This movie, like all its Italian muscleman predecessors, is so good-natured, sincere, and well- meaning that it's impossible not to be charmed by it. The windy, overblown score makes every little thing anyone does sound like the most majestic, wondrous thing ever experienced. Whenever Samson or Hercules throws a spear or a lasso it makes a cartoonish whistling noise to show that this was a SUPER throw, not some puny mortal toss. It makes one with he could move to Ithaca, wear one of those manly costumes (and fill it out properly), and bask in the sunshine and the smiling benevolence of Hercules and his companions. Best not to hang out with Samson though, You can tell by the look on his face in the final scene that he senses things are about to go badly wrong for him. Beware of Delilah!
25 Reviews
Catch this one!
barcrab25 January 2008
TCM often shows films not available on video, and this, such a film, is most interesting.
As the sword and sandal craze dwindled this was unloaded onto the matinée market by MGM in 1965. Strongman Kirk Morris plays the lead Hercules, assisted by crafty Ulysses and equally powerful Samson against the evil ruler of Gaza.
This is actually a weirdly absorbing movie, as I found myself wanting to see it to the conclusion. The plot is rather complex, with double-crosses, duels to the death and some attractive scenery. As is to be expected, dubbing makes all of the action somewhat hard to follow. The larger-than-life characters are acted with gusto. I hope we see a DVD of this someday...
As the sword and sandal craze dwindled this was unloaded onto the matinée market by MGM in 1965. Strongman Kirk Morris plays the lead Hercules, assisted by crafty Ulysses and equally powerful Samson against the evil ruler of Gaza.
This is actually a weirdly absorbing movie, as I found myself wanting to see it to the conclusion. The plot is rather complex, with double-crosses, duels to the death and some attractive scenery. As is to be expected, dubbing makes all of the action somewhat hard to follow. The larger-than-life characters are acted with gusto. I hope we see a DVD of this someday...
Epic battle for the ages ... well, almost
michael-320415 September 2016
Long before DC pit Batman against Superman or Marvel instigated a superhero civil war, writer/director Pietro Francisci imagined a battle between legendary strongmen Hercules (Italian bodybuilder Adriano Bellini, billed as Kirk Morris) and Samson (Iranian actor Iloosh Khoshabe). This being an Italian production, it is somewhat biased in its portrayal of Greek civilization being more -- well, civilized -- than the equally advanced but more tyrannical lands of Judea and Gaza, where Hercules, Ulysses and assorted Greek fishermen find themselves shipwrecked after taking on a sea monster. (The sea monster, by the way, isn't very impressive, but has good sound effects.) The film doesn't really have a developed political or religious agenda, however, despite the benign opening scene in which a bored King Laertes listens to a dispute over a goat between two silly peasants contrasting with the brutal reign of the Philistines, who wantonly murder and burn anyone they consider traitorous. Nor is the fascinating idea of two rival heroes who get their awesome power from entirely different belief systems ever really explored. Though Samson insists his strength comes from his god, the rival concepts of monotheism and polytheism are never mentioned or even implicitly contrasted; in this telling, Hercules had never heard of Samson before getting stranded in the Holy Land, and he never actually mentions Zeus. Everyone is refreshingly blase about religious differences -- when it comes to the Greek interlopers, the main concern of the Philistines and Danites is their odd style of dress.
Women, on the other hand, don't come off as well. Even though Hercules is apparently happily married, his and other wives depicted here are hectoring and disagreeable. The principle villain of the story is Samson's nemesis Delilah, played with lusty gusto by Liana Orfei, consort of the Philistine king who manipulates everyone and tries to seduce Hercules on her way to trying to seduce Samson. She also gets the film's one and only dance number, and makes the most of it. Orfei embraces and relishes playing the baddest girl and is responsible for at least half the fun quotient of the film -- plus, her warrior outfit at the end is not to be missed.
Aside from Orfei's Delilah, the main attraction is the epic battle between Hercules and Samson. Since they are both depicted as righteous heroes, the story has to contrive a situation that pits them against each other without making one of them the bad guy -- the plot involves mistaken identities and erroneous but reasonable assumptions and isn't very important. The fight, against a backdrop of stone ruins that allows for falling styrofoam and various chunks of super-heavy objects the musclemen can hurl at each other, is well-staged and well- executed by Morris and Khoshabe, especially with regard to making them seem evenly matched. Since Samson doesn't really get much action until the climactic battle and Hercules has only some perfunctory fights with a bull and a lion, their fight is basically the centerpiece of the film. What it lacks in spectacle, the actors make up for in enthusiasm.
The English-language version adds Ulysses to the title even though he is, here as in many other Peplum films, a boyishly mischievous sidekick for Hercules. The point here, as the original Italian title ("Ercole sfida Sansone") suggests, is to pit Hercules against Samson, and the film delivers on that promise. It's a nicely shot, very bright and scenic film that makes judicious use of its limited budget and makes for an enjoyable watch.
Women, on the other hand, don't come off as well. Even though Hercules is apparently happily married, his and other wives depicted here are hectoring and disagreeable. The principle villain of the story is Samson's nemesis Delilah, played with lusty gusto by Liana Orfei, consort of the Philistine king who manipulates everyone and tries to seduce Hercules on her way to trying to seduce Samson. She also gets the film's one and only dance number, and makes the most of it. Orfei embraces and relishes playing the baddest girl and is responsible for at least half the fun quotient of the film -- plus, her warrior outfit at the end is not to be missed.
