The Slave Merchants (1964)

The son of Hercules is pitted against a ruthless desert warrior.

Director:

Antonio Margheriti (as Anthony Dawson)

Writers:

Guido Malatesta (story), Arturo Rígel (story)

Stars:

Kirk Morris, Michèle Girardon, Manuel Gallardo

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kirk Morris	...	Anthar, Son of Hercules
Michèle Girardon	...	Princess Soraya
Manuel Gallardo	...	Prince Daikor
Mario Feliciani	...	Ganor, Devil of the Desert
José Jaspe	...	Akrim, the Slave Merchant
Renato Baldini	...	Kamal, the Wealthy Sheik
Aldo Cecconi	...	Abdul, Akrim's Assistant
Roberto Dell'Acqua	...	Aimu, the Mute Boy
Fedele Gentile	...	Bidder at Auction against Kamal
Malika Kamal	...	Slave Girl
Tanya Lopert	...	Slave Girl
Serena Michelotti	...	Slave Girl
Laura Nucci	...	Adonna, Harem Keeper
Nadine Verdier	...	Slave Girl
Giacomo Furia	...	Salene

Storyline

Ganor, the leader of the Desert People, murders Sandor, the Sultan of Baghdad, and imprisons his eventual heirs, Daykor and Soraya, thus becoming the sole power in the country. Anthar, a young rebel, manages to get Soraya free. Eventually, she is captured by Akrim, a slave merchant, who sells her to Kamal, a wealthy Sheik. Soraya refuses to be the Sheik's girl, and plunges from a tower into the river - where she would have drowned if Anthar would not appear to save her once more. Together they go to Baghdad, where Anthar gets Daykor out of prison. But Ganor captures Anthar, and sets him to fight a rhinoceros to get rid of the freedom fighter. Daykor and Soraya return to Baghdad at the head of the revolted people, and after a siege, they take the city and joining with Anthar, will finally prevail over the tyrant.

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Plot Keywords:

jump out of window | male female relationship | tuareg | greek mythology | fictional war | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Italy Spain France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

27 June 1964 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Antares Produzione Cinematografica, Compagnia Cinematografica Mondiale (CCM), Producciones Benito Perojo

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was one of the many sword and sandal/mythological muscle man movies acquired by Joseph E. Levine's Embassy Pictures for release in the United States. Since there was a decline in the popularity of the genre, and many such films had been released to U.S. theaters, Embassy released it directly to television as part of their "Sons of Hercules" film package. The film was modified, pan and scanned, and re-titled "Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules." Like other films in this film package, broadcasters could select versions which could be shown like a feature film, or shown in two one hour time frames as if it were a part of a television series.

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Goofs

Gainor has a chamber of mirrors millennia before the development of the technology to produce flat glass and silvering.

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Quotes

Princess Soraya: Anthar, should the fact that I'm a princess keep me from falling in love?

User Reviews

Forgettable

More an Arabian Nights adventure than a "Hercules" movie, this minor entry in the Sword-and-Sandal cycle lacks the verve, polish, and tongue-in-cheek humor needed to lift it above the level of the "forgettable." While the casting of Kirk Morris might lead one to expect generous servings of "beefcake," his initial appearance is the only scene in which he appears completely bare-chested. After that he's usually seen in a bolero jacket which shows off his arms and stomach but which, unfortunately, makes him look more like a comic side-kick than a two-fisted hero. Also, despite expectations to the contrary, Morris is not subjected to one of those torturous tests-of-strength which showcases his musculature in a bondage situation replete with homoerotic imagery. Instead, he's simply thrown into a pit with an irritated rhino -- a sequence which must have seemed better on paper than it proves to be on film. While not a bad movie -- it's passably entertaining in a Saturday matinée sort of way -- fans of this genre in general and of Kirk Morris in particular are advised to look for their satisfaction elsewhere.