Sword and sandal - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Peplum

Peplum originates in the Greek word for 'tunic' and may refer to one of the following:*A genre of Italian films also known as 'Sword and Sandal'*Peplos, a kind of women's garment in ancient Greece*Veil...

(or pepla plural), also known as Sword-and-Sandal, is a genre of largely Italian-made Historical or Biblical Epics that dominated the Italian film industry from 1957 to 1965, eventually being replaced in 1965 by the "Spaghetti Western

Spaghetti Western

Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...

". The pepla attempted to emulate, or compete with, the big budget Hollywood Historical Epics of the time, such as Spartacus
Spartacus (film)
Spartacus is a 1960 American epic historical drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast...

, Samson and Delilah
Samson and Delilah (1949 film)
Samson and Delilah is a 1949 film made by Paramount Pictures , produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr as the title characters...

and The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1956 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...

, just as the Spaghetti westerns were low-budget imitations of the Hollywood Western. The terms "peplum" (referring to the togas or robes which the ancient Romans wore) and "sword-and-sandal" were used in a condescending way by film critics. The peplum genre does not include Hollywood or British films such as "Clash of the Titans" or "King of Kings" (just as the "Spaghetti Western" genre obviously does not include Hollywood westerns such as "High Noon" or "The Outlaw Josey Wales").

While Hollywood filmmakers, such as D. W. Griffith with his 1916 "Intolerance", peopled their historical epics with dramatic conflicts and realistic protagonists, the Peplum merely took a real historical or Biblical event and used it as a backdrop for a simplistic (albeit engrossing), comic book-like heroic adventure. The pepla are a specific class of Italian adventure

Adventure film

Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....

or fantasy films that have subjects set in biblical

Bible

The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

, medieval or classical antiquity

Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...

, often with contrived plots based very loosely on mythology

Mythology

The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...

, legendary

Legend

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...

Greco-Roman history, or the contemporary cultures of the time, (Egyptians

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

, Assyria

Assyria

Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...

ns, Etruscans

Etruscan civilization

Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...

, Minoans

Minoan civilization

The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...

, etc.).

Most of the pepla featured a supernaturally strong muscleman type as the protagonist, such as Hercules

Hercules

Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...

, Samson

Samson

Samson, Shimshon ; Shamshoun or Sampson is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Tanakh ....

, Goliath, or Italy's own popular folk hero Maciste

Maciste

Maciste is one of the oldest recurring characters in cinema. He cuts a heroic figure throughout the history of the cinema of Italy from the 1910s to the 1970s, even if most of the movies that featured him are considered to be of poor artistic quality...

. These supermen often rescued captive princesses from tyrannical despots and fought mythological creatures. Not all of the films were fantasy-based however. Many of these films featured actual historical personalities (such as Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....

, Cleopatra, Hannibal, etc.), although great liberties were taken with the storylines. Gladiators

Gladiators

Gladiators is a British television series produced by LWT for ITV on Saturdays nights from 10 October 1992 to 1 January 2000. It is an adaptation of the United States game show American Gladiators. An Australian spin-off and a Swedish one followed...

, pirates, Vikings, and slaves rebelling against tyrannical kings

Monarch

A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...

were also popular subjects.

The 1914

1914 in film

The year 1914 in film involved some significant events, including the debut of Cecil B. DeMille as a director.-Events:*The 3,300-seat Mark Strand Theatre opens in New York City....

Italian silent film Cabiria
Cabiria
Cabiria is a silent movie from the early years of Italy's movie industry, directed by Giovanni Pastrone . The movie is set in ancient Sicily, Carthage, and Cirta during the period of the Second Punic War . It follows a melodramatic main plot about an abducted little girl, Cabiria, and features...

was one of the first sword-and-sandal films to make use of a massively muscled character, Maciste

Maciste

(played by actor Bartolomeo Pagano

Bartolomeo Pagano

Bartolomeo Pagano was an Italian motion picture actor.Before his cinema career, Pagano was a stevedore who worked at the port of Genoa. There, he was discovered and selected to play the role of Maciste, a muscular slave, in the silent movie classic Cabiria in 1914...

) who served in this film as the hero's loyal sidekick. Maciste became the public's favorite character in the film however, and Pagano was called back to reprise the role. The Maciste character appeared in at least two dozen Italian silent films from 1915 to 1926, all of which featured a protagonist named Maciste although the films were set in many different time periods and geographical locations. When the peplum genre became popular again in 1957 due to the release of Steve Reeves' HERCULES, Italian filmmakers resurrected the 1920's Maciste character in a brand new 1960's sound film series (1960-1964), followed by Ursus, Samson, Goliath and various other mighty-muscled heroes.

Although Italy had always produced pepla through the decades (such as 1954's classic "Ulysses"), the peplum mania really began with the 1957 release of Hercules
Hercules (1958 film)
Hercules is a 1958 Italian epic fantasy feature film based upon the Hercules myths and the Quest for the Golden Fleece. The film stars Steve Reeves as the titular hero and Sylva Koscina as his love interest Princess Iole. Hercules was directed by Pietro Francisci and produced by Federico Teti...

, starring American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

bodybuilder

Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...

Steve Reeves

Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...

. This spawned the 1959

1959 in film

The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....

sequel Hercules Unchained, and literally dozens of low-budget imitations followed, starring similar bodybuilder stars such as Reg Park

Reg Park

Roy "Reg" Park from Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, was a bodybuilder, businessman and film actor.-Biography:...

, Gordon Scott

Gordon Scott

Gordon Scott was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films of the Tarzan film series from 1955 to 1960.-Early life, education and military service:He was born Gordon Merrill Werschkul in Portland,...

, Mark Forest, Brad Harris

Brad Harris

Bradford Harris is an American actor, stuntman, and executive producer. He appeared in a variety of roles in over 50 films, mostly in European productions. He is a member of the Stuntman's Hall of Fame.- Life and career :...

, Dan Vadis

Dan Vadis

Dan Vadis was an actor of Greek descent with lineage tracing back to the infamous island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. This former U.S...

, and Alan Steel. European audiences tended to prefer an Anglo-American in the lead, and Italian bodybuilders would adopt English pseudonyms for the screen (Sergio Ciani became Alan Steel, for example).

In the formulaic plots common to many of the films, two women vied for the affection of the bodybuilder hero: the good love interest (a damsel in distress

Damsel in distress

The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...

needing rescue), and an evil queen who served as a femme fatale

Femme fatale

A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...

. The films often featured an ambitious ruler who would ascend the throne by murdering whoever stood in his way, and often it was only the muscular hero who could stop him. Most of the films involved an impending clash between two warring populations, one civilized and the other evilly barbaric, thus many pepla begin with an opening scene of a peaceful, defenseless village being razed to the ground by a wild barbarian horde. For their musical content, most films contained a well-choreographed belly-dancing scene or some colorful ballet, meant to underline the pagan

Paganism

Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....

decadence

Decadence

Decadence can refer to a personal trait, or to the state of a society . Used to describe a person's lifestyle. Concise Oxford Dictionary: "a luxurious self-indulgence"...

of the villains. The contrived plots, poorly overdubbed dialogue

Dialogue

Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....

, novice acting skills of the bodybuilder leads, and primitive special effects that were often inadequate to depict the legendary creature

Legendary creature

A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature.-Origin:Some mythical creatures have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures, for example the dragon, the unicorn, and griffin...

s on screen all conspire to give these films a certain camp

Camp (style)

Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...

appeal now.

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. Although many of the bigger budget pepla were released theatrically in the USA, fourteen of them were released directly to American International Pictures

American International Pictures

American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...

television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

in a syndicated TV package called The Sons of Hercules
The Sons of Hercules
The Sons of Hercules was a syndicated Embassy Pictures television show that aired in the United States of America in the 1960s. The series repackaged 14 Italian sword-and-sandal films by giving them a standardized theme song for the opening and closing titles, as well as a standard introductory...

. The movies were turned into a series

Film series

A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...

of sorts by splicing on the same opening title song and newly-designed narration that desperately attempted to link whoever the hero of the film was to the Hercules Mythos, as few American viewers had a familiarity with Italian film heroes such as Maciste or Ursus, etc. These films ran on Saturday afternoons in the 1960s. Often ridiculed for their low budgets and bad English dubbing, several of these films have been subjects of the Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....

treatment.

Hercules series (1957–1965)

A series of 19 Italian Hercules movies were made in the late 50's and early 60's. The films were all inspired by the fantastically successful Steve Reeves peplum "Hercules" (1957) and its sequel "Hercules Unchained" (1959), and in turn inspired Italian filmmakers to begin a new Maciste film series in 1960. The actors who played Hercules in these films were Steve Reeves

Steve Reeves

Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...

, Gordon Scott

Gordon Scott

, Kirk Morris, Mickey Hargitay

Mickey Hargitay

Miklós "Mickey" Hargitay was an actor and Mr. Universe 1955. Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was married to Jayne Mansfield, and the father of actress Mariska Hargitay...

, Mark Forest, Alan Steel, Dan Vadis

Dan Vadis

Dan Vadis was an actor of Greek descent with lineage tracing back to the infamous island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. This former U.S...

, Brad Harris

Brad Harris

, Reg Park

Reg Park

Roy "Reg" Park from Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, was a bodybuilder, businessman and film actor.-Biography:...

, Peter Lupus

Peter Lupus

Peter Lupus is an American bodybuilder and actor of Syrian ancestry. He attended the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University, where he also played football and basketball, graduating in 1954...

(billed as 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 with English translation. (Dates shown are actual production dates, not theatrical release dates.)

Hercules
Hercules (1958 film)
Hercules is a 1958 Italian epic fantasy feature film based upon the Hercules myths and the Quest for the Golden Fleece. The film stars Steve Reeves as the titular hero and Sylva Koscina as his love interest Princess Iole. Hercules was directed by Pietro Francisci and produced by Federico Teti...