Aside from Orfei's Delilah, the main attraction is the epic battle between Hercules and Samson. Since they are both depicted as righteous heroes, the story has to contrive a situation that pits them against each other without making one of them the bad guy -- the plot involves mistaken identities and erroneous but reasonable assumptions and isn't very important. The fight, against a backdrop of stone ruins that allows for falling styrofoam and various chunks of super-heavy objects the musclemen can hurl at each other, is well-staged and well- executed by Morris and Khoshabe, especially with regard to making them seem evenly matched. Since Samson doesn't really get much action until the climactic battle and Hercules has only some perfunctory fights with a bull and a lion, their fight is basically the centerpiece of the film. What it lacks in spectacle, the actors make up for in enthusiasm.
The English-language version adds Ulysses to the title even though he is, here as in many other Peplum films, a boyishly mischievous sidekick for Hercules. The point here, as the original Italian title ("Ercole sfida Sansone") suggests, is to pit Hercules against Samson, and the film delivers on that promise. It's a nicely shot, very bright and scenic film that makes judicious use of its limited budget and makes for an enjoyable watch.
Hercules meets Samson
heliopause24 March 2001
This is another film directed by Pietro Francisci of Hercules and Hercules Unchained with Steve Reeves. This time Kirk Morris fills the role adequately but not quite like SR. It has the same style and some of the scenes are quite entertaining. Hercules and Samson battle with 1 ton blocks like they were rocks in the ruins. The palace in Gaza with the bolting doors is interesting. It is an Italian classic B movie, the type they used to show on a Saturday morning. There are some pretty scenes of ancient greek beautiful classical women waiting for their men to return on the beaches. Entertaining if you take it for what it is, another Italian muscleman fantasy. Not bad but not on video, look for it on the cable channels.
Silly entertaining nonsense..
AlsExGal27 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
... with Kirk Morris as the Greek strongman and Iloosh Khoshabe as the Biblical strongman.
Hercules and Ulysses are hunting a sea monster which has been eating the people of Ithaca. They are shipwrecked with a few crew members. Somehow they land in Judea (use your GPS next time), where Samson is hiding out from the Philistines. After Hercules chokes out a lion, he is mistaken for Samson. Meanwhile, Samson mistakes Hercules and his crew for Philistine spies. The rest of the Greeks are being held by the King of the Philistines, who tells Hercules he must deliver Samson or else. This sets up the inevitable clash between the two musclemen. After a few initial punches, Hercules puts Samson in an airplane spin and tosses him. Samson counters with a hip toss to take down the Greek. Hercules shoots the full nelson on Samson, who breaks it, but the Greek quickly goes for an arm bar. Samson swats him away. Then both men manage to bend a metal pole around each other. Finally, they realize they should join forces and fight the Philistines. The two manage to wipe out around one million bad guys. Then the Argo shows up and rescues the Greeks, and Samson heads back to his land for a haircut.
Morris is adequate as Hercules. He has the physique, and manages to pose quite often, usually with his arms apart from his sides and his fists clenched. Khoshabe is passable as Samson, and inexplicably always seems to have an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal. I have no idea why the Ulysses character is in this, because he is pretty useless. Maybe Aristotle wasn't available. Liana Orfei is good as Delilah, who develops the hots for Hercules, then Samson. If you don't know how that will eventually turn out, consult your Bible.
Hercules and Ulysses are hunting a sea monster which has been eating the people of Ithaca. They are shipwrecked with a few crew members. Somehow they land in Judea (use your GPS next time), where Samson is hiding out from the Philistines. After Hercules chokes out a lion, he is mistaken for Samson. Meanwhile, Samson mistakes Hercules and his crew for Philistine spies. The rest of the Greeks are being held by the King of the Philistines, who tells Hercules he must deliver Samson or else. This sets up the inevitable clash between the two musclemen. After a few initial punches, Hercules puts Samson in an airplane spin and tosses him. Samson counters with a hip toss to take down the Greek. Hercules shoots the full nelson on Samson, who breaks it, but the Greek quickly goes for an arm bar. Samson swats him away. Then both men manage to bend a metal pole around each other. Finally, they realize they should join forces and fight the Philistines. The two manage to wipe out around one million bad guys. Then the Argo shows up and rescues the Greeks, and Samson heads back to his land for a haircut.
Morris is adequate as Hercules. He has the physique, and manages to pose quite often, usually with his arms apart from his sides and his fists clenched. Khoshabe is passable as Samson, and inexplicably always seems to have an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal. I have no idea why the Ulysses character is in this, because he is pretty useless. Maybe Aristotle wasn't available. Liana Orfei is good as Delilah, who develops the hots for Hercules, then Samson. If you don't know how that will eventually turn out, consult your Bible.
This Is Too much !!!
ragosaal30 November 2006
Pietro Francisci can fairly be called the "King of Sword and Sandals Italian Films". Such pictures could or could not be watchable and perhaps entertaining but as cinema products they were really poor and cheap; you probably enjoyed them as a kid but as an adult they turn impossible to defend. Perhaps the best things Francisci did were Attila with Anthony Quinn and "Hercules" and its sequel "Hercules Unchained" (both with the all-muscle but nothing-of-acting Steve Reeves) this not meaning at all these were good films.
But with "Hercules, Samson and Ulysses" Francisci just goes too far. We have here Kirk Morris (Hercules) fighting Richard LLoyd (Samson) and then both together against the classical tyranny opressing people.
Neither Morris nor LLoyd could possibly act but that doesn't seem to matter at all; the show goes on. What a movie!!! Also notice the villain's soldiers helmets clearly German World War II pieces (from some other film for sure) that are sort of "decorated" too look as ancient pieces of armor; would you believe this?
I think the director just went too far here and the product is simply ridiculous. As a comedy perhaps "Hercules, Samson and Ulysses" could have appeared as an average picture -in fact it makes you laugh often- but as an epic, even a fantasy, it doesn't stand a chance. Mamma Mia!!
But with "Hercules, Samson and Ulysses" Francisci just goes too far. We have here Kirk Morris (Hercules) fighting Richard LLoyd (Samson) and then both together against the classical tyranny opressing people.
