Turkish poster for TAUR THE MIGHTY (1963)
Colorful, bold artwork.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Monday, October 2, 2017
Post of the week : Serious PEPLUM films
Note : This will be the only article I'll be publishing this week (I'll post other stuff but not articles). The blog will resume full time next week.
A few weeks ago, Alec Semicognito asked me (link) to do a list of 'serious' PEPLUM films after posting about GOLD FOR THE CAESARS. I thought about it and here's a list.
Now what exactly constitutes a 'serious' PEPLUM movie? First, they have to be grounded in reality. This doesn't mean that films with mythological stories and settings cannot be serious, like HERCULES (1958) or ULYSSES (film and TV mini-series) but for me a 'serious' PEPLUM film lacks super powerful heroes, obvious supernatural elements, folk stories and such. Something that's strictly based in reality or a semblance of reality or history. You know, the movies kids hated to watch because they were too serious. Haha!
For me, a great and fun PEPLUM film is like a big buffet. It's a virtual smorsgasborg of entertaining moments and clichés. A serious film is sorta the opposite. It's like being on a strict diet, with a limited menu to choose from (this doesn't mean a 'serious' film cannot have many stand-out moments).
Some 'serious' films take themselves so seriously that they fall into camp. If a movie is too campy, for whatever reasons, I won't list it here. This doesn't mean they're not good. It just means that the film is ends up being more fun than serious. For example, take THEODORA - SLAVE EMPRESS (1954). It's a serious film but its approach is so over-the-top that it fails to be what I would call a 'serious' film. It's devilishly entertaining, thanks to campy performances and OTT production.
But then take HEAD OF A TYRANT, which has many of those same clichés but the tone of the film is so serious, it borders on the dour. It's a morbid love story. It's definitely on my list.
Other films almost defy description, like MESSALINA (1960) starring Belinda Lee, which is a strange mix of super serious tone (violence, evil characters) and slapstick moments. It didn't make it on this list.
To keep this list as short as possible, I've excluded categories and some sub-genres which are automatically serious :
- Romances, like GODDESS OF LOVE (1957). Though serious, its swirling romantic music and declarations of love push it nearly into the realm of fantasy.
- Adventure films like THE BLACK KNIGHT or TERROR OF THE RED MASK.
- Hollywood films.
- Straightforward Biblical films that deal directly with Jesus like GOLGOTHA (1935) or Pasolini's THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW (1964).
- Most Historical epics that fall under the PEPLUM umbrella.
The main ingredient of all these films : a complete lack of humour.
SEVEN FROM THEBES (1964)
I vote this rarely seen PEPLUM film as the most serious of them all. It has a 1970s vibe to it, not a movie made during the Golden Era of the genre. I like it and there are some memorable stuff in it, but it's a bit too serious. A little levity or at least one amiable character would have made it more approachable. As it is now, it's a mean, lean unlovable machine. As serious as it is, it pretty much follows the same template of other PEPLUM films, so even though it sometimes feels like an art film, it's not.
SPARTACO - SINS OF ROME (1953)
This brilliantly directed film is serious and yet it never loses sight of being hopeful and heroic, even in the face of death. It's not bleak serious but grand, operatic serious. Love it! Riccardo Freda's tour de force.
GOLD FOR THE CAESARS (1963)
A very straight-forward, grounded PEPLUM film, which is sorta rare. It's still filled with anachronistic stuff and it's still entertaining but compared to other films of the genre, it's not a 'fun' film. A drama set in antiquity.
HEAD OF THE TYRANT (1959)
As I already mentioned above, this film is SERIOUS. A tragic / morbid love story, starring Massimo Girotti and Isabelle Corey. Good film!
HEROD THE GREAT (1959)
A very serious film with few fun or uplifting moments. Serious from the first frame to the last. Directed by Viktor Tourjansky, who also directed GODDESS OF LOVE mentioned above, which is a Big Romance and a little more light-hearted than this excellent production.
DUEL OF THE TITANS (1961)
Directed by Sergio Corbucci. Starring Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Virna Lisi, Jacques Sernas, Massimo Girotti amongst others. No humour. Deadly serious. Apparently, Reeves and Scott didn't get along.
SON OF SPARTACUS (1962)
This film directed by Sergio Corbucci flirts with the not-so-serious adventure films but downbeat ending keeps this adventure film firmly grounded in the serious category.
