Leonora Ruffo and Mark Forest in GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON (1960)
This famous (or infamous) movie is one that I've talked about a lot about on this blog. I can't re-iterate everything I wrote but the quick summary: this was titled THE REVENGE OF HERCULES originally and it was basically the remnants of the third Steve Reeves Hercules films, HERCULES AGAINST THE GODS!, that was never filmed. Steve Reeves only wanted to work with director Pietro Francisci, who was busy with a number of other projects, including SAPPHO THE VENUS OF LESBOS (1960). Pietro directed HERCULES (1958) and HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959). The film was cancelled and the script was reworked into REVENGE OF HERCULES, with newcomer Mark Forest. This movie was directed by Vittorio Cottafavi. US distributors got a hold of it and reworked it into the oddity known as GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON. The original Italian version didn't have a dragon. Well, the film is sorta fun in an experimental way and as much as I like it, it's not comparable to the Reeves' HERCULES movies.
As I wrote recently, there's an exhibition on the PEPLUM genre in France. It includes stuff from Italian productions, like HERCULES (1958). The exhibition has an official printed catalogue of it. I purchased it and got it recently. In one part, it lists the greatest directors of the PEPLUM genre. They list Vittorio Cottafavi, which I like. Cottafavi also directed the great HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN (1961). But then Pietro Francisci is not listed, but Mario Bava is. The catalogue insinuates that HERCULES and HERCULES UNCHAINED were great due to Mario Bava. So, the director who made this wonky (and entertaining movie), GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON, gets a nod but the actual director of the movie which started the PEPLUM explosion, Pietro Francisci, is not listed. The catalogue has Steve Reeves from HERCULES on the cover. It has a lot images and posters of the HERCULES movies. But no special mention to Francisci, but Mario Bava is listed as the 'genius' behind these Reeves Hercules movies. As I wrote above, Steve Reeves didn't make HERCULES AGAINST THE GODS because he wanted to work with Francisci. Not Bava.
I don't want to make a big deal out of this but this is an ongoing issue. I like Mario Bava but he wasn't the 'genius' behind the Reeves' HERCULES movies. It was Francisci. It seems no one knows Francisci directed other movies like SAPPHO, which are identical in tone, style, look, as the Reeves HERCULES movies. It's so odd. Francisci is the grandfather of the PEPLUM genre. It's hard to imagine the director of GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON getting a nod in the book but not the actual director of HERCULES and HERCULES UNCHAINED. Again, I like GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON but it's sort of a fun, goofy adventure film. Not the classics like the Reeves HERCULES films.
Needless to say, the catalogue of the exhibition is yet another disappointment in a long list of books and publications on the PEPLUM genre.
1 comment:
Mario Bava is given far too much credit by his rabid fans. I once read that Bava actually directed Esther and the King. Ridiculous! The same is true of the two Reeves Hercules films. This is also the case when you read inflated accounts of Sergio Leone's involvement in Sodom and Gomorrah. Francisci was a pioneer in the development of the Italian epic and deserves credit for that.
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