I came across this movie on Netflix streaming movies, with the title "Hercules vs The Hydra." I was curious for several reasons, and two of the biggest are because of Jayne Mansfield.
Jayne Mansfield was probably most noted for her very large breasts which when displayed next to actresses of "normal" endowment actually makes those actresses look flat chested. But as large as they were, Jane carried them very well. And, while she was often considered a "dumb blonde" she in fact was very smart, and was a fine actress. I remember when she died, in 1967, in a car wreck in Louisiana, not very far at all from where I was working on a post-graduate summer Chemistry project.
In this movie Jayne Mansfield is dark-haired Queen Deianira. When her husband, the King, is killed she becomes the sole ruler of the small kingdom. From some other battles with his people, Mickey Hargitay (who in real life was Mansfield's actual husband) plays the part of Hercules , seeking justice.
Massimo Serato is the traitor Licos , a member of the King's own inner circle, he had the King killed so that, once he romanced Deianira and married her, the kingdom would be his. But after a side trip, and an encounter with the Hydra, plus an encounter with an Amazon who made herself look like Deianira (Mansfield also played the seductress, Hippolyta, with red hair) to entrap Hercules, he made it back to Deianira and helped defeat the traitor Licos.
The ending was like an American Western, with Hercules and Deinira on a horse, riding into the sunset with lush music playing.
By today's standards this is not a good movie at all, the sets looks fake, most of the action looks amateurish, as well as most of the acting. But it is a good watch for Mickey Hargitay and Jayne Mansfield, icons of a bygone era, plus it shows how far production values have come in 50+ years.
Jayne Mansfield was probably most noted for her very large breasts which when displayed next to actresses of "normal" endowment actually makes those actresses look flat chested. But as large as they were, Jane carried them very well. And, while she was often considered a "dumb blonde" she in fact was very smart, and was a fine actress. I remember when she died, in 1967, in a car wreck in Louisiana, not very far at all from where I was working on a post-graduate summer Chemistry project.
In this movie Jayne Mansfield is dark-haired Queen Deianira. When her husband, the King, is killed she becomes the sole ruler of the small kingdom. From some other battles with his people, Mickey Hargitay (who in real life was Mansfield's actual husband) plays the part of Hercules , seeking justice.
Massimo Serato is the traitor Licos , a member of the King's own inner circle, he had the King killed so that, once he romanced Deianira and married her, the kingdom would be his. But after a side trip, and an encounter with the Hydra, plus an encounter with an Amazon who made herself look like Deianira (Mansfield also played the seductress, Hippolyta, with red hair) to entrap Hercules, he made it back to Deianira and helped defeat the traitor Licos.
The ending was like an American Western, with Hercules and Deinira on a horse, riding into the sunset with lush music playing.
By today's standards this is not a good movie at all, the sets looks fake, most of the action looks amateurish, as well as most of the acting. But it is a good watch for Mickey Hargitay and Jayne Mansfield, icons of a bygone era, plus it shows how far production values have come in 50+ years.