Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (: pepla), is a

subgenre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

of largely

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 ...

-made historical, mythological, or biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. These films attempted to emulate the big-budget Hollywood historical epics of the time, such as '' Samson and Delilah'' (1949), ''

Quo Vadis ''Quo vadis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you going?". It is commonly translated, quoting the KJV translation of John 13:36, as "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Peter's fi ...

'' (1951), '' The Robe'' (1953), '' The Ten Commandments'' (1956), ''

Ben-Hur Ben-Hur or Ben Hur may refer to: Fiction *'' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace ** ''Ben-Hur'' (play), a play that debuted on Broadway in 1899 ** ''Ben Hur'' (1907 film), a one-reel silent ...

'' (1959), ''

Spartacus Spartacus (; ) was a Thracians, Thracian gladiator (Thraex) who was one of the Slavery in ancient Rome, escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major Slave rebellion, slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Historical accounts o ...

'' (1960), and ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

'' (1963). These films dominated the Italian film industry from 1958 to 1965, eventually being replaced in 1965 by

spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

and

Eurospy Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film (when referring to Cinema of Italy, Italian-produced films in the genre), is a genre of spy films produced in Europe, especially in Italy, France, and Spain, that either sincerely imitated or else parodied the ...

films. The term "peplum" (a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word referring to the

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

garment ''

peplos A peplos () is a body-length garment established as typical attire for women in ancient Greece by , during the late Archaic Greece, Archaic and Classical Greece, Classical period. It was a long, rectangular cloth with the top edge folded down ab ...

'') was introduced by French film critics in the 1960s. The terms "peplum" and "sword-and-sandal" were used in a condescending way by film critics. Later, the terms were embraced by fans of the films, similar to the terms "spaghetti Western" or "shoot-'em-ups". In their English versions, peplum films can be immediately differentiated from their Hollywood counterparts by their use of "clumsy and inadequate" English language

dubbing Dubbing (also known as re-recording and mixing) is a post-production process used in filmmaking and the video production process where supplementary recordings (known as doubles) are lip-synced and "mixed" with original production audio to cr ...

. A 100-minute documentary on the history of Italy's peplum genre was produced and directed by Antonio Avati in 1977 titled ''Kolossal: i magnifici Macisti'' (aka ''Kino Kolossal'').

Genre characteristics

Sword-and-sandal films are a specific class of Italian

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

films that have subjects set in Biblical or

classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...

, often with plots based more or less loosely on

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...

history or the other contemporary cultures of the time, such as the

Egyptians Egyptians (, ; , ; ) are an ethnic group native to the Nile, Nile Valley in Egypt. Egyptian identity is closely tied to Geography of Egypt, geography. The population is concentrated in the Nile Valley, a small strip of cultivable land stretchi ...

Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...

ns, and

Etruscans The Etruscan civilization ( ) was an ancient civilization created by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Etruria in List of ancient peoples of Italy, ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states. Af ...

, as well as medieval times. Not all of the films were fantasy-based by any means. Many of the plots featured actual historical personalities such as

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

, and

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

, although great liberties were taken with the storylines.

Gladiators 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 ...

and

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

rebelling against tyrannical rulers, pirates and swashbucklers were also popular subjects. As Robert Rushing defines it, peplum, "in its most stereotypical form, ..depicts muscle-bound heroes (professional bodybuilders, athletes, wrestlers, or brawny actors) in mythological antiquity, fighting fantastic monsters and saving scantily clad beauties. Rather than lavish epics set in the classical world, they are low-budget films that focus on the hero's extraordinary body." Thus, most sword-and-sandal films featured a superhumanly strong man as the protagonist, such as

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 ...

Samson SAMSON (Software for Adaptive Modeling and Simulation Of Nanosystems) is a computer software platform for molecular design being developed bOneAngstromand previously by the NANO-D group at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science an ...

Goliath Goliath ( ) was a Philistines, Philistine giant in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath's giant, immense stature vary among biblical sources, with texts describing him as either or tall. According to the text, Goliath issued a challen ...

, Ursus or Italy's own popular folk hero

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 ...

. In addition, the plots typically involved two women vying for the affection of the bodybuilder hero: the good love interest (a

damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...

needing rescue), and an evil femme fatale queen who sought to dominate the hero. Also, the films typically featured an ambitious ruler who would ascend the throne by murdering those who stood in his path, and often it was only the muscular hero who could depose him. Thus the hero's often political goal: "to restore a legitimate sovereign against an evil dictator." Many of the peplum films involved a clash between two populations, one civilized and the other barbaric, which typically included a scene of a village or city being burned to the ground by invaders. For their musical content, most films contained a colorful dancing girls sequence, meant to underline pagan

decadence Decadence was a late-19th-century movement emphasizing the need for sensationalism, egocentricity, and bizarre, artificial, perverse, and exotic sensations and experiences. By extension, it may refer to a decline in art, literature, science, ...

Precursors of the sword-and-sandal wave (pre-1958)

Italian films of the silent era

Italian filmmakers paved the way for the peplum genre with some of the earliest silent films dealing with the subject, including the following: * ''The Sack of Rome'' (1905) * '' Agrippina'' (1911) * '' The Fall of Troy'' (1911) * ''The Queen of Nineveh'' (1911, directed by Luigi Maggi) * ''

Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC) was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, which was reta ...

'' (1911) * ''

'' (1913, directed by

Enrico Guazzoni Enrico Guazzoni (18 December 1876 – 23 September 1949) Birth name Enrico Guazzone. Additionally, document states in lower right, "è morte in Roma in 23-9-49 / died in Rome 23 September 1949". was an Italian screenwriter and film director. G ...

) * ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' (1913) * ''

Cabiria ''Cabiria'' is a 1914 Italian Epic film, epic silent film, directed by Giovanni Pastrone and shot in Turin. The film is set in ancient Sicily, Carthage, and Cirta during the period of the Second Punic War (218–202 BC). It follows the story o ...

'' (1914, directed by

Giovanni Pastrone Giovanni Pastrone, also known by his artistic name Piero Fosco (13 September 1883 – 27 June 1959), was an Italian film pioneer, director, screenwriter, actor and technician. Pastrone was born in Montechiaro d'Asti. He worked during the era ...

) * ''

'' (1914) * ''Saffo'' (''Sappho'', 1918, directed by Antonio Molinari) * '' The Crusaders'' (1918) * '' Fabiola'' (1918) directed by Enrico Guazzoni * ''Attila'' (1918, directed by F. Mari) * ''Venere'' (''Venus'', 1919, directed by Antonio Molinari) * ''Il mistero di Osiris'' (''The Mystery of Osiris'', 1919) directed by Antonio Molinari * ''

Giuliano l'Apostata ''Giuliano l'Apostata'' is a 1919 Italian historical drama film directed by Ugo Falena, starring Guido Graziosi and Ileana Leonidoff. Set in the 4th century, it is a biographical film about the Roman Emperor Julian (emperor), Julian, known as Ju ...

'' (1919, directed by

Ugo Falena Ugo Falena (25 April 1875 in Rome – 20 September 1931 in Rome) was an Italian silent film director and occasional opera librettist. His films include ''Otello'' (1909), ''Beatrice Cenci'' (1911), ''William Tell'' (1911), ''Romeo and Juliet'' ...

) * ''Giuditta e Oloferne'' (''Judith and Holofernes'', 1920) directed by Antonio Molinari * '' The Sack of Rome'', (1920) directed by Enrico Guazzoni * ''

Samson (1923 film) ''Samson'' () is a 1923 Italian silent drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualifi ...

'' * ''

Messalina Valeria Messalina (; ) was the third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. She was a paternal cousin of Emperor Nero, a second cousin of Emperor Caligula, and a great-grandniece of Emperor Augustus. A powerful and influential woman with a reputation ...

'', (1924) directed by Enrico Guazzoni * '' Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei'' (''The Last Days of Pompeii'' (1926) directed by

Carmine Gallone Carmine Gallone (10 September 1885 – 11 March 1973) was an early Italian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, who was also controversial for his works of pro-Fascist propaganda and historical revisionism. Considered one of Itali ...

and

Amleto Palermi Amleto Palermi (11 July 1889 – 20 April 1941) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1914 and 1942. He directed ''The Old Lady'', which starred Vittorio De Sica in his first sound film. Selec ...

)

The silent Maciste films (1914–1927)

The

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as the First World War, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip ...

Italian silent film ''

'' was one of the first films set in antiquity to make use of a massively muscled character,

(played by actor Bartolomeo Pagano), who served in this premiere film as the hero's slavishly loyal sidekick. Maciste became the public's favorite character in the film however, and Pagano was called back many times to reprise the role. The Maciste character appeared in at least two dozen Italian silent films from 1914 through 1926, all of which featured a protagonist named Maciste although the films were set in many different time periods and geographical locations. Here is a complete list of the silent Maciste films in chronological order: * ''

'' (1914) introduced the Maciste character * ''Maciste'' (1915) "The Marvelous Maciste" * ''Maciste bersagliere'' ("Maciste the Ranger", 1916) * ''Maciste alpino'' ("Maciste The Warrior", 1916) * ''Maciste atleta'' ("Maciste the Athlete", 1917) * ''Maciste medium'' ("Maciste the Clairvoyant", 1917) * ''Maciste poliziotto'' ("Maciste the Detective", 1917) * ''Maciste turista'' ("Maciste the Tourist", 1917) * ''Maciste sonnambulo'' ("Maciste the Sleepwalker", 1918) * ''La Rivincita di Maciste'' ("The Revenge of Maciste", 1919) * ''Il Testamento di Maciste'' ("Maciste's Will", 1919) * ''Il Viaggio di Maciste'' ("Maciste's Journey", 1919) * ''Maciste I'' ("Maciste the First", 1919) * ''Maciste contro la morte'' ("Maciste vs Death", 1919) * ''Maciste innamorato'' ("Maciste in Love", 1919) * ''Maciste in vacanza'' ("Maciste on Vacation", 1920) * ''Maciste salvato dalle acque'' ("Maciste Rescued from the Waters", 1920) * ''Maciste e la figlia del re della plata'' ("Maciste and the Silver King's Daughter", 1922) * ''Maciste und die Japanerin'' ("Maciste and the Japanese", 1922) * ''Maciste contro Maciste'' ("Maciste vs. Maciste", 1923) * ''Maciste und die chinesische truhe'' ("Maciste and the Chinese Trunk", 1923) * ''Maciste e il nipote di America'' ("Maciste's American Nephew", 1924) * ''Maciste imperatore'' ("Emperor Maciste", 1924) * ''Maciste contro lo sceicco'' ("Maciste vs. the Sheik", 1925) * ''Maciste all'inferno'' ("Maciste in Hell", 1925) * ''Maciste nella gabbia dei leoni'' ("Maciste in the Lions' Den", 1926) * ''il Gigante delle Dolemite'' ("The Giant From the Dolomite", released in 1927)

Italian fascist and post-war historical epics (1937-1956)

The Italian film industry released several historical films in the early sound era, such as the big-budget '' Scipione l'Africano'' (''

Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–) was a Roman general and statesman who was one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Ancient Carthage, Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the greatest milit ...

: The Defeat of Hannibal'') in 1937, written by Mussolini's son Vittorio, and heavily financed by his

fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

government. In 1949, the postwar Italian film industry remade '' Fabiola'' (which had been previously filmed twice in the silent era). The film was released in the United Kingdom and in the United States in 1951 in an edited, English-dubbed version. ''Fabiola'' was an Italian-French co-production similar to ''

The Last Days of Pompeii ''The Last Days of Pompeii'' is a novel written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1834. The novel was inspired by the painting '' The Last Day of Pompeii'' by the Russian painter Karl Briullov, which Bulwer-Lytton had seen in Milan. It culminates in ...

'' (1950) and ''

'' (1951). During the 1950s, a number of American historical epics shot in Italy were released. In 1951,

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

producer

Sam Zimbalist Sam Zimbalist (March 31, 1901–November 4, 1958) was an American film producer and film editor. Early life Born to a Jewish family, Zimbalist began his career at 16 as an office boy to Metro Studios president Richard A. Rowland. He began t ...

cleverly used the lower production costs, use of frozen funds and the expertise of the Italian film industry to shoot the large-scale

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

epic ''

'' in Rome. In addition to its fictional account linking the

Great Fire of Rome The Great Fire of Rome () began on 19 July 64 AD. The fire started in the merchant shops around Rome's chariot stadium, Circus Maximus. After six days, the fire was brought under control, but before the damage could be assessed, the fire reignit ...

, the

Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire During their early history, Christians were persecuted, tortured, mutilated, raped, and massacred in a genocide, throughout the Roman Empire, beginning in the 1st century AD and ending in the 4th century. As Christianity spread through the ...

and Emperor

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

, the film - following the novel "Quo vadis" by the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz - featured also a mighty protagonist named Ursus (Italian filmmakers later made several pepla in the 1960s exploiting the Ursus character). MGM also planned '' Ben Hur'' to be filmed in Italy as early as 1952.

Riccardo Freda Riccardo Freda (24 February 1909 – 20 December 1999) was an Italian film director. He worked in a variety of genres, including sword-and-sandal, horror film, horror, ''giallo'' and spy films. Freda began directing ''I Vampiri'' in 1956. The f ...

's '' Sins of Rome'' was filmed in 1953 and released by

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

in an edited, English-dubbed version the following year. Unlike ''Quo Vadis'', there were no American actors or production crew. The Anthony Quinn film ''

Attila Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central Europe, C ...

'' (directed by

Pietro Francisci Pietro Francisci (; 9 September 1906 – 1977) was an Italians, Italian film director, best remembered for the film ''Hercules (1958 film), Hercules'' (1958) which inspired the sword and sandal boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Born in Rome, ...

in 1954), the Kirk Douglas epic '' Ulysses'' (co-directed by an uncredited

Mario Bava Mario Bava (; 31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter. His low-budget genre films, known for their distinctive visual flair and stylish ...

in 1954) and ''

Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...

'' (directed by

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American filmmaker. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of Music'' (1965). He was als ...

with

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone ( ; ; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian filmmaker, credited as the pioneer of the spaghetti Western genre. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Leone's film-making style ...

as an uncredited

second unit director A second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming s ...

in 1955) were the first of the big peplum films of the 1950s. Riccardo Freda directed another peplum, '' Theodora, Slave Empress'' in 1954, starring his wife

Gianna Maria Canale Gianna Maria Canale (12 September 1927 – 13 February 2009) was an Italian film actress. Biography Canale was born in 1927 in Reggio Calabria. In 1947, she competed in the Miss Italia beauty contest, where she was runner-up to Lucia B ...

. Howard Hawks directed his ''

Land of the Pharaohs ''Land of the Pharaohs'' is a 1955 American epic historical drama film in CinemaScope and WarnerColor from Warner Brothers, produced and directed by Howard Hawks. The cast was headed by Jack Hawkins as Pharaoh Khufu and Joan Collins as one of ...

'' (starring Joan Collins) in Italy and Egypt in 1955.

Robert Rossen Robert Rossen (March 16, 1908 – February 18, 1966) was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer whose film career spanned almost three decades. His 1949 film '' All the King's Men'' won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and B ...

made his film ''

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

'' in Egypt in 1956, with a music score by famed Italian composer Mario Nascimbene.