THE BARBARIANS (1953)
This is a good example of a historical film which falls under the PEPLUM umbrella. Serious. Nothing fanciful about it though some might say it's not historically accurate.
SLAVE OF CARTHAGE (1956)
This beautiful production is, first and foremost, a serious drama. Gianna Maria Canale stars.
THE SWORD & THE CROSS (1958)
The story of Mary Magdalene. Yep, serious. This film deals indirectly with Jesus, who always remains unseen. Rossana Podestà as Martha and Yvonne De Carlo as Mary.
KNIVES OF THE AVENGER (1966)
A well made drama but not very compelling in that I need to re-watch it on a regular basis. Good but sorta dull. One of many Cameron Mitchell PEPLUM films. Elissa Pichelli co-stars.
THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961)
I almost didn't include this one because it's more adventure film than anything else, and there a lot of campy elements in this, including Edmund Purdom's performance, but there's one brutal scene in it which places it firmly in the 'serious' category. Cameron Mitchell also stars.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE EAGLE (1966)
Another serious Cameron Mitchell film. Not bad, with very good production values but serious to the point of being void of any emotional connection. Its twin production, MASSACRE IN THE BLACK FOREST, also with Mitchell, is serious but it's more action packed and fun than this one. Bebe Loncar co-stars.
CARTHAGE IN FLAMES (1960)
This huge story-free epic is humourless and pretty much falls into that category even if the production itself is a tad on the Over-The-Top side. The ending is a downer. A young Terrence Hill stars.
CONSTANTINE & THE CROSS (1961)
As the title implies, this is a very big, serious retelling of the story of Constantine and the advent of Christianity. Kids would find this boring. Belinda Lee and Cornel Wilde star in this epic.
SCHEHERAZADE (1963)
You'd think that a film with Anna Karina and Marilu Tolo would be fun to watch. No. As humourless as a PEPLUM film can be. Too serious for its own good.
APHRODITE - GODDESS OF LOVE (1958)
This film (along with its older twin sister FRINE - COURTESAN OF THE ORIENT) is a straight-forward drama. This one is set in Corinth and has everything : religion, struggle for power, the plague. I like it a lot. Serious but still fun to watch over and over again. Anthony Steffen and Irène Tunc star.
SIEGE OF SYRACUSE (1960)
Its arch, episodic and nearly implausible storyline might push this film into the realm of fantasy but I've added it because it's the most 'serious' film directed by Pietro Francisci, who usually juggled a good amount of seriousness, campiness, comedy in his films, such as HERCULES (1958). There's NO humour in this story. Rossano Brazzi and Tina Louise star in this grand epic story.
PONTIUS PILATE (1962)
Though this deals with Jesus, the story is mostly about Pontius Pilate and his struggle with overseeing the construction of an aqueduct. The screenplay is flawed but great production nonetheless. No one under 17 will like this. Jean Marais stars in the titular role.
POMPEII films
Any film which deals with the destruction of Pompeii is always played straight.
SINS OF POMPEII (1950)
Some dislike this film because of its staginess. This is just to give you an idea of how serious it is. Georges Marchal stars. I like it but it is quaint in its seriousness.
THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959)
One of Steve Reeves most serious films. Though he plays a strong, muscular man who survives the destruction of Pompeii, the film's tone is without humour. Mimmo Palmara co-stars along with Steve (left).
Art Films -
A sub-genre of the PEPLUM genre. There aren't that many but listing all of them would take an entire post. So here's a brief overview of PEPLUM art films.
The films of Mihalis Kakogiannis
The Greek director made ELECTRA (above starring Irene Papas, 1962), THE TROJAN WOMEN (1971), IFIGENEIA (1977), among others. Always serious. Rarely fun to watch. His films are more art films than straight-forward dramas set in the past. His films focused mainly on female characters.
DACII (1966) and COLUMNA (1968)
These films produced and filmed in Romania were made after the end of the PEPLUM explosion. They are grand, epic and very serious. They're not Art Films per se but were sold here as such. Georges Marchal and Pierre Brice star.
FELLINI'S SATYRICON (1969)
What can you say about this Fellini film? I could have used other images but this sorta gives you an idea of what to expect from it.
