Return to
Polar Blair's Den Menu Page(1961 Film)
Back to "Live-Action Superheroes" Main Page
About This Film
Alternate Titles For This Film
Cast
Fun Facts
Photos
YouTube Video
Cast:
Iloosh Khoshabe as Vulcan [credited in this film as Rod Flash Ilush]
Bella Cortez as Etna
Salvatore Furnari as Kayo
Roger Browne as Mars
Annie Gorassini as Venus
Furio Meniconi as Jupiter
Gordon Mitchell as Pluto
Isarco Ravaioli as Mercury
Omero Gargano as Neptune
? as Jupiter's Wife (Hera?)
? as Goddess of Discourse
Other Nymphs:
Liliana Zagra
Edda Ferronao
Yvonne Sire
Ugo Sabetta as ?
Amedeo Trilli as ?
Paolo Pieri as ?
Renzo Stefilongo as ?
Pasquale Fasciano as ?
Giuseppe Trinca as ?
CONTACT ME if you can help with the cast information above.
Vulcan, Son of Jupiter (1961): In one word: AWESOME! There are very few sword-and-sandal/mythology movies that actually deal with the gods themselves. Hercules is a demi-god (half-man, half-god), and references to the gods are almost always given in every sword-and-sandal movie, but it is unusual for gods to be the central characters. In that regard, this film is a lot more exciting and relevant to Roman mythology than a lot of films made during the era.
THE CHARACTERS:
Vulcan, God of Fire, is the hero. He is played by the extremely likable Iloosh Khoshabe, credited in this film as Rod Flash Ilush. In appearance, Vulcan is very much a Hercules-type character. He has a muscular build, full beard, and has an easy-going personality until provoked. What makes Vulcan different from Hercules is that he is actually a god. Vulcan serves as blacksmith to the gods and makes the finest weapons the world has ever seen. He is a rather lonely person who has little contact with anyone, especially women.
Bella Cortez is the leading lady of this picture. And WHAT a leading lady. Wowza! She plays Etna, the lead Nymph who serves Neptune, God of Water. This "daughter of the ocean" is an extremely bosomy, bouncy, busty beauty with long black hair and a pleasing disposition. She falls in love with Vulcan, who initially turns her away. It isn't because he doesn't want to be with her; only that he doesn't know how to interact with a woman. He eventually gives into her charms (which isn't difficult), and concerns himself greatly with her safety. Etna later becomes the "damsel in distress" and must be saved by Vulcan from the villains.
Salvatore Furnari is a great little midget actor. He plays Kayo, a nervous little guy who, at first, tries to avoid conflict, but eventually finds his bravery and becomes Vulcan's sidekick. I think this is a neat concept. I've never seen an adventure movie where the midget was a capable sidekick. The only thing that comes close to this is Danny Woodburn's character of Otli in the excellent "Conan" television series. It certainly makes for an interesting premise. And it's a great role for midget/dwarf actors. A lot of people might think, "How can a little guy be any help to such a big guy?". This story proves it's true. Besides that, Kayo is just funny! I like how he goes back and forth hitting bad guys with his big club. And his dialogue and jerky actions are hilarious.
The main bad guy of this picture is Mars, God of War, played by Roger Browne. Mars is wicked, and harbors a deep, uncalled for hatred of Vulcan. He is not anywhere as big or strong as Vulcan. Mars is stripped of his god powers by Jupiter early in the film, for a period of two months. So Mars takes the wicked Goddess of Love, Venus, with him to Earth where he joins up with the planet's mightiest evil general and plots against Jupiter. Basically, Mars wants to kill Jupiter and become King of the Gods.
Venus, Goddess of Love, is played by the absolutely stunning Annie Gorassini. She is the perfect evil counterpart to good Etna. A blonde, leggy beauty, Venus is a regular tease. She'll make love to any man, and really has no scruples. I've seen various actresses play Venus/Aphrodite, and Gorassini ranks right up there with being one of the best if not THE best. She is just so d*** sultry! Her personality just oozes sex.
