Damon and Pythias (1962 film)
| Damon and Pythias | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Curtis Bernhardt |
| Written by | Samuel Marx (story) Samuel Marx (screenplay) Franco Riganti (screenplay) Paola Ojetti/Franco Riganti (dialogue: Italian version) Bridget Boland (dialogue: English version) |
| Produced by | Sam Jaffe (associate producer) Samuel Marx (associate producer) |
| Cinematography | Aldo Tonti |
| Edited by | Niccolò Lazzari |
| Music by | Angelo Francesco Lavagnino |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes (Italy) 99 minutes (U.S.) |
| Countries | Italy United States |
| Language | English |
Il tiranno di Siracusa (English Release Title: Damon and Pythias) is a 1962 Italian/American film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. The film is based on the Greek legend of Damon and Pythias, and set during the reign of Dionysius I of Syracuse (432-367 BC).
Plot summary
In ancient Greece, Pythias from Athens is on a trip to Syracuse. The tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse sees him as a dangerous follower of the philosopher Pythagoras and condemns him to death.
Pythias begs Dionysus to allow him to visit his wife in Athens promising to return to Syracuse to be executed. Pythias' friend Damon volunteers to be held hostage until Pythias returns. Dionysius sees this as the opportunity to demonstrate the falsity of Pythagoras' philosophy.
Dionysius allows Pythias to leave but doesn't expect him to return. Dionysius prepares to execute Damon, but at the last minute, Pythias returns to take Damon's place before the executioner. The tyrant's son intervenes and Damon and Pythias are both spared.
Cast
- Guy Williams as Damon
- Don Burnett as Pythias
- Ilaria Occhini as Nerissa
- Liana Orfei as Adriana
- Marina Berti as Mereka - Nerissa's Friend
- Arnoldo Foà as Dionysius the Tyrant
- Carlo Giustini as Cariso
- Aldo Silvani as Patriarch
- Andrea Bosic as Arcanos
- Franco Fantasia as Rumius the Fencing Master
- Lawrence Montaigne as Flute Player
- Enrico Glori as Nikos
- Gianni Bonagura as Philemon
- Carolyn De Fonseca as Chloe
Reception
The film made a profit of $6,000.[1]
Release
The international distribution was taken over by MGM.[2]
Biography
- Hughes, Howard (2011). Cinema Italiano - The Complete Guide From Classics To Cult. London - New York: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-608-0.
References
External links
- Damon and Pythias at IMDb
- Damon and Pythias is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
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- 1962 films
- 1960s adventure films
- Italian films
- American films
- English-language films
- Films directed by Curtis Bernhardt
- Films set in classical antiquity
- Films based on Greco-Roman mythology
- Films based on works by Friedrich Schiller
- Films based on poems
- Peplum films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
- Films set in the 5th century BC
- Films set in the 4th century BC
- Adventure film stubs
- 1960s Italian film stubs