Mike Lane, as Hercules, and Alessandra Panaro in ULYSSES AGAINST HERCULES (1962)
The first time I watched this movie, I was left indifferent but that's mainly because of the pan & scan old public domain print. When I saw it as it was intended to be seen, in beautiful colour and widescreen, it quickly became my favourite PEPLUM of all time. Everything about it works even if the story seems to be slim. Mike Lane is actually pretty good in it. Mike was a professional wrestler at the time in the US and his good performance is one surprising element. He was cast after he appeared in VALLEY OF THE DRAGONS (1961) in which he played a caveman but looked more like Hercules. In that movie, the 6'8" tall man had a beard but in this movie, as one can see, Mike is beardless. I always prefer Hercules to have a beard but it's not a big issue. Alessandra is also excellent in this. She also starred in THE BACCHANTES (1961) which is also one of my faves so that's a pretty good track record. As you might have figured out, this scene is the ending and it always works (they're waving at Ulysses on a boat. Ulysses is brilliantly played by Georges Marchal). The production is excellent but the real star is the location: the Canary islands. Stupendous location. It elevates the movie to the top. I have *multiple* copies of this film including a HD copy from France. It looks beautiful. Mario Caiano, the director, did a fabulous job. He thought outside of the PEPLUM box and it worked. Never rely on an old battered public domain print to judge a movie.