Jupiter, King of the Gods, is played by Furio Meniconi. I like this actor's portrayal of Jupiter. He's such a bada**, but on the side of good. What he says is law, and he'll never let anyone forget it...ever. In the Italian version, this character is called Jove (spelled Giove, in Italian). In this American version he's called Jupiter. He is never called anything else. Not once is he referred to as Zeus. That, in itself, is unusual. Zeus is the typical standby name for this god. Meniconi, as Jupiter, really looks the part and gives to us the sirly, rugged presentation of the King of Gods that we expect and want to see.
Gordon Mitchell makes a special appearance in this film as Pluto, God of the Underworld. Pluto is a villain; an especially harsh and cantankerous villain at that. Mitchell does a wonderful job here. To be honest, I find this villain a lot more interesting than many of the heroes he played in sword-and-sandal productions. This is some of his best work. Pluto is the only ally of Mars among the gods. He wants Mars to be husband to Venus, and to take over as King of Gods. Pluto is the one who forcibly sends Vulcan to Earth, causing him injury, and leading to him being found by beautiful Etna. Pluto's constant, irritating words infuriate Jupiter throughout the film. When Jupiter finds out that Pluto is working with Mars on plotting against him, he banishes the God of the Underworld to his dark realm of death forever, never to be brought to Mount Olympus again.
Mercury, God of Speed, and a master thief, acts as messenger to the gods. His very clever portrayal comes from actor Isarco Ravaioli. He's a good god, and serves Jupiter above anyone else. It's funny, because he comes off like Jupiter's assistant. Mercury could SO be an executive brown-noser. The other god of note is Neptune, God of Water. He is played by Omero Gargano. This is the only god in the film that comes off slightly different than we might expect, but it's still a really good character for the film. Neptune is a nervous god, with shaggy appearance. He is not at all the tall, muscular fellow with crown and triton. Some sources show Neptune as being a half-fish creature, starting at the waist. Rather, Neptune looks like a bum you'd see living in an alley somewhere. But he's a good god, and helpful to Vulcan, Etna and Jupiter. When Vulcan and Etna are imprisoned with others, Neptune sends his soldiers called The Tritons to free them.
THE STORY:
As the story goes, Venus is upsetting the gods with her wild, sexual escapades. Jupiter is contemplating a forced marriage between Venus and one of the gods in order to tame her. The two top choices are forceful Mars and strong Vulcan. Mars, determined to have Venus, picks a fight with Vulcan. Jupiter breaks up the fight and gives punishment, for no one on Mount Olympus is to fight without his express consent. Mars is stripped of all his powers for a period of two months, putting him on the same level as any mortal. Vulcan retains his super-strength, but can't make weapons for the same amount of time (oooo...big deal). Mars, with help of Pluto, takes Venus to Earth. On Earth, Venus loses her powers like any other god would. But the evil couple have a plan. They team up with Earth's mightiest, evil general to kill Jupiter so Mars can become King of the Gods.
Vulcan goes to Earth to stop Mars. With his super-strength, smart midget sidekick Kayo, and sexy Etna, Vulcan takes on Mars' minions. The battle really comes to a head when Etna is kidnapped by Mars. Vulcan and friends win the war, and the angry God of Fire is about to kill Mars when Jupiter gives his final judgment. Mars and Venus are brought back to Mount Olympus, where Jupiter will punish them personally. Vulcan, since he was unhappy on Mount Olympus, is "ordered" to stay on Earth with beautiful Etna.
REASONS TO WATCH THIS MOVIE:
Iloosh Khoshabe (Rod Flash Ilush) plays a really likable hero and he's fun to see onscreen.
