Sword and sandal

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D. W. Griffith set out to depict the splendor of ancient Babylon in Intolerance.

Sword and sandal films (or peplums from a Latin word for a sort of tunic that was easy to make and favoured by the costume departments for these films) are a genre of adventure or fantasy films that have subjects set in Biblical or classical antiquity, often with contrived plots based very loosely on mythology or history. Most movies based on Greco-Roman history and mythology, or the surrounding cultures of the same era (Egyptians, Assyrians, Etruscans, Minoans), etc. are sword and sandal epic films. The greatest productions of this film genre were made between 1958 and 1964, but peplums have experienced a recent renaissance. Broadly considered, this category could encompass such diverse films as Ben-Hur, Cleopatra, Titus, Gladiator, King Arthur or The Ten Commandments. In this sense, it is one of the oldest movie genres; the original Ben-Hur was made by Sidney Olcott in 1907; the 1914 silent film Cabiria was important in the development of the art of cinematography, and was one of the first sword-and-sandal films to make use of a massively-muscled actor, Bartolomeo Pagano.

This poster from a 1961 Maciste film illustrates many people's expectations from films of this genre.

More specifically, however, the "sword and sandal" film genre usually refers to a low-budget Italian movie on a gladiatorial, Biblical or mythological subject, often with a professional bodybuilder in the principal role; the genre occupied much of the popular segment of Italy's movie industry from 1960-1964, before the invention of the spaghetti western. Gladiators were perennial favourite subjects, as were the adventures of Hercules, Goliath, Samson, Ursus, Jason and the Argonauts, or Italy's perennial favorite legendary strongman Maciste. The fad began with the 1958 release of Hercules, starring American bodybuilder Steve Reeves. This spawned the 1959 sequel Hercules Unchained, and literally dozens of low-budget imitations starring other bodybuilder stars such as Reg Park, Gordon Scott, Mark Forest, Dan Vadis, and Alan Steel (aka Sergio Ciani).

The absurd plots, out-of-synch dialogue, wooden acting of the muscleman heroes, and primitive special effects that were often woefully inadequate to depict the legendary creatures onscreen all conspire to give these films a certain camp appeal now. This, and the beefcake factor, made the films' unintended humour notorious in the gay community.^{[dubious — see talk page]} To be sure, however, many of the films enjoyed widespread popularity among very general audiences, and had production values that were typical for popular films of the day. Several have been subjects of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment. Although many of the bigger budget peplums were released theatrically in the USA, fourteen of them were released directly to American television in a syndicated TV series called The Sons of Hercules, the films receiving newly-designed prologue narrations that desperately attempted to link whoever the hero of the film was to the Hercules mythos; these films ran on Saturday afternoons in the 1960s.

1 Hercules Series (1957-1965)
2 Maciste Series (1960-1965)
3 Ursus Series (1961-1964)
4 Samson Series (1961-1964)
5 Goliath Series (1960-1964)
6 The Sons of Hercules (TV Syndication Package)
7 Gladiator Movies, 1948-1965
8 Steve Reeves Peplums
9 Other Classic Sword-and-Sandal Films (1960's)
10 Later Sword-and-Sandal Films from the 1980's
11 Fan Bibliography
12 Academic Bibliography
13 Additional references

[edit] Hercules Series (1957-1965)

A series of 19 Italian Hercules movies were made in the late 50's/ early 60's. The actors who played Hercules in these films were Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Kirk Morris, Mickey Hargitay, Mark Forest, Alan Steel, Dan Vadis, Brad Harris, Reg Park, Rock Stevens and Michael Lane. The films are listed below by their American release titles, and the titles in parentheses are the original Italian titles (if they were different).