The main sword-and-sandal period (1958-1965)

To cash in on the success of the Kirk Douglas film ''Ulysses'', Pietro Francisci planned to make a film about

, but searched unsuccessfully for years for a physically convincing yet experienced actor. His daughter spotted American

bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic ...

Steve Reeves Stephen Lester Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder and actor. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing the protagonist as muscular characters ...

in the American film ''

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...

'' and he was hired to play Hercules in 1957 when the film was made. (Reeves was paid $10,000 to star in the film). The genre's instantaneous growth began with the U.S. theatrical release of ''

'' in 1959. American producer

Joseph E. Levine Joseph Edward Levine (September 9, 1905 – July 31, 1987) was an American film distributor, financier and producer. At the time of his death, it was said he was involved in one or another capacity with 497 films. Levine was responsible for the ...

acquired the U.S. distribution rights for $120,000, spent $1 million promoting the film and made more than $5 million profit. This spawned the

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

Steve Reeves sequel ''

Hercules Unchained ''Hercules Unchained'' ( , "Hercules and the Queen of Lydia") is a 1959 Italian-French epic fantasy feature film starring Steve Reeves and Sylva Koscina in a story about two warring brothers and Hercules' tribulations in the court of Queen Omph ...

'', the 1959 re-release of

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

's '' Samson and Delilah'' (1949), and dozens of imitations that followed in their wake. Italian filmmakers resurrected their 1920s Maciste character in a brand new 1960s sound film series (1960–1964), followed rapidly by Ursus, Samson, Goliath and various other mighty-muscled heroes. Almost all peplum films of this period featured bodybuilder stars, the most popular being

Reg Park Roy "Reg" Park (7 June 1928 – 22 November 2007) was an English bodybuilder, businessman, and actor. His first title was Mr. Britain in 1949. He then won Mr. Universe in 1951, 1958, and 1965. He went on to star in five films. Later in lif ...

and

Gordon Scott Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as- ...

. Some of these stars, such as

Mickey Hargitay Miklós Károly "Mickey" Hargitay (January 6, 1926 – September 14, 2006) was a Hungarian-American actor and bodybuilder. Born in Budapest, Hargitay moved to the United States in 1947 and eventually became an American citizen. He was married ...

, Reg Lewis, Mark Forest,

Gordon Mitchell Gordon Mitchell (born Charles Allen Pendleton; July 29, 1923 – September 20, 2003) was an American actor and bodybuilder, known for his starring roles in Italian sword-and-sandal and Spaghetti Western films. Early life Charles Allen Pendleto ...

and

Dan Vadis Dan Vadis (born Constantine Daniel Vafiadis, January 3, 1938 – June 11, 1987) was a Chinese-born American actor, of Greek descent, famous for his lead roles in many Italian films made in the 1960s. Biography Vadis was of Greek descent, wit ...

, had starred in

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

's touring stage review in the United States in the 1950s. Bodybuilders of Italian origin, on the other hand, would adopt English pseudonyms for the screen; thus, stuntman Sergio Ciani became Alan Steel, and ex-gondolier Adriano Bellini was called Kirk Morris. To be sure, many of the films enjoyed widespread popularity among general audiences, and had production values that were typical for popular films of their day. Some films included frequent re-use of the impressive film sets that had been created for ''

'' and ''

''. Although many of the bigger budget pepla were released theatrically in the US, fourteen of them were released directly to

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, ...

in a syndicated TV package called '' The Sons of Hercules''. Since few American viewers had a familiarity with Italian film heroes such as Maciste or Ursus, the characters were renamed and the films molded into a

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...

of sorts by splicing on the same opening and closing theme song and newly designed voice-over narration that attempted to link the protagonist of each film to the Hercules mythos. These films ran on Saturday afternoons in the 1960s. Peplum films were, and still are, often ridiculed for their low budgets and bad English dubbing. The contrived plots, poorly

overdub Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more a ...

bed

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

, novice acting skills of the bodybuilder leads, and primitive

special effects Special effects (often abbreviated as F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the fictional events in a story or virtual world. ...

that were often inadequate to depict the

mythological creature A legendary creature is a type of extraordinary or supernatural being that is described in folklore (including myths and legends), and may be featured in historical accounts before modernity, but has not been scientifically shown to exist. In t ...

s on screen all conspire to give these films a certain

camp Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...

appeal now. In the 1990s, several of them have been subjects of riffing and satire in the United States comedy series ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on WUCW, KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. It then ...

''. However, in the early 1960s, a group of French critics, mostly writing for the '' Cahiers du cinéma'', such as Luc Moullet, started to celebrate the genre and some of its directors, including

Vittorio Cottafavi Vittorio Cottafavi (30 January 1914 – 14 December 1998) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 70 films between 1943 and 1985. His film '' Il diavolo sulle colline'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the ...

Duccio Tessari Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns. Born in Genoa, Tessari started in the fifties as documentarist and as screenwriter ...

, and

. Not only directors, but also some of the screenwriters, often put together in teams, worked past the typically formulaic plot structure to include a mixture of "bits of philosophical readings and scraps of psychoanalysis, reflections on the biggest political systems, the fate of the world and humanity, fatalistic notions of accepting the will of destiny and the gods, anthropocentric belief in the powers of the human physique, and brilliant syntheses of military treatises". With reference to the genre's free use of ancient mythology and other influences, Italian director

, who directed a number of peplum films, used the term "neo-mythologism".

Hercules series (1958–1965)

A series of 19 Hercules movies were made in Italy in the late '50s and early '60s. The films were all sequels to the successful Steve Reeves peplum ''

'' (1958), but with the exception of ''

'', each film was a stand-alone story not connected to the others. The actors who played Hercules in these films were

followed by

, Kirk Morris,

, Mark Forest, Alan Steel,

, Brad Harris,

Peter Lupus Peter Nash Lupus Jr. (born June 17, 1932) is an American bodybuilder and actor. He is best known for his role as Willy Armitage on the television series '' Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1973). Personal life Lupus is one of three siblings bor ...

(billed as Rock Stevens) and

Mike Lane Michael V. Lane (January 6, 1933 – June 1, 2015) was an American actor and professional wrestler. Biography Lane's size (height 6'8" or 2.03 m, weight 275 lbs or 125 kg) led him to work in the King Bros. Circus boxing tent and wr ...

. In a 1997 interview, Reeves said he felt his two Hercules films could not be topped by another sequel, so he declined to do any more Hercules films. The films are listed below by their American release titles, and the titles in parentheses are their original Italian titles with an approximate English translation. Dates shown are the original Italian theatrical release dates, not the U.S. release dates (which were years later in some cases). * ''

'' (''Le fatiche di Ercole'' / ''The Labors of Hercules'', 1958) starring Steve Reeves * ''

'' (''Ercole e la regina di Lidia'' / ''Hercules and the Queen of Lydia'', 1959) starring Steve Reeves * ''

Goliath and the Dragon ''Goliath and the Dragon'' () is a 1960 sword-and-sandal film directed by Vittorio Cottafavi and starring Mark Forest and Broderick Crawford. The name of the main character was changed from Hercules to Emilius (known in the film as Goliath) for ...

'' (''La vendetta di Ercole'' / ''The Revenge of Hercules'', 1960) starring Mark Forest as Hercules (Hercules' name was changed to ''Goliath'' when this film was dubbed in English and distributed in the U.S.) * '' Hercules Vs The Hydra'' (''Gli amori di Ercole'' / '' The Loves of Hercules'', 1960) co-starring Mickey Hargitay (as Hercules) and

Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, ''Playboy'' Playmate, and sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was known for her numerous publicity stunts and open personal life. He ...

* '' Hercules and the Captive Women'' (''Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide'' / ''Hercules at the Conquest of Atlantis'', 1961) starring Reg Park as Hercules (alternate U.S. title: ''Hercules and the Haunted Women'') * ''

Hercules in the Haunted World ''Hercules in the Haunted World'' ( Italian: ''Ercole al centro della terra'', lit. "Hercules at the Center of the Earth") is a 1961 Italian sword-and-sandal film directed by Mario Bava. British bodybuilder Reg Park plays Hercules while Briti ...

'' (''Ercole al centro della terra'' / ''Hercules at the Center of the Earth'', 1961) directed by Mario Bava, starring Reg Park as Hercules * '' Hercules in the Vale of Woe'' ('' Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai'' / '' Maciste vs Hercules in the Vale of Woe'') comedy starring Frank Gordon as Hercules, 1961 * '' Ulysses Against the Son of Hercules'' (''Ulisse contro Ercole'' / ''Ulysses vs. Hercules'') starring Mike Lane as Hercules, 1962 * ''

The Fury of Hercules ''The Fury of Hercules'' () is a 1962 peplum film written and directed by Gianfranco Parolini. Plot Hercules is reached by the slave Daria, who informes him that his country has fallen into the hands of the tyrant Meniste. Hercules follows Dar ...

'' (''La furia di Ercole'' / ''The Fury of Hercules'') starring Brad Harris as Hercules, 1962 (alternate U.S. title: ''The Fury of Samson'') * '' Hercules, Samson and Ulysses'' (''Ercole sfida Sansone'' / ''Hercules Challenges Samson'') starring Kirk Morris as Hercules, 1963 * '' Hercules Against Moloch'' (''Ercole contro Molock'' / ''Hercules vs. Molock'') starring Gordon Scott as Hercules, 1963 ( ''The Conquest of Mycenae'') * '' Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness'' (''Ercole l'invincibile'' / '' Hercules the Invincible'') starring Dan Vadis as Hercules, 1964. (this was originally a Hercules film that was re-titled for inclusion in the U.S. syndicated TV package '' The Sons of Hercules''). * '' Hercules vs The Giant Warriors'' (''il trionfo di Ercole'' / '' The Triumph of Hercules'') starring Dan Vadis as Hercules, 1964 (alternate U.S. title: ''Hercules and the Ten Avengers'') * '' Hercules Against Rome'' (''Ercole contro Roma'' / ''Hercules vs. Rome'') starring Alan Steel as Hercules, 1964 * ''

Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun ''Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun'' (, , also known as ''Hercules Vs. the Sons of the Sun'') is a 1964 Italy, Italian-Spain, Spanish peplum film written and directed by Osvaldo Civirani. Cast *Mark Forest as Hercules * Anna Maria Pace as ...

'' (''Ercole contro i figli del sole'' / ''Hercules vs. the Sons of the Sun'') starring Mark Forest as Hercules, 1964 * '' Samson and His Mighty Challenge'' (''Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili'' / ''Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles'') starring Alan Steel as Hercules, 1964 ( ''Combate dei Gigantes'' or ''Le Grand Defi'') * ''

Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon ''Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia'' (English Translation: ''Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon'') is a 1964 Italian sword-and-sandal film directed by Domenico Paolella and starring Peter Lupus (credited as Rock Stevens) as Hercules. Plot ...

'' (''Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia'' / ''Hercules vs. the Tyrants of Babylon'') starring Rock Stevens as Hercules, 1964 * '' Hercules and the Princess of Troy'' (no Italian title) starring Gordon Scott as Hercules, 1965 ( ''Hercules vs. the Sea Monster''; this U.S./ Italian co-production was made as a pilot for a

Charles Band Charles Robert Band (born December 27, 1951) is an American film producer and director, known for his work on horror comedy movies. Career Band entered film production in the 1970s with Charles Band Productions. Dissatisfied with distributo ...

-produced TV series that never materialized and it was later distributed as a feature film) * '' Hercules the Avenger'' (''Sfida dei giganti'' / ''Challenge of the Giants'') starring Reg Park as Hercules, 1965 (this film was composed mostly of re-edited footage from the two 1961 Reg Park Hercules films) A number of English-dubbed Italian films that featured the word "Hercules" in the title were not made as Hercules movies originally, such as: * ''

Hercules Against the Moon Men ''Hercules Against the Moon Men'' (, "Maciste and the Queen of Samar") is a 1964 Franco-Italian international co-production sword and sandal film. It was directed by Giacomo Gentilomo in his final film and stars Alan Steel and Jany Clair. The En ...

'', ''Hercules Against the Barbarians'', ''Hercules Against the Mongols'' and ''Hercules of the Desert'' were all originally Maciste films. (See "Maciste" section below) * ''Hercules and the Black Pirate'' and ''Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas'' were both re-titled Samson movies. (See "Samson" section below) * ''Hercules, Prisoner of Evil'' was actually a re-titled Ursus film. (See "Ursus" section below) * ''Hercules and the Masked Rider'' was actually a re-titled Goliath movie. (See "Goliath" section below) None of these films in their original Italian versions involved the Hercules character in any way. Likewise, most of the ''Sons of Hercules'' movies shown on American TV in the 1960s had nothing to do with Hercules in their original Italian versions. (see also ''

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules ''The Three Stooges Meet Hercules'' is a 1962 American comedy fantasy film directed by Edward Bernds. It is the third feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Ho ...

'' (1962), an American-made genre parody starring peplum star

Samson Burke Samson Burke (born Samuel Burke; 6 April 1930) is a Canadian bodybuilder, swimmer, wrestler and actor. Biography Born Samuel Burke in Montreal Canada on 6 April 1930, Burke earned a college degree in physical education. In the 1950s, Burke wr ...

as Hercules)

Goliath series (1959–1964)

The Italians used Goliath as the superhero protagonist in a series of adventure films (pepla) in the early 1960s. He was a man possessed of amazing strength, although he seemed to be a different person in each film. After the classic ''

'' (1958) became a blockbuster sensation in the film industry, a 1959 Steve Reeves film '' Il terrore dei barbari'' ('' Terror of the Barbarians'') was re-titled ''

Goliath and the Barbarians ''Goliath and the Barbarians'' () is a 1959 Italian sword-and-sandal, peplum film loosely based on events of the Lombards, Lombard Lombards#Invasion and conquest of the Italian peninsula, invasion of Italy in AD 568. As with many Cinema of Italy ...

'' in the U.S. The film was so successful at the box office, it inspired Italian filmmakers to do a series of four more films featuring a generic beefcake hero named Goliath, although the films were not related to each other in any way (the 1960 Italian peplum ''

David and Goliath Goliath ( ) was a Philistine giant in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath's immense stature vary among biblical sources, with texts describing him as either or tall. According to the text, Goliath issued a challenge to the Israelit ...

'' starring

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

was not part of this series, since that movie was just a historical retelling of the Biblical story). The titles in the Italian ''Goliath'' adventure series were as follows: (the first title listed for each film is the film's original Italian title along with its English translation, while the U.S. release title follows in bold type in parentheses) * '' Il terrore dei barbari'' / '' Terror of the Barbarians'' (1959) (''

'' in the U.S.), starring Steve Reeves as Goliath (although he is referred to as "Emiliano" in the original Italian-language version) * '' Goliath contro i giganti'' / ''Goliath Against the Giants'' ('' Goliath Against the Giants'') (1960) starring Brad Harris * '' Goliath e la schiava ribelle'' / '' Goliath and the Rebel Slave'' ('' Tyrant of Lydia Against The Son of Hercules'') (1963) starring Gordon Scott * '' Golia e il cavaliere mascherato'' / ''Goliath and the Masked Rider'' (''

Hercules and the Masked Rider ''Hercules and the Masked Rider'' (, also known as ''Goliath and the Masked Rider'') is a 1963 Italian peplum film written and directed by Piero Pierotti and starring Alan Steel and Mimmo Palmara. A crossover film, it is set in the seventeenth c ...