The two major women characters are certainly highlights: Etna (Bella Cortez) and Venus (Annie Gorassini). Venus shows a lot of leg and likes to get into provocative poses. A very sexy, interesting blonde. She also makes some really cute faces. Etna is given more of chance to "show her stuff"...and what stuff she's got! The filmmakers gave us every opportunity to see Etna "bounce" and it's incredible. Etna also wears some very skimpy outfits throughout the film. The dance number Etna performs in Neptune's kingdom is the stuff dreams are made of. I only wish that scene was longer (dang Mercury, always butting in). We also get to see Etna tied to a post, and have a great catfight with Venus. The director of this film did a great job of bringing "clean" sexiness into the movie. The women are erotic, but this could still be a G or PG feature.
Midget Kayo (Salvatore Furnari), gives comic relief, but isn't a "stupid" character. He fits well into the movie because he isn't too over-the-top with his silliness. Kayo is just a peculiar, interesting character.
Gordon Mitchell as Pluto, God of the Underworld, is cool to see. I'm not into Mitchell's heroes too much, although he's starred in some good films. Pluto is a crazy, annoying villain that must have been a lot of fun for him to play. It looks like he's having a good time playing this part.
Jupiter is a cool character because he's such a meana**, but everything he does is for a good purpose. He is not, by any means, an antagonist in this movie, but he has the arrogant personality qualities to be a villain. I think he's well-played and looks the part.
Alternate Titles For This Film:
Vulcano, figlio di Giove [Italy; actual title]
Vulcan, Son of Giove
Fun Facts:
Bella Cortez was given top-billing over Rod Flash Ilush in the American release of this film.
This was Bella Cortez' first film.
Bella Cortez was also the sexy starlet in sword-and-sandal film "The Giant of Metropolis" (1961). Her role in "Vulcan, Son of Jupiter" (1961), is much sexier and more revealing.
Salvatore Furnari also starred in the film "Hercules and the Captive Women" (1961) in a similar role.
Iloosh Koshabe has been credited in films by many names, including: Rod Flash, Rod Flash Ilush, Ilush, and Richard Lloyd. He starred in a handful of sword-and-sandal films playing characters like Ali Baba, Samson, and Maciste.
In the opening sequence, the gods are titled as such:
Photos:
YouTube Video:
CHECK OUT THE PBDEN CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE FOR THIS AND OTHER GREAT VIDEOS!
Iloosh Khoshabe as Vulcan [credited in this film as Rod Flash Ilush]
Bella Cortez as Etna
Salvatore Furnari as Kayo
Roger Browne as Mars
Annie Gorassini as Venus
Furio Meniconi as Jupiter
Gordon Mitchell as Pluto
Isarco Ravaioli as Mercury
Omero Gargano as Neptune
? as Jupiter's Wife (Hera?)
? as Goddess of Discourse
Other Nymphs:
Liliana Zagra
Edda Ferronao
Yvonne Sire
Ugo Sabetta as ?
Amedeo Trilli as ?
Paolo Pieri as ?
Renzo Stefilongo as ?
Pasquale Fasciano as ?
Giuseppe Trinca as ?
CONTACT ME if you can help with the cast information above.
Vulcan, Son of Jupiter (1961): In one word: AWESOME! There are very few sword-and-sandal/mythology movies that actually deal with the gods themselves. Hercules is a demi-god (half-man, half-god), and references to the gods are almost always given in every sword-and-sandal movie, but it is unusual for gods to be the central characters. In that regard, this film is a lot more exciting and relevant to Roman mythology than a lot of films made during the era.
THE CHARACTERS:
Vulcan, God of Fire, is the hero. He is played by the extremely likable Iloosh Khoshabe, credited in this film as Rod Flash Ilush. In appearance, Vulcan is very much a Hercules-type character. He has a muscular build, full beard, and has an easy-going personality until provoked. What makes Vulcan different from Hercules is that he is actually a god. Vulcan serves as blacksmith to the gods and makes the finest weapons the world has ever seen. He is a rather lonely person who has little contact with anyone, especially women.
Bella Cortez is the leading lady of this picture. And WHAT a leading lady. Wowza! She plays Etna, the lead Nymph who serves Neptune, God of Water. This "daughter of the ocean" is an extremely bosomy, bouncy, busty beauty with long black hair and a pleasing disposition. She falls in love with Vulcan, who initially turns her away. It isn't because he doesn't want to be with her; only that he doesn't know how to interact with a woman. He eventually gives into her charms (which isn't difficult), and concerns himself greatly with her safety. Etna later becomes the "damsel in distress" and must be saved by Vulcan from the villains.
