The Museo Della Civilta Romana was a popular location for PEPLUM movies. The grand architecture made for an easy and quick way of establishing some sort of grand setting without having to actually build anything. The complex is spread out and different parts of the museum were filmed individually in other movies. Here's a sample of movies which filmed in the courtyard/parking area of the museum (I didn't include all titles, like SIGN OF THE GLADIATOR (1959) or THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS (1958))
Above and below: FRINE - COURTESAN OF THE ORIENT (1953) starring Pierre Cressoy and Elena Kleus
Above and below: TWO NIGHTS WITH CLEOPATRA (1954) starring Alberto Sordi and Sophia Loren.
Above and below: QUEEN OF BABYLON (1954) starring Rhonda Fleming as Semiramis (with Amerigo Santarelli)
Above and below: APHRODITE - GODDESS OF LOVE (1958) starring Germano Longo and Irene Tunc. Directed by Mario Bonnard who also directed FRINE - COURTESAN OF THE ORIENT.
Above and below: THE GIANTS OF THESSALY (1960) starring Roland Carey, Mario Novelli, Nando Tamberlani and Cathia Caro
Above and below: THE LOVE OF HERCULES (Hercules vs the Hydra; 1960) starring Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay.
Above and below: GOLIATH AGAINST THE GIANTS (1961) starring Brad Harris and Gloria Milland.
Thanks for posting. I lost track while trying to log each of the movies in which this museum appears. It's a great place to visit, as well ... lots of Roman antiquities with many replicas, fine interpretive displays, and best of all, in the basement with elevated walkways, the wonderful scale model of Rome that we see over and over again in Peplum movies ... notably the background of credits for GLADIATOR OF ROME with Gordon Scott.
ReplyDeleteIt's a short walk from the metro/subway and also is not far from the Cinecitta studios, another Rome destination for fans of Pepla
Many of the buildings in the E.U.R. area of Rome were used in peplum films and this is one of the most prolific sites. I visited here a few years ago and it was Deja Vu after seeing it in all those films.
ReplyDeleteI need to go there. It'll be like a holy place to me!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for this really outstanding compilation.