605 - COLOSSUS AND THE HEADHUNTERS (USA release; 1960; Italy; NR; 79m) a.k.a. MACISTE CONTRO I CACCIATORI DI TESTE (original/Italy) a.k.a. MACISTE VS. THE HEADHUNTERS Plot: Maciste leads his people from their destroyed island to a land of warring tribes. Prod: Giorgio Marzella (Fire Monsters Against the Sons of Hercules) Dir/Scr: Guido Malatesta (Goliath Against The Giants) Cin: Domenico Scala (Under the Sun of Rome) Ed: Enzo Alfonsi (Fire Monsters Against the Sons of Hercules) ADir: Giuseppe Ranieri (set/The Fury of Hercules) Score: Gian Stellari and Guido Robuschi (both/Caesar the Conqueror; Fury of the Pagans) Colossus a.k.a. Maciste* / Kirk Morris (Maciste in Hell; Triumph of the Son of Hercules) Queen Amoa / Laura Brown (Due Mafiosi Contro Al Capone) with Alfredo Zammi (The Giants of Thessaly) Frank Leroy Demeter Bitenc (Isle of Sin; The Seventh Continent) Trivia: MACISTE (or as Mike and the Bots called him "My cheesesteak") was the strongman character originating in the 1914 Italian movie Cabiria. The actor who played that role, Bartolomeo Pagano (1878-1947), adopted the name Maciste and continued using the part in films until 1928. The character was resurrected when the sword-and-sandal epic Italian movies suddenly became very popular in the late 1950's, due mostly to Steve Reeves' performance as Hercules (see 408-Hercules Unchained). Because American audiences were unfamiliar with Maciste, the title character's name was usually changed to Atlas, Colossus, Goliath, Hercules or Samson, the latter not to be confused with the Americanized Samson played by the Mexican wrestler El Santo. (What's odd in COLOSSUS AND THE HEADHUNTERS is that the dubbed English dialogue still calls the hero Maciste even though the title says otherwise; nobody calls him Colossus). No single actor played the title character either; among the group: Americans Mark Forest, Reg Lewis, Gordon Mitchell (sometimes billed as Mitchell Gordon), Kirk Morris, Gordon Scott; Alan Steel a.k.a. Sergio Ciani from Italy; Reg Park from South Africa; and Richard Lloyd (country unknown). Here are some of the Maciste imports, renamed titles, and initials of the actor playing the hero: 1960-Maciste nella Valle dei Re a.k.a. Maciste the Mighty a.k.a. Son of Samson (MF) 1960-(unknown) a.k.a. Maciste in Hell (KM) 1960-Maciste contro i Cacciatori di Teste a.k.a. 605-COLOSSUS & THE HEADHUNTERS (KM) 1961-Maciste nella Terra dei Ciclopi a.k.a. Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops (GM) 1961-Maciste alla Corte del Gran Khan a.k.a. Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World (GS) 1961-Maciste, l'Uomo Piu Forte del Mondo a.k.a. Molemen Vs. the Son of Hercules (MF) 1962-Hercules against Maciste in the Vale of Woe a.k.a. Maciste against Hercules in the Vale of Woe (KM) 1962-Maciste contro i Mostri a.k.a. Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules (RL) 1963-Maciste, l'Eroe Piu Grande del Mondo a.k.a. Goliath and the Sins of Babylon (MF) 1964-Maciste contro il Vampiro a.k.a. Goliath Against the Vampires (GS) 1964-Maciste contro gli Uomini Luna a.k.a. 410-HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN (AS) a.k.a. Maciste e la Regina de Samar a.k.a. Maciste and the Queen of Samar 1964-Invicibili Fratelli Maciste a.k.a. The Maciste Brothers (RL) 1964-Hercules, Maciste, Samson and Ursus Vs. the Universe a.k.a. Samson and His Mighty Challenge (AS) 1964-Zorro contra Maciste a.k.a. Samson and the Slave Queen (AS) 1964-Maciste nelle Miniere de Re Salomone a.k.a. Samson in King Solomon's Mines (RP) 1964-Maciste alla Corte della Zar a.k.a. Samson Vs. the Giant King (KM) 1964-Maciste, Gladiatore di Sparta a.k.a. Maciste and the Hundred Gladiators (MF) 1964-Maciste nell' Inferno di Gengis Khan a.k.a. Hercules Against the Barbarians (MR) By the way, the name Maciste is from an Italian word from which we get the words "macho" and "machismo." Last Updated: 6/26/1999 Welcome! | Author, Contributors, Disclaimer | Introduction | FAQs Movies by Year | Titles by Experiment # | Titles by Alphabetical Order Performers and Production Crew