Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (1964) Ursus, il terrore dei kirghisi (original title)

Director:

Antonio Margheriti
(more)

Writer:

Marcello Sartarelli (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 July 1964 (Italy)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy

Plot:

Hercules battles an evil sorceress who turns men into werewolves.

Plot Keywords:

Hercules | Sorceress | Cave | Sword | Sword Fight

Cast

Reg Park	...	Ursus
Mireille Granelli	...	Amiko
Ettore Manni	...	Ilo
Furio Meniconi	...	Zereteli
María Teresa Orsini	...	Kato
Lilly Mantovani	...	Slave
Nino Fuscagni	...	Miko (as Serafino Fuscagni)
Giulio Maculani	...	Varos
Ugo Carboni
Claudio Scarchilli	...	Lava
Piero Pastore	...	Amko
Gaetano Quartararo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudio Ruffini	...	Frido (uncredited)

Directed by
Antonio Margheriti		(as Anthony Dawson)
Ruggero Deodato		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marcello Sartarelli		screenplay

Produced by
Adelpho Ambrosiano	....	producer
Natalino Vicario	....	production inspector

Original Music by
Franco Mannino		(as Franco Trinacria)

Cinematography by
Gábor Pogány

Film Editing by
Otello Colangeli

Production Design by
Riccardo Domenici		(as Dick Domenici)

Makeup Department
Iolanda Conti	....	hair stylist (as Jolanda Conti)
Maurizio Giustini	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Luciano Cattania	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ruggero Deodato	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Mario Morigi	....	sound
Giulio Tagliacozzo	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Mario Capriotti	....	camera operator
Claudio Ragona	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Maria Napoleoni	....	assistant editor (as Maria Napoleone)

Production Companies

• Adelphia Productions
• Ambrosiana Cinematografica

Distributors

• Mercator-Film (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Sinister Cinema (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• American-International Television (AIP-TV) (19??) (USA) (TV) (dubbed)
• Image Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Retromedia Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Ursus, il terrore dei kirghisi" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

France:100 min | Italy:100 min | West Germany:94 min | USA:90 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf)

Company:

Adelphia Productions

Quotes:

Zereteli:Torture him some more. Make him talk.

Kinda likable

Some reviewers have been decidedly unkind to this minor sword-and-sandal effort but those willing to indulge the sloppy dubbing, chopping editing, and murky prints may find a certain likable quality here. Think of it as an amateurish but enthusiastic high school play, or a big mutt who climbs in your lap and licks your face. Most of the faults cited by other reviewers can't be denied but the main problem here is Hercules' curious absence from the plot (due to injuries) for a 25-minute stretch in the middle of the movie. That's a real momentum killer. Did Reg Park become ill or otherwise unavailable during the filming and thus they had to film around him? (One fight sequence uses an obvious stand-in for Park, lending some support for this theory.) Yes, the monster is more laughable than frightening with a squawk like Rodan's, and disappointingly little is made of Hercules' superhuman strength. (He isn't even bare-chested very often.) Also note the puzzling Oriental decor in some of the palace interiors. However, if you're kind, all of these things might be viewed as part of the fun.