PEPLUM X Tuesdays
Roger Browne - Scilla Gabel
Roger Browne - Scilla Gabel
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Sunday, November 15, 2015
RIP : Moira Orfei
Moira in FIRE OFVER ROME
Moira Orfei died today at the age of 83. She was a star of the PEPLUM genre and as one can attest with the titles below, she was in a lot of memorable films. She was one of the major Queens of the PEPLUM genre. She was also a circus performer and had her own circus. Moira was also in THE DEFEAT OF THE BARBARIANS, not shown here. RIP, you beautiful, over-the-top lady!
ps : there won't be any posts tomorrow
The Loves of Hercules
Moira with Mickey Hargitay. This was her first PEPLUM film.
Queen of the Pirates
Moira with Gianna Maria Canale
The Mighty Ursus
Above and below : One of her best role was in THE MIGHTY URSUS, also starring Ed Fury (above).
Maciste vs Mole Men
Above & below : probably her most recognizable role was in this film, also starring Mark Forest (below). She played her role quite beautifully : over-the-top, evil and yet sympathetic.
Ursus in the Valley of Lions
Moira with Alberto Lupo
Kerim - Son of the Sheik
Another villainess role for Moira in this Gordon Scott actioner.
Toto & Cleopatra
Moira with Toto
Samson & the Slave Queen
Moira is the beautiful temptress in this film which co-stars Alan Steeel and Massimo Serato
Hero of Babylon
Gordon Scott and Moira together again
Revenge of the Conquered
Moira with Mario Petri. Both were often cast as villains.
Terror of the Steppes
Moira in this Kirk morris action mini epic
Triumph of Hercules
Moira co-starred along with Pierre Cressoy and Marilu Tolo
Revolt of the Praetorians
Moira as a high priestess (with many coloured hairstyles, see link )
The Two Gladiators
Mimmo Palmara and Moira made for a sexy, evil couple!
Samson & the Mighty Challenge
Nadir Moretti and Moira played Samson & Delilah in this PEPLUM comedy
Thursday, November 12, 2015
By the Gods!
A scene from SCIPIO AFRICANUS (1937)
A big PEPLUM film made in the 1930s, which was rare during that decade. The film's reputation is tainted since it was funded by Mussolini. It's a big epic, nonetheless.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
By the Gods!
That's Gloria Milland besides him, with Barbara Carroll and Jose Rubio on the left. Again, how many films have ended this way? It's a cliché but I love them.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Monday, November 9, 2015
By the Gods!
Tina Louise and Enrico Maria Salerno in SIEGE OF SYRACUSE
In SIEGE, Tina plays a dancing girl of an entertaining troupe led by Salerno. Their relationship is fraught with tension. Salerno wants her but she doesn't want him. Though the love relationship between Louise and Rossano Brazzi is good, I think this relationship is much more interesting. Salerno is extra slimy but smart in this.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
By the Gods!
Ursus (Dan Vadis) is interrogated by Commodus (Alan Steel) in URSUS - THE REBEL GLADIATOR
Yeah! Finally got this title in widescreen. Thanks Alan. It's one of my faves. It has a great cast, including Gloria Milland and Jose Greci. Great action and solid acting. This copy is from a VHS source so the image is a bit fuzzy and wobbly but it's one of those titles which I had only one copy (the poor US version) and any other version had been eluding for a long time.
Dan is the good guy in this story and Alan is the demented ruler who believed he was the reincarnation of Hercules. Steel stands his ground against the taller Vadis which is great to see. That's Gianni Santuccio on the right.
Spotting the Future PEPLUM star : Mimmo Palmara in QUEEN OF SHEBA
Mimmo Palmara's legendary career in the PEPLUM genre had to star somewhere. He's most famous for often being the foil to Steve Reeves in HERCULES and other films. Even though he's not credited during the opening credits for QUEEN OF SHEDA or at IMDb, I spotted Mimmo in a very small role in this Pietro Francisci directed epic, his first of five films by Francisci. If there are no other missing films from his profile, this is probably his first PEPLUM production. That's Franco Silva in the top image with Mimmo on the left.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
By the Gods!
Samson Burke (as Ursus) and Wandisa Guida rule over the kingdom in VENGEANCE OF URSUS
How many films have ended this way? STAR WARS, for one.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Monday, November 2, 2015
By the Gods!
I got a copy of this rare film from Alan. It's pretty good. It's about an evil man (Serato, who else?) who tries to marry himself into power and a masked avenger known as The Masked Cavalier who tries to stop him. The story is pretty much standard stuff (so many PEPLUM films have this storyline) and it has pretty much almost every PEPLUM clichés known to man, including this one, trap door, but it's solidly directed by Mario Costa, so the familiar script doesn't detract. Part of the film's intrigue is trying to figure out who's The Masked Cavalier and even though I guessed it, it was still fun to watch how the script played with it. The film was originally in color and widescreen but this Italian broadcast showed it in B&W. Very entertaining.
Movie Poster Mondays
Belgian poster for THE LOVES OF HERCULES (aka Hercules vs the Hydra)
Colorful, almost cartoony artwork for the colourful, nearly cartoony film.