- Hercules (Le Fatiche di Ercole/ The Labors of Hercules, 1957) starring Steve Reeves
- Hercules Unchained (Ercole e la regina di Lidia/ Hercules and the Queen of Lydia, 1959) starring Steve Reeves
- Goliath and the Dragon (La Vendetta di Ercole/ The Revenge of Hercules, 1960) (this Hercules film had its title changed to "Goliath" when it was distributed in the USA for some reason)
- Hercules Vs The Hydra (Gli Amori di Ercole/ The Loves of Hercules, 1960) co-starring Jayne Mansfield
- Hercules and the Captive Women (Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide/ Hercules at the Conquest of Atlantis, aka Hercules and the Haunted Women) 1961
- Hercules in the Haunted World (Ercole al centro della terra/ Hercules at the Center of the Earth) 1961 (directed by Mario Bava)
- Hercules in the Vale of Woe (Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai/ Maciste Vs. Hercules in the Vale of Woe) 1961 (this was made as a semi-comedy/ satire on peplums)
- Ulysses Vs. The Son of Hercules (Ulisse contro Ercole/ Ulysses Vs. Hercules) 1962
- The Fury of Hercules (La Furia di Ercole/ The Fury of Hercules, aka The Fury of Samson) 1962
- Hercules, Samson and Ulysses (Ercole sfida Sansone/ Hercules Challenges Samson) 1963
- Hercules Vs. the Moloch (Ercole contro Molock/ Hercules Vs. Moloch, aka The Conquest of Mycene) 1963
- Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness (Ercole l'invincibile/ Hercules, the Invincible) 1964 (this was originally a Hercules film that was retitled to "Son of Hercules" so that it could be included in the "Sons of Hercules" TV syndication package)
- Hercules Vs. The Giant Warrior (il Trionfo di Ercole/ The Triumph of Hercules, aka Hercules and the Ten Avengers) 1964
- Hercules Against Rome (Ercole contro Roma, 1964)
- Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun (Ercole contro i figli del sole, 1964)
- Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon (Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia, 1964)
- Samson and the Mighty Challenge (Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili, aka Combate dei Gigantes) 1964 (this was more of a comedy/ satire on peplums & featured Hercules prominently in the plot)
- Hercules and the Princess of Troy (no Italian title, aka "Hercules vs. the Sea Monster", 1965) (this 48-minute Italian/U.S. co-production was made as a pilot for a Charles Band-produced TV series that never materialized)
- Hercules, the Avenger (Sfida dei giganti/Challenge of the Giants, 1965) a cheaply made-for-TV quickie that consisted mostly of re-edited stock footage from 2 earlier Hercules films, “Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide” and “Ercole al centro della terra”.

Note* - A number of English-dubbed Italian films that featured the Hercules name in their title were never intended to be Hercules movies by their Italian creators.

"Hercules, Prisoner of Evil" was actually a retitled Ursus film.
"Hercules and the Black Pirate" and "Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas" were both retitled Samson movies.
"Hercules and the Masked Rider" was actually a retitled Goliath movie.
"Hercules Against the Moon Men", "Hercules Against the Barbarians", "Hercules Against the Mongols" and "Hercules of the Desert" were all originally Maciste films.

None of these films in their original Italian versions were connected to the Hercules character in any way. Likewise, most of the "Sons of Hercules" movies shown on American TV in the 1960's had nothing to do with Hercules in their original Italian incarnations.

[edit] Maciste Series (1960-1965)

There were a total of 25 Maciste films from the 1960s sword-and-sandal revival (not taking into account the two dozen silent Maciste films made in Italy pre-1930). The first title listed for each film is the film's original Italian title along with its English translation, while the U.S. release title follows in parentheses. (Note how many times Maciste's name in the Italian title is altered to a totally different character name in the American release titles):

Maciste nella valle dei re/ Maciste in the Valley of the Kings (Son of Samson, 1960) starring Mark Forest

Maciste contro i cacciatori di teste/ Maciste Vs. the Headhunters (Colossus and the Headhunters, 1960) starring Kirk Morris
Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi/ Maciste in the Land of the Cyclops (Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops, 1961) starring Gordon MItchell

Maciste alla corte del gran khan/ Maciste at the Court of the Great Khan (Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World, 1961) starring Gordon Scott

Maciste contro il vampiro/ Maciste Vs. the Vampire (Goliath and the Vampires, 1961) starring Gordon Scott

Maciste, l'uomo più forte del mondo/ Maciste, the Strongest Man in the World (Mole Men Vs The Son of Hercules, 1962) starring Mark Forest

Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai/ Maciste Against Hercules in the Vale of Woe (Hercules in the Vale of Woe, 1962) a silly comedy/ satire which starred Frank Gordon as Maciste