Neither Morris nor LLoyd could possibly act but that doesn't seem to matter at all; the show goes on. What a movie!!! Also notice the villain's soldiers helmets clearly German World War II pieces (from some other film for sure) that are sort of "decorated" too look as ancient pieces of armor; would you believe this?
I think the director just went too far here and the product is simply ridiculous. As a comedy perhaps "Hercules, Samson and Ulysses" could have appeared as an average picture -in fact it makes you laugh often- but as an epic, even a fantasy, it doesn't stand a chance. Mamma Mia!!
" We are strangers to Judea, who is this Samson you speak of? "
thinker169117 July 2012
In the 1960's in the U.S.A. the director of this last sword and sandal film called " Hercules, Samson and Ulysses " was the first to adapt the early Greek myths to the silver screen. The movie went on to be copied again and again. By this final installment Steve Reeves was replaced by a look-a-like Kirk Morris for the Strong Man, Hercules. As for his Judean rival the director choose Richard Lloyd to play the biblical hero. Enzo Cerusico plays the young Ulysses as they set out to confront a gigantic monster in Greece. However, a storm lands them in the Lavant and the land of legendary strong man who battle the Philistines. The movie is expected to follow the earlier films like Hercules and Hercules' Unchained. Instead the director who also wrote the story consigns himself to pairing the two strongmen and their young protégé against the The Philistines and his ally Dalila (Liana Orfei). Delighful as the movie is, audiences keep expecting ,much, much more than is offered, only to be disappointed. Still, the movie is interesting fare for a lazy summer's day. Despite all, it's still enjoyable but relegated to the shelves as a 1960's Classic. ****
Sword and Sandal with a Sense of Humour.
tonyglad26 December 1998
This must have been towards the end of the Italian musclemen "epics". As the title shows, the list of characters includes just about everyone. The Hercules and Samson are the blockheads you would expect, but Ulysses, true to his origin in Homer, is a wily and engaging character, who makes fun of the others while solving their problems. I remember this example of the "sword & sandal" school with affection because the script and the acting do show a really entertaining sense of humour.
What The actual F¥@
dfloro8 June 2020
How did this one avoid being the subject of an MST3K episode? Not even unintentionally funny or bizarre enough to be made fun of? The reason I didn't give this waste of celluloid the lowest rating possible on IMDB is that I reserve 1-star ratings (as did the late, great Roger Ebert with zero ratings) for stuff that's incompetently made (Check!), devoid of any redeeming value (Check!), AND ALSO morally reprehensible (the only insidious mark that this movie fails to achieve, as that require it to be even detectably immoral or interesting). Ugh!
A Trio of Muscle Bound Heroes Save The Day!
zardoz-1322 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"Hercules" director Pietro Francisci's "Hercules, Samson, and Ulysses" qualifies as an imaginative but juvenile yarn about the three titular ancient world heroes. About an hour into this beefcake epic, Hercules challenges Samson in a set of ruins and they swap mighty blows. At one point, Samson knocks Hercules against a column of stones. One of the stones topples on Hercules but he catches it adroitly and hurls it at Samson. The Biblical strongman seizes it and slams against a column of stones. The stones collapse and Samson narrowly avoids the crashing stones. This battle of titans goes on for several moments with the muscle-bound adversaries smashing into the ruins of buildings and springing back. "I've never met such strength as yours," Hercules tells Samson during a break in their battle. "Why don't the two of us join forces?" "I was thinking the same thing," Samson replies. The only thing that spoils this otherwise exciting scene with its superb production values is the sight of power lines behind Samson in the distance. Presumably, the power lines were not so prominent when projected on the big screen. The Philistine enemy wears Nazi-style helmets. Composer Angelo Francesco Lavagnino provides an atmospheric orchestral theme, and Sound Engineer Antonio Bramonti furnishes some interesting sound effects for the flying spears and sailing ropes. Aldo Giuffrè is terrific as Seren the king of the Philistines. Lots of dumb larger-than-life fun!
A Brawling Good Time
DarthBill26 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
When a monster hunting trip at sea goes awry our favorite Greek/Roman demigod Hercules finds himself stranded in Judea with his pals and must find a way home. Before long Hercules is mistaken for the biblical strong man Samson, who is of course an enemy of the Philistines, and the only way out of this case of mistaken identity is for Hercules to hunt down Samson and bring him to the Philistines. Chaos and Mayhem ensue.
Director Pietro Francisci returns to the sword and sandal genre he helped kick off a few years earlier with the Steve Reeves hits "Hercules" and "Hercules Unchained" and like those features before it this is an above average entry in the genre, with better production values than many of its imitators. It also feels as though it is meant to be the a sequel to the two Steve Reeves Hercules films, minus Reeves himself unfortunately, and the lovely Sylva Koscina, who played his love interest/wife Iole, even though a few of the secondary players of those films return (not the actor who played Ulysses though). Kirk Morris (real name: Adriano Bellini), with hair bleached, is a solid substitute for Reeves opposite Diletta D'Andrea in place of Koscina, and Morris is well matched by Richard Lloyd (real name: Iloosh Koshabe) as Samson. True they're both dubbed, but Morris and Lloyd never the less look very convincing in their roles and dominate every scene they're in, and they execute the action sequences, particularly they're cheerfully over the top knock down drag fist fight which we all paid to see, very well. Liana Orfei asserts herself nicely in the role of the manipulative seductress Delilah - whom Hercules of all people warns Samson against.
For lighter and softer adventure fun be sure to check this one out.