One of the reasons Art Films are called art films is because of nudity, mainly male nudity. Films with female nudity were sold as either porn or soft-porn, and were rarely serious, like WAR GODDESS (1973).
Pasolini's ARABIAN NIGHTS (1974) or even Felinni's SATYRICON above is filled with male nudity, which, to many people, is something that's taboo. There's a whole sub-genre of PEPLUM Art Films which are inspired by this. It would take too long to list all of them. Here's one example:
VAINCRE A L'OLYMPIE (1977)
Jean Marais stars in this French TV film inspired by male Olympic athletes. I tried to watch it and it's very serious, or I should say pretentious. Peplum star Georges Marchal also stars in this.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this article. There are more titles I've could have listed but it would have taken too much space. Maybe a part 2?
Added to the SPECIAL FEATURE permanent page
A few weeks ago, Alec Semicognito asked me (link) to do a list of 'serious' PEPLUM films after posting about GOLD FOR THE CAESARS. I thought about it and here's a list.
Now what exactly constitutes a 'serious' PEPLUM movie? First, they have to be grounded in reality. This doesn't mean that films with mythological stories and settings cannot be serious, like HERCULES (1958) or ULYSSES (film and TV mini-series) but for me a 'serious' PEPLUM film lacks super powerful heroes, obvious supernatural elements, folk stories and such. Something that's strictly based in reality or a semblance of reality or history. You know, the movies kids hated to watch because they were too serious. Haha!
For me, a great and fun PEPLUM film is like a big buffet. It's a virtual smorsgasborg of entertaining moments and clichés. A serious film is sorta the opposite. It's like being on a strict diet, with a limited menu to choose from (this doesn't mean a 'serious' film cannot have many stand-out moments).
Some 'serious' films take themselves so seriously that they fall into camp. If a movie is too campy, for whatever reasons, I won't list it here. This doesn't mean they're not good. It just means that the film is ends up being more fun than serious. For example, take THEODORA - SLAVE EMPRESS (1954). It's a serious film but its approach is so over-the-top that it fails to be what I would call a 'serious' film. It's devilishly entertaining, thanks to campy performances and OTT production.
But then take HEAD OF A TYRANT, which has many of those same clichés but the tone of the film is so serious, it borders on the dour. It's a morbid love story. It's definitely on my list.
Other films almost defy description, like MESSALINA (1960) starring Belinda Lee, which is a strange mix of super serious tone (violence, evil characters) and slapstick moments. It didn't make it on this list.
To keep this list as short as possible, I've excluded categories and some sub-genres which are automatically serious :
- Romances, like GODDESS OF LOVE (1957). Though serious, its swirling romantic music and declarations of love push it nearly into the realm of fantasy.
- Adventure films like THE BLACK KNIGHT or TERROR OF THE RED MASK.
- Hollywood films.
- Straightforward Biblical films that deal directly with Jesus like GOLGOTHA (1935) or Pasolini's THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW (1964).
- Most Historical epics that fall under the PEPLUM umbrella.
The main ingredient of all these films : a complete lack of humour.
SEVEN FROM THEBES (1964)
I vote this rarely seen PEPLUM film as the most serious of them all. It has a 1970s vibe to it, not a movie made during the Golden Era of the genre. I like it and there are some memorable stuff in it, but it's a bit too serious. A little levity or at least one amiable character would have made it more approachable. As it is now, it's a mean, lean unlovable machine. As serious as it is, it pretty much follows the same template of other PEPLUM films, so even though it sometimes feels like an art film, it's not.
SPARTACO - SINS OF ROME (1953)
Massimo Girotti and Gianna Maria Canale
This brilliantly directed film is serious and yet it never loses sight of being hopeful and heroic, even in the face of death. It's not bleak serious but grand, operatic serious. Love it! Riccardo Freda's tour de force.
GOLD FOR THE CAESARS (1963)
Giulio Bosetti, Mylène Demongeot and Massimo Girotti
A very straight-forward, grounded PEPLUM film, which is sorta rare. It's still filled with anachronistic stuff and it's still entertaining but compared to other films of the genre, it's not a 'fun' film. A drama set in antiquity.
HEAD OF THE TYRANT (1959)
As I already mentioned above, this film is SERIOUS. A tragic / morbid love story, starring Massimo Girotti and Isabelle Corey. Good film!
