Renato Baldini Movies

In this costume epic, the last days of Julius Caesar are chronicled. The film was shot in the Tunisian desert and the cinematography is especially notable. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Set in fourth century Italy, this sword and sandal adventure retells the story of Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai as it follows the exploits of two brothers who gather a gallant group of ex-galley slaves and sail off to the Middle East to enact the downfall of a tyrant. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Rik vanNutter, fondly remembered by James Bond fans as "Felix Leiter" in Thunderball (and also well known internationally as the former husband of Anita Ekberg) stars in the Spanish-Italian Dynamite Joe. The film is set in the years following the Civil war. vanNutter plays a government agent, assigned to protect a gold shipment. The bandits whom he confronts along the way are not prepared for vanNutter's "secret weapon": that newfangled invention called dynamite. Halina Zalewska and Merce Castro costar in this lively spaghetti western. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frontier Hellcat was the fourth in a series of 1960s European westerns based on Karl May's "Winnetou" character. Stewart Granger takes over from Lex Barker in the leading "Anglo"-role of the mysterious maverick who wanders from town to town doing the "Lone Ranger" bit. The hellcat of the title is Elke Sommer, a tempestuous frontierswoman who reluctantly accepts Granger's help in attaining safe passage through the Rocky Mountains ("played" in this film by the Alps). The original title of Frontier Hellcat was Unter Geiern; the production was a cooperative effort, with contributions from West Germany, France, Italy, and Yugoslavia. Stewart Granger would star in the "Winnetou" saga again in Rampage at Apache Wells and ld Surehand. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, an American gangster heads to Athens to find his ex-wife whom he abandoned nine years ago after his son was born. He finds her married to a wealthy architect who is interested in inheriting his wife's family fortune. Unfortunately, that is what the gangster is also after--and he will stop at nothing to get it. He then meets his little son and learns that the boy dislikes his step-dad. The gangster then promises to help the boy find his real dad; he further convinces him to put poison in step-daddy's thermos. The boy then realizes that this was terribly wrong; he enlists the aid of a deaf-mute friend who runs to the construction site to keep him from drinking it. Unfortunately, the boys are caught by the gangster, who tells the boy the truth. Somehow the lads escape with the gangster in hot pursuit. He follows them up 15 flights of scaffolding to the architect's favorite lunch spot. He and the gangster get into a fight, and the architect is wounded. The deaf-mute takes up the fight and ends up falling. Eventually the gangster turns himself in leaving the boy to make peace with his step-father at his friend's funeral... ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Steve Reeves once again dons sandals and hoists a sword to come to the dashing rescue of the oppressed masses in this routine Roman tale of the good old days when men were unbelievably muscular, invulnerable fighting machines. Randus (Steve Reeves) is a centurion assigned to Rome's army in Egypt in the first century B.C. who finds out, one fine day, that he is actually the son of the legendary Spartacus. Inspired by this new identity, he decides to continue with his centurion's duties as a cover and dedicate himself to freeing the slaves that labor for the unjust and brutal Cesare Grassus (Claudio Gora). When not overcoming the forces that keep people enslaved, Randus has time for Clodia (Gianna Maria Canale) and some relief from all that fighting. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Just over a decade before she would gain fame and some fortune as Alexis Carrington in television's Dynasty series, Joan Collins starred as Esther in this melodramatic, routine Biblical story. The setting is Persia in the 4th century BC, as Esther comes to the attention of the recently widowed King Ahasuerus. The king has been trying to stifle and defeat the campaign of hatred fomented against the Jews by his evil minister Haman (Sergio Fantoni). Before the King can pair off with Esther and defeat the villainous Haman, there are several intervening adventures and an additional, attractive woman who competes for attention. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this spectacle, the Assyrians launch a siege against the Asian city of Bethulia to force the city dwellers to stop worshipping God, and begin paying homage to an idol. This causes great restlessness among the residents who begin a conspiratorial underground, plotting the death of the Assyrian leader. They make one attempt and fail. The despotic leader then demands that the perpetrators turn themselves in. If they do not, the rest of the city will suffer. A beautiful sister of one of the rebels decides to join her brother and kill the leader herself. Unfortunately, she falls in love with the leader until she learns that he is planning to destroy her city just to win the admiration of his troops. Her patriotism exceeds her love and she cuts off his head, causing his Assyrian army to flee in terror. As she holds up the leader's head, a bolt of lightning strikes the pagan idol. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a young woman with a checkered past reforms and marries a good man. Unfortunately, her happiness is threatened by a blackmailer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The English-language title of this European costume epic alternated between Theodora, Byzantine Empress and Theodora, Slave Empress. Gianna-Maria Canale stars as Theodora, the Egyptian dancing girl who wins the heart of Roman emperor Justinian (Georges Marchal). Many historical accounts indicate that Theodora was not the most pleasant and agreeable of empresses. According to this film, however, she rules fairly and justly, and even protects her husband against evil plotters. Spectacle abounds in Theodora, though the American distributors emphasized the scanty costumes worn by the lovely Gianna-Maria Canale in their ad campaign. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide