Der Tiger von Sardes

I first saw this movie way back on a small screen TV and it impressed me then and still does. The trouble now is that I have 3 very good quality versions and all are edited so badly that they are all missing parts. Looks like an editing nightmare. Still it one of the better Sword & Sandal movie of that series. Watch it if you enjoy this type of action adventure.

As the warring armies of Persia and Macedonia converge on one another, the neutral kingdom of Lydia is caught in the middle. The Lydian general Gordian( Gordon Scott) thinks his nation should ally itself with Alexander the Great's Macedonians, while a Lydian minister, played by Mimmo Palmara, wants to take the Persians' side for corrupt reasons.

Disputes in the court and torturous double-crossings are rife in this peplum starring Gordon Scott as the hero who is trying to quell a conflict with Alexander by not joining Persians in a war pact. Of course, there's a few who don't want that, and that includes the king. I liked the active court intrigue, which added something to the routine flow of the plot, though it can get talky - the swordplay is also quite good with Scott taking on the bad guys. There's plenty of action, keeping things simmering and the finale is rousing. Obretta Colli is beautiful as the princess.

The bulkiest and most built of all Tarzans Gordon Scott stars in this peplum epic that has a familiar Cold War ring to it. The Kingdom of Lydia is right in the path of the conquering armies of Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire. Looks like they have to make friends with somebody and it had better be the right somebody.

Scott who is a warrior general favors buddying it up with Alexander, but the bad guys want to make Lydia a satellite state of Persia. On top of that the bad guys are willing to carry out a palace coup to do it.

I'm sure when Goliath And The Rebel Slaves played in theaters back in 1963 very few could not have missed the points contemporary geopolitics being made. For that reason this film rates a bit above the usual peplum fare.

Gordon Scott is Gordian. He gets involved in the politics of Lydia. Alexander the Great has his army on the border. So does Persia. There's also Princess Ombretta Colli, whom Mr. Scott rescues and brings to Alexander. Alexander wants to make nice with Lydia, so he imposes her on that nation. Soon enough Mimmo Palmara is in charge, and it's up to Mr. Scott and bodybuilder Serge Nubret to deal with the matter.

I'm not fond of peplum movies. There is a lot to admire in them, and this in particular: the camerawork is beautiful, the sets are grand, the costumes are cute and so forth. These visual images are important in any movie. What I don't like about them are the foolish plots, the barely concealed homoerotic content and, of course, the way the American voicework is performed. Everything is important! Everyone speaks in the same tone of voice! That means that there is no emotional content to anything anyone says!

That's not really an indictment of the actual production, just of its presentation. Because I know what annoys me about this genre, I can discount those factors. With that in mind, this looks like a good one.

The small kingdom of Lydia is in danger. On one side, the troops of Alexander the Great approach. On the other side, Persian king Dareios promises almost anything to make Lydia an ally. So far, Lydia was neutral, but now they have to make a decision whether they fight on Alexander's side or invite the Persian army into their country. Goliath ('Gordian' in the German dubbed version, boldly ignoring the title of the movie), played by Gordon 'Tarzan' Scott, meets Alexander (Gabriele Antonini) and is convinced the king will treat the Lydians well, but a lot of traitors at the court of the Lydian king (Massimo Serato) try to sell the country to the Persians. The original title 'Goliath e la schiava ribelle' (literally translated: 'Goliath and the rebellious slave woman') refers to the hero's love interest, a blonde princess sold into slavery.

Basically, this movie has everything one expects: action, colorful costumes, beautiful women, the tall hero, a villain you love to hate (Mimmo Palmara), thrilling music by Carlo Franci... no masterpiece, but flawless entertainment.