HEROD THE GREAT (1959)
A very serious film with few fun or uplifting moments. Serious from the first frame to the last. Directed by Viktor Tourjansky, who also directed GODDESS OF LOVE mentioned above, which is a Big Romance and a little more light-hearted than this excellent production.
DUEL OF THE TITANS (1961)
Directed by Sergio Corbucci. Starring Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Virna Lisi, Jacques Sernas, Massimo Girotti amongst others. No humour. Deadly serious. Apparently, Reeves and Scott didn't get along.
SON OF SPARTACUS (1962)
This film directed by Sergio Corbucci flirts with the not-so-serious adventure films but downbeat ending keeps this adventure film firmly grounded in the serious category.
THE BARBARIANS (1953)
Pierre Cressoy and Hélène Rémy
This is a good example of a historical film which falls under the PEPLUM umbrella. Serious. Nothing fanciful about it though some might say it's not historically accurate.
SLAVE OF CARTHAGE (1956)
This beautiful production is, first and foremost, a serious drama. Gianna Maria Canale stars.
THE SWORD & THE CROSS (1958)
The story of Mary Magdalene. Yep, serious. This film deals indirectly with Jesus, who always remains unseen. Rossana Podestà as Martha and Yvonne De Carlo as Mary.
KNIVES OF THE AVENGER (1966)
A well made drama but not very compelling in that I need to re-watch it on a regular basis. Good but sorta dull. One of many Cameron Mitchell PEPLUM films. Elissa Pichelli co-stars.
THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961)
I almost didn't include this one because it's more adventure film than anything else, and there a lot of campy elements in this, including Edmund Purdom's performance, but there's one brutal scene in it which places it firmly in the 'serious' category. Cameron Mitchell also stars.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE EAGLE (1966)
Another serious Cameron Mitchell film. Not bad, with very good production values but serious to the point of being void of any emotional connection. Its twin production, MASSACRE IN THE BLACK FOREST, also with Mitchell, is serious but it's more action packed and fun than this one. Bebe Loncar co-stars.
CARTHAGE IN FLAMES (1960)
This huge story-free epic is humourless and pretty much falls into that category even if the production itself is a tad on the Over-The-Top side. The ending is a downer. A young Terrence Hill stars.
CONSTANTINE & THE CROSS (1961)
As the title implies, this is a very big, serious retelling of the story of Constantine and the advent of Christianity. Kids would find this boring. Belinda Lee and Cornel Wilde star in this epic.
SCHEHERAZADE (1963)
You'd think that a film with Anna Karina and Marilu Tolo would be fun to watch. No. As humourless as a PEPLUM film can be. Too serious for its own good.
APHRODITE - GODDESS OF LOVE (1958)
This film (along with its older twin sister FRINE - COURTESAN OF THE ORIENT) is a straight-forward drama. This one is set in Corinth and has everything : religion, struggle for power, the plague. I like it a lot. Serious but still fun to watch over and over again. Anthony Steffen and Irène Tunc star.
SIEGE OF SYRACUSE (1960)
Its arch, episodic and nearly implausible storyline might push this film into the realm of fantasy but I've added it because it's the most 'serious' film directed by Pietro Francisci, who usually juggled a good amount of seriousness, campiness, comedy in his films, such as HERCULES (1958). There's NO humour in this story. Rossano Brazzi and Tina Louise star in this grand epic story.
PONTIUS PILATE (1962)
Though this deals with Jesus, the story is mostly about Pontius Pilate and his struggle with overseeing the construction of an aqueduct. The screenplay is flawed but great production nonetheless. No one under 17 will like this. Jean Marais stars in the titular role.
POMPEII films
Any film which deals with the destruction of Pompeii is always played straight.
SINS OF POMPEII (1950)
Some dislike this film because of its staginess. This is just to give you an idea of how serious it is. Georges Marchal stars. I like it but it is quaint in its seriousness.
THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959)
One of Steve Reeves most serious films. Though he plays a strong, muscular man who survives the destruction of Pompeii, the film's tone is without humour. Mimmo Palmara co-stars along with Steve (left).
Art Films -
A sub-genre of the PEPLUM genre. There aren't that many but listing all of them would take an entire post. So here's a brief overview of PEPLUM art films.