(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 U.S.)
Hercules Vs The Hydra (Gli Amori di Ercole/ The Loves of Hercules, 1960) co-starring Mickey Hargitay & Jayne Mansfield
Hercules and the Captive Women (Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide/Hercules at the Conquest of Atlantis, 1961) starring Reg Park (alternate U.S. title: Hercules and the Haunted Women)
Hercules in the Haunted World
Hercules in the Haunted World
Hercules in The Haunted World is a 1961 Italian sword and sandal film directed by director Mario Bava and starring British-born bodybuilder Reg Park as Hercules and legendary British actor Christopher Lee as his nemesis, Lico. It is the sequel to Hercules and the Captive Women...

(Ercole al centro della terra/Hercules at the Center of the Earth) 1961 (directed by Mario Bava) starring Reg Park
Hercules in the Vale of Woe (Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai/Maciste Vs. Hercules in the Vale of Woe) 1961
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) 1962 (alternate U.S. title: The Fury of Samson)
Hercules, Samson and Ulysses (Ercole sfida Sansone/Hercules Challenges Samson) 1963
Hercules Vs. the Moloch (Ercole contro Molock/Hercules Vs. Moloch) 1963 (alternate U.S. title: The Conquest of Mycene)
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) 1964 (alternate U.S. title: Hercules and the Ten Avengers)
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/ Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles, 1964) (a.k.a. Combate dei Gigantes or Le Grand Defi)
Hercules and the Princess of Troy (No Italian title, 1965)(a.k.a. Hercules vs. the Sea Monster) This U.S./ Italian co-production was made as a pilot for a Charles Band-produced TV series that never materialized & it was later distributed as a feature film.
Hercules, the Avenger (Sfida dei giganti/Challenge of the Giants, 1965) This film was composed mostly of stock footage from the two 1961 Reg Park Hercules films.

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

None of these films in their original Italian versions involved the Hercules character in any way. Likewise, most of the Sons of Hercules movies shown on American TV in the 1960s had nothing to do with Hercules in their original Italian incarnations. (See also "THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES" (1962) an American-made genre parody starring peplum star Samson Burke as Hercules.)

Maciste series (1960–1965)

There were a total of 25 Maciste films from the 1960s peplum craze (not counting the two dozen silent Maciste films made in Italy pre-1930). When the 2 Steve Reeves HERCULES films were so successful, Italian producers decided to revive the old silent film character of Maciste in a new series of sound movies. 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 an entirely different name in the American title):

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)
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; it is apparently not available in English
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, 1964) starring Kirk Morris (aka Atlas Against The Czar)
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) starring Kirk Morris (released in France as Maciste and the Women of the Valley)
Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili/Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles (Samson and the Mighty Challenge, 1965) starring Renato Rossini as Maciste (aka Combate dei Gigantes or Le Grand Defi)
Gli invicibili fratelli Maciste/The Invincible Brothers Maciste (1965) starring Richard Lloyd as Maciste
Maciste il Vendicatore dei Mayas/Maciste, Avenger of the Mayans (No American title, 1965) (Note* This 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 switches from Kirk Morris to Reg Lewis in various scenes; this movie is very scarce since it was never distributed in the USA and is not available in English.)

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. These two (apparently lost) films were not connected in any way with the 1960's Italian Maciste series.

Ursus series (1961–1964)

Ursus

Ursus (film character)

Ursus is a fictional character featured in a series of Italian sword and sandal films produced in the early 1960s. The character was an archetypical Greco-Roman warrior, similar to the mythical Hercules or Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian...

was a super-human Roman era character who was used as the protagonist in a series of Italian adventure films made in the early 1960s. The character was obviously inspired by the mightily-muscled Roman slave Ursus (played by Buddy Baer) who slays a bull with his bare hards in a Roman gladiatorial arena in the 1951 Hollywood classic "QUO VADIS?". When the "Hercules" film craze hit in 1959, Italian filmmakers were looking for other muscleman characters similar to Hercules whom they could exploit.

Ursus was referred to as a "Son of Hercules" in two of the films when they were dubbed in English (in an attempt to cash in on the then-popular Hercules craze), although in the original Italian films, Ursus had no connection to Hercules whatsoever. In the English-dubbed version of one Ursus film (retitled 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/ Ursus (Ursus, Son of Hercules, 1961) starring Ed Fury (a.k.a. "Mighty Ursus")
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, 1962) starring Joe Robinson (aka "The Tartar Invasion")
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, 1964) starring Yan Larvor as Ursus (aka "Combate dei Gigantes" or "Le Grand Defi")
Gli Invincibili Tre/The Invincible Three (Three Avengers, 1964) starring Alan Steel as Ursus

Samson series (1961–1964)