Director Pietro Francisci returns to the sword and sandal genre he helped kick off a few years earlier with the Steve Reeves hits "Hercules" and "Hercules Unchained" and like those features before it this is an above average entry in the genre, with better production values than many of its imitators. It also feels as though it is meant to be the a sequel to the two Steve Reeves Hercules films, minus Reeves himself unfortunately, and the lovely Sylva Koscina, who played his love interest/wife Iole, even though a few of the secondary players of those films return (not the actor who played Ulysses though). Kirk Morris (real name: Adriano Bellini), with hair bleached, is a solid substitute for Reeves opposite Diletta D'Andrea in place of Koscina, and Morris is well matched by Richard Lloyd (real name: Iloosh Koshabe) as Samson. True they're both dubbed, but Morris and Lloyd never the less look very convincing in their roles and dominate every scene they're in, and they execute the action sequences, particularly they're cheerfully over the top knock down drag fist fight which we all paid to see, very well. Liana Orfei asserts herself nicely in the role of the manipulative seductress Delilah - whom Hercules of all people warns Samson against.
For lighter and softer adventure fun be sure to check this one out.
THE LAST OF THE GREAT EPIC "HERCULES" MOVIES
larryanderson14 February 2022
I saw this when it first showed in theaters and loved the general "look and feel" of the movie. Bright sunshine, beautiful people and lush locations. Heroes acting like heroes and one great adventure after another. The strange casting of the Ulysses character could have been filled by many of the available musclemen from the era. The producers wanted Steve Reeves to star in this but he was far too busy making other movies at the time. They did use the original director and if you look closely, they managed to re-hire many of the original cast from the 1957 Hercules. Rod Flash as Samson was a body guard for the former Shah of Iran. If you want to watch a bright cheery adventure movie, watch this one. You will enjoy it.
Decent ¨Cloak and Sandals movie¨ with two strongmen , Kirk Morris and Richard Lloyd battling Philistines
ma-cortes4 November 2016
This acceptable Peplum or ¨Sword and Sandals¨ movie turns out to be a giant Spectacle of the World's Mightiest Men such as Kirk Morris as Ercole , Iloosh Khoshabe or Richard LLoyd as Sansone and Enzo Cerusico as Ulysses . A decent spaghetti , myth-opera with action , impressive fighting , battles and lush landscapes . Including breathtaking scenes when Hércules and Sansone fight themselves and overwhelming final battle with surprising and moving scenes . Two mythical figures Sansone (Kirk Morris) and Ulysses (Enzo Cerusico) along with their crew set out to hunt down a gigantic sea monster . When they face off the murderous beast their ship is wrecked and they end up in the Holy Land and Gaza where Hercules (Kirk Morris , born Adriano Moldoni , who often dyed his pompadour-styled hair blond and he had a slight, sulky resemblance to Elvis Presley) is assumed to be Samson who is a wanted man by the Saran of Gaza (Aldo Giuffrè) . Meanwhile ,Sansone helps the Dannita people and fights against a bull and a lion , as usual . The two strongmen team up to survive against the nasty Philistines (who wear an inappropriate Nazi hulk) . The picture is plenty of legendary , literary and mythological characters such as Ercole , Sansone , Ulysses , Delilah as Philistine Queen (Liana Orfei) , Laertes as Ithaca King (Andrea Fantasia) , Telémaco Ulysses' son and Penélope , Ulyssess' wife
This is a nice Peplum with violent fights , noisy action , drama , court intrigues , and spectacular battles , but not brain food . Don't look for too much of a screenplay , because the emphasis is on lavish spectacle . This film is a crossover of heroes and mythological roles , but with no historical penchant . The picture contains some unexpected scenes with gory and eerie events , as when several children are shot by arrows , crucifixion and hanging . Lousy performances in Peplum style with lots of wooden acting . As usual in Peplum films appears the choreographic girl dancers and great deal of action with several adventures including spectacular fights , overwhelming sets and some good effects . U.S. buffs regard this as the last of the big Italian sword and sandal/muscle-man epics , it was directed by Pietro Francisci , who had started the craze with his ¨Hercules¨ (1958) and sequel ¨Hercules unchained , both of them performed by the great Steve Reeves .
"Hercules, Samson & Ulysses" is starred by two He-men : Kirk Morris and Richard Lloyd , both of whom subjected to the traditional "Test of Strength" , as they endeavored to pull a temple apart against Philistines . Kirk Morris who played the mythic Maciste in a few movies was randomly assigned the identity of Hercules , Goliath , Ursus , Samson or Aron for U.S. viewing . Bouncing and strong Kirk was a bodybuilder and gondolier who plucked from the canals of Venice for his go at moviedom but early to be recruited by Italian producers to star in Peplum films . He was a gondolier , before turning to body-building , when resulted to be discovered by an Italian movie producer, he was deemed a perfect speciman to showcase their spectacles and a fitting hero to help offset the silly special effects and spectacular as well as embarrassing action . Himself Kirk Morris became something of a cult personality in the Italian epic genre . Starring notorious titles as : Il Trionfo Maciste (1961) , Hércules against the moon men , Colossus and the headhunters (1963) , Maciste Alla Corte Dello Zar (1964) and Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hércules (1964) . Once the genre had lost its audience in the mid-60s, Kirk maintained for a few more years in war stories as The Seven Red Berets, Overrun! and Sci-Fi as : 2+5 Missione Hydra and westerns as : Rita in the West , but eventually migrated to the United States where he went into the advertising field . While Richard Lloyd -who was born in Iran and died in 2012 in Tehran- starred a few Peplums such as : Titán vs Vulcano (1962), Gli Invincibili Fratelli Maciste (1964) and Ercole Sfida Sansone (1963).
