Gloria Milland and Brad Harris in GOLIATH AGAINST THE GIANTS (1961)
I love this movie and I love Gloria Milland. This is effectively her first starring role (she had minor roles prior to this). But her character is probably the oddest in any PEPLUM movie. She plays Princess Elea (!?). She plays a double spy of sorts. I need to explain the story, or what story the movie has to explain her character. You see, Goliath just won a battle in some distant land. He sets sail back to his homeland which is ruled by an evil ruler, played by Fernando Rey. That's basically the story. His return is the story and once he's back, how he survives the evil ruler he wants to dethrone.
Anyway, the evil ruler makes a pack with Princess Elea after they heard Goliath was on his way back (how did they know? Carrier pigeon? Telephone?). Princess Elea wants to avenge the deaths of her father and brother and assumes Goliath was responsible for their deaths. So she goes to meet Goliath on his way back to kill him. The problem is: how did she travel so fast to meet him halfway? From the time they learned he was on his way back to the time it took for her to travel to the island, it's almost impossible for the two to have meet. By the time she was on that island, he would have far gone from that island and on his way back in his homeland. This part always gets me. Did she teleport to the island?
Anyway, so in this scene she explains everything and tells him she wats to kill him but Goliath says he's not responsible and the two fall in love. From murder to love! I love PEPLUM movies! 😂 Anyway, discovering Gloria's career is one of the many fun things I got since becoming a PEPLUM maniac.
2 comments:
"...after they heard Goliath was on his way back (how did they know? Carrier pigeon? Telephone?)"
"The problem is: how did she travel so fast to meet him halfway?"
Not saying this happens in the film, but I thought about how fast communication could be possible in ancient times using fire beacons:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phryctoria
I'll need to pay attention next time I see the film. Hypothetically, might Goliath have been doing some leisurely island hopping, enjoying himself on the way back, staying at different ports for extended periods and not returning in a direct route? Princess Elea could then have tracked him down from enquiries at different ports.
No leisurely island hoping. He clearly states he has to back pronto.
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