''The Sons of Hercules'' is a syndicated

Embassy Pictures Embassy Pictures Corporation (also and later known as Avco Embassy Pictures as well as Embassy Films Associates) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was active from 1942 to 1986. Embassy was responsible ...

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

show that aired in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in the 1960s. The series repackaged 13

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

sword-and-sandal Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (: pepla), is a subgenre of largely Italy, Italian-made historical, mythological, or biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budget ...

films by giving them a standardized

theme song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

for the opening and closing titles, as well as a standard introductory narration attempting to relate the lead character in each film to the Greek demigod Hercules. These films however were not all originally made as "Hercules" films in Italy. Although two of them did originally feature

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

(and not his sons), four of the films were originally

Maciste Maciste () is one of the oldest recurring characters of film, cinema, created by Gabriele d'Annunzio and Giovanni Pastrone. He is featured throughout the history of the cinema of Italy from the 1910s to the mid-1960s. He is usually depicted as a ...

movies in Italy, and the others were just isolated

gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...

myth Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

ological

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...

movies not released theatrically in the US. The films were also offered in a package of 26 one-hour episodes, breaking each film into two parts, which allowed them to be shown in a weekly one-hour time slot.

Films in the series

There were thirteen films in the ''Sons of Hercules'' syndication package. The first title listed for each film is its American television title, followed by the translated original Italian title in parentheses. * '' Mole Men vs the Son of Hercules'' ('' Maciste, the Strongest Man in the World'') 1961, starring Mark Forest * ''

Triumph of the Son of Hercules ''Triumph of the Son of Hercules'' () is a 1961 Italian peplum film directed by Tanio Boccia and starring Kirk Morris.Michele Giordano. ''Giganti buoni''. Gremese Editore, 1998. . Plot Cast * Kirk Morris as Maciste *Cathia Caro as Ante ...

'' (''The Triumph of Maciste'') 1961, starring Kirk Morris * ''

Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules ''Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules'' () is a 1962 film directed by Guido Malatesta that was filmed in Yugoslavia and Italy. Plot summary Set in the Ice Age, a nomadic tribe of sun worshippers reach an area they decide to settle in. Whe ...

'' (''Maciste vs the Monsters'') 1962, starring Reg Lewis * ''

Venus Against the Son of Hercules ''Venus Against the Son of Hercules'' (, also known as ''Mars, God of War'' and ''The Son of Hercules vs. Venus'') is a 1962 Italian peplum film written and directed by Marcello Baldi and starring Roger Browne and Jocelyn Lane, Jackie Lane.Marco ...

'' (''Mars, God of War'') 1962, starring Roger Browne * ''

Ulysses Against the Son of Hercules ''Ulysses Against the Son of Hercules'' () is a 1962 ''peplum'' film directed by Mario Caiano. Plot Hercules captures Ulysses, during the latter's return to Ithaca, by order of Zeus. The hero intends to bring him to Polyphemus, who was blinde ...

'' ('' Ulysses Against Hercules'') 1962, starring Mike Lane * ''

Medusa Against the Son of Hercules ''Medusa Against the Son of Hercules'' (it: ''Perseo l'invincibile'') is a 1963 Spanish-Italian sword and sandal film directed by Alberto de Martino and starring Richard Harrison. It is loosely based on the myth of Perseus and Medusa. Plot Medu ...

'' (''Perseus the Invincible'') 1962, starring Richard Harrison * ''

Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire ''Ursus in the Land of Fire'' (), released directly to U.S. television as ''Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire'', is a 1963 Italian peplum film directed by Giorgio Simonelli and starring Ed Fury as Ursus, and Adriano Micantoni as the evil usurpe ...

'' (''Ursus in the Land of Fire'') 1963, starring Ed Fury * '' Tyrant of Lydia Against the Son of Hercules'' (''

Goliath and the Rebel Slave ''Goliath and the Rebel Slave'' (), also known as ''The Tyrant of Lydia Against the Son of Hercules'', is a 1963 Eastmancolor adventure peplum film directed by Mario Caiano. Plot Cast * Gordon Scott as Goliath * Ombretta Colli as Princess Cor ...

'') 1963, starring Gordon Scott * '' Messalina Against the Son of Hercules'' (''The Last Gladiator'') 1963, starring Richard Harrison * ''

The Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules ''The Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules'' (, , also known as ''Heroes of Babylon'', ''Hero of Babylon'' and ''Goliath, King of Slaves'') is a 1963 Italian-French peplum film written and directed by Siro Marcellini and starring Gordon ...

'' (''Hero of Babylon'') 1963, a.k.a. ''Goliath, King of the Slaves'', starring Gordon Scott * '' Terror of Rome Against the Son of Hercules'' (''Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta'') 1964, starring Mark Forest * '' Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness'' (''

Hercules the Invincible ''Hercules the Invincible'' (Italian: ''Ercole l'invincibile'') is a 1964 Italian Sword and Sandal film directed by Alvaro Mancori and Lewis Mann and starring Dan Vadis. It is the first of two directing credits for cinematographer Alvaro Manc ...

'') 1964, starring Dan Vadis * ''

Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules ''Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules'' is a 1964 international co-production filmed in Italy and directed by Anthony Dawson. Plot summary An evil and ambitious usurper named Ganor seizes a kingdom by assassinating the Sultan and i ...

'' ('' Anthar the Invincible'') 1964, (a.k.a. ''The Slave Merchants'', a.k.a. ''Soraya, Queen of the Desert'') starring Kirk Morris, directed by Antonio Margheriti

Films in the series

See also