By the Gods!

Dancers from SINBAD & THE CALIPH OF BAGHDAD (1973)

I finally got a nice copy of this film. It's not in HD but it's much better than the one I have in English. I'll be making a Fan Dub of this for sure. The film starts with this scene and for some, what happens in this scene turns them off and they refuse to watch the entire movie. It's a bit jarring but it's a Pietro Francisci film so one should remember this. Pietro directed HERCULES (1958) and many other great PEPLUM films. This was his last film. I like it.

Movie Poster Mondays

Italian poster for MACISTE AGAINST THE CZAR (aka Atlas Against the Czar)

Great artwork but the man doesn't look like Kirk Morris. In fact, he looks more like a star of the 1930s. Odd. 

By the Gods!

Ettore Manni and Yoko Tani in URSUS & THE TARTAR PRINCESS (1961)

An odd PEPLUM. It feels like the leftovers of other films and they cobbled it all up resulting in this final product. Is it bad? No but it's quite forgettable except for a few scenes. Yoko Tani was a popular Japanese actress in the 1960s, having appeared in other genre films, while Ettore was a regular actor of the PEPLUM genre, mostly providing actual acting for the usually non-acting bodybuilders starring in lead roles. The trailer shows a fight between Ursus of said title and a bear but that scene seems to have been obliterated since all of the many copies I have are missing that specific scene. I think the bear would have added much needed 'color' to the somewhat serious story. 

Retro Friday : Busting FOTOBUSTA

(originally posted October 2011)

The point of a photobusta: the busier they are the more eye-catching they will be. 

Well, the one above for TRIUMPH OF THE TEN GLADIATORS caught my attention. Crazy stuff! I love it.

By the Gods!

The Three Stooges are galley slaves in THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES

This scene is one of the better ones in this PEPLUM comedy. The film was shot in Black & White and regular aspect ratio, which was rare back in the day of Cinemascope productions. Columbia Pictures didn't invest that much in it. Even so, the film sorta looks fine sans color. They also used footage from SAPPHO - THE VENUS OF LESBOS, mainly during this scene with exterior shots of the boat. The slave driver displayed by John Cliff. And that's Quinn K. Redeker next to Larry.

By the Gods!

Indira Varma plays the High Priestess in EXODUS: GODS & KINGS (2014)

I'm always reluctant to watch the latest PEPLUM films released by Hollywood because they have so little to do with what I mostly love about the genre in films made in the past, which is why I waited all this time to watch this Ridley Scott version of the story of Moses and the liberation of Hebrew slaves from their Egyptian rulers. To say that I didn't like it would be an understatement. The few highlights from this was Indira, who seemed to be the only one who 'got' how to play in such a film. Her costume in this scene, and the costume of the entire cast, was an anachronistic mess. I'll write a full review in the near future.

Behind-the-Scenes

Steve Reeves relaxes during the filming of THIEF OF BAGHDAD (1961)

By the Gods!

The set of the sacrificial hall in THE PRODIGAL

No matte paintings or models here. It's a full set. Even though it's not one of my favourite PEPLUM films I have to say that the sets and design are excellent (even if they're a bit gaudy). Lana Turner is standing near the High Priest next to the circle of fire. The statue at the top was reused in ATLANTIS - THE LOST CONTINENT.

RIP : Romano Giomini

Italian actor Romano Gemini died on March 1. He was born in 1936. He starred in many films in the 1960s, a lot of them PEPLUM productions. He was mainly known for his recurring role in the Ten Gladiators films. He was charismatic and was always goofing around, in good spirits. This blog was the first to identify him on the internet 5 years ago with IDENTIFYING THE TEN GLADIATORS. People confused him with other actors, or he wasn't listed at all, which is why I made that post.

Romano (with Pietro Torrisi) in THE THEN GLADIATORS (1963)

Romano with Ursula Davis in SPARTACUS & THE TEN GLADIATORS (1964)

Romano having fun with Pietro Torrisi in TRIUMPH OF THE TEN GLADIATORS (1964)

Romano in THE TRIUMPH OF HERCULES (1964)

By the Gods!

Antonio Vilar is KING OF THE VIKINGS (1960)

A very rare Spanish production of Vikings. I haven't seen it so I can't comment on it. But it's always fun to see one culture (Spanish) try to evoke another culture (Swedish). If anyone out there has a copy, please contact me.

Movie Poster Mondays

British poster for ESTHER & THE KING

Posters of films released in the UK often had completely different artwork than the (mostly) boring artwork from official  posters from Hollywood studios. This one is no exception (even though that really doesn't looks like any of the actors)

By the Gods!

Gianna Maria Canale in THE WARRIOR & THE SLAVE GIRL (1958)

Gianna looks great here. This is a film that's good but suffers from several liabilities, the worse being the title (in any language). No title does it justice. The film also includes a couple of sub-plots which aren't very interesting. But overall, for an early PEPLUM film (released the same year as HERCULES), it's pretty cool to look at.

By the Gods!

José Greci, Virna Lisi and Jacques Sernas in DUEL OF THE TITANS (1961)

Three PEPLUM stars in one photo. José, who appeared as Mary in BEN-HUR (1959), would become a star of the genre. Virna made several films as well, mostly Swashbucklers made in Europe. And Jacques Sernas was one of the unsung heroes of the genre. His big break was starring in HELEN OF TROY (1956), directed by Robert Wise. I love this photo. By the gods!