'') (1964) starring Alan Steel (note: Goliath is referred to as "Hercules" in English-dubbed prints) * '' Golia alla conquista di Bagdad'' / '' Goliath at the Conquest of Baghdad'' (''

Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus ''Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus'' () is a 1965 Italian ''peplum'' film directed by Domenico Paolella. Plot The king of the Kurds has kidnapped the daughter of the king of Baghdad to blackmail him. Goliath is sent to the rescue. Cast * ...

'', 1964) starring Rock Stevens (aka Peter Lupus) The name Goliath was also inserted into the English titles of three other Italian pepla that were re-titled for U.S. distribution in an attempt to cash in on the Goliath craze, but these films were not originally made as "Goliath movies" in Italy. Both '' Goliath and the Vampires'' (1961) and ''

Goliath and the Sins of Babylon ''Goliath and the Sins of Babylon'' () is a 1963 peplum film directed by Michele Lupo.Goliath and the Dragon ''Goliath and the Dragon'' () is a 1960 sword-and-sandal film directed by Vittorio Cottafavi and starring Mark Forest and Broderick Crawford. The name of the main character was changed from Hercules to Emilius (known in the film as Goliath) for ...

'' (1960) was originally an Italian Hercules movie called '' The Revenge of Hercules'', but it was re-titled ''Goliath and the Dragon'' in the U.S. since at the time ''Goliath and the Barbarians'' was breaking box-office records, and the distributors may have thought the name "Hercules" was trademarked by distributor

Maciste series (1960–1965)

Bruno Scipioni in Maciste nelle miniere de re Salmone

There were a total of 25 Maciste films from the 1960s peplum craze (not counting the two dozen silent Maciste films made in Italy pre-1930). By 1960, seeing how well the two Steve Reeves ''Hercules'' films were doing at the box office, Italian producers decided to revive the 1920s silent film character ''Maciste'' in a new series of color/sound films. Unlike the other Italian peplum protagonists, Maciste found himself in a variety of time periods ranging from the

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

to 16th century Scotland. Maciste was never given an origin, and the source of his mighty powers was never revealed. However, in the first film of the 1960s series, he mentions to another character that the name "Maciste" means "born of the rock" (almost as if he was a god who would just appear out of the earth itself in times of need). One of the 1920s silent Maciste films was actually titled ''The Giant from the Dolomite'', hinting that Maciste may be more god than man, which would explain his great strength.
The first title listed for each film is the film's original Italian title along with its English translation, while the U.S. release title follows in bold type in parentheses (note how many times Maciste's name in the Italian title is altered to an entirely different name in the American title): * '' Maciste nella valle dei re'' / ''Maciste in the Valley of the Kings'' ( Son of Samson, 1960) ''Maciste the Mighty'', ''Maciste the Giant'', starring Mark Forest * ''

Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi ''Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops'' (Italian: ''Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi'') is a 1961 Italian epic film, epic adventure film starring Gordon Mitchell and Chelo Alonso. Plot Queen Capys is doomed to a life of slavery by the Powers of Dark ...

'' / '' Maciste in the Land of the Cyclops'' ( Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops, 1961) starring Gordon Mitchell * '' Maciste contro il vampiro'' / '' Maciste Vs. the Vampire'' ( Goliath and the Vampires, 1961) starring Gordon Scott * ''

Il trionfo di Maciste ''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'' ( Triumph of the Son of Hercules, 1961) starring Kirk Morris * '' Maciste alla corte del gran khan'' / '' Maciste at the Court of the Great Khan'' ( Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World, 1961) starring Gordon Scott * ''

Maciste, l'uomo più forte del mondo ''Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules'' (/ ''Maciste, the Strongest Man in the World'') is a 1961 Italian ''peplum (film genre), peplum'' film directed by Antonio Leonviola and starring Mark Forest. Plot summary The young Princess Saliura has ...

'' / '' Maciste, the Strongest Man in the World'' ( Mole Men vs the Son of Hercules, 1961) starring Mark Forest * '' Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai'' / '' Maciste Against Hercules in the Vale of Woe'' ( Hercules in the Vale of Woe, 1961) starring Kirk Morris as Maciste; this was a satire/spoof featuring the comedy team of Franco and Ciccio * '' Totò contro Maciste'' / ''Totò vs. Maciste'' (no American title, 1962) starring Samson Burke; this was a comedy satirizing the peplum genre (part of the Italian "Toto" film series) and was never distributed in the U.S.; it is apparently not even available in English * '' Maciste all'inferno'' / ''Maciste in Hell'' ( The Witch's Curse, 1962) starring Kirk Morris * '' Maciste contro lo sceicco'' / '' Maciste Against the Sheik'' ( Samson Against the Sheik, 1962) starring Ed Fury * ''Maciste, il gladiatore piu forte del mondo'' / ''Maciste, the World's Strongest Gladiator'' (

Colossus of the Arena ''Colossus of the Arena'' (, also known as ''Death on the Arena'') is a 1962 Italian peplum film directed by Michele Lupo and starred by Mark Forest. Synopsis In the small kingdom of Mersabad, a man named Oniris leads a group of conspirators ...

, 1962) starring Mark Forest * '' Maciste contro i mostri'' / '' Maciste Against the Monsters'' ( Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules, 1962) starring Reg Lewis * ''

Maciste contro i cacciatori di teste ''Colossus and the Headhunters'' (), is a 1963 Italian sword-and-sandal film written and directed by Guido Malatesta and starring Kirk Morris. Plot The heroic Maciste arrives on an island, only to find it rocked by a catastrophic volcanic erup ...

'' / '' Maciste Against the Headhunters'' ( Colossus and the Headhunters, 1962) starring Kirk Morris; ''Fury of the Headhunters'' * ''Maciste, l'eroe piu grande del mondo'' / ''Maciste, the World's Greatest Hero'' (

Goliath and the Sins of Babylon ''Goliath and the Sins of Babylon'' () is a 1963 peplum film directed by Michele Lupo.Zorro contro Maciste'' / '' Zorro Against Maciste'' (

Samson and the Slave Queen ''Samson and the Slave Queen'' () is a 1963 Italian '' peplum'' directed by Umberto Lenzi. It was originally made as a Maciste film in Italy, in which the fabled strongman meets Zorro. It was redubbed into a "Samson" movie for distribution in the ...

, 1963) starring Alan Steel * '' Maciste contro i mongoli'' / '' Maciste Against the Mongols'' ( Hercules Against the Mongols, 1963) starring Mark Forest * '' Maciste nell'inferno di Gengis Khan'' / '' Maciste in Genghis Khan's Hell'' ( Hercules Against the Barbarians, 1963) starring Mark Forest * '' Maciste alla corte dello zar'' / '' Maciste at the Court of the Czar'' ( Atlas Against The Czar, 1964) starring Kirk Morris ( '' Samson vs. the Giant King'') * ''Maciste, gladiatore di Sparta'' / ''Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta'' ( Terror of Rome Against the Son of Hercules, 1964) starring Mark Forest * '' Maciste nelle miniere de re salomone'' / ''

Maciste in King Solomon's Mines ''Samson in King Solomon's Mines'' () is a 1964 Italian peplum film written and directed by Piero Regnoli. Cast * Reg Park as Maciste * Wandisa Guida as Fazira * Dan Harrison as Abucar * Giuseppe Addobbati as Namar * Eleonora Bianchi as Samar ...

'' ( Samson in King Solomon's Mines, 1964) starring Reg Park * '' Maciste e la regina de Samar'' / '' Maciste and the Queen of Samar'' (

, 1964) starring Alan Steel * '' La valle dell'eco tonante'' / ''Valley of the Thundering Echo'' ( Hercules of the Desert, 1964) starring Kirk Morris, ''Desert Raiders'', in France as ''Maciste and the Women of the Valley'' * '' Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili'' / '' Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles'' ( Samson and His Mighty Challenge, 1964) starring Renato Rossini as Maciste ( ''Combate dei Gigantes'' or ''Le Grand Defi'') * '' Gli invicibili fratelli Maciste'' / ''The Invincible Maciste Brothers'' ( The Invincible Brothers Maciste, 1964) ''The Invincible Gladiators'', starring Richard Lloyd as Maciste * '' Maciste il Vendicatore dei Mayas'' / '' Maciste, Avenger of the Mayans'' (has no American title, 1965) (Note:* this Maciste film was made up almost entirely of re-edited stock footage from two older Maciste films, '' Maciste contro i mostri'' and ''

'', so Maciste switches from Kirk Morris to Reg Lewis in various scenes; this movie is very scarce since it was never distributed in the U.S. and is apparently not even available in English) In 1973, the Spanish cult film director Jesus Franco directed two low-budget "Maciste films" for French producers: ''Maciste contre la Reine des Amazones'' (''Maciste vs the Queen of the Amazons'') and ''Les exploits érotiques de Maciste dans l'Atlantide'' (''The Erotic Exploits of Maciste in Atlantis''). The films had almost identical casts, both starring Val Davis as Maciste, and appear to have been shot back-to-back. The former was distributed in Italy as a "Karzan" movie (a cheap Tarzan imitation), while the latter film was released only in France with hardcore inserts as ''Les Gloutonnes'' ("The Gobblers"). These two films were totally unrelated to the 1960s Italian Maciste series.

Ursus series (1960–1964)

Following

Buddy Baer Jacob Henry "Buddy" Baer (June 11, 1915 – July 18, 1986) was an American boxer and later an actor with parts in seventeen films, as well as roles on multiple television series in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1941, he came extremely close to b ...

's portrayal of Ursus in the classic 1951 film ''

'', Ursus was used as a superhuman Roman-era character who became the protagonist in a series of Italian adventure films made in the early 1960s. When the "Hercules" film craze hit in 1959, Italian filmmakers were looking for other muscleman characters similar to Hercules whom they could exploit, resulting in the nine-film Ursus series listed below. Ursus was referred to as a "Son of Hercules" in two of the films when they were dubbed in English (in an attempt to cash in on the then-popular "Hercules" craze), although in the original Italian films, Ursus had no connection to Hercules whatsoever. In the English-dubbed version of one Ursus film (retitled ''Hercules, Prisoner of Evil''), Ursus was actually referred to throughout the entire film as "Hercules". There were a total of nine Italian films that featured Ursus as the main character, listed below as follows: Italian title / English translation of the Italian title (American release title); * ''Ursus'' / ''Ursus'' ( Ursus, Son of Hercules, 1960) '' Mighty Ursus'' (United Kingdom), starring Ed Fury * '' La Vendetta di Ursus'' / '' The Revenge of Ursus'' (

The Vengeance of Ursus ''The Vengeance of Ursus'' () is a 1961 Italian ''peplum'' film directed by Luigi Capuano. Plot The evil King Zagro (Livio Lorenzon) asks the king of a neighboring country (King Alteo) for permission to wed his daughter, the beautiful Princess ...

, 1961) starring Samson Burke * ''Ursus e la Ragazza Tartara'' / ''Ursus and the Tartar Girl'' ( Ursus and the Tartar Princess, 1961) ''The Tartar Invasion'', ''The Tartar Girl''; starring Joe Robinson, Akim Tamiroff, Yoko Tani; directed by Remigio Del Grosso * '' Ursus Nella Valle dei Leoni'' / ''Ursus in the Valley of the Lions'' ( Valley of the Lions, 1962) starring Ed Fury; this film revealed the origin story of Ursus * ''Ursus il gladiatore ribelle'' / '' Ursus the Rebel Gladiator'' ( The Rebel Gladiators, 1962) starring Dan Vadis * ''Ursus Nella Terra di Fuoco'' / '' Ursus in the Land of Fire'' ( Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire, 1963) ''Son of Atlas in the Land of Fire''; starring Ed Fury * '' Ursus il terrore dei Kirghisi'' / '' Ursus, the Terror of the Kirghiz'' ( Hercules, Prisoner of Evil, 1964) starring Reg Park * '' Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili'' / '' Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles'' ( Samson and His Mighty Challenge, 1964) starring Yan Larvor as Ursus ( ''Combate dei Gigantes'' or ''Le Grand Defi'') * ''Gli Invincibili Tre'' / ''The Invincible Three'' ( Three Avengers, 1964) starring Alan Steel as Ursus

Samson series (1961–1964)

A character named Samson was featured in a series of five Italian peplum films in the 1960s, no doubt inspired by the 1959 re-release of the epic

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include '' One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darli ...

film ''Samson and Delilah''. The character was similar to the Biblical Samson in the third and fifth films only; in the other three, he just appears to be a very strong man (not related at all to the Biblical figure). The titles are listed as follows: Italian title / its English translation (U.S. release title in parentheses); * '' Sansone'' / ''

Samson (1961 Italian film) ''Samson'' () is a 1961 Italian and French international co-production peplum film shot in Yugoslavia. It was written and directed by Gianfranco Parolini in his first film with Brad Harris who plays the title role. It is the film which introd ...

'' (Samson) 1961, starring Brad Harris * '' Sansone contro i pirati'' / '' Samson Against the Pirates'' ( Samson and the Sea Beast) 1963, starring Kirk Morris * '' Ercole sfida Sansone'' / '' Hercules challenges Samson'' ( Hercules, Samson and Ulysses) 1963, starring Richard Lloyd * ''Sansone contro il corsaro nero'' / ''Samson Against the Black Pirate'' ( Hercules and the Black Pirate) 1963, starring Alan Steel * '' Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili'' / '' Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles'' ( Samson and the Mighty Challenge) 1964, starring Nadir Baltimore as Samson ( '' Samson and His Mighty Challenge'', ''Combate dei Gigantes'' or ''Le Grand Défi'') The name Samson was also inserted into the U.S. titles of six other Italian movies when they were dubbed in English for U.S. distribution, although these films actually featured the adventures of the famed Italian folk hero Maciste. '' Samson Against the Sheik'' (1962), '' Son of Samson'' (1960), ''

'' (1963), '' Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World'' (1961), '' Samson vs. the Giant King'' (1964), and '' Samson in King Solomon's Mines'' (1964) were all re-titled Maciste movies, because the American distributors did not feel the name Maciste was marketable to U.S. filmgoers. ''Samson and the Treasure of the Incas'' ( '' Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas'') (1965) sounds like a peplum title, but was actually a spaghetti Western.