"Hercules, Samson & Ulysses" packs a colorful and evocative cinematography by Silvano Ippalotini . Atmospheric and exciting score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino . The sets and production design impress too . This elaborate recounting was professionally directed by Pietro Francisci though with little relation with the Biblical and literary events . Francisci was an expert on Peplum as he proved in 1963 Ercole sfida Sansone , 1960 Saffo, Venere Di Lesbo ,1960 The battle of Siracusa ,1959 Hércules unchained and particularly 1958 Hércules with the great Steve Reeves . Fun for the whole family though it tends toward the ponderous at times but for the most part, it's a passable movie .
This is a nice Peplum with violent fights , noisy action , drama , court intrigues , and spectacular battles , but not brain food . Don't look for too much of a screenplay , because the emphasis is on lavish spectacle . This film is a crossover of heroes and mythological roles , but with no historical penchant . The picture contains some unexpected scenes with gory and eerie events , as when several children are shot by arrows , crucifixion and hanging . Lousy performances in Peplum style with lots of wooden acting . As usual in Peplum films appears the choreographic girl dancers and great deal of action with several adventures including spectacular fights , overwhelming sets and some good effects . U.S. buffs regard this as the last of the big Italian sword and sandal/muscle-man epics , it was directed by Pietro Francisci , who had started the craze with his ¨Hercules¨ (1958) and sequel ¨Hercules unchained , both of them performed by the great Steve Reeves .
"Hercules, Samson & Ulysses" is starred by two He-men : Kirk Morris and Richard Lloyd , both of whom subjected to the traditional "Test of Strength" , as they endeavored to pull a temple apart against Philistines . Kirk Morris who played the mythic Maciste in a few movies was randomly assigned the identity of Hercules , Goliath , Ursus , Samson or Aron for U.S. viewing . Bouncing and strong Kirk was a bodybuilder and gondolier who plucked from the canals of Venice for his go at moviedom but early to be recruited by Italian producers to star in Peplum films . He was a gondolier , before turning to body-building , when resulted to be discovered by an Italian movie producer, he was deemed a perfect speciman to showcase their spectacles and a fitting hero to help offset the silly special effects and spectacular as well as embarrassing action . Himself Kirk Morris became something of a cult personality in the Italian epic genre . Starring notorious titles as : Il Trionfo Maciste (1961) , Hércules against the moon men , Colossus and the headhunters (1963) , Maciste Alla Corte Dello Zar (1964) and Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hércules (1964) . Once the genre had lost its audience in the mid-60s, Kirk maintained for a few more years in war stories as The Seven Red Berets, Overrun! and Sci-Fi as : 2+5 Missione Hydra and westerns as : Rita in the West , but eventually migrated to the United States where he went into the advertising field . While Richard Lloyd -who was born in Iran and died in 2012 in Tehran- starred a few Peplums such as : Titán vs Vulcano (1962), Gli Invincibili Fratelli Maciste (1964) and Ercole Sfida Sansone (1963).
"Hercules, Samson & Ulysses" packs a colorful and evocative cinematography by Silvano Ippalotini . Atmospheric and exciting score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino . The sets and production design impress too . This elaborate recounting was professionally directed by Pietro Francisci though with little relation with the Biblical and literary events . Francisci was an expert on Peplum as he proved in 1963 Ercole sfida Sansone , 1960 Saffo, Venere Di Lesbo ,1960 The battle of Siracusa ,1959 Hércules unchained and particularly 1958 Hércules with the great Steve Reeves . Fun for the whole family though it tends toward the ponderous at times but for the most part, it's a passable movie .
Silly entertaining nonsense
scsu197520 November 2022
Kirk Morris is the Greek strongman, Iloosh Khoshabe is the Biblical strongman, and historians yell "what the hey."
Hercules and Ulysses are hunting a sea monster which has been eating the people of Ithaca. They are shipwrecked with a few crew members. Somehow they land in Judea (use your GPS next time), where Samson is hiding out from the Philistines. After Hercules chokes out a lion, he is mistaken for Samson. Meanwhile, Samson mistakes Hercules and his crew for Philistine spies. The rest of the Greeks are being held by the King of the Philistines, who tells Hercules he must deliver Samson ... or else. This sets up the inevitable clash between the two musclemen. After a few initial punches, Hercules puts Samson in an airplane spin and tosses him. Samson counters with a hip toss to take down the Greek. Hercules shoots the full nelson on Samson, who breaks it, but the Greek quickly goes for an arm bar. Samson swats him away. Then both men manage to bend a metal pole around each other. Finally, they realize they should join forces and fight the Philistines. The two manage to wipe out around one million bad guys. Then the Argo shows up and rescues the Greeks, and Samson heads back to his land for a haircut.
Morris is adequate as Hercules. He has the physique, and manages to pose quite often, usually with his arms apart from his sides and his fists clenched. Khoshabe is ok as Samson, and inexplicably always seems to have an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal. I have no idea why the Ulysses character is in this, because he is pretty useless. Maybe Aristotle wasn't available. Liana Orfei is good as Delilah, who develops the hots for Hercules, then Samson. If you don't know how that will eventually turn out, consult your Bible.
Hercules and Ulysses are hunting a sea monster which has been eating the people of Ithaca. They are shipwrecked with a few crew members. Somehow they land in Judea (use your GPS next time), where Samson is hiding out from the Philistines. After Hercules chokes out a lion, he is mistaken for Samson. Meanwhile, Samson mistakes Hercules and his crew for Philistine spies. The rest of the Greeks are being held by the King of the Philistines, who tells Hercules he must deliver Samson ... or else. This sets up the inevitable clash between the two musclemen. After a few initial punches, Hercules puts Samson in an airplane spin and tosses him. Samson counters with a hip toss to take down the Greek. Hercules shoots the full nelson on Samson, who breaks it, but the Greek quickly goes for an arm bar. Samson swats him away. Then both men manage to bend a metal pole around each other. Finally, they realize they should join forces and fight the Philistines. The two manage to wipe out around one million bad guys. Then the Argo shows up and rescues the Greeks, and Samson heads back to his land for a haircut.
