By the Gods!

Rossano Brazzi and Gianna Maria Canale in REVENGE OF THE BLACK EAGLE (1951)

A very good movie with some pleasant and not so pleasant surprises. Directed by Riccardo Freda. The first thing which stands out from this movie is the commanding and forceful performance by Brazzi. It's no wonder he became a big star. You can't take your eyes off of him. In contrast, Canale's performance is surprisingly weak. If there's one thing that you can depend on in PEPLUM movies it's a good performance from her but in this she comes across as unsure. I was quite  taken aback by this. She clearly became a better actress by the time she starred in SPARTACUS - SINS OF ROME (1953), also directed by Freda, who became her husband. The little boy actor who has a substantial role was clearly inexperienced and yet it still worked. Music score from this movie was re-used in SPARTACUS. That score has been re-used so many times I wonder if this is the original source of it. This is a scan from a lobby card I recently acquired. You can see the Canadian certification stamp on it.