The Colossus of Rhodes (1961)
"Il colosso di Rodi" (original title)

While on holiday in Rhodes, Athenian war hero Darios becomes involved in two different plots to overthrow the tyrannical king, one from Rhodian patriots and the other from sinister Phoenician agents.

Director:

Sergio Leone

Writers:

Luciano Chitarrini, Ennio De Concini,

Stars:

Rory Calhoun, Lea Massari, Georges Marchal

Cast

Credited cast:
Rory Calhoun	...	Darios
Lea Massari	...	Diala
Georges Marchal	...	Peliocles
Conrado San Martín	...	Thar (as Conrado Sanmartin)
Ángel Aranda	...	Koros
Mabel Karr	...	Mirte
Mimmo Palmara	...	Ares
Roberto Camardiel	...	Serse
George Rigaud	...	Lissipu (as Jorge Rigaud)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Álvaro de Luna

Storyline

A Greek military hero named Darios visits his uncle in Rhodes in the year 280 BC. Rhodes has just finished constructing an enormous colossus of Apollo to guard its harbor and is planning an alliance with Phoenicia which would be hostile to Greece. Darios flirts with the beautiful Diala, daughter of the statue's mastermind, while becoming involved with a group of rebels headed by Peliocles. These rebels seek to overthrow the tyrannical King Serse as does Serse's evil second-in-command, Thar. The rebels' revolt seems to fail, with Peliocles and his men being captured and forced to provide amusement in the local arena, but an earthquake eventually upsets, not only the Colossus in the harbor, but the balance of power in Rhodes as well.

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Plot Keywords:

colossus | phoenicia | arena | statue | earthquake | 

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Taglines:

A Monster Statue Of Bronze And Stone Twenty Stories Tall Guarded Their Secret!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History

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Details

Country:

Spain Italy France

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 June 1961 (Spain)

Also Known As:

The Colossus of Rhodes

Filming Locations:

Laredo, Santander, Cantabria, Spain

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 98,865 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Procusa, Cinematografica Associati (CI.AS.), Comptoir Français du Film Production (CFFP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min 123 min (Spanish)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During most of his scenes, Rory Calhoun wears a wide bracelet on his left arm and stiffly extends it covered by a cloak. According to Sergio Leone scholar Christopher Frayling and Calhoun's widow, the actor did that to hide some 20th-century tattoos.

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Goofs

In the film the Colossus of Rhodes is destroyed by a conveniently timed earthquake shortly after being completed. The real Colossus of Rhodes stood for over a half century before it was, like its cinematic counterpart, destroyed by an earthquake.

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Quotes

Darios: [after seeing a court servant die from drinking poison] Somehow I've lost my desire for wine.
[he pours his wine out onto the floor]

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Connections

Referenced in An Opera of Violence (2003)

User Reviews

Classic but overlong Peplum by the great Sergio Leone

After Alexander the Great, his empire was split itself originating some independent kingdoms ruled by descendants of the Alexander's generals, this one was called the Hellenistic time. It's set in 280 B.C , the starring is Dario(a likable Rory Calhoun) an Athenian on holidays living in Rodi with his uncle Lisipo (Jorge Rigaud). There he meets a good girl(Mabel Karr, wife to Fernando Rey, starring in The last days of Pompeii) and a bad girl (a gorgeous Lea Massari). A tyrant (Roberto Camardiel) and his hoodlum (Conrado San Martin) govern tyrannically the town. But a rebels led by Peliocles (Georges Marchal) fight against the nasties rulers. Meanwhile a Phoenician army attempts to attack Rodi. Dario trying to clean up the doomed Rodhes town from enemies and a foreign invasion .

Ample cast formed by Rory Calhoun , he's solid and sympathetic though uninspired in the lead role as a honest adventurer caught up in the momentous event prior to earthquake that threatens noblemen and slaves alike, but acting honors go to the villains played by Roberto Camardiel and Conrado San Martin. It's an European co-production by Spain/Italy/France with several actors from varios countries and filmed in lavish budget. This historical epic about the Hellenistic time bears no relation whatsoever to real events and much of the dialog is of the wooden variety. In fact some scenarios contain abundant anachronism such as 'the Garden of the Granja of Segovia' built in XVIII century. The highlights are the images of the Colosso , one of the marvels of the world . In the pier of Laredo (Cantabria, Spain) were built feet, and head and shoulders were made in ordinary size and a maquette reflecting its whole splendor. Some spectacular scenes including the explosive climax when ground shaking and the town blows its top. As the film bears remarkable resemblance to 'Last days of Pompeii' by Mario Bonnard and Sergio Leone, such as the earthquake in which numerous images are taken, repeat several actors actors as Mimmo Palmara, Carlo Tamberlani, and of course, technicians, producers, writers : Ennio De Concini, Duccio Tessari, same cameraman : Antonio L. Ballesteros and assistant direction, Jorge Grau, among others. The motion picture is professionally directed by Sergio Leone .