User reviews

The picture contains rousing action, intrigue, romantic adventure , mayhem and a fine cast doing a fine job. At the end of the 13th century, Baron Oddo de Serra who is cruel to his subjects, is neighbor of the Count Gualtiero of Roccalta. A small river separates the territories of Baron Oddo of Serra (Massimo Serato) from those of Count Gualtiero of Roccalta (Herbert Böhme). Count Gualterio is a generous man while Oddo is an ambitious evil man. The servants of the baron cross the lands of Count to escape his abuses. The river is the border that separates the two territories, Count Gualterio will help the unfortunate people who pass it, and while a rebel who does in Robin Hood style shows up. Baron hatches a plot to assassinate the earl. One day a man is suspended from hunting on Conde's lands, but instead of condemning him, Conde sets him free. The man therefore begins to help everyone who crosses the river to escape the Baron's abuses and earns the nickname Captain Fire (Lex Barker). To get revenge, the Baron has the Count murdered and to get Elena (Rosanna Rory), the Count's daughter, to marry him, Captain Fuego accuses. With the help of his protégés, he attempts to prove his innocence.

This is a fun swashbuckling, with noisy action, emotion, romance , treason and a lot of swordplay. It's a quickie with lack luster and low budget but it manages to be at least an enjoyable adventure movie because containing action, sensational outdoors and thrills situations abound. The story is neither realistic nor ambitious, but sympathetic with good scenarios, costumes and gorgeous landscapes. Dealing with two noblemen, Gualterio is a generous man, while the Baron is cruel to his subjects and in the middle of the two appears the brave leader protagonist who manages to prove his innocence and defeat the Baron. An ordinary adventure scenery , it's Lex Barker against Massimo Serato, including a moving duel at the end, similar to Errol Flynn films. Middle production by Giuliano Simonetti with colorful gowns , evocative sets, right cinematography by Bitto Albertini and powerful score by Carlo Innocenzi.

This is one of Lex Barker's many Italian adventures, after his exile from the United States to Europe where he starred in all kinds of genres, excelling in Westerns such as the Karl May films: The highbrow Lex Barker played the most part of series : ¨Apache gold (1963)¨ by Harald Reinl , ¨Apaches last Battle (1964)¨ by Hugo Fregonese, ¨Last of renegades (1964)¨, ¨The desperate trail¨, ¨Old Surehand¨ (1965) directed by Alfred Vohrer, ¨Old Shatterland(1966)¨ by Harald Philipp , ¨In the valley of death (1968)¨ by Harald Reinl . And being the starring of adventure films, such as: ¨Robin Hood and the Pirates¨, ¨The Secret of the Blue Men¨, ¨The Executioner of Venice¨, ¨Tales of the Vikings¨, ¨La scimitarra del saraceno¨, ¨Il figlio del corsaro rosso¨. Barker married 5 times, his fifth wife, Carmen Cervera, (who later married Baron Tyssen), a former Miss Spain. Barker was very known for his role as Tarzan, normally quite hairy-chested, Barker was forced to submit to a full body wax in order to play the buffed version of Tarzan demanded by the producers. This entertaining adventure film has Lex Barker as its absolute protagonist. Along with the American actor, the cast is completed by Rossana Roy (¨El Eclipse¨), Massimo Serato (¨Il sole dorge ancora¨) and Anna Maria Ferrero (¨Il Gobbo¨). Together with three regular secondaries of the 60, and 70s' Italian sub-genres: Paul Muller, Livio Lorenzon and Piero Lulli .

The picture was mediocrely directed by Carlo Campogalliani (1885-1974), nothing special, but professionally made. He was a veteran and good craftsman director. He worked in silent cinema , shooting early Peplums as Il Testamento Di Maciste 1920 , Il Viaggio Di Maciste 1920 , Maciste Contro la Morte 1920 , Il Teschio D'Oro 1920 , La trilogy Di Maciste 1919. In the sixties Carlo directed four Sword and Sandals movies : Ursus 1961 , Maciste Nella Valle Dei Re 1960 , Goliath and the Barbarians 1959 and Rosmunda e Alboino 1961 , the latter dealing with Alboino/Jack Palance, the Lombard ruler, wants to marry the daughter of a neighboring king, but she loves another . Rating: 5/10. Average , but passable.

Oddly ,this "Capitan Fuoco " has become Robin Hood in the French and German versions !! It may explain why the hero is no more a fallen noble , but a poacher who fights the wicked lord , steals 1050 golden coins from him and gives it to the poor ; there's a Friar Tuck ersatz ,here a saint hermit ;and Lady Marian has become Ellen (or Helen) ,but her father is a good lord , the villain 's suzerain ; this overlord who feeds the poor is killed by a black arrow ,and Capitan Fuoco (or Robin,depending on the version you watch) is accused of this crime!

Lex Barker wields the sword and the bow with gusto and he was to play Robin (the real one that is) in "Robin Hood and th pirates"later on ;true to himself,Massimo Serato plays his usual baddie who wants to make the hero blind with a red-hot iron!