Maciste all'inferno/ Maciste in Hell (The Witch's Curse, 1962) starring Kirk Morris

Il trionfo di Maciste/ The Triumph of Maciste (Triumph of the Son of Hercules, 1962) starring Kirk Morris

Maciste contro i mostri/ Maciste vs. the Monsters (Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules, 1962) starring Reg Lewis

Totò contro Maciste (Totò vs Maciste, 1962) starring Samson Burke; this was a comedy/satire (part of the Italian "Toto" film series) and was never distributed in the USA; available only in Italian

Maciste, il gladiatore piu forte del mondo/ Maciste, the World's Strongest Gladiator (Colossus of the Arena, 1962) starring Mark Forest

Maciste contro el sheik/ Maciste Vs. the Sheik (Samson Against the Sheik, 1962) starring Ed Fury

Maciste, l'eroe piu grande del mondo/ Maciste, the World's Greatest Hero (Goliath and the Sins of Babylon, 1963) starring Mark Forest

Zorro contro Maciste/ Zorro Vs. Maciste (Samson and the Slave Queen, 1963) starring Alan Steel

Maciste e la regina de Samar/ Maciste and the Queen of Samar (Hercules Against the Moon Men, 1964) starring Alan Steel

Maciste nelle miniere de re salomone/ Maciste in King Solomon's Mines (Samson in King Solomon's Mines, 1964) starring Reg Park

Maciste alla corte dello zar/ Maciste at the Court of the Czar (Samson vs the Giant King, aka Atlas Against the Czar, 1964) starring Kirk Morris

Maciste, gladiatore di sparta/ Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta (Terror of Rome Against the Son of Hercules, 1964) starring Mark Forest

Maciste contro i mongoli/ Maciste Vs. the Mongols (Hercules Against the Mongols, 1964) starring Mark Forest

Maciste nell'inferno di gengis khan/ Maciste in Genghis Khan's Hell (Hercules Against the Barbarians, 1964) starring Mark Forest

La valle dell'eco tonante/ Valley of the Thundering Echo (Hercules of the Desert, 1964) (*aka in France as "Maciste and the Women of the Valley") starring Kirk Morris

Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili/ Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles (Samson and the Mighty Challenge, aka Combate dei Gigantes, aka Le Grand Defi, 1965) starring Renato Rossini as Maciste; This was more of a satire poking fun at the peplum genre

Gli invicibili fratelli Maciste/ The Invincible Brothers Maciste (1965) starring Richard Lloyd as Maciste

Maciste il Vendicatore dei Mayas/ Maciste, Avenger of the Mayans (1965) (Note* This cheaply-made Maciste film was made up almost entirely of re-edited stock footage from 2 older Maciste films, "Maciste contro i mostri" and "Maciste contro i cacciatori di teste", so Maciste keeps changing from Reg Lewis to Kirk Morris in the film. (This movie is very scarce since it was never distributed in the USA and is available only in Italian.)

Sidenote - In 1973, the bizarre Spanish cult film director Jesus Franco knocked off two low-budget "Maciste films" which were an odd mix of fantasy, adventure and eroticism. The films were called "The Erotic Exploits of Maciste in Atlantis" and "Maciste Vs The Amazon Queen" (both starring Val Davis as Maciste). The films had almost identical casts, and appear to have been shot and edited simultaneously. Both titles appear to be lost films, and were not connected in any way with the 1960's Italian Maciste series.

[edit] Ursus Series (1961-1964)

Ursus was a super-human Biblical/ Roman era character who was used as the hero in a series of Italian adventure films made in the 1960's. Ursus was referred to as a "Son of Hercules" in several of the films when they were dubbed in English (in an attempt to cash in on the then-popular Italian Hercules film series), although in the original Italian films, Ursus had no connection to Hercules whatsoever. In the English-dubbed version of one film ("Hercules, Prisoner of Evil"), Ursus was actually referred to throughout the entire film as "Hercules".