''The Sons of Hercules'' (TV syndication package)

''The Sons of Hercules'' was a syndicated television show that aired in the United States in the 1960s. The series repackaged 14 randomly chosen Italian peplum films by unifying them with memorable title and end title theme songs and a standard voice-over intro relating the main hero in each film to Hercules any way they could. In some regions, each film was split into two one-hour episodes, so the 14 films were shown as 28 weekly episodes. None of the films were ever theatrically released in the U.S. The films are not listed in chronological order, since they were not really related to each other in any way. The first title listed below for each film was its American broadcast television title, followed in parentheses by the English translation of its original Italian theatrical title: * '' Ursus, Son of Hercules'' (''Ursus'') 1961, starring Ed Fury, ''Mighty Ursus'' in England * '' Mole Men vs the Son of Hercules'' ('' Maciste, the Strongest Man in the World'') 1961, starring Mark Forest * '' Triumph of the Son of Hercules'' (''The Triumph of Maciste'') 1961, starring Kirk Morris * '' Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules'' (''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 Hercules'') 1962, starring Mike Lane * '' Medusa Against the Son of Hercules'' (''Perseus The Invincible'') 1962, starring Richard Harrison * '' Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire'' (''Ursus In The Land Of Fire'') 1963, starring Ed Fury * '' Tyrant of Lydia Against The Son of Hercules'' ('' Goliath and the Rebel Slave'') 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, starring Gordon Scott, ''Goliath, King of the Slaves'' * '' 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'') 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, starring Kirk Morris, directed by

Antonio Margheriti Antonio Margheriti (19 September 1930 – 4 November 2002), also known under the pseudonyms Anthony M. Dawson and Antony Daisies ("daisies" is "margherite" in Italian), was an Italians, Italian filmmaker. Margheriti worked in many different film ...

, ''The Slave Merchants'', ''Soraya, Queen of the Desert''

Steve Reeves sword-and-sandal films in chronological order of production

Steve Reeves appeared in 14 sword-and-sandal films made in Italy from 1958 to 1964 and most of his films are highly regarded examples of the genre. His films are listed below in order of production, not in order of release. The U.S. release titles are shown below, followed by the original Italian title and its translation (in parentheses) * ''

'' (1958) (''Le fatiche di Ercole'' / ''The Labors of Hercules'') actually filmed in 1957, released in Italy in 1958, released in the U.S. in 1959 * ''

'' (1959) (''Ercole e la regina di Lidia'' / ''Hercules and the Queen of Lydia'') released in the U.S. in 1960 * ''

'' (1959) (''Il terrore dei barbari'' / ''Terror of the Barbarians'') * ''

The Giant of Marathon ''The Giant of Marathon'' () is a 1959 international co-production sword and sandal film, loosely based on the Battle of Marathon. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and Mario Bava. It starred Steve Reeves as Phillipides. The film was a co-prod ...

'' (1959) (''La battaglia di Maratona'' / ''The Battle of Marathon'') * ''

'' (1959) (''Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei'' / ''The Last Days of Pompeii'') * ''

The White Warrior ''The White Warrior'' () is a 1959 adventure film directed by Riccardo Freda. It is loosely based on Lev Tolstoy's posthumously published 1912 novel '' Hadji Murat''. Cast * Steve Reeves: Agi Murad, the "White Warrior" * Giorgia Moll: Sultanet ...

'' (1959) (''Hadji Murad il Diavolo Bianco'' / ''Hadji Murad, The White Devil'') directed by

* '' Morgan, the Pirate'' (1960) (''Morgan, il pirata''/ ''Morgan, the Pirate'') * '' The Thief of Baghdad'' (1960) (''Il Ladro di Bagdad'' / '' The Thief of Baghdad'') * '' The Trojan Horse'' (1961) (''La guerra di Troia''/ ''The Trojan War'') * ''

Duel of the Titans ''Duel of the Titans'' () is a 1961 Italian / French film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, and Virna Lisi. The film is about twin brothers revolt against tyranny in pre-Roman Italy and then come to a parting of ...

'' (1961) (''Romolo e Remo'' / ''Romulus And Remus'') * '' The Slave'' (1962) (''Il Figlio di Spartaco'' / ''Son of

'') * '' The Avenger'' (1962) (''La leggenda di Enea'' / ''The Legend Of Aeneas'') ''The Last Glory of Troy''; (this was a sequel to ''The Trojan Horse'') * '' Sandokan the Great'' (1963) (''Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem''/ ''Sandokan, the Tiger of Mompracem'') directed by

Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unre ...

* '' Pirates of Malaysia'' (1964) ''Sandokan, the Pirate of Malaysia'', ''Pirates of the Seven Seas''; this was a sequel to ''Sandokan the Great'', directed by Umberto Lenzi

Other (non-series) Italian pepla

There were many 1950s and 1960s Italian pepla that did not feature a major superhero (such as Hercules, Maciste or Samson), and as such they fall into a sort of miscellaneous category. Many were of the ''Cappa e spada'' (

swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...

) variety, though they often feature well-known characters such as Ali Baba, Julius Caesar, Ulysses, Cleopatra, the Three Musketeers, Zorro, Theseus, Perseus, Achilles, Robin Hood, and

Sandokan Sandokan is a fictional late 19th-century pirate created by Italian people, Italian author Emilio Salgari. His adventures first appeared in publication in 1883. Sandokan is the hero of 11 adventure novels. Within the series, Sandokan is known ...

. The first really successful Italian films of this kind were ''

Black Eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South a ...

'' (1946) and '' Fabiola'' (1949). * '' Adventurer of Tortuga, The'' (1964), starring Guy Madison * '' Adventures of Mandrin, The'' (1952) ''Captain Adventure'' ''Don Juan's Night of Love'' ''The Affair of Madame Pompadour'', starring

Raf Vallone Raffaele Vallone (17 February 1916 – 31 October 2002) was an Italian actor and footballer. One of the top male Italian stars of the 1950s and 1960s, he first became known for his association with the neorealist movement, and found success in ...

and Silvana Pampanini, * ''Adventures of Scaramouche, The'' (1963) ''The Mask of Scaramouche'', starring

Gérard Barray Gérard Barray (2 November 1931 – 15 February 2024) was a French actor. Early life and education Gérard Barray was born in Toulouse on 2 November 1931. His parents split up quickly and his mother, who came from Montauban, decided to return t ...

and

* ''

Alexander The Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

'' (1956), starring

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

(U.S. film with music score by Mario Nascimbene) * '' Ali Baba and the Sacred Crown'' (1962) ''The Seven Tasks of Ali Baba'', starring Richard Lloyd * '' Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens'' (1964) ''Sinbad Against the Seven Saracens'', starring

* '' Alone Against Rome'' (1962) ''Vengeance of the Gladiators'', starring Lang Jeffries and

Rossana Podestà Rossana Podestà (born Carla Dora Podestà; 20 June 1934 – 10 December 2013) was an Italian actress who worked mainly in Italy from the 1950s to the 1970s. Biography Podestà was born in Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli in the Italian colony of Italia ...

* '' Anthar the Invincible'' (1964) ''

'', starring Kirk Morris, directed by

* ''

Antigone ANTIGONE (Algorithms for coNTinuous / Integer Global Optimization of Nonlinear Equations), is a deterministic global optimization solver for general Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programs (MINLP). History ANTIGONE is an evolution of GloMIQO, a global ...

'' (1961) '' Rites for the Dead'', starring

Irene Papas Irene Papas or Irene Pappas (, ; born Eirini Lelekou (); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. She gained international recognition through ...

, a Greek production * '' Arena, The'' (1974) ''Naked Warriors'', directed by

Steve Carver Steve Carver (April 5, 1945 – January 8, 2021) was an American film director, producer, and photographer. Biography Carver attended Manhattan's High School of Music and Art and received his BA from Cornell University and his Master of Fine Art ...

and

Joe D'Amato Aristide Massaccesi (15 December 1936 – 23 January 1999), known professionally as Joe D'Amato, was an Italian film director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter who worked in many genres (western (genre), westerns, ''Commedia sexy all' ...

, starring

Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitati ...

and

Margaret Markov Margaret Mary Markov (born November 22, 1948) is an American retired actress. She had a supporting role in the romantic drama ''The Sterile Cuckoo'' (1969) with Liza Minnelli and co-starred in ''There Is No 13'' (1974), as well as appearing in ot ...

(a late entry in the genre) * ''

Arms of the Avenger ''I diavoli di Spartivento'' (also known as ''Weapons of Vengeance'', ''Weapons of War'', ''The Devils of Spartivento'', ''Arms of the Avenger'', ''Curse of the Haunted Forest'' and ''The Fighting Legions'') is a 1963 Italian adventure film directe ...

'' (1963) ''The Devils of Spartivento''/ ''The Fighting Legions'', starring John Drew Barrymore * ''

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditio ...

'' (1961) ''Atlas, the Winner of Athena'', directed in Greece by

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...

, starring Michael Forest * '' Attack of the Moors'' (1959) ''The Kings of France'' * ''

Attack of the Normans Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Attack (fencing) * Charge (warfare) * Offensive (military) * Strike (attack) Books and publishing * ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * '' Attack No. 1'', comic and animation * Attack! Books, a publish ...

'' (1962) ''The Normans'', ''The Vikings Attack''; starring Cameron Mitchell * ''

'' (1954), directed by

, starring

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

and

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress, active in her native country and the United States. With a career spanning over 70 years, she is one of the ...

* '' Avenger of the Seven Seas'' (1961) ''Executioner of the Seas'', starring Richard Harrison and

Michèle Mercier Michèle Mercier (born 1 January 1939 as Jocelyne Yvonne Renée Mercier) is a French actress.

* '' Avenger of Venice, The'' (1963), starring

Brett Halsey Brett Halsey (born Charles Oliver Hand; June 20, 1933) is an American film actor, sometimes credited as Montgomery Ford. He appeared in B pictures and in European-made feature films. He originated the role of John Abbott on the soap opera ''T ...

and

* '' Bacchantes, The'' (1961), starring

Pierre Brice Pierre-Louis Le Bris (6 February 1929 – 6 June 2015), known as Pierre Brice, was a French actor, best known as portraying fictional Apache chief Winnetou in German films based on Karl May novels. Life and films Brice was born in Brest, ...

and

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character actors of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tamiroff developed a pr ...

* ''Balboa'' (Spanish, 1963) ''Conquistadors of the Pacific'' * ''

Barabbas According to the New Testament, Barabbas () was a Jewish bandit and rabble-rouser who was imprisoned by the Judaea (Roman province), Roman occupation in Jerusalem, only to be chosen over Jesus by a crowd to be pardoned by Roman governor Pontius ...

'' (1961) produced by Dino de Laurentiis, starring Anthony Quinn, filmed in Italy * ''Battle of the Amazons'' (1973) ''Amazons: Women of Love and War'', ''Beauty of the Barbarian'' (directed by Alfonso Brescia) * ''Beatrice Cenci'' (1956) directed by Riccardo Freda * ''Beatrice Cenci'' (1969) directed by Lucio Fulci * '' Behind the Mask of Zorro'' (1966) ''The Oath of Zorro'', Tony Russel * '' Bible, The'' (1966) ( ''La Bibbia''), Dino de Laurentiis, Ennio Morricone music, filmed in Italy * ''Black Archer, The'' (1959) * '' Black Devil, The'' (1957) starred Gerard Landry * ''Black Duke, The'' (1963), starring Cameron Mitchell * '' Black Eagle, The'' (1946) ''Return of the Black Eagle'', directed by Riccardo Freda * '' Black Lancers, The'' (1962) ''Charge of the Black Lancers'', Mel Ferrer * '' Brennus, Enemy of Rome'' (1964) ''Battle of the Valiant'', Gordon Mitchell * '' Burning of Rome, The'' (1963) ''The Magnificent Adventurer'', Brett Halsey * ''Caesar Against the Pirates'' (1962) Gordon Mitchell * ''

Caesar the Conqueror ''Caesar the Conqueror'' () is a 1962 Italian epic film, epic historical drama film directed by Tanio Boccia. The scenario is based on Julius Caesar's ''Commentarii de Bello Gallico''. The plot centres around Julius Caesar's battling the rebels ...

'' (1962), starring Cameron Mitchell * ''Captain Falcon'' (1958) Lex Barker * ''Captain from Toledo, The'' (1966) * ''Captain of Iron, The'' (1961) ''Revenge of the Mercenaries'',

Barbara Steele Barbara Steele (born 29 December 1937) is an English actress and producer, known for starring in Italian gothic horror films of the 1960s. She has been referred to as the "Queen of All Scream Queens" and "Britain's first lady of horror". She pl ...

* ''Captain Phantom'' (1953) * ''Captains of Adventure'' (1961) starring Paul Muller, Gerard Landry * ''Caribbean Hawk, The'' (1963) Yvonne Monlaur * ''

Carthage in Flames ''Carthage in Flames'' () is a 1960 Italian historical drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Pierre Brasseur, José Suárez, Daniel Gélin and Anne Heywood. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were desi ...

'' (1960) * '' Castillian, The'' (1963) Cesare Romero * '' Catherine of Russia'' (1963) directed by Umberto Lenzi * '' Cavalier in the Devil's Castle'' (1959) * '' Centurion, The'' (1962) ''The Conqueror of Corinth'' * ''

Challenge of the Gladiator ''Challenge of the Gladiator'' () is a 1965 Italy, Italian peplum film directed by Domenico Paolella. Plot Treacherous Roman senator Lucius Quintilius plans a secret journey into Thrace to recover a legendary treasure. He is accompanied by his ...

'' (1965) Peter Lupus * ''

Cleopatra's Daughter ''Cleopatra's Daughter'' () is a 1960 list of historical drama films, historical drama film set in Ancient Egypt, Egypt during the reign of the pharaoh Khufu (r. 2589-2566 BC). The film stars Debra Paget and was directed by Fernando Cerchio. For ...

'' (1960) ''The Tomb of the Kings'', Debra Paget * '' Colossus and the Amazon Queen'' (1960), Ed Fury and Rod Taylor * '' Colossus of Rhodes, The'' (1960) directed by

* '' Conqueror of Atlantis'' (1965) ''The Kingdom in the Sand'', Kirk Morris (U.S. dubbed version calls the hero "Hercules") * ''Conqueror of Maracaibo, The'' (1961) Eugenio Martin (director) * ''Conqueror of the Orient'' (1961) starring Rik Battaglia * ''

Constantine and the Cross ''Constantine and the Cross'' (Italian: ''Costantino il grande'') is a 1961 list of historical drama films, historical drama film about the early career of the emperor Constantine I, Constantine, who first legalized and then adopted Christianit ...

'' (1960) ''Constantine the Great'', starring Cornel Wilde * '' Coriolanus: Hero without a Country'' (1963) ''Thunder of Battle'', Gordon Scott * '' Cossacks, The'' (1959) Edmund Purdom * ''The Count of Braggalone'' (1954) aka ''The Last Musketeer'', starring Georges Marchal * '' Count of Monte Cristo, The'' (1961) Louis Jourdan * ''

Damon and Pythias The story of Damon (; , gen. Δάμωνος) and Pythias (; or ; or Phintias, ) is a legend in Greek historic writings illustrating the Pythagorean ideal of friendship. Pythias is accused of and charged with plotting against the tyrannical Dion ...

