Vulcan, Son of Jupiter (1961)
Director - Emimmo Salvi
The Plot
Vulcan, the God of Fire, and his brother Mars, the God of War, are rivals for the affections of Venus, the Goddess of Love. Banished to earth by their father Jupiter for squabbling, Mars decides to lead a rebellion against Olympus. Vulcan, after being captured by Lizard Men and fighting desert monsters, heads for the battlefield to defend the honor of Olympus. Meanwhile, his amorous interest turns toward a dark haired mortal beauty by the sea.
Film Notes
That Obscure Object of Mytho-Desire
Vulcan, Son of Herucles is one of the more obscure Ancient Fantasies offerings. There's a lot of waiting around dark royal courts and sun drenched encampments. The monsters are few and far between. Any cinematic effects are certainly not special, though a few are laughable. With the exception of the obligatory dwarf, the camp is at a minimum.
Seriously Rod Flash
Rod Flash (aka Richard Lloyd) portrays Vulcan as a seriously subdued hero. If he were a better actor, one would call it a tortured performance. Most likely, he found acting torturous. As his brother Mars, Richard Browne goes more for flamboyance, though his exploits don't exactly tear up the scenery either.
The Ever Enticing Bella
The women, however, tend to quicken the pulse with their archetypal early 1960s siren curvaceous way. The blonde Annie Gorassini (Venus) moved on to a successful career in both Italian horror and continental secret agent films and even had a small rôle in Fellini's classic 8 1/2.
The mysteriously dark, Cuban Bella Cortez (Etna) appeared in a few more of director Emimmo Salvi's films before disappearing from the screen forever in the mid-60s.
-- Ed Schneider
Facts and Fancies from the Notebooks of Edison J. Nello
"It's mythological, psychological, sociological, pathological. It's horrifyingly good family entertainment. And it's the subject of Ancient Fantasies cinematic offering as Vulcan battles his divine brother Mars in - Vulcan, Son of Jupiter.
"Vulcan, or Hephaestus, as he was known to the Greeks, was the god of blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals and most importantly - fire. Mars was simply and most magnificently the God of War.
"But the well-muscled celestial brothers were connected by more than blood, they were also rivals for the embracing touch of Venus - the Goddess of Love. And it is this very rivalry between the two divine boys that angers their father Jupiter, who banishes them to earth. It is there that Mars, with a sultry Venus by his side, chooses to lead a rebellion against Olympus, enlisting a terrestrial king to his audacious endeavor.
"Meanwhile, Vulcan encounters monsters, lizard-men, undersea beings and a Cuban cutie before he arrives on the field of battle to defend Olympus from the mad and misguided warrior Mars.
"The good son. The bad son. The blonde temptress. The dark exotic beauty. And of course, as in so many of these manic mythic movies, the daffy dwarf. Pour these archetypal ingredients into a 1961 movie blender and it's Vulcan, Son of Jupiter."
-- Edison J. Nello
Cast & Production Credits
| Rod Flash | Vulcan |
| Gordon Mitchell | Pluto |
| Bella Cortez | Etna |
| Roger Browne | Mars |
| Annie Gorassini | Venus |
| Emimmo Salvi | Director / Screenwriter |
| Benito Ilforte | Screenwriter |
| Marcello Giombini | Cinematographer |
| Francisco De Masi | Composer |
For information on
Learn about ( and link to) Ingmar Ozu-Bresson's experimental film meditation on Hercules - Herculin/Feminin