There were a total of 9 Italian films that featured Ursus as the main character, listed below as follows: Italian title/English translation (USA title);

Ursus (Mighty Ursus, aka Ursus Son of Hercules) 1961 (starring Ed Fury)
La Vendetta di Ursus/ The Revenge of Ursus (The Revenge of Ursus) 1961 (starring Samson Burke)
Ursus Nella Valle dei Leoni/ Ursus in the Valley of the Lions (Valley of the Lions) 1961 (starring Ed Fury)
Ursus e la Ragazza Tartara/ Ursus and the Tartar Girl (Ursus and the Tartar Princess, aka The Tartar Invasion) 1962 (starring Joe Robinson)
Ursus Nella Terra di Fuoco/ Ursus in the Land of Fire (Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire) 1963 (starring Ed Fury)
Ursus il Gladiatore Rebelle/ Ursus the Rebel Gladiator (Rebel Gladiators) 1963 (starring Dan Vadis)
Ursus il Terrore dei Kirghisi/ Ursus, the Terror of the Kirghiz (Hercules, Prisoner of Evil) 1964 (starring Reg Park)
Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: Gli Invincibili/ Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles (Samson and the Mighty Challenge, aka Combate dei gigantes) 1964 (this was more of a satire poking fun at the sword-and-sandal genre, and starred Yan Larvor as Ursus)
Gli Invincibili Tre/ The Invincible Three (The Three Invincibles, aka Three Avengers) 1964 (Ursus was the lead hero in this film, played by Alan Steel)

[edit] Samson Series (1961-1964)

The Samson character was featured in a series of 5 sword-and-sandal adventure films made in Italy in the 1960's, as follows: (The Italian title & its translation is followed by the altered U.S. release title if it was different)

Sansone/ Samson (1961) starring Brad Harris
Sansone contro i pirati/ Samson Vs. The Pirates (aka Samson and the Sea Beast, 1963) starring Kirk Morris
Ercole sfida Sansone/ Hercules Challenges Samson (aka Hercules, Samson and Ulysses, 1963) starring Richard Lloyd as Samson
Sansone contro il corsaro nero/ Samson Vs. the Black Pirate (aka Hercules and the Black Pirate, 1963) starring Alan Steel
Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus gli invincibili/ Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: the Invincibles (aka Samson and the Mighty Challenge, 1965) starring Nadir Baltimore as Samson; a semi comedy/ satire of the peplum genre

The name Samson was later inserted into the American titles of 6 other Italian sword-and-sandal movies when they were dubbed in English for distribution in the USA, although these films actually featured the adventures of the famed Italian hero Maciste. "Samson Against the Sheik" (1962), "Son of Samson" (1960), "Samson and the Slave Queen" (1963), "Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World" (1961), "Samson Vs. The Giant King" (1964), and "Samson in King Solomon's Mines" (1964) were all retitled "Maciste" movies, because the American distrubtors didn't feel the name Maciste in the titles would be marketable to U.S.A. filmgoers.

"Samson and the Treasure of the Incas" (aka Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas, 1965) is listed in some reference books as a peplum, but the film was apparently set in South America during the time period of the Old West, and the film doesn't appear to be a sword-and-sandal.

[edit] Goliath Series (1960-1964)

The Italians used Goliath as an action superhero in a series of Biblical adventure films (peplums) in the early 1960's. He was possessed of amazing strength, and the films were similar in theme to their Hercules and Maciste movies. After the classic "Hercules" (1957) became a blockbuster sensation in the film industry, a 1959 Steve Reeves film "Terrore dei Barbari" (Terror of the Barbarians) was retitled "Goliath and the Barbarians" in the USA, and the film was so successful at the box office, it inspired Italian filmmakers to do a series of 4 more films featuring a beefcake hero named Goliath, although the films were not really related to each other. (The 1960 Italian film "David and Goliath" starring Orson Welles was not one of these, since that movie was a straightforward adaptation of the Biblical story).

The 4 titles in the Italian "Goliath" series were as follows:

Goliath contro i giganti/ Goliath Against the Giants (1960) starring Brad Harris as Goliath.
Goliath e la schiava ribelle/ Goliath and the Rebel Slave (aka The Tyrant of Lydia Vs. The Son of Hercules, 1963) starring Gordon Scott as Goliath
Golia e il cavaliere mascherato/ Goliath and the Masked Rider (aka Hercules and the Masked Rider, 1964) starring Alan Steel as Goliath.
Golia alla conquista di Bagdad/ Goliath at the Conquest of Baghdad (aka Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus, 1964) starring Peter Lupus as Goliath.