'' (1962) ''The Tyrant of Syracuse'', Guy Williams * ''

'' (1960) Orson Welles * '' Defeat of Hannibal, The'' (1937) ''Scipione l'Africano'' * ''Defeat of the Barbarians'' (1962) ''King Manfred'' * '' Desert Desperadoes'' (1959) Akim Tamiroff * '' Desert Warrior'' (1957) ''The Desert Lovers'', Ricardo Montalban * '' Devil Made a Woman, The'' (1959) ''A Girl Against Napoleon'' * '' Devil's Cavaliers, The'' (1959) * ''Diary of a Roman Virgin'' (1974) ''Livia, una vergine per l'impero romano'', directed by

(used stock footage from ''The Last Days of Pompeii'' (1959) and ''The Arena'' (1974)) * ''Dragon's Blood, The'' (1957)Kinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony (2017). ''Italian Sword and Sandal Films, 1908-1990''. McFarland. . ''Sigfrido'', based on the legend of the Niebelungen, special effects by

Carlo Rambaldi Carlo Rambaldi (September 15, 1925 – August 10, 2012) was an Italian special effects and makeup effects artist. He was the winner of three Academy Awards: one Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1977 for the 1976 ve ...

* '' Duel of Champions'' (1961) ''Horatio and Curiazi'', Alan Ladd * '' Erik the Conqueror'' (1961) ''Gli Invasori/ The Invaders'', directed by Mario Bava, starring Cameron Mitchell * ''

Esther and the King ''Esther and the King'' () is a 1960 religious epic film produced and directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Joan Collins as Esther, Richard Egan as Ahasuerus, and Denis O'Dea as Mordecai. Walsh and Michael Elkins wrote the screenplay, which was ...

'' (1961) Joan Collins, Richard Egan * ''Executioner of Venice, The'' (1963) Lex Barker, Guy Madison * '' Fabiola'' (1949) ''The Fighting Gladiator'' * ''Falcon of the Desert'' (1965) ''The Magnificent Challenge'', starring Kirk Morris * ''Fall of Rome, The'' (1961) directed by

* '' Fall of the Roman Empire, The'' (1964) U.S. production filmed in Spain,

* ''Fighting Musketeers, The'' (1961) * '' Fire Over Rome'' (1963) * '' Fury of Achilles, The'' (1962)

* '' Fury of the Pagans'' (1960) ''Fury of the Barbarians'' * '' Giant of Metropolis, The'' (1961) Gordon Mitchell (this peplum had a science fiction theme instead of fantasy) * '' Giant of the Evil Island'' (1965) ''Mystery of the Cursed Island'', Peter Lupus * ''

Giants of Rome ''Giants of Rome'' () is a 1964 international co-production sword and sandal set in the Gallic Wars. It was directed by Anthony Dawson and starred Richard Harrison and Wandisa Guida. The film involves a handpicked group of expert soldiers who i ...

'' (1964) directed by Antonio Margheriti, starring Richard Harrison * ''Giants of Thessaly'' (1960) directed by Riccardo Freda * '' Gladiator of Rome'' (1962) ''Battle of the Gladiators'', Gordon Scott * '' Gladiators Seven'' (1962) ''The Seven Gladiators'', Richard Harrison * '' Golden Arrow, The'' (1962) directed by Antonio Margheriti * '' Gold for the Caesars'' (1963) Jeffrey Hunter * ''

Golgotha Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

'' (1935) ''Behold the Man'' (made in France) * ''

Guns of the Black Witch ''Guns of the Black Witch'' () is a 1961 adventure film directed by Domenico Paolella. Cast * Don Megowan: Jean * Silvana Pampanini: Delores * Emma Danieli: Elisa * Livio Lorenzon: Guzman * Germano Longo: Michel * Loris Gizzi: Governor ...

'' (1961) ''Terror of the Sea'', Don Megowan * ''

'' (1959) Victor Mature * '' Hawk of the Caribbean'' (1963) ''The Caribbean Hawk'' * '' Head of a Tyrant'' (1959) ''Judith and Holophernes'' * ''

'' (1956) starring Jacques Sernas * '' Hero of Babylon'' (1963) ''The Beast of Babylon vs. the Son of Hercules'',

* '' Hero of Rome'' (1964) ''The Colossus of Rome'', Gordon Scott * ''

Herod the Great Herod I or Herod the Great () was a History of the Jews in the Roman Empire, Roman Jewish client king of the Herodian kingdom of Judea. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea. Among these works are the rebuilding of the ...

'' (1958) * ''Huns, The'' (1960) ''Queen of the Tartars'' * ''

Invasion 1700 ''Invasion 1700'' (, , also known as ''With Fire and Sword'' and ''Daggers of Blood'') is a 1962 Italian-French historical epic film directed by Fernando Cerchio. It is based on the 1884 Polish historical novel '' With Fire and Sword'' written by H ...

'' (1962) ''With Iron and Fire'', ''With Fire and Sword'', ''Daggers of Blood'' * ''

Ivanhoe, the Norman Swordsman ''Ivanhoe, the Norman Swordsman'' () is a 1971 Capa e spada film directed by Roberto Mauri. Plot After the death of King Henry I of England, Henry I in 12th-century England, the throne is taken by Stephen Cunningham who claims to possess the myth ...

'' (1971) ''La spada normanna'', directed by Roberto Mauri * '' Invincible Gladiator, The'' (1961) Richard Harrison * ''Invincible Swordsman, The'' (1963) * ''

The Iron Swordsman ''The Iron Swordsman'' () is a 1949 Italian historical drama film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Carlo Ninchi and Gianna Maria Canale. It is loosely based on real life events of Ugolino della Gherardesca. Plot Ugolino della Gherardesca, ...

'' (1949) ''Count Ugolino'', directed by

* ''Jacob, The Man Who Fought With God'' (1963) * '' Kampf um Rom'' (1968) ''The Last Roman'', starring

Laurence Harvey Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 192825 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to Union of South Africa, South Africa at an early age, before ...

Honor Blackman Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress and singer, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...

* ''Kindar, the Invulnerable'' (1965) Mark Forest * '' King of the Vikings'' (1960) '' Prince in Chains, The'' * ''Knight of a Hundred Faces, The'' (1960) ''The Silver Knight'', ''Knight of a Thousand Faces, The'', starring Lex Barker * ''Knights of Terror'' (1963) ''Terror of the Red Capes'', Tony Russel * ''Knight Without a Country'' (1959) ''The Faceless Rider'' * ''Knives of the Avenger'' (1967) ''Viking Massacre'', directed by Mario Bava, starring Cameron Mitchell * ''Last Gladiator, The'' (1963) ''Messalina Against the Son of Hercules'' * ''Last of the Vikings'' (1961), starring Cameron Mitchell * ''

Legions of the Nile Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army *Aviazione Legionaria, Italian air force during the Spanish Civil War * A legion is the regional unit of the Italian carabinieri * Spanish Legion, ...

'' (1959) ''The Legions of Cleopatra'' * ''Lion of St. Mark, The'' (1964) Gordon Scott * '' Lion of Thebes, The'' (1964) ''Helen of Troy'', Mark Forest * '' Loves of Salammbo, The'' (1960) ''Salambo'' * '' Magnificent Gladiator, The'' (1964) Mark Forest * ''

Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...

'' (1962) Rory Calhoun * ''Marco the Magnificent'' (1965) Anthony Quinn, Orson Welles * ''Mars, God of War'' (1962) ''Venus Against the Son of Hercules'' * ''Masked Conqueror, The'' (1962) * ''Masked Man Against the Pirates, The'' (1965) * ''Mask of the Musketeers'' (1963) ''Zorro and the Three Musketeers'', starring Gordon Scott * '' Massacre in the Black Forest'' (1967), starring Cameron Mitchell * ''

'' (1960) Belinda Lee * ''

Michael Strogoff ''Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar'' () is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876 in literature, 1876. Critic Leonard S. Davidow, considers it one of Verne's best books. Davidow wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than this, ...

'' (1956) ''Revolt of the Tartars'' * '' Mighty Crusaders, The'' (1958) ''Jerusalem Set Free'', Gianna Maria Canale * '' Minotaur, The'' (1960) ''Theseus Against the Minotaur'', ''The Warlord of Crete'' * '' Miracle of the Wolves'' (1961) ''Blood on his Sword'', starring Jean Marais * ''Missione sabbie roventi'' (''Mission Burning Sands'') (1966) starring Renato Rossini, directed by Alfonso Brescia * '' Mongols, The'' (1961) directed by Riccardo Freda, starring

Jack Palance Walter Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk, , ''Volodymyr Ivanovych Palahniuk''; February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American screen and stage actor, known to film audiences for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominat ...

* ''Moses the Lawgiver'' (1973) aka ''Moses in Egypt'', starring Burt Lancaster, Anthony Quayle (6-hour made-for-TV Italian/British co-production) also released theatrically * '' Musketeers of the Sea'' (1962) * ''My Son, The Hero'' (1961) ''Arrivano i Titani'', ''The Titans'' * ''Mysterious Rider, The'' (1948) directed by Riccardo FredaRoberto Chiti; Roberto Poppi; Enrico Lancia. ''Dizionario del cinema italiano: I film.'' Gremese 1991. . * ''Mysterious Swordsman, The'' (1956) starring Gerard Landry * '' Nero and the Burning of Rome'' (1953) ''Nero and Messalina'' * ''Night of the Great Attack'' (1961) ''Revenge of the Borgias'' * ''Night They Killed Rasputin, The'' (1960) ''The Last Czar'' * ''Nights of Lucretia Borgia, The'' (1959) * ''Odyssey, The'' (1968) ''L'Odissea'', Cyclops segment directed by Mario Bava; Samson Burke played Polyphemus the Cyclops * '' Old Testament, The'' (1962) starred Brad Harris * ''Perseus the Invincible'' (1962) ''Medusa vs. the Son of Hercules'' * '' Pharaoh's Woman, The'' (1960) * ''Pia of Ptolomey'' (1962) * '' Pirate and the Slave Girl, The'' (1959) ''Scimitar of the Saracen'', Lex Barker * '' Pirate of the Black Hawk, The'' (1958) Gérard Landry * '' Pirate of the Half Moon'' (1957) * '' Pirates of the Coast'' (1960) Lex Barker * ''

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

'' (1962)

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume drama ...

* ''Prince with the Red Mask, The'' (1955) ''The Red Eagle'', starring Frank Latimore * '' Prisoner of the Iron Mask, The'' (1962) ''The Revenge of the Iron Mask'' * ''Pugni, Pirati e Karatè'' (1973) ''Fists, Pirates and Karate'', directed by Joe D'Amato, starring Richard Harrison (a 1970s Italian spoof of pirate movies) * '' Queen for Caesar, A'' (1962) Gordon Scott * ''

Queen of Sheba The Queen of Sheba, also known as Bilqis in Arabic and as Makeda in Geʽez, is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she brings a caravan of valuable gifts for Solomon, the fourth King of Israel and Judah. This a ...

'' (1952) directed by Pietro Francisci * ''Queen of the Amazons'' (1960) '' Colossus and the Amazon Queen'' * ''Queen of the Nile'' (1961) ''Nefertiti'', Vincent Price * '' Queen of the Pirates'' (1960) ''The Venus of the Pirates'', Gianna Maria Canale * ''

Queen of the Seas Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

'' (1961) directed by Umberto Lenzi * ''

'' (1951) filmed in Italy, Sergio Leone asst. dir. * '' Rage of the Buccaneers'' (1961) ''Gordon, The Black Pirate'', starring Vincent Price * '' Rape of the Sabine Women, The'' (1961) ''Romulus and the Sabines'', Roger Moore * ''Red Cloak, The'' (1955) Bruce Cabot * ''Red Sheik, The'' (1962) * '' Revak the Rebel'' (1960) ''The Barbarians'', Jack Palance * '' Revenge of Black Eagle, The'' (1951) Gianna Maria Canale * '' Revenge of Ivanhoe, The'' (1965) Rik Battaglia * '' Revenge of Spartacus, The'' (1965) ''Revenge of the Gladiators'', Roger Browne * '' Revenge of the Barbarians'' (1960) * '' Revenge of the Black Eagle'' (1951) directed by Riccardo Freda * '' Revenge of the Conquered'' (1961) ''Drakut the Avenger'' * '' Revenge of the Gladiators'' (1961) starring Mickey Hargitay * '' Revenge of the Musketeers'' (1964) ''Dartagnan vs. the Three Musketeers'', starring Fernando Lamas * '' Revolt of the Barbarians'' (1964) directed by Guido Malatesta * ''Revolt of the Mercenaries'' (1961) * '' Revolt of the Praetorians'' (1964) ''The Invincible Warriors'', starring Richard Harrison * '' Revolt of the Seven'' (1964) ''The Spartan Gladiator'', starring Helga Line * '' Revolt of the Slaves, The'' (1960) Rhonda Fleming * '' Robin Hood and the Pirates'' (1960) Lex Barker * '' Roland the Mighty'' (1956) ''Orlando'', directed by Pietro Francisci * '' Rome Against Rome'' (1964) ''War of the Zombies'' * ''Rome 1585'' (1961) ''The Mercenaries'', Debra Paget * '' Rover, The'' (1967) ''The Adventurer'', starring Anthony Quinn * '' Sack of Rome, The'' (1953) ''The Barbarians'', ''The Pagans'' * ''Samson and Gideon'' (1965) Fernando Rey, Biblical film * ''Sandokan Fights Back'' (1964) ''Sandokan to the Rescue'', ''The Revenge of Sandokan'' * ''Sandokan vs. the Leopard of Sarawak'' (1964) ''Throne of Vengeance'' * ''Saracens, The'' (1965) ''The Devil's Pirate'', ''The Flag of Death'', starring Richard Harrison * ''Saul and David'' (1964) * '' Shéhérazade'' (1963) starring Anna Karina * '' Sea Pirate, The'' (1966) ''Thunder Over the Indian Ocean'', ''Surcouf, Hero of the Seven Seas'' * ''Secret Mark of D'Artagnan, The'' (1962) * ''Secret Seven, The'' (1965) ''The Invincible Seven'' * ''Seven from Thebes'' (1964) * ''Seven Rebel Gladiators'' (1965) ''Seven Against All'', starring Roger Browne * '' Seven Revenges, The'' (1961) ''The Seven Challenges'', ''Ivan the Conqueror'', starring Ed Fury * '' Seven Seas to Calais'' (1962) ''Sir Francis Drake, King of the Seven Seas'', Rod Taylor * '' Seven Slaves Against the World'' (1964) ''Seven Slaves Against Rome'', starring Roger Browne and Gordon Mitchell * ''Seven Tasks of Ali Baba, The'' (1962) ''Ali Baba and the Sacred Crown'' * '' Seventh Sword, The'' (1962) Brett Halsey * ''79 A.D., the Destruction of Herculaneum'' (1962) Brad Harris * ''Shadow of Zorro, The'' (1962) * ''Sheba and the Gladiator'' (1959) ''The Sign of Rome'', ''Sign of the Gladiator'', Anita Ekberg * '' Siege of Syracuse'' (1960) Tina Louise * ''Simbad e il califfo di Bagdad'' (1973) directed by Pietro Francisci * '' Sins of Rome'' (1953) ''Spartacus'', directed by Riccardo Freda * '' Slave Girls of Sheba'' (1963) starring Linda Cristal * ''Slave of Rome'' (1960) starring Guy Madison * ''Slave Queen of Babylon'' (1963) Yvonne Furneaux * ''Slaves of Carthage, The'' (1956) ''The Sword and the Cross'', Gianna Maria Canale (not to be confused with ''Mary Magdalene''; see below) * ''

Sodom and Gomorrah In the Abrahamic religions, Sodom and Gomorrah () were two cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Sodom and Gomorrah are repeatedly invoked throughout the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical texts, and the New Testament as symbols of sin, di ...

