Steve Reeves is the KING of PEPLUM cinema. The success of HERCULES(1958) created a PEPLUM explosion and the genre wouldn't exist as it did and is today without him.
Photo above is from HERCULES UNCHAINED
Hercules (Reeves) carries four Argonauts back to their ship, escaping eventual death from
the Amazons in HERCULES (1958)
Below: Steve in THE TROJAN HORSE(left) and HERCULES UNCHAINED.
Phillipides (Reeves) rescues Andromeda (Mylène Demongeot) in THE GIANT OF MARATHON
Steve wrestles Alan Steel during the opening credits for THE GIANT OF MARATHON
Hercules (Reeves) and Ulysses (Gabriele Antonini) are bound for Lidia
in HERCULES UNCHAINED. Love this shot.
Steve and Sylva in HERCULES UNCHAINED
Steve in MORGAN THE PIRATE
THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD(1961)
Photo provided by Pasquale
Steve as Hadji Murad in THE WHITE WARRIOR
Steve in SANDOKAN THE PIRATE OF MALAYSIA. This is a rare case of a sequel being far superior to the original SANDOKAN THE GREAT. Steve has the most perfect profile.
THE classic bodybuilder!
Photo taken in 1948
HERCULES UNCHAINED
SANDOKAN THE GREAT
THIEF OF BAGHDAD
GORDON SCOTT
Jany Clair watches Gordon Scott win over Nello Pazzafini in HERCULES AGAINST MOLOCH
Gordon Scott was a prolific PEPLUM star, appearing in an endless number of films
before retiring from cinema altogether. His presence in the genre is undeniable.
Gordon in SAMSON AND THE SEVEN MIRACLES OF THE WORLD
Mimmo Palmara was the bad guy Scott is trying to kill in GOLIATH & THE REBEL SLAVE
Above and below: Gordon in action in HERO OF ROME, one of his better Sword & Sandal films
Above & below: Images from HERO OF BABYLON
Gordon Scott in chains:
GOLIATH AND THE REBEL SLAVE
HERO OF BABYLON
KERIM, SON OF THE SHEIK
GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES
Above & below: GLADIATORS OF ROME
HERCULES AGAINST MOLOCH
Gordon in ZORRO & THE THREE MUSKETEERS
This was the original background image of my PEPLUM Youtube channel; images from GOLIATH & THE VAMPIRES
MARK FOREST
Mark in GOLIATH & THE DRAGON
Mark Forest (real name Lou Degni) was a popular bodybuilder and physiques model before appearing in front of the camera in Europe. Underrated as an actor with a great physique, Mark made tons of Sword & Sandal films before retiring for good from the movies.
Leonora Ruffo costarred with Mark in GOLIATH & THE DRAGON
Mark as Hercules in HERCULES AGAINST THE BARBARIANS
Great publicity shot from THE LION OF THEBES, one of his best PEPLUM films.
Mark gets the point in GOLIATH & THE SINS OF BABYLON
Mark, with Mr Universe Paul Wynter, in MACISTE THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD
(aka Mole Men against the Son of Hercules)
Marilù Tolo and Mark in THE MAGNIFICENT GLADIATOR
Giuliano Gemma and Mark in HERCULES AGAINST THE SONS OF THE SUN
José Greci and Mark (Lou Degni) in HERCULES AGAINST THE MONGOLS.
They both starred in several PEPLUMS together.
Mark during his bodybuilding period
Kirk Morris in CONQUEROR OF ATLANTIS. Great photo.
Italian bodybuilder that made it into action film during the PEPLUM explosion when a film producer spotted him working as a gondolier in his native town of Venice and made him a star. Born Adriano Bellini, Kirk was just a handful of PEPLUM stars that were actually Italian and not imported from another country. Kirk made tons of films playing Hercules and Maciste but he's best know for being Maciste than Hercules.
Kirk, co-stars Andrea Scotti and Luciana Gilli in CONQUEROR OF ATLANTIS.
I always said that Kirk would have made a great FLASH GORDON.
Another scene from CONQUEROR OF ATLANTIS.
Kirk as Maciste wrestling evil snakes in MACISTE IN HELL. One of the best PEPLUM films ever!
Climax from TERROR OF THE STEPPES starring the one and only Kirk.
Hélène Chanel has plans for Kirk in MACISTE IN THE VALLEY OF THUNDERING ECHO.
One of the rarer Kirk Morris "Maciste" film, this also one of the four PEPLUM films Hélène
and Kirk made together.
Kirk in COLOSSUS & THE HEADHUNTERS, his first film.