Salvatore Furnari is a great little midget actor. He plays Kayo, a nervous little guy who, at first, tries to avoid conflict, but eventually finds his bravery and becomes Vulcan's sidekick. I think this is a neat concept. I've never seen an adventure movie where the midget was a capable sidekick. The only thing that comes close to this is Danny Woodburn's character of Otli in the excellent "Conan" television series. It certainly makes for an interesting premise. And it's a great role for midget/dwarf actors. A lot of people might think, "How can a little guy be any help to such a big guy?". This story proves it's true. Besides that, Kayo is just funny! I like how he goes back and forth hitting bad guys with his big club. And his dialogue and jerky actions are hilarious.
The main bad guy of this picture is Mars, God of War, played by Roger Browne. Mars is wicked, and harbors a deep, uncalled for hatred of Vulcan. He is not anywhere as big or strong as Vulcan. Mars is stripped of his god powers by Jupiter early in the film, for a period of two months. So Mars takes the wicked Goddess of Love, Venus, with him to Earth where he joins up with the planet's mightiest evil general and plots against Jupiter. Basically, Mars wants to kill Jupiter and become King of the Gods.
Venus, Goddess of Love, is played by the absolutely stunning Annie Gorassini. She is the perfect evil counterpart to good Etna. A blonde, leggy beauty, Venus is a regular tease. She'll make love to any man, and really has no scruples. I've seen various actresses play Venus/Aphrodite, and Gorassini ranks right up there with being one of the best if not THE best. She is just so d*** sultry! Her personality just oozes sex.
Jupiter, King of the Gods, is played by Furio Meniconi. I like this actor's portrayal of Jupiter. He's such a bada**, but on the side of good. What he says is law, and he'll never let anyone forget it...ever. In the Italian version, this character is called Jove (spelled Giove, in Italian). In this American version he's called Jupiter. He is never called anything else. Not once is he referred to as Zeus. That, in itself, is unusual. Zeus is the typical standby name for this god. Meniconi, as Jupiter, really looks the part and gives to us the sirly, rugged presentation of the King of Gods that we expect and want to see.
Gordon Mitchell makes a special appearance in this film as Pluto, God of the Underworld. Pluto is a villain; an especially harsh and cantankerous villain at that. Mitchell does a wonderful job here. To be honest, I find this villain a lot more interesting than many of the heroes he played in sword-and-sandal productions. This is some of his best work. Pluto is the only ally of Mars among the gods. He wants Mars to be husband to Venus, and to take over as King of Gods. Pluto is the one who forcibly sends Vulcan to Earth, causing him injury, and leading to him being found by beautiful Etna. Pluto's constant, irritating words infuriate Jupiter throughout the film. When Jupiter finds out that Pluto is working with Mars on plotting against him, he banishes the God of the Underworld to his dark realm of death forever, never to be brought to Mount Olympus again.
Mercury, God of Speed, and a master thief, acts as messenger to the gods. His very clever portrayal comes from actor Isarco Ravaioli. He's a good god, and serves Jupiter above anyone else. It's funny, because he comes off like Jupiter's assistant. Mercury could SO be an executive brown-noser. The other god of note is Neptune, God of Water. He is played by Omero Gargano. This is the only god in the film that comes off slightly different than we might expect, but it's still a really good character for the film. Neptune is a nervous god, with shaggy appearance. He is not at all the tall, muscular fellow with crown and triton. Some sources show Neptune as being a half-fish creature, starting at the waist. Rather, Neptune looks like a bum you'd see living in an alley somewhere. But he's a good god, and helpful to Vulcan, Etna and Jupiter. When Vulcan and Etna are imprisoned with others, Neptune sends his soldiers called The Tritons to free them.
