Peplum!

Today, the exhibition 'Antiquité et cinéma' opens in Paris at the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé. From the Lumière brothers to Ridley Scott, from Maciste to Asterix, Antiquity has been the setting for various genre films. From its very beginnings, Antiquity in cinema has drawn on classical literature and biblical, mythological and historical stories to create epic frescoes and adventure films. In France, and especially in the United States and Italy, directors and studios redoubled their efforts and resources to bring to life on the screen forgotten worlds, often dazzling and sometimes exotic, whose heroes impressed the image with their stature, sensuality or strength. Above all, the years 1947-1965 left their mark on audiences, the years of the Peplums that were filmed at a frenetic pace in Rome, employing an entire star system. For this post, Ivo Blom selected 26 German and Austrian film programmes about Italian Peplums from his collection.


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Kurier, no. 2837. Francesca Braggiotti in Scipione l'Africano/Scipio the African (Carmine Gallone, 1937).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 431. Michèle Morgan in Fabiola (Alessandro Blasetti, 1949).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 627. Micheline Presle and Georges Marchal in Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei/Les derniers jours de Pompéi/Sins of Pompeii (Marcel L'Herbier, Paolo Moffa, 1950).


Cover page of a film programme by Neues Film-Programm, no. 1505. Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr in Quo Vadis (Mervyn LeRoy, 1951).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 2295. Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr in Quo Vadis (Mervyn LeRoy, 1951).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Kurier, no. 1860. Gino Cervi as Nero in Nerone e Messalina/Nero and the Burning of Rome (Primo Zeglio, 1953).


Cover page of a film programme by Das neue Film-Programm, (unnumbered). Massimo Girotti in Spartaco/Sins of Rome, Story of Spartacus (Riccardo Freda, 1953).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 1992. Massimo Girotti and Ludmilla Tchérina in Spartaco/Sins of Rome, Story of Spartacus (Riccardo Freda, 1953).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 2571. Victor Mature and Susan Hayward in Demetrius and the Gladiators (Delmer Daves, 1954).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 2634. Edmund Purdom and Jean Simmons in The Egyptian (Michael Curtiz, 1954).


Cover page of a film programme by Das neue Film-Programm, (unnumbered). Jack Palance in Sign of the Pagan/Attila (Douglas Sirk, 1954).


Cover page of a film programme by Das neue Film-Programm, (unnumbered). Kirk Douglas and Rosanna Podestà in Ulisse/Ulysses (Mario Camerini, 1954).


Cover page of a film programme by Das neue Film-Programm, (unnumbered). Jacques Sernas and Rossana Podestà in Helen of Troy (Robert Wise, Raoul Walsh, 1956).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 3125. Rossana Podestà in Helen of Troy (Robert Wise, Raoul Walsh, 1956).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 3707. Jorge Mistral and Marisa Allasio in Le schiavi di Cartagine/The Sword and the Cross (Guido Brignone, 1956).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 4969. Anita Ekberg and Georges Marchal in Nel segno di Roma/Sign of the Gladiator (Guido Brignone, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1959).


Cover page of an Austrian film programme by Neues Film-Programm, no. 1788. Steve Reeves and Christine Kaufmann in Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei/The Last Days of Pompeii (Mario Bonnard, 1959).


Cover page of an Austrian film programme by Das neue Film-Programm, unnumbered. Anne Heywood and Mario Girotti (Terence Hill) in Cartagine in fiamme/Carthage in Flames (Carmine Gallone, 1960).


Cover of an Austrian film programme by Neues Filmprogramm, no. 2216. Photo: Oefram / Emo-Bistolfi. Belinda Lee as the notorious Roman Empress Messalina in Messalina Venere Imperatrice/Messalina (Vittorio Cottafavi, 1960). The German distribution title by Oefram-Film was Messalina Kaiserin und Kurtisane.


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 5589. Mark Forest in La vendetta di Ercole/Goliath and the Dragon (Vittorio Cottafavi, 1960).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 6019. Jack Palance in The Barbarians/Revak, lo schiavo di Cartagine (Rudolph Maté, 1960).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 5856. Ed Fury in Ursus/The Mighty Ursus (Carlo Campogalliani, 1961).


Cover page of an Austrian film programme by Neues Film-Programm, no. 2580. Ed Fury in Ursus/The Mighty Ursus (Carlo Campogalliani, 1961).


Cover page of an Austrian film programme by Neues Film-Programm, no. 2996. Jacques Sernas and Gianna Maria Canale in Il conquistatore di Corinto/Conqueror of Corinth (Mario Costa, 1961).


Cover page of a film programme by Illustrierte Film-Bühne, no. 6392. Gordon Mitchell in L'ira di Achille/Fury of Achilles (Marino Girolami, 1962).


Cover page of an Austrian film programme by Neues Film-Programm, no. 3298. Gordon Scott in Il gladiatore di Roma/Gladiator of Rome (Mario Costa, 1962).

Source: Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé (French).