Revolt of the Praetorians [La rivolta dei pretoriani] **(1964, Richard Harrison, Moira Orfei, Piero Lulli) – Classic Movie Review 7936

Handsome, muscular young American actor Richard Harrison stars as the centurion Valerius Rufus [Velerio Rufo], who commands the Imperial Praetorian Guard, in the 1964 Revolt of the Praetorians [La Rivolta dei Pretoriani], yet another exotic and entertaining if artistically rather moderate Sixties Italian sword and sandal epic, directed by Rome-born Alfonso Brescia and written by Gian Paolo Callegari. It is shot in Eastmancolor and Techniscope.

The magnificent Moira Orfei also stars as sadistic, scheming Egyptian priestess Artamne, Piero Lulli plays Domiziano [the Emperor Domitian], the paranoid and tyrannical despot who rules Rome, Giuliano Gemma co-stars as Cocceio Nerva, Paola Pitti as Lucilla, Salvatore Furnari as the jester Elpidion and Renato Montalbano as Soteros who commands the Emperor’s gladiator bodyguards.

The thoroughly enjoyable plot follows the historical story about the conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor Domitian in the year AD 96, though the historical facts are heavily fictionalised. Artamne is the feared mistress of the Emperor and anyone who dares speak against the Emperor is imprisoned or executed.

RIP circus star and owner Moira Orfei, who died on 15 November 2015, aged 83. She was a horse rider, trapeze artist and acrobat, as well as appearing in 42 movies.

 © Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7936

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com