals trying to survive in the unfairness of the lawless American West. When a call for work in this genre reached my computer, I was over half way through the script and it didn’t take long to complete.

Logline- “Framed for a robbery whilst trying to restart an honest life, a former con-man leads a team of ex-carnival workers to clear their name in a four-way race against ruthless adversaries that leads to an abandoned mine of Spanish Gold”.

This story is about a man named Robert Bank: once he was one of the most unheard of but successful con-men in the west- until he gave up the grift and became an honest carnival accountant. Now the carnival has folded, Robert has tried to start a new life with integrity, but the frontier and all its perils (dishonest locals, dishonest outlaws, gun fights, robberies) keep getting in his way, and a shadowy figure from his past dogs his footsteps with intention of revenge.

The Lost Mine of Cortez has been selected from over two hundred entries for a shortlist in late 2014 on the viability of the project, content, and style.