Ursus

Ursus (also known as Mighty Ursus) is a 1961 Italian peplum film directed by Carlo Campogalliani. The film was later adapted for the American television film package, The Sons of Hercules, where it was retitled "Ursus, Son of Hercules" (although Ursus was not at all related to Hercules in the original Italian version). It was released in France as La fureur d'Hercule (The Fury of Hercules). "The Mighty Ursus" was originally released in the US on a double bill with "Jack, the Giant Killer" (1962) before being sold to television in the U.S. Filmed in Madrid in 1960 and released in several countries in 1961/ 1962, this movie stars bodybuilder Ed Fury as the legendary Ursus, and Moira Orfei as the evil queen Attea, in a sword-and-sandal adventure. Ed Fury is the actor most associated with the Ursus series, although he only played him in three of the nine films. The film is rife with villains, in the true peplum tradition, including Moira Orfei as the evil queen, Luis Prendes as the smarmy Setas, and Rafael Luis Calvo as Mok, the grand vizier. A young Soledad Miranda plays the beautiful virgin Fillide who is to be sacrificed at the end of the film. Miranda was later "discovered" by Spanish horror film director Jesus Franco who used her in a number of his 1969-1970 productions, beginning with his 1970 opus Count Dracula. (She was killed in a tragic car accident in 1970).