The name "Goliath" was later inserted into the film titles of 3 other Italian muscleman movies that were retitled for distribution in the USA in an attempt to cash in on the Goliath craze, but these films were not originally made as Goliath movies in Italy. Both "Goliath and the Vampires" (1961) and "Goliath and the Sins of Babylon" (1963) actually featured the famed superhero Maciste in the original Italian versions, but American distributors didn't feel the name Maciste had any meaning to American audiences. "Goliath and the Dragon" (1960) was originally an Italian Hercules movie called "The Revenge of Hercules", and it is a mystery to this day why U.S. distributors didn't market the film under that title, since the "Hercules" films always tended to do much better at the box office than "Goliath" movies.

[edit] The Sons of Hercules (TV Syndication Package)

The "Sons of Hercules" was a syndicated television show that aired in the United States in the 1960s. The series repackaged 14 randomly-chosen Italian sword-and-sandal films by unifying them with a memorable theme song and a standard voice-over intro relating the main hero in each film to Hercules any way they could. The films are not listed in chronological order, since they were not really related to each other in any way. The first title listed below for each film was its American broadcast television title, followed by the English translation of the original Italian theatrical title in parentheses:

Mole Men vs the Son of Hercules (Maciste, The Strongest Man in the World) starring Mark Forest as Maciste
The Terror of Rome vs the Son of Hercules (Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta) starring Mark Forest as Maciste
Fire Monsters Against The Son Of Hercules (Maciste Vs. The Monsters) starring Reg Lewis as Maciste
Triumph Of The Son Of Hercules (The Triumph Of Maciste) starring Kirk Morris as Maciste
Son Of Hercules In The Land Of Darkness (Hercules The Invincible) starring Dan Vadis as Hercules
Ulysses vs The Son Of Hercules (Ulysses Against Hercules) starring Mike Lane as Hercules
Son Of Hercules In The Land Of Fire (Ursus In The Land Of Fire) starring Ed Fury as Ursus
Ursus, Son Of Hercules (Ursus) starring Ed Fury as Ursus (this film was aka "Mighty Ursus")
The Tyrant Of Lydia vs The Son Of Hercules (Goliath and the Rebel Slave) starring Gordon Scott as Goliath
Messalina Against the Son Of Hercules (The Last Gladiator) starring Richard Harrison as Glaucus
The Devil Of The Desert vs The Son Of Hercules (Anthar The Invincible) starring Kirk Morris as Anthar
Medusa vs The Son Of Hercules (Perseus The Invincible) starring Richard Harrison as Perseus
The Beast Of Babylon vs The Son Of Hercules (The Hero Of Babylon) starring Gordon Scott as Prince Nippur
Venus Against The Son Of Hercules (Mars, God Of War) starring Roger Browne as Mars

[edit] Gladiator Movies, 1948-1965

Fabiola (1948) aka The Fighting Gladiator
Sins of Rome (1952) aka Spartacus directed by Riccardo Freda
The Invincible Gladiator (1961) Richard Harrison
Gladiators Seven (1962) aka The Seven Gladiators, Richard Harrison
Gladiator of Rome (1962) aka Battle of the Gladiators, Gordon Scott
The Slave (1962) aka Son of Spartacus, Steve Reeves
The Last Gladiator (1963) aka Messalina Against the Son of Hercules
The Ten Gladiators (1963) Dan Vadis
Ursus, the Rebel Gladiator (1963) aka Rebel Gladiators, Dan Vadis
Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators (1964) aka Ten Invincible Gladiators, Dan Vadis (a sequel to "The Ten Gladiators")
Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta (1964) aka Terror of Rome vs. the Son of Hercules
Triumph of the Ten Gladiators (1965) Dan Vadis
Challenge of the Gladiator (1965) Peter Lupus
The Revenge of Spartacus (1965) Roger Browne

