Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus (1965) Golia alla conquista di Bagdad (original title)

Director:

Domenico Paolella

Writers:

Luciano Martino (screenplay)
Domenico Paolella (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

3 March 1965 (Italy)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Goliath...The Avenger - His Invincible Might Pitted Against the Armies of Corrupt Damascus

Plot Keywords:

Hero | Bare Chested Male | Princess | Bare Chested Male Fighting | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Peter Lupus	...	Goliath (as Rock Stevens)
Mario Petri	...	Yssour
Helga Liné	...	Fatma
Arturo Dominici	...	Kaichev
Piero Lulli	...	Thor
Anna Maria Polani	...	Myriam
Marino Masé	...	Phir
Daniele Vargas	...	Saud
Mino Doro	...	King Selim
Andrea Aureli	...	Bhalek
Nello Pazzafini	...	Horval
Dario Michaelis	...	Safawidi
Fedele Gentile	...	Selim's Officer
Ignazio Balsamo	...	Messenger
Bernardina Sarrocco		(as Berna Rock)
Mirko Valentin

Directed by
Domenico Paolella

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ernesto Gastaldi		uncredited
Luciano Martino		screenplay and dialogue
Domenico Paolella		screenplay and dialogue

Produced by
Fortunato Misiano	....	producer

Original Music by
Angelo Francesco Lavagnino

Cinematography by
Augusto Tiezzi

Production Design by
Pier Vittorio Marchi

Costume Design by
Walter Patriarca

Production Companies

• Romana Film
• Titanus

Distributors

• Stellor Films (1964) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Sinister Cinema (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• American-International Television (AIP-TV) (19??) (USA) (TV) (dubbed)

Also Known As:

"Golia alla conquista di Bagdad" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

USA:80 min | Italy:95 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Romana Film

Boring

Peter Lupus made several Hercules type movies and while he was always good, the movies rarely were. Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus continues that winning tradition.

A princess is being escorted to meet the prince she will marry when the caravan is attacked and she is taken prisoner. Goliath is sent to rescue her and the remaining 80 or so minutes is more talk than action as we watch varies power plays unfold.

The film looks good and wonderfully fake, in ways that only well financed dull movies can. The money is up there on the screen in the sets and costumes, unfortunately they forgot an interesting script or a director that could do more than have people stand and talk. Almost everyone, except Lupus is robed from head to toe and it looks completely unreal, but it was done no doubt to hide the fact that people are doubling and tripling in crowd scenes (which do look well filled out)

The action is better than in Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon which at least shares cavalry footage and some of the horse back battle sequence with this film. But being better doesn't mean its good. Wrestling matches in the city square would never have made it in the wrestling ring, a bar fight is hampered by cheap props and a lack of energy on the part of the crowd- all heavily robed- who swing their fists and clubs like they have better things to do. Even the final fight is dull because the costumes look so darn perfect no matter what happens.

This is a perfectly dull movie that gets a 2 out of ten because it at least looks good even if it's really not.