'' (1962) Rosanna Podesta, U.S./Italian film shot in Italy, co-directed by Sergio Leone * ''Son of Black Eagle'' (1968) * '' Son of Captain Blood, The'' (1962) * ''Son of Cleopatra, The'' (1965) Mark Damon * ''

Son of d'Artagnan ''The Gay Swordsman'' () is a 1950 Italian historical film, historical adventure film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Carlo Ninchi, Gianna Maria Canale and Franca Marzi. Synopsis The son of d'Artagnan, the hero of ''The Three Musketeers'' ...

'' (1950) directed by Riccardo Freda * '' Son of El Cid, The'' (1965) ''100 Horsemen'', Mark Damon * ''

Son of the Red Corsair ''The Son of the Red Corsair'' (original title: ''Il figlio del corsaro rosso'') is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1908. The novel was adapted for the silver screen in Italy in 1959. Plot summary ...

'' (1959) a.k.a. ''Son of the Red Pirate'', Lex Barker * ''Son of the Sheik'' (1961) ''Kerim, Son of the Sheik'', starring Gordon Scott * '' Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators'' (1964) ''Ten Invincible Gladiators'', starring Dan Vadis * ''Spartan Gladiator, The'' (1965) Tony Russel * '' Story of Joseph and his Brethren, The'' (1961) * ''Suleiman the Conqueror'' (1961) * '' Sword and the Cross, The'' (1958) ''Mary Magdalene'' * ''Sword in the Shadow, A'' (1961) starring Livio Lorenzon * ''Sword of Damascus, The'' (1964) ''The Thief of Damascus'' * ''Sword of El Cid, The'' (1962) ''The Daughters of El Cid'' * ''Sword of Islam, The'' (1961) * ''Sword of the Conqueror'' (1961) ''Rosamund and Alboino'', Jack Palance * '' Sword for the Empire, A'' (1965) ''Sword of the Empire'' * ''Sword of the Rebellion, The'' (1964) ''The Rebel of Castelmonte'' * '' Swordsman of Siena'' (1962) ''The Mercenary'' * ''Sword of Vengeance'' (1961) ''La spada della vendetta'' * ''Sword Without a Country'' (1961) ''Sword Without a Flag'' * '' Tartars, The'' (1961) starring Victor Mature * ''Taras Bulba, The Cossack'' (1963) ''Plains of Battle'' * ''Taur, the Mighty'' (1963) ''Tor the Warrior'', ''Taur, the King of Brute Force'', starring Joe Robinson * ''Temple of the White Elephant'' (1965) ''Sandok, the Giant of the Jungle'', ''Sandok, the Maciste of the Jungle'' (not a Maciste film, however, in spite of the alternate title) * '' Ten Gladiators, The'' (1963) starring Dan Vadis * ''Terror of the Black Mask'' (1963) ''The Invincible Masked Rider'' * ''Terror of the Red Mask'' (1960) starring Lex Barker * ''Terror of the Steppes'' (1964) ''The Mighty Khan'', Kirk Morris * ''Tharus, Son of Attila'' (1962) ''Colossus and the Huns'', Ricardo Montalban * '' Theodora, Slave Empress'' (1954) directed by Riccardo Freda * '' Thor and the Amazon Women'' (1963) starring Joe Robinson * '' Three Hundred Spartans, The'' (1963) starring Richard Egan; U.S. film filmed in Greece using Italian screenwriters * ''Three Swords for Rome'' (1965) starring Roger Browne * ''Three Swords of Zorro, The'' (1963) * '' Tiger of the Seven Seas'' (1962) * '' Treasure of the Petrified Forest, The'' (1965) starring Gordon Mitchell * ''Triumph of Robin Hood'' (1962) starring Samson Burke * ''Triumph of the Ten Gladiators'' (1965) starring Dan Vadis * ''Two Gladiators, The'' (1964) ''Fight or Die'', starring Richard Harrison * ''Tyrant of Castile, The'' (1964) starring Mark Damon * '' Ulysses'' (1954) produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn * '' Virgins of Rome, The'' (1961) ''Amazons of Rome'' * ''Vulcan, Son of Jupiter'' (1962) ''Vulcan, Son of Jove'', Gordon Mitchell, Richard Lloyd, Roger Browne * ''

War Goddess ''War Goddess'' (also known as ''The Amazons'' and ''The Bare-Breasted Warriors'') is a 1973 adventure film directed by Terence Young and starring Alena Johnston, Sabine Sun, Rosanna Yanni, Helga Liné, and Luciana Paluzzi. It was a co-produc ...

'' (1973) ''The Bare-Breasted Warriors'', ''Le guerriere dal seno nudo'', directed by Terence Young * '' War Gods of Babylon'' (1962) ''The Seventh Thunderbolt'', ''The Seven Glories of Assur'' * '' Warrior and the Slave Girl, The'' (1958) ''The Revolt of the Gladiators'', starring Gianna Maria Canale * ''Warrior Empress, The'' (1960) ''Sappho, Venus of Lesbos'', Kerwin Mathews, Tina Louise * ''White Slave Ship'' (1961) directed by Silvio Amadio * ''Women of Devil's Island'' (1962) starring Guy Madison * '' Wonders of Aladdin, The'' (1961) starring Donald O'Connor * ''Zorikan the Barbarian'' (1964) starring Dan Vadis * ''

Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...

'' (1975)

Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; 8 November 1935 – 18 August 2024) was a French actor, film producer, screenwriter, singer, and businessman. Acknowledged as a cultural and cinematic leading man of the 20th century, Delon emerged as one of ...

* ''

Zorro and the Three Musketeers ''Zorro and the Three Musketeers'' (, also known as ''Mask of the Musketeers'' and ''Zorro vs. the Three Musketeers'') is a 1963 Italian comedy-adventure film directed by Luigi Capuano and starring Gordon Scott. Plot In the 17th century, Zorro j ...

'' (1963) ''Mask of the Musketeers'', starring Gordon Scott * ''

Zorro in the Court of England ''Zorro in the Court of England'' () is a 1969 Italian adventure film directed by Franco Montemurro. Cast * Spiros Focás: Pedro Suarez / Zorro * Dada Gallotti: Rosanna Gonzales * Franco Ressel: Lord Percy Moore * Massimo Carocci: Pedrito * ...

'' (1970) starring

Spiros Focás Spiros Focás (; 17 August 1937 – 10 November 2023) was a Greek actor. Life and career Spyros Fokas was born Spyridon Androutsopoulos in Patras on 17 August 1937. Focás made his first appearance in 1959. He first appeared in Andreas Lambr ...

* ''Zorro at the Court of Spain'' (1962) ''The Masked Conqueror'', George Ardisson * ''Zorro of Monterrey'' (1971) ''El Zorro de Monterrey'', Carlos Quiney * ''Zorro, Rider of Vengeance'' (1971) Carlos Quiney * ''Zorro's Last Adventure'' (1970) ''La última aventura del Zorro'', Carlos Quiney * ''Zorro the Avenger'' (1962) ''The Revenge of Zorro'', Frank Latimore * '' Zorro the Avenger'' (1969) ''El Zorro justiciero'' (1969) starring Fabio Testi * ''Zorro the Fox'' (1968) ''El Zorro'', George Ardisson * ''Zorro, the Navarra Marquis'' (1969) Nino Vingelli * ''Zorro the Rebel'' (1966) Howard Ross * '' Zorro Against Maciste'' (1963) ''Samson and the Slave Queen'' (1963) starring

, Alan Steel

Gladiator films

Inspired by the success of ''

'', there were a number of Italian peplums that heavily emphasized the gladiatorial arena in their plots, with it becoming almost a peplum subgenre in itself. One group of supermen known as "The Ten Gladiators" appeared in a trilogy, all three films starring

in the lead role. * ''Alone Against Rome'' (1962) ''Vengeance of the Gladiators'' * '' The Arena'' (1974) ''Naked Warriors'', co-directed by Joe D'Amato, starring

, Paul Muller and

Rosalba Neri Rosalba Neri (born 19 June 1938) is a retired Italian actress. Early life Born in Forlì, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Neri was regarded for her beauty even in youth, winning a beauty pageant when she was still young. Eventually pursuing an acting ...

* ''Challenge of the Gladiator'' (1965) starring Peter Lupus ( Rock Stevens) * '' Fabiola'' (1949) ''The Fighting Gladiator'' * ''Gladiator of Rome'' (1962) ''Battle of the Gladiators'', starring Gordon Scott * ''Gladiators Seven'' (1962) ''The Seven Gladiators'', starring Richard Harrison * '' Invincible Gladiator, The'' (1961) Richard Harrison * ''Last Gladiator, The'' (1963) ''Messalina Against the Son of Hercules'' * ''Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta'' (1964) ''Terror of Rome Against the Son of Hercules'' * ''Revenge of Spartacus, The'' (1965) ''Revenge of the Gladiators'', starring Roger Browne * '' Revenge of The Gladiators'' (1961) starring Mickey Hargitay * ''Revolt of the Seven'' (1964) ''The Spartan Gladiator'', starring Tony Russel and Helga Line * ''Revolt of the Slaves'' (1961) Rhonda Fleming * ''

Seven Rebel Gladiators ''Sette contro tutti'' (lit; Seven against all; ) is a 1965 Italian sword-and-sandal film directed by Michele Lupo. Plot Vadius, a Roman tribune wants to take hold of the kingdom of Aristea, by marrying the king's daughter Assuer. Marco, a cent ...

'' (1965) ''Seven Against All'', starring Roger Browne * '' Seven Slaves Against the World'' (1965) ''Seven Slaves Against Rome'', ''The Strongest Slaves in the World'', starring Roger Browne and Gordon Mitchell * ''Sheba and the Gladiator'' (1959) ''The Sign of Rome'', ''Sign of the Gladiator'', Anita Ekberg * ''Sins of Rome'' (1952) ''Spartacus'', directed by Riccardo Freda * ''Slave, The'' (1962) ''Son of Spartacus'', Steve Reeves * ''Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators'' (1964) ''Ten Invincible Gladiators'',

* ''Spartan Gladiator, The'' (1965) Tony Russel * ''Ten Gladiators, The'' (1963)

* ''Triumph of the Ten Gladiators'' (1965)

* ''Two Gladiators, The'' (1964) ''Fight or Die'', Richard Harrison * ''Ursus, the Rebel Gladiator'' (1963) ''Rebel Gladiators'', Dan Vadis * ''Warrior and the Slave Girl, The'' (1958) ''The Revolt of the Gladiators'', Gianna Maria Canale

Ancient Rome

* '' Brennus, Enemy of Rome'' (1964) ''Battle of the Valiant'', Gordon Mitchell * '' Caesar Against the Pirates'' (1962) Gordon Mitchell * ''

'' (1962) Cameron Mitchell, Rik Battaglia * ''

'' (1960) ''Cartagine in fiamme'', directed by Carmine Gallone * '' Centurion The'' (1962) ''The Conqueror of Corinth'' * ''Colossus of Rhodes, The'' (1960) directed by Sergio Leone * ''

'' (1960) ''Constantine the Great'' * '' Coriolanus: Hero without a Country'' (1963) ''Thunder of Battle'', Gordon Scott * ''Diary of a Roman Virgin'' (1974) ''Livia, una vergine per l'impero romano'', directed by

(used stock footage from ''The Last Days of Pompeii'' (1959) and ''The Arena'' (1974)) * '' Duel of Champions'' (1961) ''Horatio and Curiazi'', Alan Ladd * ''

'' (1962) ''Romulus and Remus'', Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott * ''Fall of Rome, The'' (1961) directed by Antonio Margheriti * '' Fire Over Rome'' (1963) * ''

'' (1963) directed by Antonio Margheriti, starring Richard Harrison * '' Gold for the Caesars'' (1963) Jeffrey Hunter * ''

'' (1959) Victor Mature * '' Hero of Rome'' (1964) ''The Colossus of Rome'', Gordon Scott * '' Kampf um Rom'' (1968) ''The Last Roman'', starring

* '' Last Days of Pompeii'' (1959) Steve Reeves * ''Massacre in the Black Forest'' (1967) Cameron Mitchell * ''Messalina'' (1960) * ''Nero and the Burning of Rome'' (1955) ''Nero and Messalina'' * ''

'' (1951) assistant director Sergio Leone * ''Rape of the Sabine Women, The'' (1961) Roger Moore * ''Revenge of Spartacus, The'' (1965) Roger Browne * '' Revenge of the Barbarians'' (1960) * '' Revolt of the Praetorians'' (1965) Richard Harrison * '' Rome Against Rome'' (1963) ''War of the Zombies'' * ''

The Secret Seven The Secret Seven or Secret Seven Society is a fictional group of child detectives created by Enid Blyton and based on the publisher's children. They appear in one of several adolescent detective series which Blyton wrote. The Secret Seven c ...

'' (1965) ''The Invincible Seven'' * ''

79 A.D., the Destruction of Herculaneum ''79 A.D.'' (, , also known as ''The Destruction of Herculaneum'') is a 1962 Italian-French Epic film, epic drama film written and directed by Gianfranco Parolini and starring Brad Harris.Michele Giordano. ''Giganti buoni''. Gremese Editore, 19 ...

'' (1962) Brad Harris * ''Sheba and the Gladiator'' (1959) ''The Sign of Rome'', ''Sign of the Gladiator'', Anita Ekberg * '' Sins of Rome'' (1952) ''Spartaco'', directed by Riccardo Freda * '' The Slave of Rome'' (1960) starring Guy Madison * ''Slaves of Carthage, The'' (1956) ''The Sword and the Cross'', Gianna Maria Canale (not to be confused with ''Mary Magdalene'') * ''Theodora, Slave Empress'' (1954) directed by Riccardo Freda * ''Three Swords for Rome'' (1965) Roger Browne * ''Virgins of Rome, The'' (1961) ''Amazons of Rome''

Greek mythology

* '' The Avenger'' (1962) ''Legend of Aeneas'', Steve Reeves * ''

'' (1956) U.S. film with music score by Mario Nascimbene * ''

'' (1961) ''Rites for the Dead'', a Greek production * '' Bacchantes, The'' (1961) * '' Battle of the Amazons'' (1973) ''Amazons: Women of Love and War'', ''Beauty of the Barbarian'' (directed by Alfonso Brescia) * '' The Colossus of Rhodes'' (1961) directed by Sergio Leone * '' Conqueror of Atlantis'' (1965) starring Kirk Morris * ''

(''1962) Guy Williams * '' Fury of Achilles'' (1962) Gordon Mitchell * '' Giant of Marathon'' (1959) (''The Battle of Marathon'') Steve Reeves * '' Giants of Thessaly'' (1960) directed by Riccardo Freda * ''

'' (1956) directed by Robert Wise * ''Hercules Challenges Samson'' (1963) '' Hercules, Samson and Ulysses'' * '' Lion of Thebes, The'' (1964) ''Helen of Troy'', Mark Forest * '' Mars, God of War'' (1962) ''Venus Against the Son of Hercules'' * ''

The Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (, ''Mīnṓtauros''), also known as Asterion, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "par ...