A Samson character was featured in a series of 5 sword-and-sandal adventure films made in Italy in the 1960s. The character was similar to the Biblical Samson in the 3rd and 5th films only; in the other three, he just appears to be a very strong adventurer/ pirate-type character named Samson (not related to the Biblical figure).
The titles are listed as follows: the Italian title & its English translation followed by the U.S. release title in parentheses)

Sansone/Samson (Samson, 1961) starring Brad Harris
Sansone contro i pirati/Samson vs The Pirates (Samson and the Sea Beast, 1963) starring Kirk Morris
Ercole sfida Sansone/Hercules Challenges Samson (Hercules, Samson and Ulysses, 1963) starring Richard Lloyd
Sansone contro il corsaro nero/Samson vs the Black Pirate (Hercules and the Black Pirate, 1963) starring Alan Steel
Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus gli invincibili/Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: the Invincibles (Samson and the Mighty Challenge, 1965) starring Nadir Baltimore as Samson (a.k.a. "Combate dei Gigantes")

The name Samson was later inserted into the titles of six other Italian movies when they were dubbed in English for distribution in the USA, although these films actually featured the adventures of the famed Italian folk 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 distributors didn't feel the name Maciste was marketable to U.S. filmgoers.
Samson and the Treasure of the Incas (a.k.a. Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas) (1965) is listed in some reference books as a peplum, but the film was actually an Italian western.

Goliath series (1960–1964)

The Italians used Goliath as an action superhero in a series of adventure films (pepla) in the early 1960s. He was a man possessed of amazing strength, and the films were similar in theme to the 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. The film was so successful at the box office, it inspired Italian filmmakers to do a series of four more films featuring a generic beefcake hero named Goliath, although the films were not related to each other in any way. (The 1960 Italian peplum David and Goliath starring Orson Welles

Orson Welles

George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...

was not part of this series, since that movie was just a historical retelling of the Biblical story).
The titles in the Italian Goliath adventure series were as follows:

Terrore dei Barbari/ Terror of the Barbarians (1959) (retitled Goliath and the Barbarians in the USA), starring Steve Reeves as Goliath (although he is referred to as "Emiliano" in the original Italian-language version)
Goliath contro i giganti/ Goliath Against the Giants (1960) starring Brad Harris
Goliath e la schiava ribelle/ Goliath and the Rebel Slave (a.k.a. The Tyrant of Lydia Vs. The Son of Hercules) (1963) starring Gordon Scott
Golia e il cavaliere mascherato/ Goliath and the Masked Rider (a.k.a. Hercules and the Masked Rider) (1964) starring Alan Steel
Golia alla conquista di Bagdad/ Goliath at the Conquest of Baghdad (a.k.a. Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus, 1964) starring Peter Lupus

The name Goliath was later inserted into the English titles of 3 other Italian pepla 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, but it was retitled to "Goliath and the Dragon" in the USA since at the time, the distributors may have believed the name "Hercules" was trademarked by distributor Joseph E. Levine.

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 memorable title and end title theme songs and a standard voice-over intro relating the main hero in each film to Hercules any way they could. In some areas, each film was split into two one-hour episodes, so the 14 films were shown as 28 weekly episodes.

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:

Ursus, Son of Hercules (Ursus) 1961, starring Ed Fury (a.k.a. Mighty Ursus in England)
Mole Men vs the Son of Hercules (Maciste, The Strongest Man in the World) 1962, starring Mark Forest
Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules (Maciste vs the Monsters) 1962, starring Reg Lewis
Venus Against the Son of Hercules (Mars, God Of War) 1962, starring Roger Browne
Triumph of the Son of Hercules (The Triumph of Maciste) 1962, starring Kirk Morriso
Ulysses vs the Son of Hercules (Ulysses Against Hercules) 1962, starring Mike Lane
Medusa vs the Son of Hercules(Perseus The Invincible) 1962, starring Richard Harrison
Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire (Ursus In The Land Of Fire) 1963, starring Ed Fury
The Tyrant of Lydia vs the Son of Hercules (Goliath and the Rebel Slave) 1963, starring Gordon Scott
Messalina Against the Son of Hercules (The Last Gladiator) 1963, starring Richard Harrison
The Beast of Babylon vs the Son of Hercules (Hero Of Babylon) 1963, starring Gordon Scott
The Terror of Rome vs the Son of Hercules (Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta) 1964, starring Mark Forest
Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness (Hercules The Invincible) 1964, starring Dan Vadis
The Devil of the Desert vs the Son of Hercules (Anthar the Invincible) 1964, (aka "The Slave Merchants" or "Soraya, Queen of the Desert") starring Kirk Morris, directed by Antonio Margheriti

Italian gladiator movies, 1948–1965

There were a number of Italian peplums that heavily emphasized the gladiatorial arena in their plots, with it becoming almost a peplum sub-genre in itself; One group of supermen known as "The Ten Gladiators" appeared in a trilogy, all three films starring Dan Vadis in the lead role.

