Maciste, gladiatore di Sparta (1964)

Director:

Mario Caiano

Writers:

Mario Amendola (screenplay), Mario Amendola (story),

Stars:

Mark Forest, Marilù Tolo, Elisabetta Fanti

Cast

Credited cast:
Mark Forest	...	Maciste
Marilù Tolo	...	Olympia
Elisabetta Fanti	...	Livia (as Elisabeth Fanty)
Claudio Undari	...	Zefatius (as Robert Hundar)
Franco Cobianchi	...	Vitellius (as Peter White)
Giuseppe Addobbati	...	Marcellus
Ferruccio Amendola	...	Dammatius
Ugo Attanasio
Lea Monaco
Renato Navarrini
Jacques Stany	...	Epialte
Bruno Ukmar	...	Tirfeo
Enrico Salvatore	...	(as Salvatore Enrico)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mario Caiano
Giuliano Giuliani

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

hideout | reference to god | torture | disarming someone | prayer | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

26 March 1964 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Terror of Rome Against the Son of Hercules

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films Jacques Leitienne, Prometeo Film S.r.l., Samcro Film SpA.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Where is Ray Harryhausen When You Need Him?

I've seen quite a number of the Italian, mythological muscle man movies, and I find this one to be pretty slow going. Mark Forest does his job as the powerful stalwart, and all the other elements are here (horses, chariots, pretty women and daring do), but the movie keeps coming to a screeching halt about every ten minutes for lengthy verbal plot points. I saw the English dubbed version, which may have contributed to this, but lengthy talking scenes are just as long in any language. These are supposed to be action films, aren't they?

I thought the Steve Reeves/Hercules movies moved along best. (BTW, why did the Italians import Americans for these roles; Forest, and Steve Reeves? Didn't they have any Italian body builders to utilize?) Even one of the action sequences here, with our hero up against a great ape, was a rather drab, ho-hum affair. A number of these movies could have been well served by some Dynamation from Ray Harryhausen.

For fans of the genre, this movie is watchable, as long as you aren't looking for anything new or particularly exciting. If you're not a fan, don't start with this one. It will put you off from watching the better efforts.