Nero (Alberto Sordi) sneaks up on Poppea (Brigitte Bardot) in NERO'S BIG WEEKEND (1956)
A PEPLUM comedy with a stellar cast and excellent production values made before HERCULES (1958). I'm fascinated with films made before the Steve Reeves film, whether they were made in Italy or Hollywood. The tone and style of those pre-HERCULES productions are remarkably different than those made after, and this one is no exception. Bardot doesn't really look like the Bardot we all knew soon after the made this. She had a complete make-over.
Fun film, but in general the Peplum genre does not lend itself well to comedy.
ReplyDeleteMY SON, THE HERO (1962) is an example of a Peplum comedy that simply does not work very well.
THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE (1940) also is disappointing. Much of its humor is based on late 1930s issues which are now very remote for contemporary viewers.