Morris is adequate as Hercules. He has the physique, and manages to pose quite often, usually with his arms apart from his sides and his fists clenched. Khoshabe is ok as Samson, and inexplicably always seems to have an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal. I have no idea why the Ulysses character is in this, because he is pretty useless. Maybe Aristotle wasn't available. Liana Orfei is good as Delilah, who develops the hots for Hercules, then Samson. If you don't know how that will eventually turn out, consult your Bible.
I saw this first-run in 1963 at the Shades Mountain Drive-in in Birmingham, Alabama...
gaattc1 May 2018
And just caught it again on television this morning, 1 May 2018. Fifty-five years later, it's still classic high camp. Ah, memories....
One detail that escaped me the first time is that the Philistines are all wearing World War II German helmets. I guess there were a few of them available in Italy in 1963.
A Wanted Man
bkoganbing1 December 2016
I think the title explains all. Hercules, Samson&Ulysses get together in a film with pieces from the cultures of two ancient civilizations. In a tale not told in the Iliad, Hercules and Ulysses are blown off course and land in Judea where the visiting muscle dude has been mistaken for their local legendary muscle dude.
Samson's a wanted man with all the Philistines he's killed told in the Old Testament so there couldn't be two guys who are capable of such feats. Hercules is told to prove he's not Samson by bringing in the real deal otherwise Ulysses and the rest of the captives will die.
Hercules is even given Delilah to help with the capture knowing that Samson has a well known thing for her.
Peplum at its finest. I'm sure that the real guys back in the day might have argued about the billing. Note that last line, a promise of things to come and a real hoot.
Samson's a wanted man with all the Philistines he's killed told in the Old Testament so there couldn't be two guys who are capable of such feats. Hercules is told to prove he's not Samson by bringing in the real deal otherwise Ulysses and the rest of the captives will die.
Hercules is even given Delilah to help with the capture knowing that Samson has a well known thing for her.
Peplum at its finest. I'm sure that the real guys back in the day might have argued about the billing. Note that last line, a promise of things to come and a real hoot.
Barely better than awful
jacobs-greenwood7 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know what to say. From the poor dubbing to the ludicrous script and acting, this one is not even good camp. Written and directed by Pietro Francisci, it's a combination Greek and Biblical 'Spaghetti' action drama, with a little sexy thrown in courtesy of Liana Orfei, who plays Delilah to Richard Lloyd's Samson – even though she never gets a chance to trim his famous locks. Kirk Morris plays mighty Hercules, while Enzo Cerusico is rather helpless as Ulysses. Others in the cast include: Andrea Fantasia as King Laertes of Ithaca, Fulvia Franco as his queen, Diletta D'Andrea as Hercules' wife, and Aldo Giuffrè as Seren, the Philistine King. Incidentally, Richard Lloyd is aka Iloosh Khoshabe.
Hercules and Ulysses set sail to subdue a sea monster when their ship is sunk by a storm, leaving the two of them and four other Greek seamen on the coast of Judea, where the Philistine King's troops are hunting for powerful Samson. Seren rightly believes that Samson will end his reign, and his life. But after Hercules kills a lion with his bare hands, the Greek 'god' is mistaken for Samson such that he and his colleagues are captured in the Philistine King's lair. However, Delilah convinces Seren to give the Greek three days to find, capture and return with Samson; her motive is obvious, she wishes to seduce the Grecian warrior.
Meanwhile, Samson is protecting his God-fearing people by single- handedly destroying Seren's (Nazi) helmeted storm troopers. Hercules is able to resist Delilah's charms, and they eventually find Samson. The two men then engage in an epic battle among some (Styrofoam and sponge) ruins, which they topple further, before their mutual respect convinces them to join forces against the Philistine King. But Delilah betrays their plan, leading to yet another slaughter of Seren's troops by the two, who actually drop a temple building onto the approaching army. Ulysses, content to send carrier pigeons back home to summon father, his queen and another ship, finally plays a minor role in the drama, pointing out the trap and the means to escape it.
Hercules and Ulysses set sail to subdue a sea monster when their ship is sunk by a storm, leaving the two of them and four other Greek seamen on the coast of Judea, where the Philistine King's troops are hunting for powerful Samson. Seren rightly believes that Samson will end his reign, and his life. But after Hercules kills a lion with his bare hands, the Greek 'god' is mistaken for Samson such that he and his colleagues are captured in the Philistine King's lair. However, Delilah convinces Seren to give the Greek three days to find, capture and return with Samson; her motive is obvious, she wishes to seduce the Grecian warrior.
Meanwhile, Samson is protecting his God-fearing people by single- handedly destroying Seren's (Nazi) helmeted storm troopers. Hercules is able to resist Delilah's charms, and they eventually find Samson. The two men then engage in an epic battle among some (Styrofoam and sponge) ruins, which they topple further, before their mutual respect convinces them to join forces against the Philistine King. But Delilah betrays their plan, leading to yet another slaughter of Seren's troops by the two, who actually drop a temple building onto the approaching army. Ulysses, content to send carrier pigeons back home to summon father, his queen and another ship, finally plays a minor role in the drama, pointing out the trap and the means to escape it.
A real dog, despite some nice sets
VetteRanger8 February 2024
There is some real nostalgic support for this movie, but I think it's misplaced. On the positive side, from time to time you come across some very nice looking sets. The palace exterior and interiors are truly impressive. It's too bad they weren't used in a movie that makes any sense. It's pretty clear that even in the original language, the actors chewed the scenery without mercy.
But I didn't see it in the original language. The dubs are hideously bad. It doesn't help that the dialogue is as wretched as it gets. Real Junior High School level writing, if that good.