[edit] Steve Reeves Peplums

AVENGER, THE (1962) aka THE LEGEND OF AENEAS, aka THE LAST GLORY OF TROY
DUEL OF THE TITANS (1961) aka ROMULUS AND REMUS
GIANT OF MARATHON, THE (1959) aka THE BATTLE OF MARATHON
GOLIATH AND THE BARBARIANS (1959) aka TERROR OF THE BARBARIANS
HERCULES (1958) aka THE LABORS OF HERCULES
HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959) aka HERCULES AND THE QUEEN OF LYDIA
LAST DAYS OF POMPEII, THE (1959)
MORGAN, THE PIRATE (1960)
PIRATES OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1964)
SANDOKAN, THE GREAT (1964) aka THE PIRATES OF MALAYSIA (directed by Umberto Lenzi)
SLAVE, THE (1962) aka SON OF SPARTACUS
THIEF OF BAGHDAD, THE (1960)
TROJAN HORSE, THE (1961) aka THE TROJAN WAR
WHITE WARRIOR, THE (1959) directed by Riccardo Freda

[edit] Other Classic Sword-and-Sandal Films (1960's)

There were many 1960's Italian sword-and-sandal films that did not feature a major superhero (such as Hercules, Maciste or Samson), and as such fall into a sort of miscellaneous category. (They do however feature well-known characters such as Ali Baba, Julius Caesar, Ulysses, Cleopatra, The Three Musketeers, Theseus, Perseus, Achilles, Robin Hood, Sandokan, El Cid, etc.) Here is a list of the best-known titles:

