Everybody who enjoyed this larger-than-life, but straightforward mythological adventure epic should know that "Attila" director Pietro Francisci's "Hercules" spawned what came to be derisively known as the sword and sandal genre. These films constituted a sub-genre of the Hollywood historical movie and the plots occurred either during classical antiquity in Greece and Rome or Biblical times in other Mediterranean locales. Basically, these European produced films featured a brawny, footloose warrior as the protagonist who performs incredible feats of strength that enabled him to destroy supernatural monsters, topple evil tyrants, and free enslaved peoples. Sometimes, the hero was a gladiator like Kirk Douglas in "Spartacus." Often, the hero's name varied when these films arrived in America. The muscular champion was called Hercules, Samson, Goliath or he was a son of Hercules with an entirely different name. In Italy, however, the strongman hero was always called Maciste.
Although "Hercules" was the first of some 300 sword and sandal sagas to follow until the Spaghetti western eclipsed the genre around 1964, the Italians had been producing sword and sandal movies long before "Hercules." One of the first major silent films, director Giovanni Pastrone's "Cabiria" appeared in 1914 and concerned the abduction of the eponymous little girl that pirates kidnapped during an eruption of Mount Etna during the third century B.C. A Roman spy and his mesomorphic muscle-bound slave Maciste rescued Cabiria. Aside from revitalizing a moribund genre, Francisci's "Hercules" is notable not only for its star, bodybuilder Steve Reeves of "Mr. Universe" fame, but also for lenser Mario Bava whose widescreen pictorial compositions as well as his atmospheric lightning. Reeves went on to star in several more pepla, and Bava later helmed "Hercules in the Haunted World." "Hercules Unchained" with Reeves and co-star Sylva Koscina followed "Hercules."
Aesthetically, "Hercules" qualifies as a serviceable effort. Francisci and his scenarists derived their screenplay from Apollonius of Rhodes' Greek epic poem "Argonautica" that dealt with Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece. In Francisci's film, Hercules literally usurps Jason as the hero when in reality the son of Jupiter played a peripheral role in the exploit. British director Don Chaffey helmed the best cinematic version of the Golden Fleece myth in 1963 with his exciting "Jason and the Argonauts" that boasted the superb stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen. One of the problems with "Hercules" is Jason recovers the fleece rather too easily from a giant reptile that sleeps near the tree where the fleece dangles. Reeves has a few uncomfortable moments when he goes on the rampage, literally blowing his cool, and sounds a mite unbelievable. Mind you, this was the bodybuilder's first starring role so he can be pardoned. Francisci plays almost everything straight down the line so nothing appears campy. Of course, some of the hand-to-hand combat scenes where Hercules tangles with livestock, like a lion and a bison, looks staged. Typically, the animal trainer would substitute for the star or the director would orchestrate the fights so ersatz animal heads and paws could be deployed. Consequently, while it is an entertaining bit of hokum, "Hercules" isn't as much outlandish as later strong man sagas.
"Hercules" unfolds with a surefire scene straight out of a traditional western. A beautiful woman, Princess Iole (Sylva Koscina of "Michael Strogoff"), shatters the afternoon calm as she struggles to restrain a pair of runaway horses hauling her chariot helter-skelter through the landscape. She scatters a herd of goats. Dramatically, Francisci cuts to a close-up of a tree uprooted and then shows Hercules (Steve Reeves of "Jailbait") slamming the tree down in front of the horses. "I thank the gods for providing me such a strong man when I needed him," Iole says. Carrying her away from the chariot in his arms, Hercules sets her on a rock. "I'll admit that the sight of those runaway horses had me worried about you." Hercules suspects Iole is royalty from the standard on her chariot. Indeed, Iola is the daughter of King Pelias of Iolcus (Ivo Garrani of "Roland the Mighty"), and our hero is in route to train Pelias' son Prince Iphitus (Mimmo Palmara of "Attila") in the art of warfare. Iphitus hates Hercules from the moment he lays eyes on him. Iole furnishes Hercules with the history of her father's suspicious rise to power and the death of his brother the king. Afterward, Hercules accompanies her back to the palace. Hercules humiliates Iphitus in front of everybody when the Theban shows Jason, considerably weaker than Iphitus, how to shoot an arrow and strike bull's-eye. Later, Hercules hurls the discus farther than Iphitus. When a lion terrorizes the court and kills five people, Hercules pursues the beast. A boastful Iphitus interferes, and the lion kills the Prince before Hercules can dispose of the beast. A grief-stricken Pelias tells Hercules the only way he can redeem himself is to kill the Cretan bull. Later, Pelias gives Hercules three months to retrieve the stolen Golden Fleece to prove that Jason is the rightful heir to the throne. A sea voyage follows and Jason reclaims the Golden Fleece after an encounter with a fakey dragon.