Okay, so we have bad acting, bad dubbing, bad dialogue, what else? The story itself is just stupid, despite Samson's mad spear-throwing skills, where the same two soldiers on horses fall down with every double spear throw. LOL.
But I didn't see it in the original language. The dubs are hideously bad. It doesn't help that the dialogue is as wretched as it gets. Real Junior High School level writing, if that good.
Okay, so we have bad acting, bad dubbing, bad dialogue, what else? The story itself is just stupid, despite Samson's mad spear-throwing skills, where the same two soldiers on horses fall down with every double spear throw. LOL.
You know the names separately. Now see their adventures together!
mark.waltz20 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
In the original "Hercules", he met up with the young Ulysses and turned him into a protégé. Here, they're already on an adventure, having fought sea monsters, charging bulls and lions, when they encounter Hebrew muscle man Samson, and the muscle mass literally bursts off the screen. It's a beautifully filmed adventure with a story that goes all over the place, including time periods, but why complain about that when this ends up being one of the best sword and sandal films ever?
Flying hatchets and spears soar through the sky with Kirk Morris as Hercules, Iloosh Khoshabe as Samson and Enzo Cerusico as Ulysses. Anf where there's Samson, there also has to be Delilah, but she looks nothing like Hedy Lamarr. The grand sets and super photography, accompanied by a fantastic musical score, results in a joyous cinematic treat. Unintentional laughs occur when the men are alone together.
Flying hatchets and spears soar through the sky with Kirk Morris as Hercules, Iloosh Khoshabe as Samson and Enzo Cerusico as Ulysses. Anf where there's Samson, there also has to be Delilah, but she looks nothing like Hedy Lamarr. The grand sets and super photography, accompanied by a fantastic musical score, results in a joyous cinematic treat. Unintentional laughs occur when the men are alone together.
I never realized how much fun paper Mache could be
Ed-Shullivan4 October 2020
I have long been a fan of the ancient Greek/Roman mythological adventure films and this 1963 film certainly is a classic. Kirk Morris plays Hercules, was a former winner of the 1961 "Mr. Italia" bodybuilding contest, and Iloosh Khoshabe who plays Samson with the long hair was an Iranian bodybuilder, These two former bodybuilders team up to outsmart the evil Laertes - Ithaca King played by Andrea Fantasia and the gorgeous Delilah.
The eye candy that the once popular crooner Tom Jones sang in his 1968 hit song "Delilah" was a savvy female sexpot played by the beautiful Liana Orfei. Now Delilah with her overflowing sexuality and flaming red hair was desperate to meet the strongman with the long black hair and big muscles Samson, to witness for herself his feats of strength and we the audience get to see how she literally hangs on to his muscular thighs and broad shoulders as a ploy to direct Samson, Hercules and Ulysses into her evil and dangerous web she has spun.
Ahhhh, but the strongmen show that although they are initially fooled by Delilah's beauty the fog around their heads quickly dissipates and their strength returns just in time to lift those monstrous (paper Mache) boulders over their heads and throw them down the mountain to thwart King Laertes's army from advancing upon them.
This is an adventure film for the history books of entertainment, and I recall watching it vividly as part of my three (3) parts Sunday matinee feature films combined with a comedy starring Jerry Lewis, and a western starring John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. Life was great in the 1960's -1970's before COVID-19 affected the young and old population alike and their freedom to enjoy great entertainment such as this 1963 adventure film classic. But then the three (3) films Sunday matinee is long a thing of the past lifestyles and replaced by streaming meaningless CGI action films on our children's and grandchildren's I-Phones and I-Pads. Kids, you don't know what you are missing watching these classic adventure films of the 1960's circa sitting next to your neighborhood girlfriend/boyfriend in an actual movie theater on a widescreen with Dolby sound speakers sharing a bag of popcorn and a box of Good and Plenty candy.
Catch this film while you still can and please ignore the lip sync attempts translating this Italian made film into an English speaking dynamo. It's a classic adventure/mythology film that I will certainly be sharing with my grandchildren, and god willing even my great grandchildren. They still make paper Mache in school don't they?
I give this classic adventure film a much deserving 8 out of 10 IMDB rating
The eye candy that the once popular crooner Tom Jones sang in his 1968 hit song "Delilah" was a savvy female sexpot played by the beautiful Liana Orfei. Now Delilah with her overflowing sexuality and flaming red hair was desperate to meet the strongman with the long black hair and big muscles Samson, to witness for herself his feats of strength and we the audience get to see how she literally hangs on to his muscular thighs and broad shoulders as a ploy to direct Samson, Hercules and Ulysses into her evil and dangerous web she has spun.
Ahhhh, but the strongmen show that although they are initially fooled by Delilah's beauty the fog around their heads quickly dissipates and their strength returns just in time to lift those monstrous (paper Mache) boulders over their heads and throw them down the mountain to thwart King Laertes's army from advancing upon them.
This is an adventure film for the history books of entertainment, and I recall watching it vividly as part of my three (3) parts Sunday matinee feature films combined with a comedy starring Jerry Lewis, and a western starring John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. Life was great in the 1960's -1970's before COVID-19 affected the young and old population alike and their freedom to enjoy great entertainment such as this 1963 adventure film classic. But then the three (3) films Sunday matinee is long a thing of the past lifestyles and replaced by streaming meaningless CGI action films on our children's and grandchildren's I-Phones and I-Pads. Kids, you don't know what you are missing watching these classic adventure films of the 1960's circa sitting next to your neighborhood girlfriend/boyfriend in an actual movie theater on a widescreen with Dolby sound speakers sharing a bag of popcorn and a box of Good and Plenty candy.
