No
other actor other than Steve Reeves himself is probably more identified
with the sinew & sandal movie genre than Mark Forest. Born Lou
Degni in Brooklyn , New York in 1933 he began bodybuilding as a teenager
and competed in and won a number of contests.
The story goes that a Hollywood scout saw his photo on the cover of a
physical culture magazine and invited him to Hollywood to audition for
the role of " Tarzan ". He didn't get the role. But he got a job working
in Mae West's night club act. He would also
work for a time in the night club act of ecdysiast Lilli " The Cat Girl
" Christine. At the peak of the peplum movie cycle Forest would pack up
his muscle shirts and head to Europe and become a star. Mostly playing
Maciste , the character originally played
by strongman Bartolomeo Pagano. Pagano would portray the character in
over a dozen movies beginning in 1914 in the silent film epic CABIRIA.
He would even legally have his name changed to Maciste. Mark Forest
would be the only other actor as identified with
the character.The Forest peplum flicks are some of the most
entertaining from the genre. But there are four that I recommend above
all the others.
GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON ( 1960 ) was Forest's first muscleman movie.
And a pretty cool fantasy film. What's interesting about this one is
that it was originally a " Hercules " movie. In most of his movies he
portrayed Maciste and they were re-dubbed and
re-titled so that he was playing more familiar characters ( to American
audiences ) like Hercules and Samson. Those familiar with mythology
realize that the character Forest is playing here is Hercules because
the plot has the character performing a several
of the 12 Labors of Hercules. And the movie's villain , portrayed by
Broderick Crawford , is King Eurysteseus from the Hercules legend.
In SON OF SAMSON ( 1960 ) Forest plays Maciste for the first time
and co-stars with the sexy Chelo Alonso , the Queen of the Sinew &
Sandal genre. The character is given an origin as being the " Son of
Samson ". And considering what a womanizer the biblical
strongman was it's not hard to imagine that Samson had a child or two.
Even if the Bible never mentions any offspring. Over the years though
some historians have speculated that Phillistine women had their way
with Samson after he had been blinded and made
a prisoner. Hoping to have his strength passed on to their children.
This theory speculates that the Phillistine giant Goliath may have been
Samson's grandson.
MOLE MEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES ( 1961 ) has Forest co -
starring with beautiful Moira Orfei who plays the evil queen of an
underground nation. Also in this film is bodybuilding champion Paul
Wynter as Bangor , Maciste's sidekick.It's interesting
to compare Forest's physique to that of a Mr. Universe winner. Forest
also does battle with an ape -suit actor. This is a fun flick. But any
flick instantly becomes better with the inclusion of an ape - suit.
And of course there is THE TERROR OF ROME AGAINST THE SON OF
HERCULES ( 1964 ). In this one Forest fights against Christian
persecution. But only after he falls in love with a Christian woman.
Beautiful Marilu Tolo is the patrician woman who loves the
muscular hero. And who gives up her life for him even after he chooses
the Christian heroine over her. There's plenty of gladiatorial combat in
this one. Including Forest fighting another ape - suit actor. This
gorilla suit is one of the cheesiest ever seen
onscreen. It barely resembles a gorilla. Which has led some fan-boys to
imagine it was actually a " mangani " from the Edgar Rice Burroughs'
Tarzan books. An interesting theory.
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