But then while watching SAMSON'S MIGHTY CHALLENGE again a couple of years back it hit me. In this flick Steel was playing Hercules, to great comic effect,as a vainglorious, ego-maniacal, pleasure-seeking hedonist. In short the Hercules that appeared in Marvel Comics. Only a bit shorter. After that it became easier for me to enjoy movies in which he appeared as a hero.
Another thing I enjoyed about Steel was his athleticism. As mentioned before he looked more like a weight-lifter than a bodybuilder. And as such he looked more than capable of performing the feats of strength he was doing on screen. And he was able to hold his own in fight scenes with Brad Harris and Dan Vadis, two of the genres more athletic stars. No he wasn't the "prettiest" of the sinew & sandal stars. But he made for a convincing Hercules.
