Hercules in the Haunted World (1961)
"Ercole al centro della terra" (original title)

Hercules must journey in Hades itself to retrieve the magic stone that will free his love from the powers of darkness.

Directors:

Mario Bava, Franco Prosperi

Writers:

Mario Bava (screenplay), Mario Bava (story),

Stars:

Reg Park, Christopher Lee, Leonora Ruffo

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Reg Park	...	Hercules (Ercole)
Christopher Lee	...	King Lico (Licos)
Leonora Ruffo	...	Princess Deianira
George Ardisson	...	Thesus (Teseo)
Marisa Belli	...	Aretusa
Ida Galli	...	Persephone
Franco Giacobini	...	Telemachus (Telemaco)
Mino Doro	...	Keros
Rosalba Neri	...	Helena (as Rosalba Neri c.s.c.)
Ely Drago	...	Jocasta (as Ely Dracò)
Gaia Germani	...	Medea
Raf Baldassarre	...	Leader of the cutthroats
Elisabetta Pavan	...	Tamar
Aldo Pedinotti	...	Sunis (as Aldo Padinotti)
Claudio Marzulli

Storyline

Upon his return from battle in the previous film, the great warrior Hercules learns that his lover, Daianara, has lost her senses. Acording of the oracle Medea, Dianara's only hope is the Stone of Forgetfulness which lies deep in the realm of Hades. Hercules, with two companions, Theseus and Telemachus, embarks on a dangerous quest for the stone, while he is unaware that Dianara's guardian, King Lico, is the one responsible for her condition and plots to have the girl for himself as his bride upon her revival.

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Plot Keywords:

hercules | magic stone | warrior | oracle | bare chested male fighting | 

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Taglines:

An All New Height in Fright and Might!

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Action | Horror

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

April 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hercules in the Haunted World

Company Credits

Production Co:

SpA Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Lee's voice was dubbed by another actor for the English-language version.

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Goofs

Near the beginning of the film Thesus tosses his lover (Dania?) in to a river to keep her safe from their attackers. But moments later, after Hercules rescues them, she is completely dry and not a hair out of place.

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Quotes

Thesus: You know, I didn't think Hades would be anything like this.

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Connections

Referenced in Planet of the Vampires (1965)

User Reviews

Mario Bava's atmospheric peplum gets first-rate treatment on a new Fantoma DVD.

Sword-and-sandal afficionados will be happy to hear that this lush Mario Bava-helmed Hercules movie is getting a widescreen treatment on DVD. It's one of the more atmospheric Italian schlock epics, full of the imaginative and colorful set pieces distinctive to the renowned Italian filmmaker, Mario Bava. Reg Park was among the most impressive bodybuilders to ever play the mythical hero and he is given generous opportunity to strut his stuff. Hercules literally goes to Hell to defeat satanic villain Christopher Lee in this engaging muscleman movie, a definite kitsch classic of it's kind, now being made available in it's once-glorious Super Technirama format on videodisc.