The Colossus Of Rhodes (1961)

It's 280 B.C. and on the island of Rhodes, the Colossus (a statue of Apollo approximately 110 feet high and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) has just been built. But a visiting Greek (Rory Calhoun) soon finds himself embroiled in political intrigue when he discovers a plan to overthrow the King by a group of traitors led by the King's trusted adviser (Conrado San Martin). Co-written and directed by Sergio Leone (THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY), this is a superior example of the peplum genre. Its production values and special effects are first rate, there's a fine underscore by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino and a longer two hours plus running time (although about 20 minutes were cut from the U.S. print) gives the film more detail. Clearly a step above the Hercules movies in terms of quality. However, an aging Rory Calhoun (more American than ever, you'd think he was in a western) seems out of place here and a poor substitute for Steve Reeves. In actuality, the real Colossus was destroyed in an earthquake some 50 years before the film's plot begins. Lea Massari (L'AVVENTURA) makes for a splendid femme fatale however. With George Rigaud, Mabel Karr and Angel Aranda.