Tony Russel is about to have his head cut-off in SWORD OF DAMASCUS (1964)
This movie is a lightweight comedy. It's about Tony being a friendly thief. It's one goofy and slapstick moment right after another. Until after this scene at the end. It becomes violent with a quasi-massacre of sorts. The tonal shift of Italian PEPLUM movies is something to behold. It's not the first film in which slapstick and super serious stuff mix but this one takes the cake. The ending clashes with the rest of the movie, which I like and watched it many times but they could have toned down the violence during the resolution. Tony became, briefly, a popular figure in Italian movies. For a decade or so. Like a bunch of other actors, I'm sorta perplexed by the many movies he made. He played bit parts, mostly uncredited roles in US movies and TV before becoming leading star in Italian films. I don't dislike him. He's ok and his Italian sci-fi movies are fun to watch but his sudden 'fame' is a mystery.