Fabiola
Fabiola (film)
Fabiola is a 1949 Italian language motion picture historical drama directed by Alessandro Blasetti, very loosely based on the 1854 novel of the same name by Nicholas Patrick Wiseman. The film stars Michèle Morgan, Henri Vidal and Michel Simon...

(1948) aka The Fighting Gladiator
Sins of Rome (1952) a.k.a. Spartacus, directed by Riccardo Freda
The Invincible Gladiator (1961) Richard Harrison
Revenge of the Gladiators (1961) starring Mickey Hargitay
Gladiators Seven (1962) a.k.a. The Seven Gladiators, starring Richard Harrison
Gladiator of Rome (1962) a.k.a. Battle of the Gladiators, starring Gordon Scott
The Slave (1962) a.k.a. Son of Spartacus, starring Steve Reeves
The Last Gladiator (1963) a.k.a. Messalina Against the Son of Hercules
The Ten Gladiators (1963) starring Dan Vadis
Ursus, the Rebel Gladiator (1963) a.k.a. Rebel Gladiators, starring Dan Vadis
Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators (1964) a.k.a. Ten Invincible Gladiators, starring Dan Vadis
Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta (1964) a.k.a. Terror of Rome vs. the Son of Hercules
Revolt of the Seven (1964) a.k.a. The Spartan Gladiator, starring Tony Russel & Helga Line
The Two Gladiators (1964) a.k.a. Fight or Die, starring Richard Harrison
Triumph of the Ten Gladiators (1965) starring Dan Vadis
Challenge of the Gladiator (1965) starring Peter Lupus
The Revenge of Spartacus (1965) starring Roger Browne
Seven Rebel Gladiators (1965) a.k.a. Seven Against All, starring Roger Browne
Seven Slaves Against the World (1965) a.k.a. Seven Slaves Against Rome, a.k.a. The Strongest Slaves in the World, starring Roger Browne & Gordon Mitchell

Steve Reeves Pepla (in chronological order of production)

See Main Page Steve Reeves
Steve Reeves
Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...

Steve Reeves appeared in 14 peplums made in Italy from 1957 to 1964, and most of his films are highly regarded examples of the sword and sandal genre. The films are listed by their American release titles, followed by the translation of the original Italian title in parentheses:

Hercules (1957) (The Labors of Hercules)
Hercules Unchained (1959) (Hercules and the Queen of Lydia)
The Giant of Marathon
The Giant of Marathon
The Giant of Marathon is a 1959 Italian sword and sandal film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and Mario Bava...

(1959) (The Battle of Marathon)
Goliath and the Barbarians (1959) (Terror of the Barbarians)
The Last Days of Pompeii
The Last Days of Pompeii
The Last Days of Pompeii is a novel written by the baron Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1834. Once a very widely read book and now relatively neglected, it culminates in the cataclysmic destruction of the city of Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.The novel uses its characters to contrast...

(1959) (The Last Days of Pompeii)
The White Warrior (1959) (Hadji Murad, The White Devil) directed by Riccardo Freda
Riccardo Freda
Riccardo Freda was an Egyptian-born Italian film director. Best known for his horror and thriller movies, Freda had no great love for the horror films he was assigned, but rather favored the epic sword and sandal pictures...
Morgan, the Pirate
Morgan, the Pirate
Morgan, the Pirate is a 1961 film by André De Toth and Primo Zeglio, and starring Steve Reeves.For the pirate Morgan see Admiral Sir Henry Morgan...

(1960) (Morgan, the Pirate)
The Thief of Baghdad (1961) (The Thief of Baghdad)
The Trojan Horse (1961) (The Trojan War)
Duel of the Titans (1961) (Romulus And Remus)
The Slave (1962) (Son of Spartacus
Spartacus
Spartacus was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable...

)
The Avenger (1962) (The Legend Of Aeneas) a.k.a. The Last Glory of Troy
Sandokan the Great (1964) (Sandokan, the Tiger of Mompracem) directed by Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi , is an Italian film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums, spaghetti westerns, war movies, cannibal films and giallo murder mysteries ....
The Pirates of Malaysia (1964) (The Pirates of Malaysia) directed by Umberto Lenzi, a.k.a. Pirates of the Seven Seas (again starring Steve Reeves as Sandokan)

Other (non-series) Italian pepla

There were many 1960's Italian pepla that did not feature a major superhero (such as Hercules, Maciste or Samson), and as such they 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

Sandokan

Sandokan is a fictional pirate of the late 19th century, who first appeared in publication in 1883, created by Italian author Emilio Salgari. He is the protagonist of eleven adventure novels and is known throughout the South China Sea as "The Tiger of Malaysia".-Sandokan novels:Emilio Salgari...

, El Cid, etc.). Although the Kirk Douglas epic Ulysses (1954) was the first of the big peplum films of the 1950's, it was Steve Reeves' "Hercules" (1957) that sparked the genre's instantaneous growth.