Behind-the-Scenes

Susan Hayward on the set of DAVID & BATHSHEBA (1951)

By the Gods!

Sinbad (Patrick Wayne) looks out to a splendid city in SINBAD & THE EYE OF THE TIGER (1977)

This appears to be a standard matte painting, even though Ray Harryhausen productions were never too keen in using this kind of special effect technique, usually opting for the use of models and forced perspective instead (model is in the foreground). I always like these scenes because they give a sense of placement to the story.  I also like Patrick Wayne as Sinbad in this film. His characterization was more in style with the old Sinbad, which I prefer, even if the acting, from Wayne or the entire cast was pretty uninspired.

More on JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN

Over two weeks ago I posted some screen-tests of Rita Hayworth for JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN (1955), a project that was never completed. An example of the a screen-test photo can be seen below. Since I posted that article, I got additional information from Gary Smith on this failed project. Above is a rare screen-test of Kerwin Mathews who was set to play Joseph.

It seems that Columbia Pictures sent out a film crew to Egypt to film some location scenes to be editing in the final film once completed. Since the project was never finished, some of that footage was used in the TV production of THE STORY OF JACOB & JOSEPH, which I posted a screenshot yesterday. This scene, below, appears almost at the very end of the TV film and lasts just a couple of seconds. There's no doubt that this production would have been a fascinating one to watch had it been completed but, alas, these are the only indications left of what the film could have been.

By the Gods!

Tony Lo Bianco as Joseph in THE STORY OF JACOB & JOSEPH (TV, 1974)

I recently acquired this seldom seen film. I haven't watched it yet but from what I know it was made for television. Directed by Mihalis Kakogiannis, who also directed PEPLUM art films like ELECTRA (1962) and THE TROJAN WOMEN (1971). Interesting casting choice of Lo Bianco, who was phenomenal in THE HONEYMOON KILLERS (1970). I'll see if his acting style suits this kind of film.

Movie Poster Mondays

Italian poster for SAPPHO - THE VENUS OF LESBOS (aka The Warrior Empress)

They made more than one poster for this film when it was released and though the films action is portrayed nicely, I find the artist's rendering of Tina Louise to be lacking. She's much more beautiful than this. I recently uploaded the film on Youtube and I received a warning from them about it : they think the film is a porno. God, Youtube sucks!

By the Gods!

Christine Kaufmann and Steve Reeves in THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959)

The first film in which Steve played a Roman centurion. He would also play one in SON OF SPARTACUS. He looked great in both films and he was believable, more so than Robert Taylor in QUO VADIS, who, imo, was miscast. Reeves as a centurion = PEPLUM perfection! This film was the source of inspiration to Ridley Scott's GLADIATOR. They pitched the idea of making one of those old Steve Reeves gladiator films. Ironically, Reeves never played a gladiator in any film, including this one. His character does end up fighting in an arena during the climax but not officially as a gladiator, just as a centurion trying to save Christians from hungry lions. As for Kaufmann, she made a couple of other PEPLUM films but this role would be the one she would be remembered the most for. She was very young in this. I like this film a lot. The pacing is a bit slow but aside from that I have very few complaints in regards to this spectacular epic : great cast, great production, great score!

Retro Friday : Location - Palinuro Arch in Campania

(originally posted December 2011)

The Palinuro arch near the coastal city of Palinuro in the Italian province of Campania. A couple of films went on location there, including JASON & THE ARGONAUTS (1963) and HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN (1961).

 The Palinuro arch as seen in JASON & THE ARGONAUTS

The arch as seen in HERCULES & THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, with Reg Park above, trying to keep a ship from sailing off, and below Ettore Manni walking towards the arch.

By the Gods!

Ben-Hur's triumphant parade from BEN-HUR (1925)

I like these scenes. This one looks nice. These scenes in the silent version were better executed and more believable than in the 1959 version.  This scene was also shot in early Technicolor and it featured topless dancers (screenshot below), which were cut in most copies.

By the Gods!

Salvatore Furnari, Bella Cortez and Iloosh Khoshabe make for an unlikely trio in VULCAN - SON OF JUPITER

A story-less film with two sexy characters (Aetna and Vulcan) who try to battle with Olympian gods. If someone asked me to summarize the story I wouldn't be able to do so. It's just a sexy film with sexy people wearing very little and do sexy things. It's a very...hmm...unique PEPLUM film. I like it and watch it repeatedly but if someone said they didn't like it I would understand.

Behind-the-Scenes

Steve Reeves takes a stroll around the studio during the filming of HERCULES (1958)

By the Gods!

Susan Hayward and Victor Mature look upon the statue of Isis in DEMETRIUS & THE GLADIATORS

Continuing with a series of grand spectacle sets from PEPLUM films, here's a brief one, a combination of set, matte painting, and optical effects with the fires in the cauldrons. The scene is very static and lasts just a few seconds. We never see the statue other than from this shot. This was one of the early CinemaScope films and creating these special scenes must have been difficult.

PEPLUM versions of magazines

Here are some faux magazine covers I created as if they existed back in Antiquity.

Edmund Purdom from THE EGYPTIAN

Claudette Colbert from CLEOPATRA

Charlton Heston from EL CID