BruceCorneil
Joined Sep 2002
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Just as his Hollywood career was shifting up into high gear, Australia's Rod Taylor took a brief and utterly bizarre sidetrack when he went to Italy to shoot a sword and sandal (or, as it could be more accurately described, a "sword and shambles") debacle titled Colossus and the Amazon Queen (1960). It was probably the weirdest and most incongruous entry into Taylor's long and extremely varied CV; a film so unlike any other that he ever made (thank goodness). Indeed, he later tried to avoid even discussing it when the subject arose - a situation that anyone could understand after they had seen it.
To start with, there is no "Colossus" anywhere in the picture, not even a passing reference to such a character. "Our Rod" (as he was fondly referred to in his homeland) co-stars opposite muscle man Ed Fury as the duo play a couple of gladiators (Pirro and Glauco respectively) who are captured by Amazon women. They quickly fall in love (with the Amazons that is.... not with each other... although..) and save the girls from some evil pirates (as distinct from the usual variety of good, well-meaning pirates).
Dubbed into English (even the obviously English - speaking stars were dubbed !), it's a genre-crossing, gender - bending, role- reversing hodgepodge of the most head - spinning type. Apparently intended to be some sort of action/ thriller/ comedy, it features a partly boogie-woogie soundtrack, a modern jazz ballet , an orgy scene and a Western style cavalry charge at the climax (complete with covered wagons). The Amazons have gay male servants who spend much of their time tut-tutting about the mess that their female superiors make around the villa and even Taylor and Fury have some fun with a few fruity bits along the way. Presumably, it was supposed to be a send up of.....something.... But, unfortunately, most of it is about as funny as a serious outbreak of cholera. However, it does seem that Rod was there to provide the comic relief. Not that it was a big job given the fact that it's frequently near - impossible to tell where the laughs are meant to end and the drama begins. But it's only Taylor's knack for visual comedy and his priceless double takes that make the whole thing even remotely watchable. The two stars couldn't speak a word of Italian and none of the girls spoke English. Years later he explained his reason for taking the job to a magazine writer ..." I was having an affair with Anita Ekberg at the time and it gave me an excuse to get a free airline ticket to go over to Italy to see her ".
To start with, there is no "Colossus" anywhere in the picture, not even a passing reference to such a character. "Our Rod" (as he was fondly referred to in his homeland) co-stars opposite muscle man Ed Fury as the duo play a couple of gladiators (Pirro and Glauco respectively) who are captured by Amazon women. They quickly fall in love (with the Amazons that is.... not with each other... although..) and save the girls from some evil pirates (as distinct from the usual variety of good, well-meaning pirates).
Dubbed into English (even the obviously English - speaking stars were dubbed !), it's a genre-crossing, gender - bending, role- reversing hodgepodge of the most head - spinning type. Apparently intended to be some sort of action/ thriller/ comedy, it features a partly boogie-woogie soundtrack, a modern jazz ballet , an orgy scene and a Western style cavalry charge at the climax (complete with covered wagons). The Amazons have gay male servants who spend much of their time tut-tutting about the mess that their female superiors make around the villa and even Taylor and Fury have some fun with a few fruity bits along the way. Presumably, it was supposed to be a send up of.....something.... But, unfortunately, most of it is about as funny as a serious outbreak of cholera. However, it does seem that Rod was there to provide the comic relief. Not that it was a big job given the fact that it's frequently near - impossible to tell where the laughs are meant to end and the drama begins. But it's only Taylor's knack for visual comedy and his priceless double takes that make the whole thing even remotely watchable. The two stars couldn't speak a word of Italian and none of the girls spoke English. Years later he explained his reason for taking the job to a magazine writer ..." I was having an affair with Anita Ekberg at the time and it gave me an excuse to get a free airline ticket to go over to Italy to see her ".
Bob Hope is a stressed out New York TV host. His doctor orders him to take a vacation so he heads off to his ranch in Arizona for a couple of weeks. But ,instead of getting away from it all, he ends up being accused of a murder that takes place during his stay in the desert.
The comedy is broad, farcical and loose much like a sketch on one of Hope's TV specials. As usual, Bob's in a jam and firing off a succession of wisecracks helps him to cope with a sticky situation.
Forrest Tucker and Ralph Bellamy play the bad guys in their respective roles as a con on the run and an evil land baron who's trying to frame the twitchy TV star. Keenan Wynne, as the cigar - chomping sheriff who has to find the real murderer, seems to have based his characterization on Yosemite Sam (with great success !)
This is a free - wheeling '70s movie and it's better than most of the pictures that Hope made near the end . In fact, as it turned out,this was to be his last, major big screen feature and , happily, it also proved to be his best in some time.
The comedy is broad, farcical and loose much like a sketch on one of Hope's TV specials. As usual, Bob's in a jam and firing off a succession of wisecracks helps him to cope with a sticky situation.
Forrest Tucker and Ralph Bellamy play the bad guys in their respective roles as a con on the run and an evil land baron who's trying to frame the twitchy TV star. Keenan Wynne, as the cigar - chomping sheriff who has to find the real murderer, seems to have based his characterization on Yosemite Sam (with great success !)
This is a free - wheeling '70s movie and it's better than most of the pictures that Hope made near the end . In fact, as it turned out,this was to be his last, major big screen feature and , happily, it also proved to be his best in some time.
As it turned out, 1973 was destined to be a transitional year for Rod Taylor. Somewhat deceptively, it began on a comparatively high note in February when he opened in "The Train Robbers" , a lightweight but pleasant Western for Warner Bros. Co-starring opposite John Wayne and Ann-Margaret, it was Taylor's last hurrah as far as box office success was concerned. With his next release, the golden apple which he had been carrying on his journey through Movie Land for two decades suddenly turned into a lemon.
The trouble began in June when he bobbed up in Metro's "Trader Horn", an ill-considered remake of the 1931 Harry Carey picture. As the famed explorer of darkest Africa, Taylor had to lead a safari of day workers from Central Casting through an obstacle course of every conceivable B- movie cliché. There were rampaging natives, tangled vines, quick- sand and assorted wildlife - all of which materialized via a disconcerting gaggle of all-too-obvious stock footage and back projection. It looked liked the former life saver from Sydney had accidentally walked in front of a home movie screen while his brother-in-law was running a bad 1940s travel documentary. All that was missing was a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. It was the beginning of the end for Taylor as far as his big career was concerned
The trouble began in June when he bobbed up in Metro's "Trader Horn", an ill-considered remake of the 1931 Harry Carey picture. As the famed explorer of darkest Africa, Taylor had to lead a safari of day workers from Central Casting through an obstacle course of every conceivable B- movie cliché. There were rampaging natives, tangled vines, quick- sand and assorted wildlife - all of which materialized via a disconcerting gaggle of all-too-obvious stock footage and back projection. It looked liked the former life saver from Sydney had accidentally walked in front of a home movie screen while his brother-in-law was running a bad 1940s travel documentary. All that was missing was a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. It was the beginning of the end for Taylor as far as his big career was concerned