Carlo Tamberlani Movies

Francesco Rosi utilizes the breathtakingly beautiful Italian landscape in an unspecified Italian city to hatch this mystery film involving murder and corruption in high places. As the film begins, a well-known prosecutor is killed. The murder turns out to be the first in a series of murders -- and all the victims are judges. With Italy lapsing into chaos because of the crimes, the craggy and careworn Inspector Rogas (Lino Ventura) is brought in to solve the murders. Rogas thinks that a man, sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit, is the person responsible for the killings. But when Rogas reports that fact to his superiors, they want nothing to do with the case. When more killings occur, Rogas uncovers a plot involving his superiors who are using one man's revenge murder as a ploy in order to affect nefarious changes on the entire country. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Spaghetti Western fans used to the likes of Django and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly might be taken by surprise when watching Sabata. True, the film does star spaghetti Western star Lee Van Cleef as the tight-lipped hero of the title, but it has a very different feel from the genre's traditional, Sergio Leone-derived style. Director/co-writer Gianfranco Parolini (alias Frank Kramer) takes things in a direction that seems to fall halfway between The Wild Wild West TV series and a James Bond movie; the film is packed with colorful characters, exotic weapons, and the action scenes that mix wild stunts with pyrotechnics. Parolini appropriately gives the film a light touch, playing up the colorful and humorous aspects while delivering the action. The end result is a little too long for this sort of light material, causing it to drag a bit in the middle, but it is too good-natured and entertaining to dislike. In short, Sabata is likely to make fun viewing for Euro-cult fans and anyone interested in an offbeat Western. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi

In this adventure, set in the South Seas near Fiji, a boozy veteran from the Korean War gets involved with a native girl trying to escape a cruel nightclub owner. She claims that because she refused the marriage arrangements made by the island's high priest that she is tabu, off limits to all men. The man, not being a native, disregards the native customs and the two lead a long and happy life together. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This epic Italian costume drama is loosely based on historical fact. It chronicles the struggle of a Roman emperor and general to build his troops for an upcoming battle in Gaul. The Senate opposes him. The emperor's charge and her lover are taken by the Gauls. They are ruled by Battaglia. Fortunately, Queen Astrid let's them go. The lovers return to warn the Romans in time for the emperor to take his troops and capture Battaglia. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Steve Reeves gives the most dramatically demanding performance of his career (and a surprisingly good one) in The Trojan Horse. Essentially a retelling of the final year of the siege of Troy from the point of view of Aeneas (Reeves), the movie is filled with fascinating portrayals. Aeneas, taking the interpretation from the poet Virgil, is the wisest of the Trojans and, after ten years of war, has become the leading advocate for finding an end to the fighting. His wisdom and nobility have earned him a place at the table with King Priam and the other rulers, which puts him at odds with the vain, jealous Paris and his Helen. Opening with the slaying of Hector by Achilles, the film is steeped in complex personal relationships and mythological conceits. John Drew Barrymore is the other "name" actor here, playing Ulysses as a clever, cynical, and bold warrior among the Greeks. Reeves brings real nobility to Aeneas and relies on his acting skills as much as his physique to bring off this movie, often mixing the two in a script filled with ironies, as when Aeneas must kill a Greek warrior for whom he earlier expressed respect. Along with Reeves' two Hercules films from the end of the 1950s, and Vittorio Cottafavi's Hercules and the Captive Women, this is one of the best examples of Italy's sword-and-sandal genre. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Originally titled La Furia di Ercole, Fury of Hercules stars Brad Harris as the mythical muscleman. Herc's ire is raised when he comes across the oppressed populace of a totalitarian country. The evil ruler seems to lead a charmed life: no one can touch him, but he can wreak plenty of havoc on those under his thumb. Hercules decides to put a stop to this, but it won't be easy: it never is. In some markets, Fury of Hercules was retitled Fury of Samson, necessitating a whole new English-language soundtrack. The film reverted to Fury of Hercules when it was picked up by TV's "Sons of Hercules" syndicated package. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This was ironically the last film made by director Mario Bonnard, and it follows the pattern of the classic Italian costume dramas about macho or mythic heroes, in this case, a certain Glaucus (Steve Reeves, the glorious Greco-Roman past could not occur without him). Taking the cue from its larger-than-life hero, the story, set in 79 A.D., bounds from one spectacle to another without undue concern for nuanced dialogue or subtleties of character. Glaucus has to single-handedly tackle the brutal thugs that are taking over Pompeii and is forced to fight off a lion and a crocodile -- though not all at the same time. He overcomes wounds and enemies in preparation for his toughest fight, that of rescue and survival when Mt. Vesuvius blows its top, the biggest and final spectacle in a series of battleground fireworks. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Mio Figlio Nero boasts one of the most eccentrically diverse casts in motion picture history. Silent movie queen Gloria Swanson hams it up as Agrippina, the mother of infamous 1st-century Roman emperor Nero. Her little boy grows up to become Alberto Sordi, who plays the notorious lyre-plucker and firebug for laughs. Nero's milk-bathing paramour Poppea is portrayed as a doe-eyed nymphet by Brigitte Bardot, while Roman statesman Seneca is given a satirical slant by Vittorio de Sica. It goes without saying that historical accuracy is not the strong suit of Mio Figlio Nero, which was released in the US as Nero's Big Weekend. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Amiel per la Pelle (Friends for Life) is largely told from a child's-eye point of view. The heroes of the piece are Mario (Geronimo Meynier) and Franco (Andrea Seire), young classmates and inseparable buddies. After several "Our Gang"-style adventures, the boys' friendship is threatened when Mario reveals a secret that Franco confided in him. The film originally ended on a somber note, though reportedly some prints contained a happier finale. The performances by the two young stars are appealingly natural; conversely, the adult players, especially Luigi Tosi, tend to go overboard. Amiel per la Pelle was an entry in the Venice Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

French filmmaker Rene Clement's international reputation was secured with Au Dela des Grilles. A French-Italian production, the film sagaciously teamed the most popular stars of each nation: France's Jean Gabin and Italy's Isa Miranda. Gabin is cast as a murderer who escapes prosecution by stowing away on a ship. Suffering from a toothache, he disembarks in Italy in search of a dentist, only to have his few possessions stolen. This setback leads to an extended emotional interlude involving Gabin, a waitress (Miranda) and the waitress' daughter (Andrea Checchi). While keeping in line with the realistic nature of Clement's postwar films, Au Dela des Grilles harks back to the more lyrical style of his prewar efforts. Released in English-speaking countries as Behind the Barriers and The Walls of Malapaga, Au Dela des Grilles won the 1948 "Best Foreign Film" Academy Award, and also earned Clement the "Best Director" prize at the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dente per Dente is an Italian adaptation of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. Predicated on the notion that absolute power corrupts absolutely, the story concerns a 15th century Viennese duke (Alfredo Varelli) who, upon deciding to take a sabbatical from his duties, puts his sanctimonious cousin Claudio (Carlo Tamberlani) in charge of things. Before long, Claudio is issuing all sorts of impossible edicts and restrictions, culminating in an outrageous death sentence for young Angelo (Aldo Silvani). When Angelo's sister Isabella (Caterina Borato) begs for leniency, the formerly prudish Claudio offers to free Angelo in exchange for Isabella's sexual favors. Upon his return, the Duke gets wind of Claudio's outrages. Disguising himself, the Duke decides to allow Claudio to hang himself with his own words. By its very nature, Dente per Dente is topheavy with dialogue, which made an American release a risky proposition back in 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi