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:

Superhuman Strength Versus Supernatural Evil!

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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 The Graham Norton Show: Arnold Schwarzenegger/Ronnie Corbett/Miranda Hart/Usher (2012)

User Reviews

Terror-Muscleman epic with a magnificent villainous,Christopher Lee and directed by the master Mario Bava

In this second film by Mario Bava is also known like Hercules in the haunted world and Hercules vs. the vampires.Here Hercules(a wooden Reg Park,the same of the Conquest of Atlantida by Vittorio Cottafavi) along with Teseo(Giorgo Ardisson) and Telemaco(Giacobini) travel to dead land located into center of earth.Hercules taking on king Lycos(Christopher Lee,with similar acting his recent Dracula by Terence Fisher)who has kidnapped his sweet-girl Deianera(Leonora Ruffo).Hercules is accompanied by characters with mythological names as Teseo(from legend minotaur),Telemaco(from Ulisses),Persefone(abducted by Hades).The trip is plenty of several dangers, a foggy sea,the garden of Hesperides with apples,the encounter with Persefone or Proserpina,meeting with goddess Aretusa,the fighting against monster of stone,the bloody liana and trespassing a marshy lagoon with objective to achieve the magic rock.And the creepy final confrontation with Lycos and the eerie ghouls in a terrifying scenes.

The picture is a horror-sword and sandals epic with adventures,struggles,absurd humour,bizarre scenarios and is quite entertaining.The comic relief in charge of Telemaco character is written by scriptwriter Duccio Tessari,usual of humorous touches,for example: the Titans and various Spaghetti Western.Besides appear famous Eurotrash babes as Rosalba Neri,Evelyn Stewart or Ida Galli,Leonora Ruffo and the habitual nasty,Raf Baldasarre. As usual colorful cinematography by Bava with gaudy colours and groundbreaking atmospheres.Appropriate music score by Armando Trovajoli.The motion picture is co-directed by Franco Prosperi,known director of shocking-documentary like as Mondo Cane and Conan rip-offs The film belong to sub-genre blending fantastic,horror and Peplum like are: Maciste in the inferno(Riccardo Freda,1962),The conquest of Atlantida(Vittorio Cottafavi,1961)and Maciste against the vampire(Giacomo Gentilomo,1961).The picture will like to Mario Bava fans.