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.
I Vampiri is a 1957 Italian horror film directed by Riccardo Freda and completed by the film's cinematographer, Mario Bava. It stars Gianna Maria Canale, Carlo D'Angelo and Dario Michaelis. The film is about a series of murders on young women who are found with their blood drained. The newspapers report on a killer known as the Vampire, which prompts young journalist Pierre Lantin to research the crimes. Lantin investigates the mysterious Du Grand family who lives in a castle occupied by Gisele Du Grand who is in love with Lantin. She lives with her aunt, who hides her face in a veil, as well as the scientist Julian Du Grand, who is trying to find the secret to eternal youth.
Gianna Maria Canale was an Italian film actress.
Revenge of Black Eagle is a 1951 Italian adventure film directed by Riccardo Freda. It is a sequel to Freda's 1946 film Black Eagle.
Tutta la città canta is a 1945 Italian musical-comedy film directed by Riccardo Freda.
Theodora, Slave Empress is a 1954 film about Theodora, a former slave who married Justinian I, emperor of Byzantium in AD 527–565. It was directed by Riccardo Freda.
The White Warrior is a 1959 adventure film directed by Riccardo Freda. It is loosely based on Lev Tolstoy's posthumously published 1912 novel Hadji Murat.
The Mysterious Rider is a 1948 Italian historical-adventure film directed by Riccardo Freda.
The Black Eagle is a 1946 Italian historical adventure drama film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Rossano Brazzi, Irasema Dilián and Gino Cervi. It was released as Return of the Black Eagle in the United States. The film is based on the unfinished 1832 Russian novel Dubrovsky by Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837). It was followed by a 1951 sequel Revenge of the Black Eagle, also directed by Freda.
The Gay Swordsman is a 1950 Italian historical adventure film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Carlo Ninchi, Gianna Maria Canale and Franca Marzi.
Guarany is a 1950 Italian film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring António Vilar, Mariella Lotti and Gianna Maria Canale.
Caravaggio, il pittore maledetto is a 1941 Italian historical drama film directed by Goffredo Alessandrini and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Clara Calamai and Lamberto Picasso. Nazzari portrays the painter Caravaggio as a wayward genius. It was one of his favourite screen roles.
See Naples and Die is a 1952 Italian crime-melodrama film directed by Riccardo Freda.
Sins of Rome is a 1953 historical drama film directed by Riccardo Freda and loosely based on the life story of Spartacus. The rights of film's negatives and copies were bought by the producers of Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film Spartacus, as to prevent eventual new releases of the film that could have damaged the commercial outcome of Kubrick’s film; this resulted in Sins of Rome's withdrawal from market for about thirty years.
Carlo Giustini, sometimes credited as Carlo Justini, was an Italian actor.
Double Cross is a 1951 Italian crime-melodrama film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Vittorio Gassman and Gianna Maria Canale.
The Iron Swordsman is a 1949 Italian historical drama film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Carlo Ninchi and Gianna Maria Canale. It is loosely based on real life events of Ugolino della Gherardesca.
A Sword for Brando is a 1970 Italian adventure film directed by Alfio Caltabiano and starring Riccardo Salvino, Karin Schubert and Tano Cimarosa.
Lasciate ogni speranza is a 1937 Italian comedy film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Antonio Gandusio, María Denis and Rosina Anselmi.
