Hercules and the Captive Women (1961) Original Title: Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide Director: Vittorio Cottafavi Writers: Sandro Continenza, Luciano Martino, et al. Starring: Reg Park, Fay Spain, Ettore Manni Runtime: 101 minutes Country: Italy Language: Italian (dubbed in English for international release) Genres: Sword & Sandal, Fantasy, Adventure 🧾 Synopsis Hercules sets sail to uncover the source of ominous omens plaguing Greece, only to become shipwrecked and find himself on the mysterious island of Atlantis. There, he discovers a tyrannical queen who plans to conquer the world using her army and dark science—sacrificing captive women to fulfill a terrible prophecy. With strength and resolve, Hercules battles mythical creatures, brainwashed warriors, and the forces of Atlantis to free the women and destroy the kingdom’s evil power. 🎠Cast Reg Park as Hercules Fay Spain as Queen Antinea Ettore Manni as Androcles, King of Thebes Laura Efrikian as Ismene Mimmo Palmara as Rukir Enrico Maria Salerno (uncredited voice work in Italian release) 🎞️ Production Notes This was Reg Park’s debut in the role of Hercules, which he would reprise in later films. Filmed in widescreen and Eastmancolor, giving it a lush and more polished look than many of its contemporaries. One of the more ambitious peplum films in terms of visual style and special effects, especially the depiction of Atlantis. U.S. version was heavily edited and released as part of a double feature, which trimmed the runtime and altered character motivations. 🧠Trivia The film combines Greek mythology with Atlantean legend, even incorporating light sci-fi themes through the Queen's strange technology. One of the few sword-and-sandal films to feature Atlantis as the primary setting. A memorable moment features Hercules lifting a massive rock slab to crush a sinister computer—blending ancient strength with modern symbolism. This film was also featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), helping cement its cult reputation. Reg Park was a real-life bodybuilding champion, and one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s early idols. #Hashtags #HerculesAndTheCaptiveWomen #ErcoleAllaConquistaDiAtlantide #RegPark #SwordAndSandal #PeplumCinema #AtlantisMyth #1960sFantasy #CultClassic #MST3K #MythologyOnScreen #ItalianAdventure #StrongmanCinema #QueenAntinea #RetroSciFi #ClassicHercules