The films of Mihalis Kakogiannis
The Greek director made ELECTRA (above starring Irene Papas, 1962), THE TROJAN WOMEN (1971), IFIGENEIA (1977), among others. Always serious. Rarely fun to watch. His films are more art films than straight-forward dramas set in the past. His films focused mainly on female characters.
DACII (1966) and COLUMNA (1968)
These films produced and filmed in Romania were made after the end of the PEPLUM explosion. They are grand, epic and very serious. They're not Art Films per se but were sold here as such. Georges Marchal and Pierre Brice star.
FELLINI'S SATYRICON (1969)
What can you say about this Fellini film? I could have used other images but this sorta gives you an idea of what to expect from it.
One of the reasons Art Films are called art films is because of nudity, mainly male nudity. Films with female nudity were sold as either porn or soft-porn, and were rarely serious, like WAR GODDESS (1973).
Pasolini's ARABIAN NIGHTS (1974) or even Felinni's SATYRICON above is filled with male nudity, which, to many people, is something that's taboo. There's a whole sub-genre of PEPLUM Art Films which are inspired by this. It would take too long to list all of them. Here's one example:
VAINCRE A L'OLYMPIE (1977)
Jean Marais stars in this French TV film inspired by male Olympic athletes. I tried to watch it and it's very serious, or I should say pretentious. Peplum star Georges Marchal also stars in this.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this article. There are more titles I've could have listed but it would have taken too much space. Maybe a part 2?
Added to the SPECIAL FEATURE permanent page
Friday, September 29, 2017
Actor profile: Benito Stefanelli
Continuing with profiling relatively unknown supporting actors of Italian/Euro PEPLUM films. Today it's Benito Stefanelli who was always a supporting actor, never a leading actor, but also acted as Weapons Master/Fencer/Stuntman in many films as well, PEPLUM or not, including classics such as DUEL OF THE TITANS, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY and ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA.
According to IMDb, his first film was ULYSSES (1954) the Kirk Douglas vehicle. I tried to find him in it but there are so many actors and shot at a distance that I could't find him. I had the same problem in finding him in SON OF SPARTACUS, DUEL OF THE TITANS and A QUEEN FOR CAESAR. He's also in THE TROJAN HORSE even though he's not credited for it, at IMDb or in the film, which is odd as it's one of Benito's biggest and best roles. IMDb is filled with errors so I'm certain there are more roles of Benito missing from this profile. His other big roles were in THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS, THE BACCHANTES, WAR OF THE TROJANS and REVENGE OF THE GLADIATORS. If you look at him quickly he can be mistaken for Claudio Scarchilli. In fact, Benito is credited to be in MESSALINA (1960) but I can't find him in it but Claudio Scarchilli is in it and yet he's not credited for that film. PEPLUM confusion.
Benito in THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS costarring George Ardisson (below). Benito's role is substantial in this great film.
Benito's best role was probably in THE TROJAN HORSE, which he's not even listed at IMDb or the film's opening credit. His duel with Steve Reeves is the highlight of his career (below) and one of the best scenes in this movie. He plays John Drew Barrymore's right-hand man (above). Because he was a stuntman/weapons expert, he's doing the stunts during the duel.
Benito went on to appear in WAR OF THE TROJANS (aka The Avenger), the sequel to THE TROJAN HORSE, again starring Steve Reeves and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart (above). He's a good guy in this film.
One of Benito's last PEPLUM films was REVENGE OF THE GLADIATORS, starring Mickey Hargitay (above). Benito played a gladiator and was part of a team called The Invincible 6 (below).
According to IMDb, his first film was ULYSSES (1954) the Kirk Douglas vehicle. I tried to find him in it but there are so many actors and shot at a distance that I could't find him. I had the same problem in finding him in SON OF SPARTACUS, DUEL OF THE TITANS and A QUEEN FOR CAESAR. He's also in THE TROJAN HORSE even though he's not credited for it, at IMDb or in the film, which is odd as it's one of Benito's biggest and best roles. IMDb is filled with errors so I'm certain there are more roles of Benito missing from this profile. His other big roles were in THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS, THE BACCHANTES, WAR OF THE TROJANS and REVENGE OF THE GLADIATORS. If you look at him quickly he can be mistaken for Claudio Scarchilli. In fact, Benito is credited to be in MESSALINA (1960) but I can't find him in it but Claudio Scarchilli is in it and yet he's not credited for that film. PEPLUM confusion.