ALI BABA AND THE SACRED CROWN (1962) aka THE SEVEN TASKS OF ALI BABA, Richard Lloyd
ALI BABA AND THE SEVEN SARACENS (1963) aka SINBAD VS. THE SEVEN SARACENS, Gordon Mitchell
ATTACK OF THE NORMANS (1962) aka THE NORMANS, Cameron Mitchell
AVENGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1961) starring Richard Harrison
BARBARIANS, THE (1953) aka THE SACK OF ROME, aka THE PAGANS
BLACK ARCHER, THE (1959)
BLACK DEVIL, THE (1957) Gerard Landry
BLACK LANCERS, THE (1962) Mel Ferrer
BRENNUS, ENEMY OF ROME (1964) aka BATTLE OF THE VALIANT, Gordon Mitchell
BURNING OF ROME, THE (1963) aka THE MAGNIFICENT ADVENTURER
CAESAR, THE CONQUERER (1963) Cameron Mitchell, Rik Battaglia
CAPTAIN FALCON (1958) Lex Barker
CAVALIER IN THE DEVIL’S CASTLE (1959)
CENTURION, THE (1962) aka THE CONQUEROR OF CORINTH
CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER (1960) Debra Paget
COLOSSUS OF RHODES, THE (1960) directed by Sergio Leone
CONQUEROR OF ATLANTIS (1965) Kirk Morris
CONQUEROR OF THE ORIENT (1961) Rik Battaglia
CONSTANTINE AND THE CROSS (1960) aka CONSTANTINE THE GREAT, Cornel Wilde
CORIOLANUS, HERO WITHOUT A COUNTRY (1963) Gordon Scott
DAVID AND GOLIATH (1960) Orson Welles
DESERT WARRIOR (1957) aka THE DESERT LOVERS, Ricardo Montalban
DEVIL'S CAVALIERS, THE (1959)
DUEL OF THE CHAMPIONS (1961) aka HORATIO AND CURIAZI, Alan Ladd
ESTHER AND THE KING (1961) w. Joan Collins, Richard Egan
FIGHTING MUSKETEERS, THE (1961)
FURY OF ACHILLES, THE (1962) Gordon Mitchell
GIANT OF METROPOLIS, THE (1962) Gordon Mitchell, Sci-fi theme
GIANT OF THE EVIL ISLAND (1965) aka MYSTERY OF THE CURSED ISLAND, Peter Lupus
GIANTS OF ROME (1963) dir. by Antonio Margheriti, Richard Harrison
GIANTS OF THESSALY, THE (1960) directed by Riccardo Freda
HEAD OF A TYRANT (1959)
HERO OF BABYLON (1963) aka THE BEAST OF BABYLON VS. THE SON OF HERCULES, Gordon Scott
HERO OF ROME (1964) aka THE COLOSSUS OF ROME, w. Gordon Scott
HEROD, THE GREAT (1958)
INVADERS, THE (1961) aka ERIK, THE CONQUERER, w. Cameron Mitchell, directed by Mario Bava
KINDAR, THE INVULNERABLE (1965) w. Mark Forest
KNIGHT OF 100 FACES, THE (1960) Lex Barker
KNIVES OF THE AVENGER (1967) aka VIKING MASSACRE, directed by Mario Bava
LAND OF THE PHAROAHS (1955) w. Joan Collins
LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961) w. Cameron Mitchell, Broderick Crawford
LION OF ST. MARK, THE (1964) w. Gordon Scott
LION OF THEBES, THE (1964) aka HELEN OF TROY, w. Mark Forest
LOVES OF SALAMMBO, THE (1959)
MARS, GOD OF WAR (1962) aka VENUS AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES
MASKED MAN AGAINST THE PIRATES, THE (1965)
MINOTAUR, THE (1961) aka THESEUS AGAINST THE MINOTAUR
MONGOLS, THE (1961) directed by Riccardo Freda, starring Jack Palance
PERSEUS, THE INVINCIBLE (1962) aka MEDUSA VS. THE SON OF HERCULES
PIRATE AND THE SLAVE GIRL, THE (1959) Lex Barker
PIRATE OF THE BLACK HAWK (1958)
PIRATES OF THE COAST (1960) Lex Barker
QUEEN FOR CAESAR, A (1962)
QUEEN OF SHEBA, THE (1953) directed by Pietro Francisci
QUEEN OF THE AMAZONS (1960) aka COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN
QUEEN OF THE NILE (1961) aka NEFERTITI, Vincent Price
REVENGE OF THE BLACK EAGLE (1951) dir. by Riccardo Freda
REVENGE OF THE CONQUERED (1961) aka DRAKUT THE AVENGER
REVOLT OF THE BARBARIANS (1964) dir. by Guido Malatesta
ROBIN HOOD AND THE PIRATES (1960) Lex Barker
ROLAND, THE MIGHTY (1956) dir. by Pietro Francisci, Rik Battaglia
ROME AGAINST ROME (1963) aka WAR OF THE ZOMBIES
SANDOKAN FIGHTS BACK (1964) aka SANDOKAN TO THE RESCUE
SECRET MARK OF D'ARTAGNAN, THE (1962)
SECRET SEVEN, THE (1965) aka THE INVINCIBLE SEVEN
79 A.D., THE DESTRUCTION OF HERCULANEUM (1962) Brad Harris
SON OF THE RED CORSAIR (1959) aka SON OF THE RED PIRATE, Lex Barker
SULEIMAN THE CONQUEROR (1961)
SWORD OF DAMASCUS, THE (1964) aka THE THIEF OF DAMASCUS
SWORD OF EL CID, THE (1962) aka THE DAUGHTERS OF EL CID
SWORD OF REBELLION, THE (1964) aka THE REBEL OF CASTELMONTE
SWORD OF THE CONQUEROR (1961) Jack Palance
TAUR, THE MIGHTY (1963) aka TOR THE WARRIOR, Joe Robinson
TEMPLE OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT (1965) aka SANDOK, THE MACISTE OF THE JUNGLE (Note* - this was not a Maciste film however)
TERROR OF THE RED MASK (1960) Lex Barker
TERROR OF THE STEPPES (1964) aka THE MIGHTY KHAN, Kirk Morris
THARUS, SON OF ATTILA (1962) aka COLOSSUS AND THE HUNS, Ricardo Montalban
THOR AND THE AMAZON WOMEN (1963) Joe Robinson
TIGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1963)
ULYSSES (1954) w. Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn
VULCAN, SON OF JUPITER (1960) Gordon Mitchell
WAR GODS OF BABYLON (1962)
ZORIKAN THE BARBARIAN (1964) starring Dan Vadis

