Giorgio Ferroni Movies
- 1972
Night of the Devils is an Italian vampire thriller with a remarkably good pedigree. The script is based on The Wurdalak, a short story by no less than Leo Tolstoy. The central character is the patriarch of a wealthy family who fears that he will show up one day in vampire form. Should this happen, he warns his family not to let him back in his house, no matter how much he begs or cajoles. Not surprisingly, his warnings are to no avail. The filmmakers "improve" upon Tolstoy by adding liberal doses of sex. An earlier cinemadaptation of The Wurdalak, starring Boris Karloff, was incorporated into the omnibus 1963 melodrama Black Sabbath. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
This bunch is none other than the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest and their feisty leader, Robin Hood. This is a '70s release of the often-played Robin Hood story. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1968
No relation to the 1953 El Alamein (beyond a common "real life" source), The Battle of El Alamein was a French-Italian coproduction, largely lensed in Spain. Set during the titular desert battle of 1942, the film departs from expectation by concentrating on the Axis point of view. Though they mistrust one another, the German and Italian troops are forced to work shoulder to shoulder to ward off the British. And talk about revisionist history: Rommel (Robert Hossein) is the hero of the piece, and Montgomery (Michael Rennie) is the villain! Battle of El Alamein would make a fascinating triple feature with Five Graves to Cairo (1943) and The Desert Fox (1953). Incidentally, the "Calvin Jackson Padgett" credited with the direction is really Giorgio Ferroni. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Giuliano Gemma stars in this standard spaghetti western directed by Giorgio Ferroni (aka Calvin J. Padget). The story centers on Sheriff Gary Ryan (Gemma), falsely accused of rustling horses. In order to clear his name, Ryan must go after the true culprit, Lloyd (Serge Marquand). With a screenplay co-written by future horror director Fernando DiLeo, this predictable oater at least has enough bloodshed and violence to keep viewers awake. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This well-paced spaghetti western from director Giorgio Ferroni deals with Southern Major Sanders (Jacques Sernas), who continues fighting the North after the conclusion of the Civil War. Former Rebel Gary Diamond (Giuliano Gemma), now a guide, leads a pair of Union soldiers to stop Sanders before he can pull off a raid on Fort Yuma. Little does Diamond know that one of the Union officers is actually Sanders' spy. More complications ensue, pairing Diamond with saloon-girl Connie Breastful (Sophie Daumier) before Sanders' plot is foiled. A rousing melodrama with a labyrinthine storyline, Ferroni's film sometimes crosses the line into silliness, but remains entertaining throughout, aided by a fine score by Ennio Morricone and Gianni Ferrio. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1966
In this espionage adventure, the "Super Dragon," a notorious secret agent, is assigned by the CIA to stop a Venezuelan drug lord from spiking U.S. gum and candy with a powerful hallucinogenic drug in order to take over the United States. The evil czar had already tested it in a Michigan college town and found it works, rendering its victims helpless. Now the Dragon must stop him before he spreads the stuff all over. The Dragon must also find the antidote for those already drugged. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Danton, Marisa Mell, (more)
- 1965
In this early Italian western, Gary O'Hara (Montgomery Wood, aka Giuliano Gemma) is a former captain of the Confederate Army. He is beset by trials and tribulations of all kinds, including the killing of his beloved brother. Frustrated by the injustice of it all, he begins a personal campaign to bring some justice to the plentiful miscreants of the West. Before he died, Gary's brother gave him a silver dollar; among its many roles, it saves Gary's life and also helps him solve a crucial mystery. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1964
