Gli invasori (1961)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Mario Bava

Writers:

Mario Bava (story)
Oreste Biancoli (story)
(more)

Release Date:

12 June 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Plot:

In the 9th Century, two Viking children, separated since their early childhood with one raised by the British and the other by Vikings...

Plot Keywords:

Viking | 9th Century | Beach | Castle | Violence

Cast

Cameron Mitchell	...	Eron
Alice Kessler	...	Rama
Ellen Kessler	...	Daya
George Ardisson	...	Erik, Duke of Helford (as Giorgio Ardisson)
Andrea Checchi	...	Sir Rutford
Jean-Jacques Delbo	...	Olaf (as Jacques Delbò)
Franco Giacobini	...	Rustichello
Raf Baldassarre	...	Blak (as Raffaele Baldassarre)
Enzo Doria	...	Bennet
Gianni Solaro	...	Ranco
Franco Ressel	...	King Lotar
Livia Contardi	...	Hadda
Folco Lulli	...	Harald, Viking king
Françoise Christophe	...	Queen Alice (as Françoise Cristophe)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Robinson	...	Garian (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Bava

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mario Bava		story and screenplay
Oreste Biancoli		story and screenplay
Piero Pierotti		story and screenplay

Produced by
Ferruccio De Martino	....	producer
Lionello Santi	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Les Baxter		(US version)
Roberto Nicolosi

Cinematography by
Mario Bava

Film Editing by
Mario Serandrei

Makeup Department
Mara Rocchetti	....	hair stylist
Euclide Santoli	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Massimo De Rita	....	production manager
Armando Govoni	....	unit manager
Paolo Mercuri	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Prosperi	....	assistant director
Teodoro Ricci	....	assistant director

Art Department
Giorgio Giovannini	....	set designer
Massimo Tavazzi	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Roberto Mattioli	....	sound recordist
Pierta Vesperini	....	supervising sound editor
Aldo Zanni	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Giuseppe Berta	....	second assistant camera
Enrico Fontana	....	first assistant camera
Giovanni Narzisi	....	camera operator (as Gianni Narzisi)
Ubaldo Terzano	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mario Giorsi	....	costumer
Tina Grani	....	wardrobe (as Tina Loriedo-Grani)

Editorial Department
Lina Caterini	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Luigi Urbini	....	conductor (as Pier Luigi Urbini)

Other crew
Arturo Padovani	....	production secretary
Leopoldo Savona	....	choreographer (as Leo Coleman)
Fiorella Betti	....	voice dubbing: Ellen Kessler (uncredited)
Maria Pia Di Meo	....	voice dubbing: Alice Kessler (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Galatea Film
• Lyre Films
• Critérion Film

Distributors

• Neue Film Allianz (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Lii-Filmi (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Helsinki-Filmi (1974) (Finland) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Sinister Cinema (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Media Cooperation One (MC-One) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sinister Cinema (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Panther Video (video)

Other Companies

• Digitmovies Alternative Entertainment  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Erik the Conqueror (USA)
Fury of the Vikings (UK)
La ruée des Vikings (France)
The Invaders

Runtime:

90 min | France:80 min | Italy:98 min | Spain:85 min | UK:89 min | USA:81 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1974) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1963) | West Germany:12 (f) (cut version) | West Germany:16 (nf) (original rating) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Titanus Appia Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Galatea Film

Goofs:

Continuity: In the duel between Eron and Erik both characters loose their shields at one point. After a cut both are equipped with shields again.

Quotes:

Eron: In death, I have but one companion: my sword.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Il trionfo di Ercole (1964)

Mario Bava's best Viking film

Well, as it turns out Mario Bava is a solid director of Viking movies as well as Horror. Previously I had only one experience with his Viking movies, "Knives of the Avengers", which is a good, fun movie, but still pretty silly none the less. "Eric the Conqueror" however is a much better and more moving film. Two Viking brothers are separated at birth. One is raised in Scandinavia while the other is raised in Brittan. The escalating tensions between the two counties means that the brothers are coming very close to facing head to head on the battlefield.

"Eric the Conqueror" is a good deal of Viking movie fun. In typical Bava fashion the cinematography is absolutely superb. Bava makes good use of both lavish colors and smoke to make a visually breathtaking film. Bava's visuals give this film an almost epic feel. In addition to the fine visuals "Eric the Conqueror" also features a well written script, solid performances from the cast and plenty of good action. This film also has a few powerful and sad scenes as well as many ravishing Italian beauties. This is a solid and fun film that ranks as one of Mario Bava's best non-horror efforts. This is worth checking out.