'' (1961) ''Theseus Against the Minotaur'', ''The Warlord of Crete'' * '' My Son, the Hero'' (1961) ''Arrivano i Titani'', ''The Titans'' * '' Odyssey, The'' (1968) Cyclops segment directed by Mario Bava; Samson Burke played Polyphemus the Cyclops * '' Perseus the Invincible'' (1962) ''Medusa vs. the Son of Hercules'' * ''Queen of the Amazons'' (1960) '' Colossus and the Amazon Queen'' * '' Seven from Thebes'' (1964) André Lawrence * '' Siege of Syracuse, The'' (1962) Tina Louise * '' Treasure of the Petrified Forest'' (1965) Gordon Mitchell (the plot involves Amazons) * '' Trojan Horse, The'' (1961) ''The Trojan War'', Steve Reeves * '' Ulysses'' (1954) starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn * '' Vulcan, Son of Jupiter'' (1962) ''Vulcan, Son of Jove'', Gordon Mitchell, Richard Lloyd, Roger Browne * '' Warrior Empress, The'' (1960) ''Sappho, Venus of Lesbos'', Kerwin Mathews, Tina Louise

Barbarian and Viking films

* ''

'' (1962) ''The Normans'', Cameron Mitchell * ''

'' (1954) directed by Pietro Francisci, Anthony Quinn, Sophia Loren * '' The Cossacks'' (1960) * ''Defeat of the Barbarians'' (1962) ''King Manfred'' * ''Dragon's Blood, The'' (1957) ''Sigfrido'', based on the legend of the Niebelungen, special effects by

* '' Erik the Conqueror'' (1961) ''The Invaders'', directed by Mario Bava, starring Cameron Mitchell * '' Fury of the Pagans'' (1960) ''Fury of the Barbarians'' * ''

'' (1959) ''Terror of the Barbarians'', Steve Reeves * '' The Huns'' (1960) ''Queen of the Tartars'' * ''

'' (1962) ''With Iron and Fire'', ''With Fire and Sword'', ''Daggers of Blood'' * '' King of the Vikings'' (1960) '' The Prince in Chains'' * ''

The Last of the Vikings ''The Last of the Vikings'' (, ) is a 1961 French-Italian historical film directed by Giacomo Gentilomo and starring Cameron Mitchell, Edmund Purdom and Isabelle Corey.Elley p.202 It was about Harald Sigurdsson. The film was allegedly co-directe ...

'' (1961) starring Cameron Mitchell and Broderick Crawford * ''

'' (1962) Rory Calhoun * ''

Marco the Magnificent ''La Fabuleuse Aventure de Marco Polo'' or ''Marco the Magnificent'' is a 1965 international co-production (Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Egypt, France, Italy) adventure film directed by Denys de La Patellière and Noël Howard. Raoul Levy committed s ...

'' (1965) Anthony Quinn, Orson Welles * '' Michel Strogoff'' (1956) ''Revolt of the Tartars'' * ''

The Mongols Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of Mon ...

'' (1961) starring Jack Palance * '' Revak the Rebel'' (1960) ''The Barbarians'', Jack Palance * '' Revolt of the Barbarians'' (1964) directed by Guido Malatesta * '' Roland the Mighty'' (1956) directed by Pietro Francisci * ''Saracens, The'' (1965) ''The Devil's Pirate'', ''The Flag of Death'' * '' The Seven Revenges'' (1961) ''The Seven Challenges'', ''Ivan the Conqueror'', starring Ed Fury * ''Suleiman the Conqueror'' (1961) * '' Sword of the Conqueror'' (1961) ''Rosamund and Alboino'', Jack Palance * '' Sword of the Empire'' (1964) * ''Taras Bulba, The Cossack'' (1963) ''Plains of Battle'' * '' The Tartars'' (1961) Victor Mature, Orson Welles * '' Terror of the Steppes'' (1963) ''The Mighty Khan'', starring Kirk Morris * ''

Tharus Son of Attila ''Tharus Son of Attila'' (), also known as ''Colossus and the Huns'', is a 1962 Italian peplum film co-written and directed by Roberto Bianchi Montero and starring Jerome Courtland in the title role.Michele Giordano. ''Giganti buoni''. Gremese E ...

'' (1962) ''Colossus and the Huns'', Ricardo Montalban * ''Zorikan the Barbarian'' (1964) Dan Vadis

Swashbucklers / pirates

* ''Adventurer of Tortuga'' (1965) starring Guy Madison * ''Adventures of Mandrin, The'' (1960) ''Captain Adventure'' * ''Adventures of Scaramouche, The'' (1963) ''The Mask of Scaramouche'', Gianna Maria Canale * ''

'' (1963) ''The Devils of Spartivento'', starring John Drew Barrymore * ''At Sword's Edge'' (1952) dir. by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia * '' Attack of the Moors'' (1959) ''The Kings of France'' * ''Avenger of the Seven Seas'' (1961) ''Executioner of the Seas'', Richard Harrison * ''Avenger of Venice, The'' (1963) directed by Riccardo Freda, starring Brett Halsey * ''Balboa'' (Spanish, 1963) ''Conquistadors of the Pacific'' * ''Beatrice Cenci'' (1956) directed by Riccardo Freda * ''Beatrice Cenci'' (1969) directed by Lucio Fulci * ''Behind the Mask of Zorro'' (1966) ''The Oath of Zorro'', Tony Russel * ''Black Archer, The'' (1959) Gerard Landry * ''Black Devil, The'' (1957) Gerard Landry * ''Black Duke, The'' (1963) Cameron Mitchell * ''Black Eagle, The'' (1946) ''Return of the Black Eagle'', directed by Riccardo Freda * ''Black Lancers, The'' (1962) ''Charge of the Black Lancers'', Mel Ferrer * ''Captain from Toledo, The'' (1966) * ''Captain of Iron, The'' (1962) ''Revenge of the Mercenaries'', Barbara Steele * ''Captain Phantom'' (1953) * ''Captains of Adventure'' (1961) starring Paul Muller and Gerard Landry * ''Caribbean Hawk, The'' (1963) Yvonne Monlaur * ''Castillian, The'' (1963) Cesare Romero, U.S./Spanish co-production * ''Catherine of Russia'' (1962) directed by Umberto Lenzi * ''Cavalier in Devil's Castle'' (1959) ''Cavalier of Devil's Island'' * ''Conqueror of Maracaibo, The'' (1961) * ''The Count of Braggalone'' (1954) aka ''The Last Musketeer'', starring Georges Marchal * ''Count of Monte Cristo, The'' (1962) Louis Jourdan * ''Devil Made a Woman, The'' (1959) ''A Girl Against Napoleon'' * ''Devil's Cavaliers, The'' (1959) ''The Devil's Riders'', Gianna Maria Canale * ''

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...

'' (1974) a Spanish production * ''El Cid'' (1961) Sophia Loren, Charlton Heston, U.S./ Italian film shot in Italy * ''Executioner of Venice, The'' (1963) Lex Barker, Guy Madison * ''Fighting Musketeers, The'' (1961) * ''Giant of the Evil Island'' (1965) ''Mystery of the Cursed Island'', Peter Lupus * ''Goliath and the Masked Rider'' (1964) ''Hercules and the Masked Rider'', Alan Steel * ''Guns of the Black Witch'' (1961) ''Terror of the Sea'', Don Megowan * ''Hawk of the Caribbean'' (1963) * ''Invincible Swordsman, The'' (1963) * ''

'' (1949) ''Count Ugolino'', directed by Riccardo Freda * ''

'' (1971) ''La spada normanna'', directed by Roberto Mauri * ''Knight of a Hundred Faces, The'' (1960) ''The Silver Knight'', starring Lex Barker * ''Knights of Terror'' (1963) ''Terror of the Red Capes'', Tony Russel * ''Knight Without a Country'' (1959) ''The Faceless Rider'' * ''Lawless Mountain, The'' (1953) ''La montaña sin ley'' (stars Zorro) * ''Lion of St. Mark, The'' (1964) Gordon Scott * ''Mark of Zorro'' (1975) made in France, Monica Swinn * ''Mark of Zorro'' (1976) George Hilton * ''Masked Conqueror, The'' (1962) * ''Mask of the Musketeers'' (1963) ''Zorro and the Three Musketeers'', starring Gordon Scott * ''Michael Strogoff'' (1956) ''Revolt of the Tartars'' * '' Miracle of the Wolves'' (1961) ''Blood on his Sword'', starring Jean Marais * '' Morgan, the Pirate'' (1960) Steve Reeves * ''Musketeers of the Sea'' (1960) * ''Mysterious Rider, The'' (1948) directed by Riccardo Freda * ''Mysterious Swordsman, The'' (1956) starred Gerard Landry * ''Nephews of Zorro, The'' (1968) Italian comedy with Franco and Ciccio * ''Night of the Great Attack'' (1961) ''Revenge of the Borgias'' * ''Night They Killed Rasputin, The'' (1960) ''The Last Czar'' * ''Nights of Lucretia Borgia, The'' (1959) * ''Pirate and the Slave Girl, The'' (1959) Lex Barker * ''Pirate of the Black Hawk, The'' (1958) * ''Pirate of the Half Moon'' (1957) * ''Pirates of the Coast'' (1960) Lex Barker * ''Prince with the Red Mask, The'' (1955) ''The Red Eagle'' * ''Prisoner of the Iron Mask, The'' (1961) ''The Revenge of the Iron Mask'' * ''Pugni, Pirati e Karatè'' (1973) ''Fists, Pirates and Karate'', directed by Joe D'Amato, starring Richard Harrison (a 1970s Italian spoof of pirate movies) * ''Queen of the Pirates'' (1961) ''The Venus of the Pirates'', Gianna Maria Canale * ''Queen of the Seas'' (1961) directed by Umberto Lenzi * ''Rage of the Buccaneers'' (1961) ''Gordon, The Black Pirate'', starring Vincent Price * ''Red Cloak, The'' (1955) Bruce Cabot * ''Revenge of Ivanhoe, The'' (1965) Rik Battaglia * ''Revenge of the Black Eagle'' (1951) directed by Riccardo Freda * ''Revenge of the Musketeers'' (1963) ''Dartagnan vs. the Three Musketeers'', Fernando Lamas * ''Revenge of Spartacus, The'' (1965) Roger Browne * ''Revolt of the Mercenaries'' (1961) * ''Robin Hood and the Pirates'' (1960) Lex Barker * ''Roland, the Mighty'' (1956) directed by Pietro Francisci * ''Rome 1585'' (1961) ''The Mercenaries'', Debra Paget, set in the 1500s * ''Rover, The'' (1967) ''The Adventurer'', starring Anthony Quinn * '' The Sack of Rome'' (1953) ''The Barbarians'', ''The Pagans'' (set in the 1500s) * ''Samson vs. the Black Pirate'' (1963) ''Hercules and the Black Pirate'', Alan Steel * ''Samson vs. the Pirates'' (1963) ''Samson and the Sea Beast'', Kirk Morris * ''Sandokan Fights Back'' (1964) ''Sandokan to the Rescue'', ''The Revenge of Sandokan'', Guy Madison * '' Sandokan the Great'' (1964) ''Sandokan, the Tiger of Mompracem'', Steve Reeves * ''Sandokan, the Pirate of Malaysia'' (1964) '' Pirates of Malaysia'', ''Pirates of the Seven Seas'', Steve Reeves, directed by Umberto Lenzi * ''Sandokan vs. the Leopard of Sarawak'' (1964) ''Throne of Vengeance'', Guy Madison * ''Saracens, The'' (1965) ''The Devil's Pirate'', ''The Flag of Death'', starring Richard Harrison * ''Sea Pirate, The'' (1966) ''Thunder Over the Indian Ocean'', ''Surcouf, Hero of the Seven Seas'' * ''Secret Mark of D'artagnan, The'' (1962) * ''Seven Seas to Calais'' (1961) ''Sir Francis Drake, King of the Seven Seas'', Rod Taylor * ''Seventh Sword, The'' (1960) Brett Halsey * ''Shadow of Zorro'' (1962) Frank Latimore * ''Sign of Zorro, The'' (1952) * ' (1963) ''Duel at the Rio Grande'', Sean Flynn * ''Son of Black Eagle'' (1968) * ''Son of Captain Blood'' (1962) * ''

'' (1950) directed by Riccardo Freda * ''Son of El Cid, The'' (1965) Mark Damon * ''Son of the Red Corsair'' (1959) ''Son of the Red Pirate'', Lex Barker * ''Son of Zorro'' (1973) Alberto Dell'Acqua * ''Sword in the Shadow, A'' (1961) starring Livio Lorenzon * ''Sword of Rebellion, The'' (1964) ''The Rebel of Castelmonte'' * ''Sword of Vengeance'' (1961) ''La spada della vendetta'' * ''Swordsman of Siena, The'' (1961) ''The Mercenary'' * ''Sword Without a Country'' (1960) ''Sword Without a Flag'' * ''Taras Bulba, The Cossack'' (1963) ''Plains of Battle'' * ''Terror of the Black Mask'' (1963) ''The Invincible Masked Rider'' * ''Terror of the Red Mask'' (1960) Lex Barker * ''Three Swords of Zorro, The'' (1963) ''The Sword of Zorro'',

Guy Stockwell Harry Guy Stockwell (November 16, 1933 – February 6, 2002) was an American actor who appeared in nearly 30 movies and 250 television series episodes. Life and career Stockwell was born in New York City, the son of singer/dancer Elizabeth "B ...

* ''Tiger of the Seven Seas'' (1963) * ''Triumph of Robin Hood'' (1962) starring Samson Burke * ''Tyrant of Castile, The'' (1964) Mark Damon * ''White Slave Ship'' (1961) directed by Silvio Amadio * ''

'' (1959) ''Hadji Murad, the White Devil'', Steve Reeves * ''Women of Devil's Island'' (1962) starring Guy Madison * ''Zorro'' (1968) ''El Zorro'', ''Zorro the Fox'', George Ardisson * ''

'' (1975)

* ''Zorro and the Three Musketeers'' (1963)

* ''Zorro at the Court of England'' (1969)

as Zorro * ''Zorro at the Court of Spain'' (1962) ''The Masked Conqueror'', Georgio Ardisson * ''Zorro of Monterrey'' (1971) ''El Zorro de Monterrey'', Carlos Quiney * ''Zorro, Rider of Vengeance'' (1971) Carlos Quiney * ''Zorro's Last Adventure'' (1970) ''La última aventura del Zorro'', Carlos Quiney * ''Zorro the Avenger'' (1962) ''The Revenge of Zorro'',

Frank Latimore Franklin Latimore (born Franklin Latimore Kline; September 28, 1925 – November 29, 1998) was an American actor. Life and career Latimore was born in Darien, Connecticut. He came from a well-to-do family, and was able to trace his lineage b ...

* '' Zorro the Avenger'' (1969) ''El Zorro justiciero'' (1969)

Fabio Testi Fabio Testi (born 2 August 1941) is an Italian actor. After growing up witnessing film work done around Lake Garda, Testi entered the sets of the film and began work as a stuntman and a double on set, where he worked as a stuntman on ''The Good, ...

