Le Fatiche Di Ercole (aka Hercules) (1958)

King Pelias (Ivor Garrani) has become King by murdering his brother. To protect his throne, he demands Jason (Fabrizio Mioni) bring back the stolen Golden Fleece as proof he is the rightful heir to the throne. Loosely adapted from the Greek myths of both Hercules and Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece and directed by Pietro Francisci. This highly entertaining peplum began the sword and sandal invasion of the U.S. and made bodybuilder Steve Reeves an international star. To a certain generation, he will always be the Hercules. Its low budget limitations are severely obvious especially the special effects and one can't help but wish Ray Harryhausen had been involved to elevate the film into something special. But it is what it is and there's a sincerity and charm to the project. Its lack of sophistication may be a problem for contemporary audiencs but adolescents adored it when it first came out. It was popular enough to spawn a sequel HERCULES UNCHAINED the following year. The film is aided by Mario Bava's cinematography and Enzo Masetti's lovely underscore. With Sylva Koscina, Gianna Maria Canale and Luciana Paluzzi.