Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum, is a subgenre of largely Italian-made historical, mythological, or biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budget Hollywood historical epics of the time, such as Samson and Delilah (1949), Quo Vadis (1951), The Robe (1953), The Ten Commandments (1956), Ben-Hur (1959), Spartacus (1960), and Cleopatra (1963). These films dominated the Italian film industry from 1958 to 1965, eventually being replaced in 1965 by spaghetti Western and Eurospy films.
Edmund Anthony Cutlar Purdom was an English actor, voice artist, and director. He worked first on stage in Britain, performing various works by Shakespeare, then in America on Broadway and in Hollywood, and eventually in Italy. He is perhaps best known for his starring role in 1954's historical epic The Egyptian.
Giovanna Mezzogiorno is an Italian theatre and film actress.
Vanina Vanini, also known as The Betrayer, is a 1961 Italian drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini. It is based on Stendhal's 1829 novella of the same name.
Sweden: Heaven and Hell is a 1968 Italian mondo film directed, written and edited by Luigi Scattini. It features actress Marie Liljedahl and is narrated by Enrico Maria Salerno, while the English dub is provided by British actor Edmund Purdom, and the French version by Jean Topart.
Erik the Conqueror is a 1961 Italian-French epic swashbuckling film directed by Mario Bava and starring George Ardisson and Cameron Mitchell as long-lost Viking brothers in the 9th century, one of whom is raised in England, the other in Scandinavia. They finally meet after almost 20 years, as rivals on opposite sides of an English–Viking war. It is a loose remake of the American film The Vikings.
The Last Wagon is a 1943 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani, and Anita Durante. A number of the personnel were involved in the subsequent development of neorealism. The hero is the driver of a horse-drawn carriage who objects to the competition from motorised taxis. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Piero Filippone and Mario Rappini. It was shot at the Palatino Studios in Rome and on location around the city.
Piero Lulli was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 111 films between 1942 and 1977. He was the younger brother of actor Folco Lulli.
The Friend of the Jaguar is a 1959 Italian comedy film directed by Giuseppe Bennati and starring Walter Chiari, Isabelle Corey and Carlo Romano. The film's sets were designed by the art director Piero Filippone.
Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks is a 1974 Italian horror film.
Gladiator of Rome is a 1962 Italian adventure film directed by Mario Costa. Co-written by Gian Paolo Callegari and Giuseppe Mariani, it stars Gordon Scott.
Attack of the Normans is a 1962 Italian film set in England in the early 9th century. Viking incursions play a central role in the plot; "Normans" in the title is used in its original continental sense, meaning Viking.
Giorgio Ardisson, best known as George Ardisson, was an Italian actor.
Adorabili e bugiarde is a 1958 Italian crime comedy film directed by Nunzio Malasomma.
The Prisoner of the Iron Mask is a 1962 Italian-French swashbuckler film. It was directed by Francesco De Feo.
The Man Who Laughs is a 1966 Italian historical drama film based on the 1869 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo.
Julius Caesar Against the Pirates is a 1962 Italian adventure film written and directed by Sergio Grieco and starring Gustavo Rojo, Abbe Lane and Gordon Mitchell. It is loosely based on actual events from the early life of Julius Caesar.
Gladiators Seven is a 1964 Italian peplum film directed by Alberto De Martino and starring Tony Russel.
The Night They Killed Rasputin, also known as Nights of Rasputin, is a 1960 Italian-French historical adventure film co-written and directed by Pierre Chenal, and starring Edmund Purdom and Gianna Maria Canale.
