Messalina (1960 film)

Messalina
Messalina
Directed by	Vittorio Cottafavi
Screenplay by	Ennio De Concini; Mario Guerra; Carlo Romano; Duccio Tessari;
Story by	Ennio De Concini; Mario Guerra; Carlo Romano; Duccio Tessari;
Produced by	Erno Bistolfi
Starring	Belinda Lee; Spiros Focas; Carlo Giustini; Giancarlo Sbraglia;
Cinematography	Marco Scarpelli
Music by	Angelo Francesco Lavagnino
Production; company	Cineproduzione Erno Bistolfi
Distributed by	AIP TV (US)
Release date	12 March 1960 (Italy);
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Italy
Language	Italian
Budget	slightly less than $1 million

Messalina (Italian: Messalina Venere imperatrice) is a 1960 Italian peplum film directed by Vittorio Cottafavi.^[4]

Plot[]

After the death of the Emperor Caligula, Claudius is chosen to replace him. Claudius decides to take a new wife, the Vestal Virgin Messalina, the niece of Augustus Caesar.

The night before the wedding Messalina murders a noble via poison. An assassin is sent to kill Messalina; she seduces him, has him killed and presents his severed head.

Cast[]

Belinda Lee as Valeria Messalina
Spiros Focás as Lucius Maximus
Carlo Giustini as Lucius Geta (as Carlo Justini)
Giancarlo Sbragia as Aulo Celso (as Gian Carlo Sbragia)
Arturo Dominici as Gaius Lilius
Giulio Donnini as Narcissus
Ida Galli as Silvia
Mino Doro as Claudius
Giuliano Gemma as Marcellus
as Courtisan lover of Aulo Ceso
as Vipidia
Aroldo Tieri as Pirgo Pollinice
Vittorio Congia as Ortotrago
Paola Pitagora (as Paola Gargeloni)
Bruno Scipioni

Production[]

Belinda Lee's casting was announced in July 1959.^[5]

Messalina was shot at Cinecitta Studios in Rome in November-December 1959.^[1]^[3]

It was the first notable role for Giuliano Gemma.^[6]

Release[]

Messalina was released in Italy on 12 March 1960 with a 96-minute running time.^[2] It was released in the United States in 1962 with an 84-minute running time.^[2]

Filmink called it "The most fun of Lee’s European movies was Messalina (1960), a silly sword and sandal epic with Lee having a high old time as the notorious empress, taking milk baths and seducing gladiators."^[7]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 117.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 116.
^ ^a ^b Eichelbaum, Stacey (13 December 1959). "Another Epic Filmed in Italy's Hollywood". San Francisco Chronicle. p. 124.
^ Roberto Poppi, Mario Pecorari. Dizionario del cinema italiano. I film. Gremese Editore, 2007. ISBN 8884405033.
^ "Rome". Variety. 1 July 1959. p. 62.
^ Obituary: Giuliano Gemma: Strikingly handsome star of spaghetti westerns including A Pistol for Ringo Bergan, Ronald. The Guardian; London (UK) [London (UK)]11 Nov 2013: 29.
^ Vagg, Stephen (September 7, 2020). "A Tale of Two Blondes: Diana Dors and Belinda Lee". Filmink.

Bibliography[]

Kinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony (2017). Italian Sword and Sandal Films, 1908-1990. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476662916.

External links[]

Messalina at IMDb
Messalina at BFI
Messalina at Letterbox DVD

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[FOOTNOTEKinnardCrnkovich2017117-1] Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 117.

[FOOTNOTEKinnardCrnkovich2017116-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 116.

[san-3] Eichelbaum, Stacey (13 December 1959). "Another Epic Filmed in Italy's Hollywood". San Francisco Chronicle. p. 124.

[60s-4] Roberto Poppi, Mario Pecorari. Dizionario del cinema italiano. I film. Gremese Editore, 2007. ISBN 8884405033.

[5] "Rome". Variety. 1 July 1959. p. 62.

[6] Obituary: Giuliano Gemma: Strikingly handsome star of spaghetti westerns including A Pistol for Ringo Bergan, Ronald. The Guardian; London (UK) [London (UK)]11 Nov 2013: 29.

[bomb-7] Vagg, Stephen (September 7, 2020). "A Tale of Two Blondes: Diana Dors and Belinda Lee". Filmink.

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