Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon

Domenico Paolello, an Italian director most well known for films in the genre of Hercules (huge classical folk hero versus miscellaneous hordes of evil-doers), directed this fairly typical Hercules film from the mid-1960s. Paolello often worked with American body-builder Rock Stevens during this time, and Stevens was cast as Hercules for this film. Stevens would later sharpen his acting abilities and develop a charismatic and much more memorable character on the popular Mission Impossible TV show (Willie Armitage). At this point in his career, however, Rock was really just another Hercules - albeit one of the most impressively ripped and tall. Like most of the leading men used for this series, he expends little effort acting, and does a lot of flexing, tossing, punching, lifting, etc.

The plot is a bit more complex than the usual beautiful treacherous woman/mysterious powerful empire/classical times Hercules story. Set in the Middle East, the Queen of Helene has been captured by the tyrannous Babylonian council of three. Herc, whose relationship with his queen seems a bit more devoted than the average Greek's, comes to the rescue and quickly becomes a pawn in a vast, confusing, game of thrones. The plot, which is more sophisticated than the average Herc-flick, had some potential, but execution was a bit underwhelming.

Though epic and formulaic, Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon does not present the standard level of grand action Hercules films typically engender. Stevens' best moments are his few fight scenes - where he can use his remarkable physical presence to the greatest advantage - but these are relatively few and far between. Though the Middle Eastern scenery is adequate, the sets and costumes are not nearly as impressive or detailed as many of the other Herculean adventures. Finally, the film's pace is inconsistent. Just as it threatens to lull you to sleep, a crucial fact is presented or the plot takes a big twist.

Recommended only for Hercules fans.

Shalmaneser (Livio Lorenzon), Assur (Tullio Altamura) , and their sister Tanit (Helga Liné), tyrants of Babylon, have taken several Hellenic women prisoner, including Hesperia (Anna Maria Polani) , queen of Greece, and her betrothed, Phaleg, king of Assyria (Mario Petri). Hercules (Rock Stevens) intervenes to save the monarchs and punish the cruel tyrants. To do this, Hercules uses a huge club with which he defeats his enemies.

Peters Lupus, or Rock Stevens (from the 1960s TV series Mission: Impossible), was one of the many bodybuilders who followed in the footsteps of Steve Reeves and dedicated himself to the peplum genre in the 1960s. Here he plays the famous character from Greek mythology. As Hercules/Rock Stevens fights to free the people of Babylon from an evil sorceress and other villains. Of course, the best scenes are those in which Hercules, pushing a winch with chains, brings down the city of Babylon, although several of its photographs are taken from Robert Aldrich's film Sodom and Gomorrah.

It stars the stiff and expressionless Rock Stevens, whose real name was Peter Lupus.was one of the many actors and -not one of the best-who played this kind of bulky hero that was all the rage in the 1960s. Other actors of the same style worthy of consideration were the following: Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Richard Harrison, Dan Vadis, Reg Park, Sergio Ciani, Samson Burke, Brad Harris, and several others. However, none of them surpassed the great Steve Reeves in popularity and impact, followed by the also notable Gordon Scott, who also starred in some Tarzan films. On numerous occasions Peter Lupus was asked to play the legendary Greek hero, as well as the equally well-built demigods Samson and Ursus, even though the film titles often fused or confused them in their titles. Peter Lupus was born in 1932, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Challenge of the Gladiator (1965), Mission: Impossible (1966) and Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus (1965). At his beginnings he was hired by the US Army to appear in a series of commercials playing the role of Superman with the permission of "Detective Comics". He did so for many months until the Playgirl pictorial was published. He then subsequently was terminated and the Army for many years later did no longer produce recruitment commercials for broadcast television. With his height, bodybuilder physique and handsome good looks, he was a natural for the starring roles in the sword and sandal/mythological muscle man movies. He went to Europe and got the lead roles and top billing, under the name "Rock Stevens," in four such films in the final years (1964-1965) of that genre's popularity.

The film features the evocative score of Angelo Lavagnino, a prolific Italian composer responsible for the soundtracks of Orson Welles' films: Othello and Chimes at Midnight, among many others. The motion picture was middlingly directed by Domenico Paolella, as it has some gaps and failures . It includes various roles arrive and depart regularly with no regard to logic or the plot, many scenes are suddenly chopped short leaving wild flaws in logic and some principals change sides for seemingly no reason at all. Domenico Paolella was a musical filmmaker who, in the 1960s, became a director of films based on classical mythologies. Domenico was a craftman, an acceptable director and writer, known for filming all kind of genres such as Nunexploitation : ¨The nun and the devil¨, ¨Unholy Convent¨ , Peplum : ¨Maciste Nell'inferno Di Gengis Khan¨, ¨Il Gladiatore Che Sfidò L'Impero¨ , ¨Golia Conquista Di Bagdad¨ , ¨Ercole Contro Tiranni , ¨Maciste against Mongols¨, among others . Rating : 4.5/10 , very mediocre Peplum movie .

"Peter Lupus of 'Mission: Impossible' fame stars as the legendary Hercules. He is on a mission to rescue the beautiful Queen of the Hellenes, who has been kidnapped and enslaved by the ruler of Babylon," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis. Yes, three thousand years ago in the city of Babylon, popular TV series supporting player Peter Lupus (as "Rock Stevens") had a career in muscle-man movies from Italy. This one, translated literally by American International Pictures as "Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon", is ponderous to a fault. Beautifully shaped Helga Line is the highlight.

*** Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia (12/25/64) Domenico Paolella ~ Peter Lupus, Helga Line, Mario Petri, Livio Lorenzon

Peter Lupus (aka Rock Stevens) stars as Hercules in this colorful Italian sword-and-sandal opus, one of four Lupus made in Italy in

1964-65, before rocketing to stardom in the Mission Impossible TV show. We don't really think of any particular manner of dress in Babylon-- at least I don't!--so the costumers came up with some outlandish fashions here, and the art design is also creative! The scenes of intrigue in the palace are dramatically well-done and feature peplum/swashbuckler regular Livio Lorenzon as the ruler of Babylon, dealing with both his queen, the King of Assyria, and Hercules, who has come to reclaim the Queen of the Hellenes, taken as a Babylonian slave. In some scenes in the film Hercules has a over-large club that he both swings at people and throws! It lends a comic-book flavor to those sequences that is not really in keeping with the serious nature of the rest of the film. Lupus has a powerful physique and is one of the best actors in the peplum genre--all four of his Italian films are worth watching and are distinctly different from each other. Domenico Paolella directed three of Lupus' four peplums and also worked with such Amercians as Guy Madison, Lex Barker, Ed Fury, Don Megowan, Richard Harrison, Mark Forest, Ken Clark, John Ericson and John Ireland. Whether a peplum, a pirate film, a spy film, or a western, he seemed to be able to put together a fast-moving and entertaining feature. Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon is recommended to any serious peplum fan. The VHS copy I watched, while a pan-and-scan TV print, is crisp and clear and colorful.

Ah! Another rainy day,Sunday Sword and Sandal affair..these movies always bring back such joy and regarded youth...if you don't dig "bad" flicks or just plain goofy ones,this isn't yer cup of meat.On the other hand,this isn't too retched-Peter Lupus as the man in charge,a decent plot,the usual foolishness= a good way to waste a Sunday afternoon...what happened to those days,anyhoo...??