Here is a list of the best-known titles:

Adventurer of Tortuga (1965) starring Guy Madison
Ali Baba and the Sacred Crown (1962) a.k.a. The Seven Tasks of Ali Baba, starring Richard Lloyd
Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens (1963) a.k.a. Sinbad Vs. The Seven Saracens, starring Gordon Mitchell
Anthar, The Invincible (1964) a.k.a. Devil of the Desert vs the Son of Hercules, starring Kirk Morris, directed by Antonio Margheriti
Attack of the Moors (1959) a.k.a. The Kings of France
Attack of the Normans (1962) a.k.a. The Normans, starring Cameron Mitchell
Avenger of the Seven Seas (1961) starring Richard Harrison
The Black Archer (1959)
The Black Devil (1957) starring Gerard Landry
The Black Duke (1963) Cameron Mitchell
The Black Lancers (1962) starring Mel Ferrer
Brennus, Enemy of Rome (1964) a.k.a. Battle of the Valiant, starring Gordon Mitchell
The Burning of Rome (1963) a.k.a. The Magnificent Adventurer
Caesar, the Conquerer (1963) starring Cameron Mitchell, Rik Battaglia
Captain Falcon (1958) starring Lex Barker
Captain Phantom (1953)
Captains of Adventure (1961) a.k.a. Rampage of Evil, starring Paul Muller & Gerard Landry
Caroline and the Rebels (1962) starring Bridget Bardot
The Castillian (1963) starring Cesar Romero
Catherine of Russia (1963) directed by Umberto Lenzi
Cavalier In the Devil’s Castle (1959)
The Centurion (1962) a.k.a. The Conqueror of Corinth
Charge of the Black Lancers (1962) Mel Ferrer
Cleopatra's Daughter (1960) starring Debra Paget
The Colossus of Rhodes
Il Colosso di Rodi
Il Colosso di Rodi is a 1961 sword and sandal film directed by Sergio Leone. It was Leone's first work as a credited director, in a genre where he already had worked before . It is by far the least known of his films...

