Musings!

Alan Steel, as Ursus, and his two Annoying Sidekicks, Arnaldo Dell'Acqua and Enzo Maggio, in THE THREE AVENGERS (1964)

I've already written about this movie in the past. I like it. Except for those two industrial-strength 'Annoying Sidekicks' of Ursus. They almost ruin the movie. Almost. But the location, great cast and, well, just Alan himself is enough to overlook those two liabilities. The story is not super compelling and there's a bizarre 'blind' interlude that doesn't go anywhere but for the most part is an eye-pleasing, fun movie. So today I want to write about Alan. 

Mind you, Alan is my second favourite PEPLUM star, right after Steve Reeves. I think he just adds so much to the movies he's in. With that being said, and if I'm being honest, Alan had some issue with body weight. In some movies he's super fit. In other, he obviously gained some weight, like in HERCULES AND THE BLACK PIRATE (1964). He still looked great but...plump. Sorta what they call Fit Fat. In this movie he's in between the two stages. The costume he wears here, well, mostly the pants, don't help him. I don't know if it's because of the heat of the Tunisian location, but his hair looks terrible as well. It's an odd situation in which his appearance fluctuated so much between productions. Sometimes even during the entire movie itself (movies can, in some cases, take months to shoot). It's the same thing with Steve Reeves but not weight issues but how his physique changed so much in between movies. In THE GIANT OF MARATHON (1959), Steve looked fashion model slim but in HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959), he looked massive. It's one of those particular things which is part of dealing with and that's very specific to the PEPLUM genre.

Behind-the-Scenes

Fabrizio Mioni (Jason), Gianna Maria Canale (Antea) and Steve Reeves (Hercules) relax on the set of HERCULES (1958)

Clip of the week: THE SON OF SPARTACUS (1962)

Randus (Steve Reeves) escapes with the help of a friend (Hassan Ahmed) with good teeth. With Enzo Fiermonte.

 

Portrait

José Greci as Regia in GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON (1963)

HD Alert!

Sybil Danning and Donald Pleasance in WARRIOR QUEEN (1987)

I got this HD copy a couple of years ago but never got to write about it. It's one of those Sex & Sandals movies from the 1980s, ala CALIGULA (1979), but on a much smaller budget. Joe D'Amato is credited so if you know you know. The movie is sorta listless and there's very little acting to be found. There are two versions, a shorter one with less explicit stuff and a longer version with more explicit stuff. Personally, I like it not because it's good (it's not) but this is the closest to a PEPLUM movie from the Golden Era made in the 1980s. Incidentally, the movie, which is set in Pompeii, has a lot of scenes from old PEPLUM movies, mostly from THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959), the Steve Reeves one. I love watching this back and forth switch. The HD copy I have is the shorter version and the image is surprisingly nice. The story centres around slaves sold to bored and lustful people who try to have their way with the women and men. There's even a character named Goliath but he's a bad guy. I'll post a clip from it soon. I don't remember what's the source of the print.

Added to the List of PEPLUM movies in HD permanent page.

 

Rick Hill and Tally Chanel.

Yes, there's gladiatorial action in it...so I'm watching it. 😂

Vintage Article

I posted this article years ago but it was incomplete. Here's the completed introduction.

 

Wandisa Guida and Samson Burke.

French article on Samson Burke on the filming of VENGEANCE OF URSUS. The title translates as: Yes, the first world war of muscle has been declared. 

The article starts with Wandisa Guida commenting on Burke's wide shoulders.

Musings!

Anne Heywood, as Fulvia, is about to be sacrificed in CARTHAGE IN FLAMES (1960)

This scene is way too short in the movie. The poster art of most posters for this movie feature the sacrificial offering scene but it happens so fast, you blink and you might miss it. It's one of the many frustrating things about this super-production. Her sacrifice is the pivotal point in the relationship dynamic between the main lead characters. She loves a man who doesn't love her, etc. The direction of the scene is very simple. In 5 shots or so. The direction is not bad but at times it feel like a rough cut, and not the final cut. In the versions I have, Anne appears very briefly topless. I don't know if it's the same in the US version. Anne's real name is Violet Pretty.

Blog's banner and a forum for 2026?