[edit] Later Sword-and-Sandal Films from the 1980's

After the peplums gave way to the spaghetti western in 1965, the genre lay dormant for close to 20 years. Then in 1982, the box-office success of Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Conan the Barbarian" spurred a second renaissance of Italian peplums in the five years immediately following. Most notable among them were the four ATOR films, starring Miles O'Keefe in the lead role. Most of these films were of lower quality due to painfully reduced budgets, and the filmmakers tried to compensate for their shortcomings with the addition of some graphic gore and nudity. Many of these 1980's entries were helmed by noted Italian horror film directors, and many featured Lou Ferrigno or the sexy Sabrina Siani. Here is a list of the 1980's peplums:

ATOR, THE FIGHTING EAGLE (1983) aka "ATOR 1", aka ATOR THE INVINCIBLE, with Miles O'Keefe & Sabrina Siani, directed by Joe D’Amato
BARBARIAN MASTER (1984) aka SWORD OF THE BARBARIANS, aka SANGRAAL, THE SWORD OF FIRE, starring Sabrina Siani
THE BARBARIANS AND COMPANY (1987) aka THE BARBARIANS, semi-comedy starring Peter and David Paul, directed by Ruggero Deodato
BLADEMASTER (1985) aka "ATOR 2", with Miles O’Keefe, directed by Joe D’Amato
CONQUEST (1984) aka CONQUEST OF THE LOST LAND, with Sabrina Siani, directed by Lucio Fulci
HERCULES (1983) starring Lou Ferrigno and Sybil Danning, directed by Luigi Cozzi
HERCULES 2 (1984) aka THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULES, starring Lou Ferrigno, directed by Luigi Cozzi
INVINCIBLE BARBARIAN, THE (1982) aka GUNAN THE WARRIOR, starring Sabrina Siani, directed by Franco Prosperi
IRON WARRIOR (1986) aka "ATOR 3", with Miles O'Keefe, directed by Alfonso Brescia
IRONMASTER (1983) aka THE WAR OF IRON, co-starring Luigi Montefiore, directed by Umberto Lenzi
QUEST FOR THE MIGHTY SWORD (1989) aka "ATOR 4", with Laura Gemser & Marisa Mell, directed by Joe D'Amato
SEVEN MAGNIFICENT GLADIATORS, THE (1985) starring Lou Ferrigno and Dan Vadis
SHE (1983) starring Sandahl Bergman & Gordon Mitchell
SINDBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1988) starring Lou Ferrigno, directed by Luigi Cozzi
THRONE OF FIRE, THE (1983) starring Sabrina Siani, directed by Franco Prosperi

[edit] Fan Bibliography

Dizionario del Cinema Italiano: I Film Vol. 3 (1960-1969), by Roberto Poppi and Mario Pecorari; published in 1992 by Grimese Editore (this is the ultimate movie guide for anything having to do with Italian cinema, the only drawback being it is published only in Italian; it can be ordered via internet from a distributor in Italy.)

With Fire and Sword: Italian Spectacles on American Screens; written by Patrick Lucanio, published in 1994 by Scarecrow Press (New Jersey); this is a great reference book on peplums, but the films are organized primarily by their American titles/versions, and not their original Italian titles.)

Muscles, Myths and Movies (softcover 68-page magazine format); written in 1994 by Stephen Flacassier; ($6.95) distributed by Rabbit's Garage Inc.(this is an interesting fanzine-type movie guide but it is not as comprehensive as the others.)

[edit] Academic Bibliography

Richard Dyer: "The White Man's Muscles" in R. Dyer: White: London: Routledge: 1997: ISBN 0-4150-9537-9

David Chapman: Retro Studs: Muscle Movie Posters from Around the World: Portland: Collectors Press: 2002: ISBN 1-888054-69-7

Maggie Gunsberg: "Heroic Bodies: The Culture of Masculinity in Peplums" in M. Gunsberg: Italian Cinema: Gender and Genre: Houndsmill: Palgrave Macmillan: 2005: ISBN 0-333-75115-9

Roger Hillman: "Cinematic Support of Nationalist Myth: The Italian Peplum: 1910-1930" in Natascha Genz and Stefan Kramer (ed) Globalisation, Cultural Identities and Media Representations: Albany: State University of New York Press: 2006: ISBN 0-7914-6684-1