(1960) directed By Sergio Leone
Conqueror of Atlantis (1965) starring Kirk Morris
Conqueror of the Orient (1961) starring Rik Battaglia
Constantine and the Cross (1960) a.k.a. Constantine the Great, starring Cornel Wilde
Coriolanus, Hero Without a Country (1963) Gordon Scott
Damon and Pythias (1962) Guy Williams
David and Goliath (1960) Orson Welles
Defeat of the Barbarians (1962) a.k.a. King Manfred
Desert Warrior (1957) a.k.a. The Desert Lovers, Ricardo Montalban
The Devil's Cavaliers (1959)
Duel of the Champions (1961) a.k.a. Horatio and Curiazi, Alan Ladd
Erik the Conqueror (1961) a.k.a. Gli Invasori/ The Invaders, directed by Mario Bava, starring Cameron Mitchell
Esther and the King (1961) Joan Collins, Richard Egan
Executioner of Venice, The (1963) Lex Barker, Guy Madison
Fabiola (1948) a.k.a. The Fighting Gladiator
Falcon of the Desert (1965) a.k.a. The Magnificent Challenge, starring Kirk Morris
The Fighting Musketeers (1961)
Fire Over Rome (1963)
The Fury of Achilles (1962) Gordon Mitchell
The Giant of Metropolis (1962) Gordon Mitchell (this unusual peplum had a science fiction theme instead of fantasy)
Giant of the Evil Island (1965) a.k.a. Mystery of the Cursed Island, Peter Lupus
Giants of Rome (1963) directed by Antonio Margheriti, starring Richard Harrison
The Giants of Thessaly (1960) directed by Riccardo Freda
Gold for the Caesars (1963) Jeffrey Hunter
Golgotha (1935) a.k.a. Behold The Man (made in France)
Hawk of the Caribbean (1963) a.k.a. The Caribbean Hawk
The Head of a Tyrant (1959)
Hero of Babylon (1963) a.k.a. The Beast of Babylon Vs. the Son of Hercules, Gordon Scott
Hero of Rome (1964) a.k.a. The Colossus of Rome, Gordon Scott
Herod, the Great (1958)
The Huns (1960) a.k.a. Queen of the Tartars
Kindar, the Invulnerable (1965) Mark Forest
The Knight of a Hundred Faces (1960) a.k.a. The Silver Knight, starring Lex Barker
Knight Without a Country (1959) a.k.a. The Faceless Rider
Knives of the Avenger (1967) a.k.a. Viking Massacre, directed by Mario Bava
Last of the Vikings (1961) starring Cameron Mitchell & Broderick Crawford
The Lion of St. Mark (1964) Gordon Scott
The Lion of Thebes (1964) a.k.a. Helen of Troy, Mark Forest
The Loves of Salammbo (1959)
The Magnificent Gladiator (1962) Mark Forest
Mars, God of War (1962) a.k.a. Venus Against the Son of Hercules
The Masked Man Against the Pirates (1965)
Mask of the Musketeers (1963) a.k.a. Zorro and the Three Musketeers, starring Gordon Scott
The Minotaur (1961) a.k.a. Theseus Against the Minotaur
The Mongols (1961) directed by Riccardo Freda, starring Jack Palance
My Son, The Hero (1961) a.k.a. Arrivano i Titani, a.k.a. The Titans
Night of the Great Attack (1961) a.k.a. Revenge of the Borgias
The Odyssey (1968) Cyclops segment directed by Mario Bava; Samson Burke played Polyphemus the Cyclops
Perseus the Invincible (1962) a.k.a. Medusa Vs. the Son of Hercules
Pia of Ptolomey (1962)
The Pirate and the Slave Girl (1959) Lex Barker
The Pirate of the Black Hawk (1958)
Pirate of the Half Moon (1957)
Pirates of the Coast (1960) Lex Barker
The Prince With the Red Mask (1955) a.k.a. The Red Eagle
A Queen For Caesar (1962)
The Queen of Sheba (1953) directed by Pietro Francisci (who later directed Hercules)
Queen of the Amazons (1960) a.k.a. Colossus and the Amazon Queen
Queen of the Nile (1961) a.k.a. Nefertiti, Vincent Price
Queen of the Pirates (1961)
Rage of the Buccaneers (1961) a.k.a. Gordon, The Black Pirate, starring Vincent Price
The Red Cloak (1955) Bruce Cabot
Revenge of Ivanhoe (1965) Rik Battaglia
Revenge of the Black Eagle (1951) directed by Riccardo Freda
Revenge of the Conquered (1961) a.k.a. Drakut the Avenger
Revenge of the Gladiators (1961) starring Mickey Hargitay
Revenge of the Musketeers (1963) a.k.a. Dartagnan vs the Three Musketeers, starring Fernando Lamas
Revolt of the Barbarians(1964) directed by Guido Malatesta
Revolt of the Mercenaries (1961)
Revolt of the Pretorians (1965) a.k.a. The Invincible Warriors, starring Richard Harrison
Revolt of the Seven (1964) a.k.a. The Spartan Gladiator, starring Helga Line
Robin Hood and the Pirates (1960) Lex Barker
Roland, the Mighty (1956) directed by Pietro Francisci
Rome Against Rome (1963) a.k.a. War of the Zombies
Rome 1585 (1961) Debra Paget
Romulus and the Sabines (1961) Roger Moore
The Rover (1967) a.k.a The Adventurer, starring Anthony Quinn
The Sack of Rome (1960) a.k.a. The Barbarians, a.k.a. The Pagans
Sandokan Fights Back (1964) a.k.a. Sandokan To the Rescue, a.k.a. The Revenge of Sandokan
Sandokan Vs The Leopard of Sarawak (1964) a.k.a. Throne of Vengeance
The Saracens (1965) a.k.a. The Devil's Pirate, a.k.a. The Flag of Death, starring Richard Harrison
The Secret Mark of D'artagnan (1962)
The Secret Seven (1965) a.k.a. The Invincible Seven
79 A.D., the Destruction of Herculaneum (1962) Brad Harris
Seven From Thebes (1964)
Seven Rebel Gladiators (1965) a.k.a. Seven Against All, starring Roger Browne
Shadow of Zorro, The (1962)
The Siege of Syracuse (1962) Tina Louise
Sins of Rome (1952) a.k.a. Spartacus, directed by Riccardo Freda
The Slave of Rome (1960) starring Guy Madison
Son of Captain Blood (1962)
Son of the Red Corsair (1959) a.k.a. Son of the Red Pirate, Lex Barker
Son of the Sheik (1961) a.k.a. Kerim, Son of the Sheik, starring Gordon Scott
Suleiman the Conqueror (1961)
The Sword and the Cross (1958) a.k.a. Mary Magdalene
The Sword of Damascus (1964) a.k.a. The Thief of Damascus
The Sword of El Cid (1962) a.k.a. The Daughters of El Cid
The Sword of Rebellion (1964) a.k.a. The Rebel of Castelmonte
Sword of the Conqueror (1961) Jack Palance
The Sword of Zorro (1963)
Sword Without A Country (1960) a.k.a. Sword Without a Flag
Taur, the Mighty (1963) a.k.a. Tor the Warrior, starring Joe Robinson
Temple of the White Elephant (1965) a.k.a. Sandok, the Maciste of the Jungle (not a Maciste film however, in spite of the title)
Terror of the Red Mask (1960) Lex Barker
Terror of the Steppes (1964) a.k.a. The Mighty Khan, Kirk Morris
Tharus, Son of Attila (1962) a.k.a. Colossus and the Huns, Ricardo Montalban
Thor and the Amazon Women (1963) Joe Robinson
Tiger of the Seven Seas (1963)
Triumph of Robin Hood (1962) starring Samson Burke, directed by Umberto Lenzi
Two Gladiators (1964) a.k.a. Fight or Die, starring Richard Harrison
Ulysses (1954) starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn
Vulcan, Son of Jupiter (1960) Gordon Mitchell
The War Goddess (1973) a.k.a. The Bare-Breasted Warriors, directed by Terence Young
War Gods of Babylon (1962) aka The Seventh Thunderbolt
Zorikan the Barbarian (1964) Dan Vadis
Zorro in the Court of Spain (1962) a.k.a. The Masked Conqueror

