The worst part about Orazi e Curiazi is that this might have been the best offer Alan Ladd was getting at this time and he took it for the money.
As he proved in The Black Knight which had much better production values, Alan Ladd had no business doing these ancient costume epics. He hasn't the flair for swashbucklers, what was Sue Carol thinking when she signed him for this role. Around this time people like Victor Mature and Cornel Wilde were doing some European type sword epics. but they were both good in the genre.
Ladd is one of three brothers selected by the King of Rome, Robert Keith to fight three brothers from Alba to see who's going to be the big Kahuna on the Italian peninsula. This was in the real ancient days before Rome became an Empire. Guess who winds up the winner.
What's even worse is that Ladd does not exactly triumph by means that would be consistent with these Italian sword and sandal epics. He's not terribly heroic here.
This film also turned out to be the farewell film for Robert Keith who was with Ladd eleven year earlier in Branded, a western and a much better film. Of course at that time Ladd was Paramount's number one action hero.
I can't say that this is for Alan Ladd fans only because I think his fans would be pained by the experience.
As he proved in The Black Knight which had much better production values, Alan Ladd had no business doing these ancient costume epics. He hasn't the flair for swashbucklers, what was Sue Carol thinking when she signed him for this role. Around this time people like Victor Mature and Cornel Wilde were doing some European type sword epics. but they were both good in the genre.
Ladd is one of three brothers selected by the King of Rome, Robert Keith to fight three brothers from Alba to see who's going to be the big Kahuna on the Italian peninsula. This was in the real ancient days before Rome became an Empire. Guess who winds up the winner.
What's even worse is that Ladd does not exactly triumph by means that would be consistent with these Italian sword and sandal epics. He's not terribly heroic here.
This film also turned out to be the farewell film for Robert Keith who was with Ladd eleven year earlier in Branded, a western and a much better film. Of course at that time Ladd was Paramount's number one action hero.
I can't say that this is for Alan Ladd fans only because I think his fans would be pained by the experience.