Samson (Sansone)

Samson (Italian original title Sansone, French title Samson contre Hercule) is a 1961 Italian-French co-production directed by Gianfranco Parolini. Shot in Yugoslavia, it is a sword-and-sandal (peplum) picture that mixes adventure, fantasy and mythological elements and runs about 96 minutes. Parolini co-wrote the screenplay with Giovanni Simonelli and Oscar D'Amico.

Brad Harris plays the title role, and the film was Parolini's first with Harris. The cast also includes Alan Steel, Mara Berni, Serge Gainsbourg, Luisella Boni, Carlo Tamberlani, Franco Gasparri and Romano Ghini. It premiered in Italy on 23 December 1961 and opened in West Germany on 7 September 1962 as Herkules im Netz der Cleopatra.

Samson is remembered as the film that brought a Samson cleared of his Biblical traits into sword-and-sandal cinema. After its success the character returned in a series of four films released between 1963 and 1965.