Benito in a brief role in TERROR OF THE RED MASK.
Benito in THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS costarring George Ardisson (below). Benito's role is substantial in this great film.
Benito's best role was probably in THE TROJAN HORSE, which he's not even listed at IMDb or the film's opening credit. His duel with Steve Reeves is the highlight of his career (below) and one of the best scenes in this movie. He plays John Drew Barrymore's right-hand man (above). Because he was a stuntman/weapons expert, he's doing the stunts during the duel.
One of Benito's last PEPLUM films was REVENGE OF THE GLADIATORS, starring Mickey Hargitay (above). Benito played a gladiator and was part of a team called The Invincible 6 (below).
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Actor profile : Ursula Davis (repost)
Continuing with profiling relatively unknown supporting actors of Italian/Euro PEPLUM films. Today it's Ursula Davis née Pier Anna Quaglia. Ursula only appeared in a dozen films and made just 3 PEPLUM films and yet her face is unforgettable. Her distinctive beauty and acting made her stand-out from the crowded PEPLUM babe crowd.
Her first film was BRENNUS - ENEMY OF ROME where she stood toe to toe with Gordon Mitchell. Her two other PEPLUM films were THE INVINCIBLE BROTHERS MACISTE and SPARTACUS AND THE TEN GLADIATORS. Love her. I wish she had made more PEPLUM films. Oh well...
BRENNUS - ENEMY OF ROME (1963)
Ursula starred with Gordon Mitchell (above) and Erno Crisa (below) in BRENNUS
THE INVINCIBLE BROTHERS MACISTE (1964)
Ursula one of three main actresses in INVINCIBLE BROTHERS MACISTE : Claudie Lange and Gia Sandri (below)
SPARTACUS AND THE TEN GLADIATORS (1964)
Ursula was the love interest for the handsome Romano Giomini in SPARTACUS AND THE TEN GLADIATORS
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Actor profile : Philippe Hersent (repost)
Continuing with profiling relatively unknown supporting actors of Italian/Euro PEPLUM films. Today it's Philippe Hersent, a French actor who appeared in an incredible number of PEPLUM films. When he was 20 years old he acted in GOLGOTHA (1932), a French Biblical film on the life of Jesus. It's almost impossible to find him in the film since it has a cast of thousands and even though he plays one of the apostles few characters are identified on screen. Anyway, I included a screenshot from it just for fun but I'm unsure. Fast forward 20 years and Philippe acted in SIGFRIDO, which was one of the many PEPLUM films he would appear in up to the mid-1960s.
An excellent actor who was very versatile and at time difficult to spot, with an almost chameleon-like manner, Philippe was always a great addition to any films of the genre.
Is this Philippe at the age of 20 in GOLGOTHA?
Philippe was Godfrey of Bouillon, one of the leaders of the First Crusades, in THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS (1958)
HERO OF ROME (aka The Colossus of Rome) was one of a couple of films Philippe made with Gordon Scott
Philippe in one of his last PEPLUM films was also one of the last films from the genre made in the 1960s, THREE SWORDS FOR ROME
An excellent actor who was very versatile and at time difficult to spot, with an almost chameleon-like manner, Philippe was always a great addition to any films of the genre.
Philippe in SIGFRIDO (1957)
Philippe played Pontius Pilate in THE SWORD & THE CROSS (aka Marie Magdalene; 1958)
THE GIANT OF MARATHON (1959)
Philippe was Goliath's best friend, Androcles, in GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON (1960)
QUEEN OF THE TARTARS (1960)
Philippe in THE CONQUEST OF NORMANS (1962)
Philippe had a commanding role as Titus Flavius in 79 AD : THE DESTRUCTION OF HERCULANEUM (1962)
All of the following films were released in 1964:
Philippe was in the GIANTS OF ROME (with Wandisa Guida)
Philippe was Claudius, husband of Messalina (Lisa Gastoni), in THE LAST GLADIATOR
An almost unrecognizable Philippe in ROME VS ROME (aka War of the Zombies)
Philippe in another Gordon Scott film COROLIANUS : HERO WITHOUT A COUNTRY
Philippe co-starred with Dan Vadis in ZORIKAN