Maciste nella valle dei re (1960)

Director:

Carlo Campogalliani

Writers:

Oreste Biancoli (story)
Ennio De Concini (story)

Release Date:

24 November 1960 (Italy)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

It's beyond belief!

Plot:

Maciste travels to Egypt, where he leads a revolt against an evil queen. |

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Egypt | Crocodile | Feat Of Strength | Persian

Cast

Mark Forest	...	Maciste (as Mark Forrest)
Chelo Alonso	...	Queen Smedes
Angelo Zanolli	...	Pharaoh Kenamun
Federica Ranchi	...	Nofret
Carlo Tamberlani	...	Armiteo I
Nino Musco	...	Senneka
Zvonimir Rogoz	...	Il gran Sacerdote
Ignazio Dolce	...	Un ministro
Andrea Fantasia	...	Il fabbro
Petar Dobric	...	Grand Visir (as Peter Dobri)
Vira Silenti	...	Tekaet
Ada Ruggeri

Directed by
Carlo Campogalliani

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Oreste Biancoli		story and screenplay
Ennio De Concini		story and screenplay

Produced by
Luigi Carpentieri	....	producer
Ermanno Donati	....	producer
Piero Donati	....	executive producer
Sam Schneider	....	producer (english version) (as Samuel Scheider)

Original Music by
Carlo Innocenzi

Cinematography by
Riccardo Pallottini

Film Editing by
Roberto Cinquini

Art Direction by
Oscar D'Amico		(as Oskar d'Amico)

Costume Design by
Maria De Matteis

Makeup Department
Galileo Mandini	....	hair stylist
Halid Redzebasic	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Giorgio Baldi	....	production supervisor
Livio Maffei	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mario Bava	....	second unit director
Romolo Guerrieri	....	assistant director (as Romolo Girolami)
Mate Relja	....	assistant director

Art Department
Ennio Michettoni	....	property master

Sound Department
Leopoldo Rosi	....	sound

Special Effects by
Piero Mecacci	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Stelvio Massi	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marisa Crimi	....	assistant costume designer
Marisa Crimi	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Ornella Micheli	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Carlo Franci	....	conductor

Other crew
Andrea Fantasia	....	master of arms
Tito LeDuc	....	choreographer
Leopoldo Rosi	....	choreographer
Benilde Vittori	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Donati e Carpentieri
• Films Borderie
• Gallus Films
• Dubrava Film (associate producer)
• Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique (CICC)
• Jolly Film
• Panda Societa per L'Industria Cinematografica

Distributors

• Medallion Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Pallas (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Performance (1980) (France) (VHS)
• Retromedia Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• National Music, Milano  soundtrack (as Nazionalmusic)

Also Known As:

Le géant de la vallée des rois (France)
Maciste the Mighty
Son of Samson (USA)

Runtime:

USA:89 min | Italy:94 min | West Germany:89 min

Country:

Italy | France | Yugoslavia

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Donati e Carpentieri

Trivia:

In addition to his on-screen role, Andrea Fantasia also taught the other actors how to use the weapons and choreographed the fight scenes.

Quotes:

Queen Smedes: Feed him to the crocodiles.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 7 (2002) (V)

Mark Forest's second peplum, set in 11th century BC Egypt

Most peplums with a Yugoslavian partner in the international co-production tend to have interesting location photography and a different visual style, and this one is no exception. The setting is the 11th century BC Egypt, where the nation is controlled by Persian occupiers who have enslaved the people. A well-intentioned pharoah who tries to defend the people is killed and his evil, manipulative wife (well-played by Chelo Alonso, in the tradition of over-the-top female villains in old Republic serials!) takes over and sells out the nation. On his return home to straighten things out, the pharoah's son, Kenamun, runs into Mark Forest (as Maciste, the Son of Samson) and the plot kicks into action. The plot also includes a mystical necklace that makes the wearer a zombie ready to be ordered around (shades of old serials once again!), and of course there is some romance. Mark Forest is as handsome as, say, James Darren, his physique is well-used in a number of difficult "tasks", and he is believable in the romantic scenes as well as the fights. I've seen 11 of his 12 1960s films and enjoy all of them. Interesting visuals, a unique setting, a fine female antagonist, Mark Forest's exciting presence--definitely an above-average sword-and-sandal opus for fans of the genre. Director Carlo Campogalliani was involved with many excellent historical films with American stars: Ed Fury's first Ursus movie; Steve Reeves in Goliath and the Barbarians; Lex Barker in Captain

Falcon; Jack Palance and Guy Madison in Sword of the Conqueror (that's one crying out for a DVD transfer--the circulating copies are very splicey). Check some of them out. A copy of this film was shown at UCLA recently at a peplum festival-- if there's a copy good enough quality to be screened there, it needs to be transferred to DVD now!