Hercules, Prisoner of Evil

Lore & Background

The film was directed by Anthony Dawson (the pseudonym of Antonio Margheriti), with Ruggero Deodato serving as assistant director. The plot follows the mighty Ursus, who is given a potion that transforms him on certain nights into a murderous werewolf. Ursus kills several innocent people in the forest before realizing that he himself is the creature the villagers seek to destroy. In English-dubbed prints, Ursus is referred to as Hercules.

Reader's Guide

Hercules, Prisoner of Evil stands as a curious hybrid within the peplum cycle, merging the traditional strongman narrative with horror elements such as a werewolf. Its significance lies in its early blending of genres, predating later Italian horror-fantasy crossovers. The film also marks an early credit for Ruggero Deodato, who would later become known for more extreme horror. The casting of bodybuilder Reg Park as the lead connects the film to the broader Hercules and Ursus film traditions of the 1960s. Its legacy is as a cult oddity, noted for its unusual premise and the confusion between the characters of Ursus and Hercules in different language versions.

Did You Know?

• The film is as much a horror film as it is a peplum.
• Ursus is referred to as Hercules in the English-dubbed prints.
• Antonio Margheriti directed the film under the pseudonym Anthony Dawson, with Ruggero Deodato as assistant director.
• The film was released in Italy on July 31, 1964.