L'ultimo gladiatore (1964)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Umberto Lenzi

Writers:

Gian Paolo Callegari (screenplay)
Gian Paolo Callegari (story)
(more)

Release Date:

27 June 1964 (Italy)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Enslaved but not conquered!

Plot Keywords:

Hercules | Yoke On Shoulders | Gladiator | Peplum

Cast

Richard Harrison	...	Glaucus
Lisa Gastoni	...	Messalina
Marilù Tolo	...	Ena
Philippe Hersent	...	Claudio
Livio Lorenzon
Jean Claudio	...	Gaio Silio
Lidia Alfonsi
Gianni Solaro
Enzo Fiermonte
Giuseppe Addobbati		(as John McDouglas)
Maria Laura Rocca
Charles Borromel	...	Caligola
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lucia Bomez
Nello Pazzafini
Ettore Arena	...	Roman soldier (uncredited)
Fortunato Arena	...	Bearded soldier / Attacker (uncredited)
Aldo Canti	...	Fighter with Glaucus (uncredited)
Arnaldo Fabrizio	...	Caligola's Dwarf (uncredited)
Jimmy il Fenomeno	...	Un britanno (uncredited)
Gilberto Galimberti	...	Soldier holding Glaucus (uncredited)
Paul Naschy	...	Extra (uncredited)
Piero Pastore	...	Ambasciatore britanno (uncredited)
Bruno Ukmar	...	Hitman / Soldier (uncredited)
Franco Ukmar	...	Hitman / Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Umberto Lenzi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gian Paolo Callegari		screenplay (as Giampaolo Callegari)
Gian Paolo Callegari		story (as Giampaolo Callegari)
Albert Valentin		screenplay
Albert Valentin		story

Original Music by
Carlo Franci

Cinematography by
Pier Ludovico Pavoni

Film Editing by
Nella Nannuzzi

Production Design by
Pier Vittorio Marchi

Set Decoration by
Franco D'Andria

Costume Design by
Mario Giorsi

Makeup Department
Otello Fava	....	makeup artist
Renata Magnanti	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Carlo Vassalle	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Filiberto Fiaschi	....	assistant director
Viktor Tourjansky	....	assistant director
Larby Towns	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Franco Groppioni	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Mario Pastorini	....	assistant camera
Fausto Rossi	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tigano Lo Faro	....	costumer
Antonio Randaccio	....	assistant costume designer (as Tonio Randaccio)

Other crew
Liana Ferri	....	script supervisor
Albino Morandini	....	production secretary (as Albino Morandin)
Bruno Ukmar	....	master of arms

Production Companies

• Les Films Jacques Leitienne
• Prometeo Film S.r.l.
• Sancro Film
• Unicité

Distributors

• Something Weird Video (SWV) (199?) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Messalina vs. the Son of Hercules (International: English title) (informal title) (USA)
Empress Messalina Meets the Son of Hercules (informal English title)
Gladiatore di Messalina (Italy) (alternative title)
Hercule contre les mercenaires (France)
Messalina Against the Son of Hercules (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Company:

Les Films Jacques Leitienne

Contains more loin than your average cow

I am guessing that there is a series of "Son of Hercules" movies: the theme for this movie is the exact same as that of "Son of Hercules vs. the Fire Demon."

A montage of corpses are shown as a chorus of men sing "The mighty sons of Hercules are men as men should be! They took the world and kept the world the sons of Hercules!" Not exactly Shakespeare but hey...at least it's got a groovy beat you can dance to.

The narrator informs us this film recounts the adventures of Glaucus, pronounced "GLAW-cuss" (played by a well oiled Richard Harrison) and his struggle with the empress Messalina.

In 41 AD Caligula rules the land. In his pointless war against Britain (well played by the Italian countryside) Caligula watches Glaucus the Brit fight. Excited by what he sees (Caligula shows his delight by petting a cat) he takes Glaucus back with him as a slave.

Back in Rome (well played by a blurry matte painting) Caligula makes his horse a senator. Messalina, wife of Claudius, watches in horror as Caligula and his midget sidekick laugh at each new outrageous law Caligula enacts. At the Roman games Glaucus fights with obvious skill. The crowd (all 20 of them) yells in obvious pleasure, quieting down when someone makes a statement like "wow, what a man warrior!" Caligula is not impressed, however, when Glaucus throws an axe at him. Glaucus is arrested and Messalina starts a plan to use Glaucus as a means to overthrow Caligula.

This production has all the typical Italian beefcake trademarks - bad dubbing, over-acting (in some cases, under-acting), a midget, and men in loincloths. Richard Harrison may not have the biggest muscles but he certainly is the most titillating beefcake actor I've seen. And when it comes to loincloths you have to wonder why his "mini-skirt" is not mini enough. They must not have seen a good thing when they had it, and with too much loincloth neither can we.