Colossus and the Amazon Queen (1960)
Rod Taylor plays Pirro in this silly sword-and-sandal comedy filmed in
Italy. It's also known as "La Regina delle Amazzoni," and the
Italian film is dubbed into English, using someone else's voice over Rod's
lines -- even though it's obvious he's speaking English.
The story follows the misadventures of two Trojan War veterans. Pirro's
partner is Glauco, played by popular '50s physique model Ed Fury. The contrast
between the two is established early -- Pirro survives on being clever,
Glauco on his strength.
The pair are recruited by wealthy tradesmen to guard the cargo of a ship
headed for a secret destination. The cargo turns out to be the crew, including
Pirro and Glauco. Upon reaching a beautiful island laden with riches, they
are enslaved by the Amazons. Pirro and Glauco wind up with the women who
are vying to be the next Queen of the Amazons. One of the qualifications
for the position is virginity.
The almost incomprehensible plot involves several escape attempts, some
Amazon battles, a lot of double-crossing and over-the-top male/female role-reversals.
The picture is campy and low-quality (which appears to be the point of
sword-and-sandal flicks).
The October 1964 edition of Taylor's fan newsletter, Rod-Lore, asked
him:
When did you make "Colossus and the Amazon Queen"?
How do you feel about [it] appearing on television now?
Taylor answered:
(A) Obviously when I had a lapse of sanity.
(B) Very embarrassed.
When the film surfaced on home video in the mid-1980s, an interviewer
prompted this response from Rod:
You found the skeleton in my closet! To be honest, I had
a devious motive for making that movie. It was because of my nasty love
life. I was having an affair with Anita Ekberg, and it gave me an excuse
to get free air fare to Italy to see her. I've been trying to hide that
fiasco ever since. Releasing it now on tape is like digging up a porno
film from out of my past."
-- Starlog magazine, May 1987
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