The Loves of Hercules
| The Loves of Hercules | |
|---|---|
 Original Movie Poster |
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| Directed by | Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia |
| Produced by | Alberto Manca |
| Written by | Luciano Doria |
| Starring | Jayne Mansfield Mickey Hargitay |
| Music by | Carlo Innocenzi |
| Cinematography | Enzo Serafin |
| Editing by | Renato Cinquini |
| Release date(s) | 1960 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Country | Italy / France |
| Language | Italian |
The Loves of Hercules is a 1960 Italian-epic fantasy-feature film starring Jayne Mansfield and husband Mickey Hargitay.
Contents |
[edit] Alternative titles
- Hercules vs. the Hydra (USA TV title)
- Gli amori di Ercole (Italy)
- Les amours d'Hercule (France)
- Herkules ja rakkauden kuningatar (Finland)
- O iraklis kai oi Amazones (Greece)
- Die Liebesnächte des Herkules (West Germany)
- Los amores de Hercules (Spain)
[edit] Plot
While Hercules (Mickey Hargitay) is away, his people and the woman he loves are killed by the king of Ecalia. Hercules learns of the murder of his wife and seeks vengeance, only to learn that the kingdom from which the murderers came is besieged from within, by a usurper to the throne. Jayne Mansfield portrays the king's daughter, who sympathizes with Hercules and opposes the usurper; she and Hercules are parted when he is wounded battling a three-headed dragon and given aid by a group of Amazons, who bring him to their queen (also played by Mansfield). She proceeds to woo the strongman, not knowing that she has a unique way of terminating her relationships transforming her lovers into trees. Hercules manages to escape with his life while the queen is done in by one of her victims. He eventually returns to free the princess and her kingdom.
[edit] Production notes
This was one of the earlier movies to follow from Italy in the wake of the success of Hercules starring Steve Reeves, and marked an attempt to add some star power to the notion of a muscleman movie, not so much in the title role as the female lead. Mansfield received permission from her studio 20th Century Fox to film this movie in the early weeks of 1960. Filmed on location in Italy, this was not one of Mansfield's "loan out" films. She received a fee of $75,000 for starring in the movie. A hit in Italy, it was later broadcast as a movie of the week in 1966 on American television and has since gained a cult following for its campiness. Mansfield was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child when production started.
[edit] Main Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Mickey Hargitay | Hercules |
| Jayne Mansfield | Queen Deianira / Hippolyta |
| Massimo Serato | Licos |
| René Dary | Generale |
| Moira Orfei | Némée |
| Gil Vidal | Achilles |
[edit] External links
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