Steve Reeves and Sylva Koscina in Hercules (1958 Movie)
DVD: www.amazon.com thefilmarchive.org Hercules (Italian: Le fatiche di Ercole) is a 1958 Italian epic fantasy characteristic movie primarily based upon the Hercules myths and the Quest for the Golden Fleece. The film stars Steve Reeves as the titular hero and Sylva Koscina as his adore interest Princess Iole. Hercules was directed by Pietro Francisci and produced by Federico Teti. The film spawned a sequel, Hercules Unchained (Italian: Ercole e la Regina di Lidia), that also starred Reeves and Koscina. Hercules built Reeves an international film star and effectively paved the way for the dozens of 1960s sword and sandal flicks featuring oily bodybuilders as mythological heroes and gladiators battling monsters, despots, and evil queens. Hercules has been broadcast on American television, is in the public domain, and is readily available in the two VHS and DVD formats. In 1993 the film was lampooned on Mystery Science Theater 3000. The film’s Italian title indicates “The Labors of Hercules”. The film’s screenplay is loosely based mostly upon the myths of Hercules and the Greek epic poem Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes. In the two myths and epic poem, Hercules’ role in the Quest for the Golden Fleece is marginal he abandons the expedition early-on when Hylas, his armor-bearer and eromenos (Greek: ἐρώμενος), is lost on an island whilst searching for h2o. With Hylas conveniently absent in the movie, Hercules’ purpose is drastically expanded: he continues to be with the expedition for its duration, saves the Argo from destruction …
