Samson ** (1961, Brad Harris, Alan Steel, Serge Gainsbourg, Mara Berni) – Classic Movie Review 11,474

Writer-director Gianfranco Parolini’s Samson [Sansone] is a 1961 Italian French co-production peplum film, which was shot in Yugoslavia. American actor and stuntman Brad Harris (July 16, 1933 – November 7, 2017) plays the title role of Samson in one of his first two films with Parolini in 1961.

It introduced the character of Samson, without his biblical traits, into sword-and-sandal cinema.

Perhaps surprisingly, Serge Gainsbourg is the hit turn as the creepy villain, treacherous court counsellor Warkalla, who usurps the throne of Sulan and goods of Queen Mila (Irena Prosen), replacing her with the beautiful Romilda (Mara Berni). Samson joins Mila and the rebels to regain Sulan and to hunt down Warkalla and Romilda.

After the success of the film, Samson was featured in a series of four films released between 1963 and 1965.

The cast are Brad Harris as Samson, Alan Steel [Sergio Ciani] as Macigno aka Hercules, Serge Gainsbourg as Warkalla, Mara Berni as Romilda, Luisella Boni [Brigitte Corey] as Janine, Carlo Tamberlani as Botan, Irena Prosen as Queen Mila, and Franco Gasparri as Mila’s son.

Samson is written by Gianfranco Parolini, Oscar D’Amico, and Giovanni Simonelli, shot by Francesco Izzarelli and scored by Carlo Innocenzi.

Harris performed stunts as Gladiator / Soldier (uncredited) in Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus, and made his debut as a leading man in 1961 in the title roles of Parolini’s Goliath Against the Giants and Samson, and had a long relationship in several films with Parolini.

Alan Steel [Sergio Ciani] started his career as a stuntman and then became the body double for Steve Reeves in Hercules Unchained and in The Giant of Marathon.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,474

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