Kirk Morris (Hercules) battles with Iloosh Khoshabe (Samson) in "HERCULES VS SAMSON";
this scene is one of the best PEPLUM scenes ever.
ALAN STEEL
Alan Steel, born Sergio Ciani, was one of several PEPLUM stars that was actually born in Italy and not imported fro another country. Big, beefy and red-haired, this Italian strongman made his screen debut in THE GIANT OF MARATHON wrestling with Steve Reeves. Faster than you can say Maciste, Sergio started appearing in his own mini-epics and became one of the most familiar faces that played Hercules and Maciste. Though most of his films are pure escapist fare, Alan did play a couple of serious PEP roles, including his impressive outing as Commodus in THE REBEL GLADIATORS.
Massimo Serato and Moira Orfei are impressed by beefy Alan in SAMSON & THE SLAVE QUEEN
Publicity shot of Alan from HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN.
Alan interrogates a chained Dan Vadis in THE REBEL GLADIATORS, one of his best performances
Brad Harris and Alan Steel are about to cause some damage to unsuspecting guards in SAMSON
Alan in LOST TREASURE OF THE AZTECS (aka Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas)
Alan Steel & company prepare for battle in HERCULES & THE BLACK PIRATE
The most recent photo of Sergio, taken almost a decade ago
ED FURY
Ed Fury was one of the several US bodybuilders/physique models turned actors who moved to Italy for many years and appeared in PEPLUM films, most notably the URSUS series. Blond and beefy, and looking like the face of health, Ed was often typecast as the happy-go-lucky hero who grudgingly ended up using his strength to thwart villains but his best role was in THE SEVEN REVENGES when he was the anti-hero and sported dark hair. Ed is still with us and apparently follows a very stringent healthy lifestyle. I believe it.
Ed Fury, as Ursus, and María Luisa Merlo are awaiting their fate in THE MIGHTY URSUS
Cristina Gaioni sneaks up to Ed Fury during the production of THE MIGHTY URSUS
Ed and Moira Orfei in MIGHTY URSUS
A scene from THE MIGHTY URSUS in a "fotonovela" format.
Ed Fury fight soldiers in URSUS IN THE VALLEY OF THE LIONS
Ed in URSUS IN THE VALLEY OF THE LIONS
Ed, with co-star Rod Taylor, in COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN
Ed in MACISTE AGAINST THE SHEIK
Above & below: Ed, with dark hair, in THE SEVEN REVENGES. His best role and acting of all his PEP films.
A really buff Ed Fury hired for publicity campaign during the release of FABIOLA
in the US. Ed was 23 in that photo.
Some of Ed's modelling photos. He's so healthy looking.
GIOVANNI CIANFRIGLIA
Giovanni was a stuntman and Steve Reeves' favorite body double. He also had a brief career as a PEP star with a couple of starring roles. Whenever he's on screen it's difficult not to notice him.
Giovanni in HERCULES AGAINST THE BLACK PIRATE
Photo above and below: From HERCULES THE AVENGER in which Giovanni plays a fake and mean Hercules
Giovanni standing before Steve Reeves; Giovanni was Steve's body double and stuntman (Genevieve Grad watches on). A rare scene with the two together.
A behind the scene photo from GIANT OF MARATHON
Giovanni in a non-PEPLUM role; from CASTLE OF BLOOD
PAUL WYNTER
Paul Wynter is a two times MR UNIVERSE winner. What he lacked in height he compensated (and then some) with his sculptured physique. Many have said that Paul had the most symmetrical physique ever. Because of his good looks the West Indies bodybuilder appeared in two Italian Sword & Sandal films. IMO, he should have had his own starring film.
Publicity photo of Paul for MACISTE IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS
Paul duking it out with Gordon Mitchell in MACISTE IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS
Another shot of Paul in MACISTE IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS
Paul co-starred with Mark Forest in MACISTE VS THE MOLE MEN
Paul today
Pietro Torrisi from SEVEN REBEL GLADIATORS (first 3 photos)
Pietro in HERCULES AGAINST THE TYRANTS OF BABYLON
From THRONE OF FIRE
Pietro Torrisi, 42 years old when he made this, is caught in some giant web-thingy in THE BARBARIAN MASTER
Behind the scenes shot of Pietro Torrisi during the filming of THE BARBARIAN MASTER
Pietro from the TEN GLADIATORS films; recent photo of Pietro
Richard Harrison
Above & below: Richard in REVOLT OF THE PRAETORIANS
Richard Harrison looks on at Alberto Dell'Acqua in GIANTS OF ROME.
Richard Harrison in Gladiators 7
More to come...