A movie theatre showing NIGHT IN PARADISE starring Turhan Bey. The women are not lining up for the movie but for the store next door. Cool photo.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
PEPLUM at the movies
A movie theatre showing NIGHT IN PARADISE starring Turhan Bey. The women are not lining up for the movie but for the store next door. Cool photo.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Monday, January 12, 2015
By the Gods!
Yul Brynner and George Chakiris battle it out in KINGS OF THE SUN
This scene doesn't happen in the film. I'm not much of a fan of this film. It sometimes borders on the silly, certainly the big battle during the climax. The whole film looks like a mini-version of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS with a pyramid big enough to fit in a Wal-Mart parking lot. It's a shame because I love Mayan culture.
Movie Poster Mondays
Italian poster for a film not released in English, LA SPADA IMBATTIBILE (1957)
The title translates as THE INVINCIBLE SWORD
This film, like many other films starring Jeffrey Stone, were edited episodes of a THREE MUSKETEERS TV series made in Italy. Stone's career is an odd one. He hit his stride a few years before the PEPLUM explosion that started with the success of HERCULES (1958) and then he disappeared from the face of the earth.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Anita Ekberg RIP
Anita Ekberg died on Sunday morning in Rome. She was 83 years old. Anita made several PEPLUM films and is one of the Queens of the genre. She'll be remembered for her role in Fellini's LA DOLCE VITA. A post on Anita is the most popular post here at the blog (see sidebar). Anita was "Babe of the Month" 2 years ago.
Remarkably, Rod Taylor once said to have dated Anita and he followed her to Europe and ending making COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN and other PEPLUM genre films. It's incredible that they both died so close together.
RIP Anita!
Anita in SIGN OF THE GLADIATOR
Above & below: Anita was the star of SIGN OF THE GLADIATOR. She plays Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra.
Anita in a behind-the-scenes photo during the filming of WAR & PEACE with Audrey Hepburn.
Above and below : Anita in ZARAK
Friday, January 9, 2015
By the Gods!
Exciting climax from one of my favourite PEPLUM films. You can see the shadow of the film crew there.
PEPLUM GIF animation : GOLD FOR THE CAESARS
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Rod Taylor, RIP
Rod Taylor died today at the age of 84, two days before his birthday. Though more known for his non-PEPLUM films like THE BIRDS he did make a couple of films from the PEPLUM genre including COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN and the SEVEN SEAS TO CALAIS just to name a few. If these photos look familiar I'm sorry since, ironically, I posted most of them just recently.
RIP, Rod!
Rod with Daniela Rocca in COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN
Rod starred in SEVEN SEAS TO CALAIS costarring Keith Michell
RIP, Rod!
Rod in COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN ; a recent photo of Rod.
Rod starred in COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN along with Ed Fury.
Rod starred in SEVEN SEAS TO CALAIS costarring Keith MichellWednesday, January 7, 2015
By the Gods!
Lisa Gastoni, as Mary Read, in QUEEN OF THE SEAS
Not to be confused with QUEEN OF THE PIRATES or TIGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS, both starring Gianna Maria Canale.
What's funny about this film is how none of the titles for different countries match: QUEEN OF THE SEAS is the North American title. The UK title is HELL BELOW DECK. The original Italian title, LE AVVENTURE DI MANY READ, translates as THE ADVENTURES OF MARY READ. The West German title is UNDER THE BLACK FLAG OF THE PIRATES. The Portuguese title, SANGUE DE CORSARIO, translates as BLOOD CORSAIR. And the French title, MARY LA ROUSSE, FEMME PIRATE, translates as MARY THE REDHEAD FEMALE PIRATE.
So weird.
What's funny about this film is how none of the titles for different countries match: QUEEN OF THE SEAS is the North American title. The UK title is HELL BELOW DECK. The original Italian title, LE AVVENTURE DI MANY READ, translates as THE ADVENTURES OF MARY READ. The West German title is UNDER THE BLACK FLAG OF THE PIRATES. The Portuguese title, SANGUE DE CORSARIO, translates as BLOOD CORSAIR. And the French title, MARY LA ROUSSE, FEMME PIRATE, translates as MARY THE REDHEAD FEMALE PIRATE.
So weird.
PEPLUM Doppelgänger
I saw a photo from a PEPLUM film and thought "Ah there's Germano Longo" but no it was Carlo Giustini. Except for Germano's small bent on his nose the rest is almost identical, even when they move.
Carlo starred in AMAZONS OF ROME and PONTIUS PILATE, among other films, and Germano starred in a bunch of PEPLUM films including COLOSSUS OF THE ARENA and SLAVE QUEEN OF BABYLON, just to name a few. Both are excellent actors.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
By the Gods!
A publicity photo of Aeneas (Steve Reeves) vs Ajax (Mimmo Palmara) from THE TROJAN HORSE
Reeves and Palmara : the eternal fighting duo of the PEPLUM genre.
Movie Poster Mondays
Spanish poster for L'APOCALISSE (1947)
Pretty rare PEPLUM that was never released in English. Massimo Serato, a regular actor of the PEPLUM genre, stars. Hopefully I'll see it one day. This is one of the most sought after film on my list which I'll post an update of it soon.