"Hercules" proved to be a blockbuster during its North American release and the success that the film enjoyed in the United States can be attributed to Joseph E Levine. After every Hollywood studio passed on Francisci's film, Levine bought it for a modest $120,000, dubbed in English dialogue, and abbreviated the title from "The Labors of Hercules" to simply "Hercules." Levine's folly wound up raking in a veritable fortune from its U.S. release and sequels that followed. Levine pioneered the practice that is now known as 'saturation' booking and opened "Hercules" in 600 theaters. According to the Turner Classic Movies website, this method of opening a movie was "unheard of" in the 1950s. Levine relied on radio and television advertising to arouse the public's curiosity and he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
Although "Hercules" was the first of some 300 sword and sandal sagas to follow until the Spaghetti western eclipsed the genre around 1964, the Italians had been producing sword and sandal movies long before "Hercules." One of the first major silent films, director Giovanni Pastrone's "Cabiria" appeared in 1914 and concerned the abduction of the eponymous little girl that pirates kidnapped during an eruption of Mount Etna during the third century B.C. A Roman spy and his mesomorphic muscle-bound slave Maciste rescued Cabiria. Aside from revitalizing a moribund genre, Francisci's "Hercules" is notable not only for its star, bodybuilder Steve Reeves of "Mr. Universe" fame, but also for lenser Mario Bava whose widescreen pictorial compositions as well as his atmospheric lightning. Reeves went on to star in several more pepla, and Bava later helmed "Hercules in the Haunted World." "Hercules Unchained" with Reeves and co-star Sylva Koscina followed "Hercules."
Aesthetically, "Hercules" qualifies as a serviceable effort. Francisci and his scenarists derived their screenplay from Apollonius of Rhodes' Greek epic poem "Argonautica" that dealt with Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece. In Francisci's film, Hercules literally usurps Jason as the hero when in reality the son of Jupiter played a peripheral role in the exploit. British director Don Chaffey helmed the best cinematic version of the Golden Fleece myth in 1963 with his exciting "Jason and the Argonauts" that boasted the superb stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen. One of the problems with "Hercules" is Jason recovers the fleece rather too easily from a giant reptile that sleeps near the tree where the fleece dangles. Reeves has a few uncomfortable moments when he goes on the rampage, literally blowing his cool, and sounds a mite unbelievable. Mind you, this was the bodybuilder's first starring role so he can be pardoned. Francisci plays almost everything straight down the line so nothing appears campy. Of course, some of the hand-to-hand combat scenes where Hercules tangles with livestock, like a lion and a bison, looks staged. Typically, the animal trainer would substitute for the star or the director would orchestrate the fights so ersatz animal heads and paws could be deployed. Consequently, while it is an entertaining bit of hokum, "Hercules" isn't as much outlandish as later strong man sagas.
"Hercules" unfolds with a surefire scene straight out of a traditional western. A beautiful woman, Princess Iole (Sylva Koscina of "Michael Strogoff"), shatters the afternoon calm as she struggles to restrain a pair of runaway horses hauling her chariot helter-skelter through the landscape. She scatters a herd of goats. Dramatically, Francisci cuts to a close-up of a tree uprooted and then shows Hercules (Steve Reeves of "Jailbait") slamming the tree down in front of the horses. "I thank the gods for providing me such a strong man when I needed him," Iole says. Carrying her away from the chariot in his arms, Hercules sets her on a rock. "I'll admit that the sight of those runaway horses had me worried about you." Hercules suspects Iole is royalty from the standard on her chariot. Indeed, Iola is the daughter of King Pelias of Iolcus (Ivo Garrani of "Roland the Mighty"), and our hero is in route to train Pelias' son Prince Iphitus (Mimmo Palmara of "Attila") in the art of warfare. Iphitus hates Hercules from the moment he lays eyes on him. Iole furnishes Hercules with the history of her father's suspicious rise to power and the death of his brother the king. Afterward, Hercules accompanies her back to the palace. Hercules humiliates Iphitus in front of everybody when the Theban shows Jason, considerably weaker than Iphitus, how to shoot an arrow and strike bull's-eye. Later, Hercules hurls the discus farther than Iphitus. When a lion terrorizes the court and kills five people, Hercules pursues the beast. A boastful Iphitus interferes, and the lion kills the Prince before Hercules can dispose of the beast. A grief-stricken Pelias tells Hercules the only way he can redeem himself is to kill the Cretan bull. Later, Pelias gives Hercules three months to retrieve the stolen Golden Fleece to prove that Jason is the rightful heir to the throne. A sea voyage follows and Jason reclaims the Golden Fleece after an encounter with a fakey dragon.
"Hercules" proved to be a blockbuster during its North American release and the success that the film enjoyed in the United States can be attributed to Joseph E Levine. After every Hollywood studio passed on Francisci's film, Levine bought it for a modest $120,000, dubbed in English dialogue, and abbreviated the title from "The Labors of Hercules" to simply "Hercules." Levine's folly wound up raking in a veritable fortune from its U.S. release and sequels that followed. Levine pioneered the practice that is now known as 'saturation' booking and opened "Hercules" in 600 theaters. According to the Turner Classic Movies website, this method of opening a movie was "unheard of" in the 1950s. Levine relied on radio and television advertising to arouse the public's curiosity and he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.