* ''Zorro, the Navarra Marquis'' (1969) Nadir Moretti as Zorro * ''Zorro the Rebel'' (1966) Howard Ross * '' Zorro Against Maciste'' (1963) ''Samson and the Slave Queen'' (1963) starring

, Alan Steel

Biblical

* ''

'' (1961) Dino de Laurentiis, Anthony Quinn, filmed in Italy * ''Bible, The'' (1966) Dino de Laurentiis, John Huston, filmed in Italy * ''

'' (1960) Orson Welles * ''Desert Desperadoes'' (1956) plot involves King Herod * ''

'' (1961) Joan Collins, Richard Egan * ''Head of a Tyrant, The'' (1959) * ''

'' (1958) Edmund Purdom * ''Jacob, the Man Who Fought with God'' (1964) Giorgio Cerioni * ''Mighty Crusaders, The'' (1957) ''Jerusalem Set Free'', Gianna Maria Canale * ''Moses the Lawgiver'' (1973) aka ''Moses in Egypt'', Burt Lancaster, Anthony Quayle (6-hour made-for-TV Italian/British co-production) also released theatrically * '' Old Testament, The'' (1962) Brad Harris * ''

'' (1962) Jean Marais * '' The Queen of Sheba'' (1952), directed by

* '' Samson and Gideon'' (1965) Fernando Rey * '' Saul and David'' (1963) Gianni Garko * ''Sodom and Gomorrah'' (1962) Rosanna Podesta, U.S./Italian film shot in Italy * ''Story of Joseph and his Brethren, The'' (1960) * '' Sword and the Cross, The'' (1958) ''Mary Magdalene'', Gianna Maria Canale

Ancient Egypt

* ''

'' (1960) starring Debra Paget * ''

'' (1959) starring Linda Cristal * '' Pharaoh's Woman, The'' (1960) with John Drew Barrymore * '' Queen for Caesar, A'' (1962) Gordon Scott * ''Queen of the Nile'' (1961) ''Nefertiti'', Vincent Price * '' Son of Cleopatra'' (1964) Mark Damon

Babylon / the Middle East

* '' Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens'' (1962) ''Sinbad Against the 7 Saracens'', starring Gordon Mitchell * '' Anthar, The Invincible'' (1964) ''

'', starring Kirk Morris, directed by Antonio Margheriti * '' Desert Warrior'' (1957) ''The Desert Lovers'', Ricardo Montalban * '' Falcon of the Desert'' (1965) ''The Magnificent Challenge'', starring Kirk Morris * '' Golden Arrow, The'' (1962) directed by

* '' Goliath at the Conquest of Baghdad'' (1964) ''Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus'', Peter Lupus * '' Goliath and the Rebel Slave'' (1963) ''The Tyrant of Lydia vs. The Son of Hercules'', Gordon Scott * ''

Goliath and the Sins of Babylon ''Goliath and the Sins of Babylon'' () is a 1963 peplum film directed by Michele Lupo.Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon ''Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia'' (English Translation: ''Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon'') is a 1964 Italian sword-and-sandal film directed by Domenico Paolella and starring Peter Lupus (credited as Rock Stevens) as Hercules. Plot ...

'' (1964) * '' Hero of Babylon'' (1963) ''The Beast of Babylon vs. the Son of Hercules'', Gordon Scott * ''Kindar, the Invulnerable'' (1965) Mark Forest, Rosalba Neri * ''Missione sabbie roventi'' (''Mission Burning Sands'') (1966) starring Renato Rossini, directed by Alfonso Brescia * '' Red Sheik, The'' (1962) * '' Shéhérazade'' (1963) starring Anna Karina * '' Seven Tasks of Ali Baba, The'' (1962) ''Ali Baba and the Sacred Crown'', starring Richard Lloyd * '' Slave Girls of Sheba'' (1963) starring Linda Cristal * '' Slave Queen of Babylon'' (1962) Yvonne Furneaux * ''

Son of the Sheik ''The Son of the Sheik'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent adventure drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky. The film is based on the 1925 romance novel ''The Sons of the Sheik'' by Edith ...

'' (1961) ''Kerim, Son of the Sheik'', starring Gordon Scott * '' Sword of Damascus, The'' (1964) ''The Thief of Damascus'' * ''Sword of Islam, The'' (1961) a.k.a. ''Love and Faith''; an Italian/ Egyptian co-production * '' Thief of Baghdad, The'' (1961) Steve Reeves * '' War Gods of Babylon'' (1962) ''The Seventh Thunderbolt'' * '' Wonders of Aladdin, The'' (1961) Donald O'Connor

The second peplum wave: the 1980s

After the peplum gave way to the

and

films in 1965, the genre lay dormant for close to 20 years. Then in 1982, the box-office successes of

Jean-Jacques Annaud Jean-Jacques Annaud (; born 1 October 1943) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), ''The Bear (1988 film), ...

's '' Quest for Fire'' (1981),

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

's ''

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) and who debuted in 1932 and went on to appear in a series of fantasy stories published in ''We ...

'' (1982) and ''

Clash of the Titans (1981 film) ''Clash of the Titans'' is a 1981 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Desmond Davis and written by Beverley Cross, loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Starring Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Laurence O ...

'' (1981) spurred a second renaissance of

sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S), or heroic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of Romance (love), romance, Magic (fantasy), magic, and the supernatural are also ...

Italian pepla in the five years immediately following. Most of these films had low budgets, focusing more on barbarians and pirates so as to avoid the need for expensive Greco-Roman sets. The filmmakers tried to compensate for their shortcomings with the addition of some graphic gore and nudity. Many of these 1980s entries were helmed by noted Italian horror film directors (

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...

, Luigi Cozzi, etc.) and many featured actors

Lou Ferrigno Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. (; born November 9, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. He won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the documentary film '' Pumping Iron'' ...

Miles O'Keeffe Miles O'Keeffe (born June 20, 1954) is an American film and television actor. O'Keeffe got his first big break playing the title role in the 1981 version of '' Tarzan, the Ape Man''. Youth O'Keeffe was born in Ripley, Tennessee. A star footba ...

and

Sabrina Siani Sabrina Siani (born Sabrina Seggiani in Rome, 1963) is an Italian film actress. She also used pseudonyms such as Sabrina Sellers and Sabrina Syan. She starred in numerous films, mostly violent cannibal films and sexy barbarian "sword-and-sandal" ...

. Here is a list of the 1980s pepla: * ''Adam and Eve'' (1983) ''Adamo ed Eva, la prima storia d'amore'', contains stock footage from ''One Million Years B.C.'' (1966) * ''

Ator, the Fighting Eagle ''Ator, the Fighting Eagle'' ( 'Ator the Invincible') is a 1982 Italian adventure-fantasy film directed by Joe D'Amato. It stars Miles O'Keeffe, Sabrina Siani, Ritza Brown, and Edmund Purdom. The story follows the eponymous warrior setting out on ...

'' (1983) ''Ator the Invincible'', starring

and

, directed by

* ''Ator 2: The Blade Master'' (1985) ''Cave Dwellers'', starring Miles O'Keefe, directed by Joe D'Amato * '' Ator 3: Iron Warrior'' (1986) ''Iron Warrior'', starring Miles O'Keeffe, directed by

Alfonso Brescia Alfonso Brescia (6 January 1930 – 6 June 2001) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He began working in film against his father's wishes, and eventually directed his first film '' Revolt of the Praetorians'' in 1964. Brescia worked i ...

(Joe D'Amato disowned this entry in the ''Ator'' saga, since it was done without his involvement) * '' Ator 4: Quest for the Mighty Sword'' (1989) '' Quest for the Mighty Sword'', starring

Eric Allan Kramer Eric Allan Kramer (born March 26, 1962) is an American actor. He is known to television audiences for his roles as Scott Miller on AMC's '' Lodge 49'', Dave Rogers on ''The Hughleys'', and Bob Duncan on the Disney Channel sitcom '' Good Luck Cha ...

(as the son of Ator),

Laura Gemser Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Cinema of Italy, Italian Sex in film, erotic cinema, most notably the ''Emmanuelle#Other film ...

and

Marisa Mell Marisa Mell (born Marlies Theres Moitzi; 24 February 1939 – 16 May 1992) was an Austrian actress. Typecast as a femme fatale in European arthouse and genre films, she is best regarded for her performances as Eva Kant in Mario Bava's critically ...

, directed by Joe D'Amato * '' Barbarian Master'' (1984) ''Sangraal, the Sword of Fire'', '' Sword of the Barbarians'', starring

* '' The Barbarians'' (1987) ''The Barbarians and Company'', semi-comedy starring Peter and David Paul, directed by

Ruggero Deodato Ruggero Deodato (; 7 May 1939 – 29 December 2022) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. His career spanned a wide-range of genres including Sword-and-sandal, peplum, Comedy film, comedy, Drama (film and television), drama, P ...

* '' The Cantabrians'' (1980) ''Los Cantabros'', directed by

Paul Naschy Jacinto Molina Álvarez (September 6, 1934 – November 30, 2009) known by his stage name Paul Naschy, was a Spanish film actor, screenwriter, and director working primarily in horror films. His portrayals of numerous classic horror figures&md ...

in Spain * ''Conqueror of the World'' (1983) ''I padroni del mondo'' / ''Fathers of the World'', ''Master of the World'' (a barbarian movie set in prehistoric times) directed by Alberto Cavallone * ''

Conquest Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or Coercion (international relations), coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or ...

'' (1983) ''Conquest of the Lost Land'', starring Sabrina Siani, directed by

* ''

'' (1983) starring

and

Sybil Danning Sybil Danning (born Sybille Johanna Danninger; May 24, 1952) is an Austrian–American former actress, model, and film producer. She is best known for her frequent appearances in B movies during the 1970s and 1980s. Biography Early life Dannin ...

, directed by Luigi Cozzi * '' Hercules 2'' (1984) ''The Adventures of Hercules'', starring Lou Ferrigno, directed by Luigi Cozzi * ''

Hundra ''Hundra'' is a 1983 sword-and-sorcery film co-written and directed by Matt Cimber and starring Laurene Landon. Plot Hundra belongs to a tribe of Amazons. She is the only tribe member of her age who has never been with a man. She declares s ...

'' (1983) Italian/ Spanish "

Red Sonja Red Sonja is a sword-and-sorcery character created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino. A warrior from the Hyborian Age of Ear ...

" ripoff directed by

Matt Cimber Matt Cimber (born Thomas Vitale Ottaviano; 1936) is an American producer, director, and writer. He is known for directing genre films including '' The Candy Tangerine Man, The Witch Who Came from the Sea,'' ''Hundra,'' and ''Butterfly.'' Cimbe ...

http://www.tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/78700/Hundra/. * '' The Invincible Barbarian'' (1982) ''Gunan, the Warrior'', '' Gunan, King of the Barbarians'', starring Sabrina Siani, directed by

Franco Prosperi Franco Prosperi (2 September 1926 – 17 October 2004) was an Italian film director and screenwriter, active between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s. Career Born in Rome, Prosperi began his career as an assistant director with Mario Bava ...

* ''

Ironmaster An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain. The ironmaster was usually a larg ...

'' (1983) ''The War of Iron'', co-starring Luigi Montefiori, directed by

* ''The Seven Magnificent Gladiators'' (1983) starring Lou Ferrigno and

* '' She'' (1982) starring Sandahl Bergman and

* '' Sinbad of the Seven Seas'' (1988) starring Lou Ferrigno, directed by Luigi Cozzi * ''Thor, the Conqueror'' (1983) directed by

Tonino Ricci Tonino Ricci (23 October 1927 – 9 March 2014), sometimes credited as Anthony Richmond, was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Ricci was born Teodoro Ricci in Rome on October 23, 1927. He began working in film as an assistant director ...

* ''

The Throne of Fire ''The Throne of Fire'' is a 2011 fantasy adventure novel written by American author Rick Riordan. It is the second novel in ''The Kane Chronicles'' series, which tells of the adventures of modern-day fourteen-year-old Carter Kane and his twelve ...

'' (1983) starring Sabrina Siani, directed by

* '' Yor, the Hunter from the Future'' (1983) starring Reb Brown, directed by

(a barbarian film that has science fiction elements in the story) A group of so-called "porno peplum" films were devoted to Roman emperors, especially - but not only - to

Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...

and

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

' spouse

: * ''

'' (1979) directed by Tinto Brass * ''A Filha de Calígula''/ ''The Daughter of Caligula'' (1981) directed by Ody Fraga; made in Brazil * ''Caligula and Messalina'' (1981) directed by Bruno Mattei * ''Bacanales Romanas''/ ''My Nights with Messalina'' (1982) directed in Spain by Jaime J. Puig; stars Ajita Wilson * ''Nerone and Poppea'' (1982) directed by Bruno Mattei * '' Caligula... The Untold Story'' (1982) directed by Joe D'Amato, starring Laura Gemser and Gabriele Tinti * '' Orgies of Caligula'' (1984) '' Caligula's Slaves'', ''Roma, l'antica chiave dei sensi''; directed by Lorenzo Onorati * ''The Erotic Dreams of Cleopatra'' (1985) directed by Rino Di Silvestro

References

External links

; Films
''The Avenger''
by Georgia Rivalta.

stars as

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...

.
''Hercules Unchained''
(

, director.)
''The Giant of Metropolis''
(starring

; Umberto Scarpelli, director)
''Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon''
(

Domenico Paolella Domenico Paolella (18 October 1915 – 7 October 2002) was an Italian director, screenwriter and journalist. Born in Foggia, between 1933 and 1935 Paolella won several contests for amateur directors; in the same years he started working as a jour ...

, dir.) ; Images and discussion
''The Many Faces of Hercules'' at Brian's Drive-In Theatre

PEPLVM - Images de l'Antiquité, par Michel Eloy
(in French)
Cinéma & Histoire: L'Antiquité au Cinéma
(in French), by Hervé Dumont.
Vincent Price, B Movies, Film Noir, Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing,Christopher Lee,Barbara Steele,horror,sci-fi,B westerns,sword & sandal
(source of peplum DVD's)
Something Weird Video
(source of peplum DVD's)
Santo And Friends
(filmography of Mexican muscleman films) {{Authority control Film genres Historical fiction Italian films by genre 20th century in Italy Fantasy genres Classical antiquity in modern art and culture

Genre characteristics

Precursors of the sword-and-sandal wave (pre-1958)

Italian films of the silent era

The silent Maciste films (1914–1927)

Italian fascist and post-war historical epics (1937-1956)

The main sword-and-sandal period (1958-1965)

Hercules series (1958–1965)

Goliath series (1959–1964)

Maciste series (1960–1965)

Ursus series (1960–1964)

Samson series (1961–1964)

''The Sons of Hercules'' (TV syndication package)

Steve Reeves sword-and-sandal films in chronological order of production

Other (non-series) Italian pepla

Gladiator films

Ancient Rome

Greek mythology

Barbarian and Viking films

Swashbucklers / pirates

Biblical

Ancient Egypt

Babylon / the Middle East

The second peplum wave: the 1980s

See also

References

Further reading

External links