As you might have noticed, I changed the blog's banner for a new one. It's the poster art of HEAD OF A TYRANT (1959). For 2026, I want to change the banner every week! Instead of having just one banner for the entire year, to switch things up and have a new one on a weekly basis. 

Do you like the idea? Or prefer one banner for the whole year?

To make it more fun, I'll show two or different banners and people can vote on which one they prefer. The one that gets the most votes will be the banner for next week!

So let's start now. For next week's banner, which one do you prefer? 

Sylva Koscina in SIEGE OF SYRACUSE or Brad Harris in SAMSON?

If the weekly change for a banner fizzles out, I'll create one for the year. I'd like to do a weekly banner because it features movies that will never get featured otherwise in a banner.

And now about a forum...

Many have stated they wished there was a forum for the blog or on the PEPLUM genre. If I create one, will you post there? As I stated before, I actually created two forums in the blog's 15 years and no one posted anything.

I have to find a decent blog creator. It's quite different than how it was years ago.

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Japanese poster of THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959) 

I usually find Japanese posters of PEPLUM movies amazing. This one is rather ordinary. It doesn't help that the image of Steve they used is not flattering at all. 😂 It's good but not wow good.

BY THE GODS! issue no 4

Thank you to all of those who bought the latest issue of BY THE GODS! magazine no 4, DISASTER HITS! The more of you buy, the greater chance the magazine will keep being published. Sales have been good. Someone bought all 4 issues. Thank you whoever you are! I'm currently working on the next Spring/Summer issue. 

Check the links from time to time to see if there are discounts!

A reminder as well: I'm not responsible for the publishing and shipping of the magazine. MagCloud is.

New Issue no 4

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/3205057

Issue no 3

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2963938

Issue no 2

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2740217

Issue no 1

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2574706

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to all my followers and visitors, regulars and casual lurkers! 

Brigitte Bardot RIP

Brigitte Bardot in HELEN OF TROY (1956)

Ending the year on a sad note, Brigitte Bardot, one of France's biggest stars, died on December 28 at the age of 91. Adding her to the long list of actresses who passed away recently. I liked her a lot. She only did three movies that fall under the PEPLUM umbrella but they are memorable.

Au revoir Brigitte!

One of Brigitte's first noticeable roles was in ROYAL AFFAIRS IN VERSAILLES (1953; Si Versailles m'était conté). She's very charming in it.

Brigitte played Poppea in NERO'S BIG WEEKEND (1956). This one really put her on the map. She held her own against much bigger stars like Gloria Swanson (below) and Alberto Sordi. It's a fun role.

Brigitte and Jacques Sernas in HELEN OF TROY (1956)

Brigitte's next noticeable role was also a 1956 movie, HELEN OF TROY. She had a supporting role as a slave but her role was memorable and when she became a superstar, the re-releases of the movie had her on top billing. 

Musings!

Agrippina's handmaiden is swiftly killed in NERO AND THE BURNING OF ROME (1953)

In this movie, people, mostly women, are dispatched in a blink of an eye. It's quite amazing how brutal everything was, or at least in this movie. Agrippina came into power after plotting to kill Valeria Messalina (the infamous Messalina), the third wife of Emperor Claudius, in a swift and brutal scene. The movie starts with this scene! With Valeria Messalina's death, Agrippina married Claudius. Since she was the mother of Nero, Claudius adopted Nero. When Claudius died, Nero became Emperor at a young age. As an adult, Nero was married to his second wife, Poppea, which Agrippina wanted dead. We see her death in a brutal scene (she was pregnant btw). Waiting in line is Statilia Messalina, who was a mistress to Nero. When Poppea was killed by Nero, Statilia became his third wife. In this scene, after killing the handmaiden, the one on the right kills Agrippina and the men toss Agrippina's body into the sea. Also, we see Britannicus killed by poison. Phew! There's more killings than a FRIDAY THE 13TH movie. The portrayal of Agrippina is always different in almost every movie. She's either extremely evil or she's just cunning. BTW, the actors are extras and not credited. 

BY THE GODS! magazine issue 4...

Now on sale! Get it now for the new year!