Sword-and-sandal films from the 1980's

After the peplum gave way to the Spaghetti Western

Spaghetti Western

and imitation James Bond

James Bond

James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

films in 1965, the genre lay dormant for close to 20 years. Then in 1982, the box-office success of Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

's Conan the Barbarian spurred a second renaissance of Italian pepla 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 (focusing more on barbarians than Romans, so as to avoid the need for expensive sets) 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

Lou Ferrigno

Louis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...

or Sabrina Siani

Sabrina Siani

Sabrina Siani is an Italian film actress. Under this name or pseudonyms such as Sabrina Seggiani, Sabrina Sellers and Sabrina Syan, she has starred in numerous films, mostly sexy & violent cannibal films and barbarian "sword-and-sandal" movies...

. Here is a list of the 1980s peplums:

Ator, the Fighting Eagle (1983) a.k.a. Ator the Invincible, starring Miles O'Keefe & Sabrina Siani, directed by Joe D’Amato
Ator 2: The Blademaster (1985) a.k.a. Blademaster, starring Miles O’Keefe, directed by Joe D’Amato
Ator 3: Iron Warrior (1986) a.k.a. Iron Warrior, starring Miles O'Keefe, directed by Alfonso Brescia (Joe D'Amato disowned this entry in the Ator saga since it was done without his involvement)
Ator 4: Quest for the Mighty Sword (1989) a.k.a. The Quest for the Mighty Sword, starring Eric Allan Kramer (as the Son of Ator), Laura Gemser & Marisa Mell, directed by Joe D'Amato
Barbarian Master (1984) a.k.a. Sangraal, the Sword of Fire, a.k.a. Sword of the Barbarians, starring Sabrina Siani
The Barbarians and Co. (1987) a.k.a. The Barbarians, semi-comedy starring Peter and David Paul, directed by Ruggero Deodato
Conquest (1984) a.k.a. Conquest of the Lost Land, starring Sabrina Siani, directed by Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
Hercules (1983) starring Lou Ferrigno and Sybil Danning, directed by Luigi Cozzi
Hercules 2 (1984) a.k.a. The Adventures of Hercules, starring Lou Ferrigno, directed by Luigi Cozzi
The Invincible Barbarian (1982) aka Gunan, the Warrior, starring Sabrina Siani, directed by Franco Prosperi
Ironmaster (1983) a.k.a. The War of Iron, co-starring Luigi Montefiore, directed by Umberto Lenzi
Seven Magnificent Gladiators (1985) starring Lou Ferrigno and Dan Vadis
She (1983) starring Sandahl Bergman and Gordon Mitchell
Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1988) starring Lou Ferrigno, directed by Luigi Cozzi
Throne of Fire (1983) starring Sabrina Siani, directed by Franco Prosperi

The Maciste silent film series (1914–1927)

Cabiria (1914) introduced the Maciste character
Maciste (1915) aka "Marvelous Maciste"
Maciste bersagliere ("Maciste the Ranger", 1916)
Maciste alpino ("Maciste The Warrior", 1916)
Maciste atleta ("Maciste the Athlete", 1917)
Maciste medium ("Maciste the Clairvoyant", 1917)
Maciste poliziotto ("Maciste the Detective", 1917)
Maciste turista ("Maciste the Tourist", 1917)
Maciste sonnambulo ("Maciste the Sleepwalker", 1918)
La Rivincita di Maciste ("Maciste's Revenge", 1919)
Il Testamento di Maciste ("Maciste's Will", 1919)
Il Viaggio di Maciste ("Maciste's Journey", 1919)
Maciste I ("Maciste the First", 1919)
Maciste contro la morte ("Maciste Vs Death", 1919)
Maciste innamorato ("Maciste in Love", 1919)
Maciste in vacanza ("Maciste on Vacation", 1920)
Maciste salvato dalle acque ("Maciste, Rescued from the Waters", 1920)
Maciste e la figlia del re della Plata ("Maciste and the Silver King's Daughter", 1922)
Maciste und die Japanerin ("Maciste and the Japanese", 1922)
Maciste contro Maciste ("Maciste Vs Maciste", 1923)
Maciste und die chinesische truhe ("Maciste and the Chinese Trunk", 1923)
Maciste e il nipote di America ("Maciste's American Nephew", 1924)
Maciste imperatore ("Maciste the Emperor", 1924)
Maciste contro lo sceicco ("Maciste Vs the Sheik", 1925)
Maciste all'inferno ("Maciste in Hell", 1926)
Maciste nella gabbia dei leoni ("Maciste in the Lions' Den", 1926)
il Gigante delle Dolemite ("The Giant From the Dolomite", 1927)

External links

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