THE STORY:
As the story goes, Venus is upsetting the gods with her wild, sexual escapades. Jupiter is contemplating a forced marriage between Venus and one of the gods in order to tame her. The two top choices are forceful Mars and strong Vulcan. Mars, determined to have Venus, picks a fight with Vulcan. Jupiter breaks up the fight and gives punishment, for no one on Mount Olympus is to fight without his express consent. Mars is stripped of all his powers for a period of two months, putting him on the same level as any mortal. Vulcan retains his super-strength, but can't make weapons for the same amount of time (oooo...big deal). Mars, with help of Pluto, takes Venus to Earth. On Earth, Venus loses her powers like any other god would. But the evil couple have a plan. They team up with Earth's mightiest, evil general to kill Jupiter so Mars can become King of the Gods.
Vulcan goes to Earth to stop Mars. With his super-strength, smart midget sidekick Kayo, and sexy Etna, Vulcan takes on Mars' minions. The battle really comes to a head when Etna is kidnapped by Mars. Vulcan and friends win the war, and the angry God of Fire is about to kill Mars when Jupiter gives his final judgment. Mars and Venus are brought back to Mount Olympus, where Jupiter will punish them personally. Vulcan, since he was unhappy on Mount Olympus, is "ordered" to stay on Earth with beautiful Etna.
REASONS TO WATCH THIS MOVIE:
Iloosh Khoshabe (Rod Flash Ilush) plays a really likable hero and he's fun to see onscreen.
The two major women characters are certainly highlights: Etna (Bella Cortez) and Venus (Annie Gorassini). Venus shows a lot of leg and likes to get into provocative poses. A very sexy, interesting blonde. She also makes some really cute faces. Etna is given more of chance to "show her stuff"...and what stuff she's got! The filmmakers gave us every opportunity to see Etna "bounce" and it's incredible. Etna also wears some very skimpy outfits throughout the film. The dance number Etna performs in Neptune's kingdom is the stuff dreams are made of. I only wish that scene was longer (dang Mercury, always butting in). We also get to see Etna tied to a post, and have a great catfight with Venus. The director of this film did a great job of bringing "clean" sexiness into the movie. The women are erotic, but this could still be a G or PG feature.
Midget Kayo (Salvatore Furnari), gives comic relief, but isn't a "stupid" character. He fits well into the movie because he isn't too over-the-top with his silliness. Kayo is just a peculiar, interesting character.
Gordon Mitchell as Pluto, God of the Underworld, is cool to see. I'm not into Mitchell's heroes too much, although he's starred in some good films. Pluto is a crazy, annoying villain that must have been a lot of fun for him to play. It looks like he's having a good time playing this part.
Jupiter is a cool character because he's such a meana**, but everything he does is for a good purpose. He is not, by any means, an antagonist in this movie, but he has the arrogant personality qualities to be a villain. I think he's well-played and looks the part.
Alternate Titles For This Film:
Vulcano, figlio di Giove [Italy; actual title]
Vulcan, Son of Giove
Fun Facts:
Bella Cortez was given top-billing over Rod Flash Ilush in the American release of this film.
This was Bella Cortez' first film.
Bella Cortez was also the sexy starlet in sword-and-sandal film "The Giant of Metropolis" (1961). Her role in "Vulcan, Son of Jupiter" (1961), is much sexier and more revealing.
Salvatore Furnari also starred in the film "Hercules and the Captive Women" (1961) in a similar role.
Iloosh Koshabe has been credited in films by many names, including: Rod Flash, Rod Flash Ilush, Ilush, and Richard Lloyd. He starred in a handful of sword-and-sandal films playing characters like Ali Baba, Samson, and Maciste.
In the opening sequence, the gods are titled as such:
- Mars, God of War
- Pluto, God of Darkness
- Vulcan, God of Fire
- Venus, Goddess of Beauty
- Father Jupiter, King of Gods
Photos:
YouTube Video:
CHECK OUT THE PBDEN CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE FOR THIS AND OTHER GREAT VIDEOS!