Before
Getting Shipwrecked on Gilligan's Island,
She Really Was a 'Movie Star'...
Tina
Louise in Pietro Francisci's Mega-Rare Italian Peplum!
Original Italian title: SAFFO
VENERE DI LESBO [Sappho Venus of Lesbos]
also known as WARRIOR EMPRESS (edited version)
director:
Pietro Francisci
starring Kerwin Mathews · Tina Louise · Riccardo Garrone
· Enrico Maria Salerno · Strelsa Brown · Susy Golgi
After
her award winning performance in God's Little Acre (1958), Tina
Louise became disappointed with her Hollywood options of B-Movies and
television guest positions. She accepted a contract with Cinecittà
Studios in Rome and went to Europe for a series of films before returning
the the States in time for her Ginger Grant role on Gilligan's Island
(1964-68). Despite the alluring title, there's no girl-on-girl action
here (although one of Sappho's friends Actis has a crush on her). Rather,
here is a female-only island where the women dance, recite poetry, have
chariot races and are hopeless infatuated with the concept of the opposite
sex. Tina's character Sappho is smitten with a wounded man named Phaon
who stumbles into their castle after a bloody battle. However, the relationship
is complicated because Sappho is promised to another man, Captain Hyperbius,
the enemy of Phaon.
Director
Pietro Francisci is the founder of the massive Peplum film movement.
His movie HERCULES
was a huge international hit, responsible for another 300+ sword-n-sandal
films to be lensed between 1958-1965. After a steady diet of peplums,
he made the female space alien MISSIONE
HYDRA 2+5 in 1967 with a cast comprised almost exclusively of
popular peplum actors. That would also be one of his final films as
Mr Francisci died 1977 (at age 70) after retiring from the business.
An
Italian film in English language; fullscreen format, uncut version (97
minutes),
DVD encoded for ALL REGIONS NTSC; extras include selected theatrical trailers.