By The Gods! no 4

By JS Davidson

58 pages, published 11/23/2025

In this issue we explores the PEPLUM genre and the many disasters in their storylines

PEPLUM Movie Poster

French poster of THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959) 

This is an odd poster. The title is different but it was also released as LES DERNIERS JOURS DE POMPEI. Both Mario Bonnard and Sergio Leone are on the poster while the actors, including Steve Reeves, are barely noticeable. I've seen some with Sergio Leone crossed out. For Bonnard, they state 'Mise en scene' and for Leone is 'Realisation,' which, technically, is the same thing. I wonder if this a re-release. Disasters in PEPLUM movies is the subject of the main article in the latest BY THE GODS! magazine issue 4.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! Thank you for your continued support.

Musings!

Sabina Crassus (Gianna Maria Canale) torments her new slave, Amytis (Ludmilla Tchérina), while Marcus Virilius Rufus (Vittorio Sanipoli) watches, in SPARTACUS - SINS OF ROME (1953)

15 years ago, I started the blog with a post about this movie, and when 2025 ends, so will be its 15th anniversary. I like this movie in Black & White. I could have colourized the photo but I love it like this. IMO, a masterpiece!

NOTE: I'll be taking some time off during Christmas week and will post irregularly during New Years week!

BY THE GODS! magazine issue no 4

Support the blog by buying the newest issue of BY THE GODS! at the link below:

BY THE GODS! magazine issue no 4

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Belgian poster of THE SECRET SEVEN (1964; or THE SECRET 7) 

Nice artwork. It's interesting that Tony Russel is not featured and Massimo Serato is. The French title translates as THE INVINCIBLE 7 (or The 7 Invincibles).

Image of the week!

Joseph (Laurence Payne) and Mary (José Greci) passes through the Roman census (ordered by Caesar Augustus so everyone could be accounted for to pay taxes) as they arrive in Bethlehem in BEN-HUR (1959)

Multiple RIPs

I didn't want to end the year on a sad note and I was keeping these for a while but they were too many of these to wait after the holidays so here we go. The actresses appeared in a handful of PEPLUM movies.

The Kessler Twins, aka Alice and Ellen, died on November 17. The famous sisters starred in ERIK THE CONQUEROR (1961) which I profiled back in June. They died of assisted suicide since the sisters didn't want to die separately. That's so sad. They also appeared in SODOM AND GOMORRAH (1962).

 

Ornella Vanoni died on November 21. Ornella's major contribution to the PEPLUM genre was her prominent role in DUEL OF THE TITANS (1961). I posted a Then & Now last March before she passed away. Her other PEPLUM role was in WITH FIRE AND SWORD (1962).

  

Claudia Cardinale died on September 23. I saw the news of her death across all social medias but forgot to make a note of it. Claudia starred in CARTOUCHE (1962). Quite the movie. With Jean Paul Belmondo (below).

Claudia also had a role in JESUS OF NAZARETH (1977) miniseries.

 

Letícia Román died on June 26 in Florida. Letícia was Sarah in PONTIUS PILATE (1962) with Jean Marais. She also had roles in PIRATES OF TORTUGA (1961) and CHARGE OF THE BLACK LANCERS (1962; below) with Yvonne Furneaux. 

And lastly Elisa Montés. She died last year, October 9, 2024. I'm including her now because I just learned about her death (thanks Paul). I'm genuily sad because she's funny in SAMSON AND THE MIGHTY CHALLENGE (1964; above) with Alan Steel. She's also in ERIK THE VIKING (1965; below)

Musings!

Romano Giomini, Jeff Cameron and Sal Borgese are gladiators again in CHALLENGE OF THE GLADIATOR (1965)

In a reunion of sorts, three actors who appeared in all three TEN GLADIATORS films appeared in this movie as well. I recently posted about this title in HD Alert! but while watching the movie (again), I was reminded of this fun tidbit. Yes, I'm a PEPLUM maniac! I wish there was another Ten Gladiators movie. They're so much fun. You can see all the actors in the Ten Gladiators movies identified here in this blog post I did eleven years ago.
 

Behind-the-Scenes

Richard Burton and Rex Harrison on the set of CLEOPATRA (1963). Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz chatting with Rex.