Hercules Unchained
| Hercules Unchained | |
|---|---|
Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus | |
| Produced by | Bruno Vailati |
| Starring | Steve Reeves Sylva Koscina Primo Carnera Sylvia Lopez |
| Cinematography | Mario Bava |
| Edited by | Mario Serandrei |
| Music by | Enzo Masetti |
Production companies | Galatea Film Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France |
| Distributed by | Lux Film |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes rentals)[4] |
Hercules Unchained (
Plot
While travelling, Hercules is asked to intervene in a quarrel between two brothers,
Cast
- Steve Reeves as Hercules
- Sylvia Lopez as Queen Omphale of Lydia
- Sylva Koscina as Iole
- Sergio Fantoni as Eteocles
- Mimmo Palmara as Polynices
- Gabriele Antonini as Ulysses
- Fulvio Carrara as Castor
- Willi Colombini as Pollux
- Aesculapius
- Gino Mattera as Orpheus
- Primo Carnera as Antaeus
- Cesare Fantoni as King Oedipus
- Daniele Vargas as Amphiaraus
- Creon
- Gianni Loti as Sandone
- Fulvia Franco as Anticlea
- prima ballerina
- Nando Cicero as Lastene
Production
The tale of
. Hercules' line "I wove the threads [of my memory] together" is a reference to his task of spinning thread and weaving with Omphale's attendants. The film is only very loosely based on the source material, randomly mixing events and featuring characterizations varying from those depicted in the sources.Reception
Film critic Howard Hughes argues that due to a better script, "punchier action" and more convincing acting the film was "superior to its predecessor" Hercules. Concerning the cast he praises in particular the French actress Sylvia Lopez ("movingly effective") whose career ended prematurely when in 1959, soon after finishing this film, she died at the age of 26 of leukemia.[5]
The film opened in New England on 30 June 1960 in 200 theaters grossing $500,000 in a week.[6] The film was the third most popular movie at the British box office in 1960. In its opening in 39 theaters in the UK over the first August Bank Holiday weekend, it set 36 house records.[7][8]
Legacy
Hercules Unchained has been broadcast on American television, and is available in both VHS and DVD formats. The film's Italian title means "Hercules and the Queen of Lydia". The film was also featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Comic book adaption
- Dell Four Color #1121 (August 1960)[9][10]
See also
- List of films featuring Hercules
- Peplum film genre
- Samson
- Hercules
- Sons of Hercules
- Maciste
- Ursus
- Goliath
- Sandokan
- Steve Reeves
Biography
- Hughes, Howard (2011). Cinema Italiano – The Complete Guide From Classics To Cult. London – New York: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-608-0.
References
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Hercules Unchained". AllMovie. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "Ercole e la regina di Lidia". BFI Film & Television Database. London: British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "HERCULES UNCHAINED (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 19 May 1960. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- Archive.org.
- ^ Hughes, p.4
- Archive.org.
- Archive.org.
- ^ Billings, Josh (15 December 1960). "It's Britain 1, 2, 3 again in the 1960 box office stakes". Kine Weekly. p. 8-9.
- ^ "Dell Four Color #1121". Grand Comics Database.
- ^ Dell Four Color #1121 at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
External links
- Hercules Unchained at IMDb
- Hercules Unchained is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
