Hercules Unchained (film)

Hercules Unchained
aka	Hercules and the Queen of Lydia Hercules and the Queen of Sheba Ercole e la regina di Lidia
Year	1959
Directed by	Pietro Francisci
Produced by	Bruno Vailati
Written by	Ennio De Concini Pietro Francisci
Music by	Enzo Masetti
Studio	Galatea Film
Cast	Steve Reeves Sylva Koscina Primo Carnera Sylvia Lopez Sergio Fantoni
Run time	105 minutes

For the episode, see MST3K 408 - Hercules Unchained.

Plot

While traveling, Hercules is asked to intervene in a quarrel between the brothers Eteocles and Polynices over who should rule Thebes.

Before he can complete this task, Hercules drinks from a magic spring and is hypnotized by a harem girl who dances the "Dance of Shiva". Hercules loses his memory and becomes the captive of Queen Omphale of Lydia. The Queen keeps men until she tires of them, then has them made into statues. While young Ulysses tries to help him regain his memory, Hercules' wife Iole finds herself in danger from Eteocles, the current ruler of Thebes. Eteocles plans on throwing Iole to the wild beasts in his entertainment arena.

Hercules regains his memory, slays three tigers in succession and rescues his wife, then assists the Theban army in repelling mercenary attackers hired by Polynices. The two brothers ultimately fight one another to the death. The good high priest Creonte is elected to rule.

Cast

• Steve Reeves as Hercules
• Sylva Koscina as Iole
• Primo Carnera as Anteo the Giant
• Sylvia Lopez as Queen Omphale
• Sergio Fantoni as Eteocles
• Mimmo Palmara as Polynices
• Carlo D'Angelo as Creonte
• Gabriele Antonini as Ulysses
• Sergio Ciani as Megreo

Notes

Hercules Unchained

• The tale of Hercules and Queen Omphale is taken from the ancient Greek myth, of which there are several variations throughout history. Character names are drawn from a mixture of various Greek legends and plays, notably The Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus and Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles. Hercules' line "I wove the threads [of my memory] together" is a reference to his task of spinning thread and weaving with Omphale's attendants. The film is only very loosely based on the source material, randomly mixing events and featuring characterizations varying from those depicted in the sources. Aeschylus and Sophocles are credited with creating the original stories.
• The film was the third most popular movie at the British box office in 1960.
• This is the second film in which Steve Reeves starred as Hercules, the first of which would not be used by MST3K until the subsequent season (as Experiment #502).
• Sylvia Lopez's career ended prematurely in 1958, when she died at the age of 28 of leukemia (shortly after the completion of Hercules Unchained).

MST3K Connections

• Director and story writer Pietro Francisci was also director and story writer for Hercules.
• Co-director, cinematographer, lighting technician, and special effects director Mario Bava was also visual effects technician for Hercules and the Captive Women, cinematographer, lighting technician, visual effects technician, and special effects director for Hercules, and director, writer, and cinematographer for Diabolik.
• Writer Ennio De Concini was also writer for Hercules.
• Steve Reeves previously portrayed Hercules in Hercules.
• Sylva Koscina previously portrayed Iole in Hercules.
• Gabriele Antonini previously portrayed Ulysses in Hercules.
• Carlo D'Angelo also portrayed Fernand Lamas in Secret Agent Super Dragon.
• Mimmo Palmara also portrayed Astor in Hercules and the Captive Women, Iphitus in Hercules (in which he was also a stunt double), and Kurt in Argoman the Fantastic Superman.
• Andrea Fantasia previously portrayed Laertes in Hercules.
• Gino Mattera previously portrayed Orpheus in Hercules.
• Aldo Fiorelli previously portrayed Argos in Hercules.
• Gianni Loti (Sandone) also had an unspecified role in The Loves of Hercules.
• Sergio Ciani also portrayed Hercules in Hercules Against the Moon Men.
• Aldo Pini previously portrayed Tifi in Hercules.
• Fabrizio Mioni previously portrayed Jason in Hercules.
• Executive producer Ferruccio De Martino was also executive director for Hercules.
• Composer Enzo Masetti was also composer for Hercules.
• Editor Mario Serandrei was also editor for Hercules.
• Set decorator Massimo Tavazzi was also set decorator for Operation Double 007.
• Costume designer Maria Baroni was also costume designer for The Loves of Hercules.
• Makeup artist Otello Fava was also makeup artist for Warrior of the Lost World and Diabolik.
• Assistant architect Gianni D'Aloisio was also assistant set designer for Hercules.
• Architect Flavio Mogherini was also art director for Hercules (for which he was also set decorator) and Diabolik (for which he also did model effects).
• Sound technician Giulio Tagliacozzo was also sound technician for Hercules.
• Stuntman Nazzareno Zamperla was also a stuntman in Hercules and a tavern brawler in Hercules and the Captive Women.
• Stuntman Artemio Antonini was also a stuntman in Secret Agent Super Dragon (in which he also portrayed a Van Opel henchman) and Danger!! Death Ray (in which he also portrayed a man at work with machine gun).
• Stuntman Giovanni Cianfriglia was also a stuntman in Hercules, Escape 2000 (in which he also portrayed a rebel and a disinfector), and The Pumaman.
• Stunt coordinator Benito Stefanelli also portrayed Kirk in Secret Agent Super Dragon and Rankin in The Pumaman.
• Camera operator Ubaldo Terzano was also camera operator for Operation Double 007.
• Gaffer Antonio Rinaldi was also gaffer for Hercules, as well as cinematographer and camera operator for Diabolik.
• Musical director Carlo Savina was also musical director for Hercules.
• Production secretary Sparaco Conversi was also production secretary for Hercules.
• Production assistant Massimo De Rita was also production assistant for Hercules and writer for The Pumaman.
• American version presenter Joseph E. Levine was also executive producer for Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and presenter for the American version of Hercules as well as Village of the Giants.
• Fencing master Enzo Musumeci Greco was also fencing master for The Loves of Hercules, as well as master of arms for Hercules and Argoman the Fantastic Superman (for which he was also a stuntman).

Critical Response

• Film critic Howard Hughes argued that this film was "superior to its predecessor" Hercules, due to a better script, "punchier action", and more convincing acting. Concerning the cast, he praised the performance of French actor Sylvia Lopez as "movingly effective".
• Leonard Maltin wrote: "Two stars ... Par-for-the-course entry featuring the muscleman hero and his princess bride setting off for the city of Thebes; along the way he will bid to prevent a war and tangle with a sinister queen."