Catch this film while you still can and please ignore the lip sync attempts translating this Italian made film into an English speaking dynamo. It's a classic adventure/mythology film that I will certainly be sharing with my grandchildren, and god willing even my great grandchildren. They still make paper Mache in school don't they?
I give this classic adventure film a much deserving 8 out of 10 IMDB rating
Hercules v Samson
SnoopyStyle10 February 2024
In Ithaca, Hercules (Kirk Morris) lives leisurely at the court of King Laertes, father of Ulysses. Fishermen come to court begging for help to fight a sea monster. Hercules sets off on a ship and Ulysses eagerly joins the expedition. Their ship sinks and the survivors land in Judea. They get mixed up in a fight between ruthless ruler Saran of Gaza and Jewish rebels championed by Samson. Delilah is the manipulative Philistine Queen.
It's an Italian sword and sandal epic. It's also a mash-up of Greek and Jewish stories. It reminds me of Batman v Superman. It is very much a movie of its B-genre. It's actually enjoyable as an action B-movie. I am certain about one thing. Samson needs longer hair. A stumpy ponytail is not enough.
It's an Italian sword and sandal epic. It's also a mash-up of Greek and Jewish stories. It reminds me of Batman v Superman. It is very much a movie of its B-genre. It's actually enjoyable as an action B-movie. I am certain about one thing. Samson needs longer hair. A stumpy ponytail is not enough.
Half-naked muscle-bound nonsense.
mondopsycho12 October 2008
Not unexpectedly, given the genre and the decade, this film is a nonsensical affair of half-naked muscle-men, including devilishly handsome Kirk Morris as Hercules, posing and fighting against a backdrop of silly sets and dubious locations. Special effects are rather bad (get a load of that sea monster!) while the acting, dialogue, and action are predictably funny, though not necessarily intentionally so. Look for the scene with a close-up of Morris pretending to be riding a horse while conversing with Delilah; I spontaneously laughed out loud. In all fairness, low-budget sword-and-sandal flicks of this sort have a nostalgic value and do not really deserve or warrant critical review; they can sometimes still be entertaining if not taken at all seriously. The best scenes of this movie are those featuring lots of fake boulders and fake stone ruins, and in the end, one can only feel sorry for the horses and lions. I gave this film an extra star for going out on a limb and suggesting that, while Hercules and Samson were relatively evenly matched in the physical sense, Hercules probably had the intellectual edge.
Hercules, Samson and Ulysses
coltras3531 January 2024
Hercules sets out to find Samson and deliver him to the Philistines in exchange for the imprisoned Ulysses and other Ithacans. Samson, of course, fights rather than submits. But in the course of the titanic Herc-Sam clash, something happens. The two rivals develop a mutual respect and decide to join forces against their common foes: the Philistines.
A couple of ladies get crucified to the wall of a house, a man gets a spear through a wrist as well as the usual strong man action feature here - with two famous strongmen -Hercules and Samson - displaying their strength, fighting a lion and bull as well as throwing spear that's no surprise. This a good mix of Greek mythology and biblical with the two heroes joining forces to fight the philistines. A well-mounted peplum with a keen sense of danger, a bit of wonder and strong performances from Kirk Morris and the actors who plays Samson and Delilah. There's a dreamy quality, a romanticism with sea, adventure and heroics. The sea serpent needed some Harryhausen magic, but then that sequence was so darkly lit that I couldn't see it. The finale with the columns rolling down -thanks to Hercules and Samson - is well done. A solid entertainment all round.
A couple of ladies get crucified to the wall of a house, a man gets a spear through a wrist as well as the usual strong man action feature here - with two famous strongmen -Hercules and Samson - displaying their strength, fighting a lion and bull as well as throwing spear that's no surprise. This a good mix of Greek mythology and biblical with the two heroes joining forces to fight the philistines. A well-mounted peplum with a keen sense of danger, a bit of wonder and strong performances from Kirk Morris and the actors who plays Samson and Delilah. There's a dreamy quality, a romanticism with sea, adventure and heroics. The sea serpent needed some Harryhausen magic, but then that sequence was so darkly lit that I couldn't see it. The finale with the columns rolling down -thanks to Hercules and Samson - is well done. A solid entertainment all round.
Sandals and Tunics Forever...
azathothpwiggins3 July 2023
Two mythological heroes collide when Hercules and Samson team up, with an assist from Ulysses, to tackle the diabolical king of the Philistines and his minions. Along the way, Herc does battle with a hideous sea monster (aka: a big seal), a rather confused buffalo, and a languid lion. Meanwhile Sam dazzles the Philistine army with his astonishing spear-throwing prowess.
When these two titans finally meet, it's an all out, boulder-tossing, pillar-demolishing showdown! Then, they're off to crush the Philistines and their odious ruler in the ultimate battle royal!
If you're a fan of these muscleman epics, then you should love this. The Styrofoam boulders fly like... well, Styrofoam, and there's enough body oil used to fill an Olympic swimming pool!
Watch for the astonishing Delilah (Liana Orfei) and her magnificent dance routine!
SIDE NOTE: Check out the helmets on the Philistine soldiers. They're repurposed German helmets from some World War II movie! They take you out of the movie so completely, it's like watching something from Mel Brooks! Absolute brilliance!...
When these two titans finally meet, it's an all out, boulder-tossing, pillar-demolishing showdown! Then, they're off to crush the Philistines and their odious ruler in the ultimate battle royal!
If you're a fan of these muscleman epics, then you should love this. The Styrofoam boulders fly like... well, Styrofoam, and there's enough body oil used to fill an Olympic swimming pool!
Watch for the astonishing Delilah (Liana Orfei) and her magnificent dance routine!
SIDE NOTE: Check out the helmets on the Philistine soldiers. They're repurposed German helmets from some World War II movie! They take you out of the movie so completely, it's like watching something from Mel Brooks! Absolute brilliance!...
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