Nerio Bernardi plays the staunch traditionist, who berates Alan Steel for his humble origins, but later concedes that "nobility is revealed by actions, not by birth." Piero Lulli plays the conniving courtier, who colludes with Andrea Aureli (the Black Pirate) to get Bernardi killed so he can get his hands on the lovely daughter (played by Rosalba Neri). It also shows faint signs of the cultural transition then happening between the continents. Capuano directed the best adventure films, and this one is no exception. This film bears all the hallmarks of Fortunato Misiano's productions, and bears the usual style and good story-telling of director Luigi Capuano. This film, along with Piero Pierotti's "Golia e il Cavaliere Mascherato" was one of the takeoffs banking on the success of Umberto Lenzi's "Zorro contro Maciste." This little sub-genre, which grafts the swashbuckling film onto the traditional peplum, had an enormous success, and sparked new life into a dying genre. This happens to be one of my favorite entries in the muscleman genre of films produced in Italy between 1958-1965. Director Luigi Capuano, working from an eventful and engrossing script by Arpad De Riso and Piero Pierotti, delivers a hugely entertaining period action/adventure yarn that benefits greatly from a steady pace, solid acting from a sound cast, a robust, rousing score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino, plenty of exciting and well-staged action set pieces (the rough'n'ready swordfights and mano-a-mano physical confrontations are both quite stirring), a jaunty, yet serious tone, fairly lavish production values (the sets and costumes are pretty impressive), a pointed and incisive criticism of class distinction and discrimination, a flavorsome evocation of the period, and a winning bunch of vivid characters (the heroes are spirited and appealing while the bad guys are suitably mean and hateful). Moreover, the cunning and duplicitous Rodrigo Sanchez (a deliciously slimy Pierro Lulli) joins forces with the wicked the Black Pirate (nicely essayed with lip-smacking relish by Andrea Aureli) to thwart Samson.
Samson wants to marry fair maiden Rosita (lovely Rosalba Neri), but her haughty governor father disapproves. Brave and noble Samson (a likable performance by the handsome and muscular Alan Steel) fights pirates as a soldier in the royal army.
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