This is an interesting entry in the Italian muscleman genre of the early '60s. Set in the wake of the destruction of Troy, Lion of Thebes tells of Helen's flight from the vengeance of the Greeks, in the company of her loyal protector Arion (Mark Forest). She falls into the hands of the pharaoh Ramses, who sits on the throne of Thebes and is opposed by the aging pharaoh Menophis. Ramses plans to marry Helen, but he is murdered by his jealous councilor. Arion must save her life when she is accused of the murder and sentenced to death. The plot intricacies intersect with elements of Land of the Pharaohs, with its court intrigue and treachery, but the presence of Forest adds an element of excitement to go with the exoticism of the settings and story, with his taciturn demeanor and always-at-the-ready muscleman heroics. Also interesting is Yvonne Furneaux's portrayal of Helen as a woman who genuinely regrets her beauty and the mistakes to which it has driven men, as well as King Menelaus as a man torn by vengeful passion and greed. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Forest, Yvonne Furneaux, (more)
- 1963
Taina Elg plays a ballerina named Dirce who, butterly fashion, flits from lover to lover. Her latest is a hedonist young man named Dionysius (Pierre Bice). Frivolity veers dangerously towards tragedy, as a "Greek Chorus" of older observers-foremost among these is Akim Tamiroff-look on in bemusement and bewilderment. The basic story of The Bacchantes might seem familiar to first-year students in Greek drama. And well it should: the film is essentially an update of Euripides' The Bacchae. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Brice, Alessandra Panaro, (more)
- 1963
Gordon Scott portrays Glaucus, the son of the king of Pyras, who journeys to the neighboring kingdom of Mycene, which is ruled by the evil cult of the god Moloch. There he assumes the name of Hercules and distinguishes himself in the arena, becoming a trusted member of the household guard. This allows him to organize and lead a rebellion against the followers of the murderous Moloch, then against the monster himself. The acting and production values of this sword-and-sandal adventure film are above average, with very elaborate battle scenes involving far more than the usual number of extras, a large visual canvas, and an ambitious finale set in a maze of caverns in which two contending sets of gods use the character as their pawns. A rich score by Carlo Rustichelli also enhances the viewing of this lively, action-filled fantasy-adventure, although parents might want to keep younger viewers away from this movie, with its depictions of Moloch mutilating the beauty of the women sacrificed to him. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Scott
- 1962
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, All Movie Guide
In this offbeat costume horror film set in 1912, Hans (Pierre Brice), a young art student, is sent to a remote Dutch village to collect information about the local windmill. The windmill is decorated with moving sculptures of women in various gruesome scenes of torture and death. Professor Wahl (Herbert Boehme), the curator of the windmill, also teaches art and sculpture. Among the professor's students, Hans meets Liselotte (Dany Carrel), his childhood friend who still loves him. He also gets acquainted with Wahl's beautiful daughter, Elfi (Scilla Gabel), who suffers from a rare blood disease and is not allowed to leave her house. Then Hans discovers the shocking secret behind the professor's attempts to keep his daughter alive. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Brice, Dany Carrel, (more)
- 1956
Vertigine Bianca (White Vertigo) is an Italian documentary on the 1956 Winter Olympic Games. The American entries in the games are given surprisingly short shrift, while the Italian entries are not surprisingly overemphasized. The film's highlight is a near-disaster that takes place during the bobsled competition. Director Giorgio Ferroni emulates Leni Reifenstahl's 1936 masterpiece Olympiad by utilizing multiple cameras and a wealth of clever and innovative camera angles. As the official filmed record of the Winter Olympics, Vertigine Bianca attained worldwide theatrical exposure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1949
Tombolo was one of several Italian films dwelling upon postwar Black Market activities. The title refers to a remote wooded area, used as a hideout by several small-time racketeers and sharpsters. Top-billed Aldo Fabrizi plays Andrea, a night watchman whose dereliction of duty has resulted in a robbery. Hoping to redeem himself, Andrea infiltrates the criminals' den. The bloodbath that follows spares practically no one, save for Anna (Adriana Benetti), a good-girl-gone-bad-gone-good, and the relatively spotless Renzo (Luigi Tosi). Featured in the cast of Tombolo is Michigan-born black actor John Kitzmiller, who enjoyed a thriving career in Italy during the 1940s and 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aldo Fabrizi, Nada Fiorelli, (more)
