Il leone di San Marco

Venice 1620: pirates are attacking the town almost weekly, and the army of mercenaries does not defend it properly. So Manrico (Gordon Scott) decides to pick up the black mask of the "Lion of San Marco" and attack the pirates when they don't expect it, only with the help of a few dedicated citizens. Things become complicated when Manrico falls in love with the beautiful pirate lady Rossana (Gianna Maria Canale) - now both are suspected to have become traitors...

A fast moving, colorful pirate adventure which benefits from its Venetian setting. It is something quite different from the usual Caribbean scenery: hardly open sea, different boats, the gondolieri, the designs. Nice role for Mirko Ellis who later appeared in many westerns. The lively music by Carlo Rustichelli also deserves mentioning. Note: the German version (for the cinema distribution in 1964) was cut to 89 minutes.