''Hannibal'' ( it, Annibale) is a 1959 Italian

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

based on the life of

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...

, starring

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darlin ...

in the title role. The film was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and

Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia (8 July 1894 – 4 January 1998) was an Italian film director whose career spanned from the 1930s to the mid-1960s. He mainly directed adventure pictures and popular comedies, including some starring Totò. His 1942 ...

. It marks the first film pairing of

Terence Hill Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with longtim ...

and

Bud Spencer Carlo Pedersoli (31 October 1929 – 27 June 2016), known professionally as Bud Spencer, was an Italian actor, professional swimmer and water polo player. He was known for action-comedy and Spaghetti Western roles with his long-time film partn ...

under their real names. However they only appear in supporting roles and have no scenes in common.

Plot

The film begins with the Roman Senate hearing about Hannibal (

) crossing the Alps with his men and many elephants. The crossing is difficult, with many men dying en route, but they manage to pass through, in part because Hannibal forms an allegiance with a local chieftain. Hannibal's troops capture Sylvia, niece of Roman senator

Fabius Maximus Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, surnamed Cunctator ( 280 – 203 BC), was a Roman statesman and general of the third century BC. He was consul five times (233, 228, 215, 214, and 209 BC) and was appointed dictator in 221 and 217 BC. He was ...

, and she and Hannibal fall in love. Some of Hannibal's troops oppose the match and an unsuccessful attempt is made on Sylvia's life. Hannibal also loses an eye during battle. Despite the warnings of Fabius, who suggests avoiding battle and waging a campaign of exhaustion, the decision is made to fight Hannibal out in the open. The consequence is a massive Roman defeat at Cannae. Fabius is recalled to lead the Roman Army and the momentum of Hannibal's campaign begins to wane. His wife and child arrive from Carthage. Sylvia returns to Rome and commits suicide. A postscript informs us that Hannibal fought on for many more years in other lands.

Cast

Gabriele Ferzetti Gabriele Ferzetti (born Pasquale Ferzetti; 17 March 1925 – 2 December 2015) was an Italian actor with more than 160 credits across film, television, and stage. His career was at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s. Ferzetti's first leading role ...

Rita Gam Rita Gam (born Rita Eleanore MacKay, April 2, 1927March 22, 2016) was an American film and television actress and documentary filmmaker. She won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Background Gam was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daughte ...

as Sylvia *

Milly Vitale Camilla "Milly" Vitale (16 July 1933 – 2 November 2006) was an Italian actress. She was the daughter of Riccardo Vitale (Rome Opera House Director, deceased 1979) and choreographer Natasha Shidlowski Vitale (deceased 1994). She appeared in n ...

as Danila * Rik Battaglia as Asdrubale *

Franco Silva Franco Silva (18 February 1920 – 10 November 1995) was an Italian actor. Born in Genoa as Francesco Vistarini, Silva moved in Rome to attend the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, from which he graduated in 1938; the following year he made ...

Maharbal Maharbal ( xpu, 𐤌‬𐤄‬𐤓𐤁‬𐤏𐤋, ; centuryBC) was a Numidian army commander in charge of the cavalry under Hannibal and his second-in-command during the Second Punic War. Maharbal was a very close friend to Hannibal and admired hi ...

as Quintilius (billed under his real name, Mario Girotti) *

Mirko Ellis Mirko Ellis (4 September 1923 – 11 September 2014) was a Swiss-Italian film, stage and television actor. Born Mirko Korcinsky in Locarno to a family of Lithuanian origin, Ellis moved, after his studies, to Italy, where he made his film debut i ...

as Magician *

Andrea Aureli Andrea Aureli (5 March 1923 – 5 November 2007) was an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Terni, Aureli graduated from the Liceo classico in his hometown, then he enrolled the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, graduating in ...

as Gajus Terentius Varro *Andrea Fantasia as Console Paulus Emilius *

as Rutario (billed under his real name, Carlo Pedersoli) *

Renzo Cesana Renzo Cesana (30 October 1907, Rome – 8 November 1970, Hollywood, California) was an actor, writer, composer, and songwriter most famed for his title role on the American television show '' The Continental''. He was also known as Renato Cesana. ...

Mario Pisu Mario Pisu (21 May 1910 – 17 July 1976) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Montecchio Emilia, Pisu was considered to be one of the most elegant performers of the Italian cinema. He began his career on stage and screen in ...

Enzo Fiermonte Enzo Fiermonte (17 July 1908 – 22 March 1993), sometimes credited as William Bird, was an Italian actor and boxer. Early life Vincenzo "Enzo" Fiermonte was born on 17 July 1908 in Casamassima, a rural village near Bari, in southern Italy to D ...

Production

Despite being an Italian production the film was mainly financed by American studio

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

. Victor Mature signed to make the film with Liber Films of Rome in March 1959. Filming took place in October of that year with a reported budget of $2.5 million. Edgar Ulmer was the American representative of the company. The only English speaking actors in the film were

and Rita Gam, all the other actors were Italian and had their lines dubbed into English. The film featured approximately 20,000 extras. The film was originally intended to be a more personal account of Hannibal's life, but the studio instead pressured the film makers into developing a more standard historical film. The film was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, although IMDB lists Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia as a co-director. The film was released theatrically in the USA on 18 June 1960. The film existed in two versions, a 95-minute version released in non-English speaking European countries, and a 103-minute version released in the US and other English speaking territories. The films tagline was "Jump on! Hang on! Here comes the avenging Hannibal and his crazed elephant army

The film's music was composed by Carlo Rustichelli.

Release

''Hannibal'' was released in Italy on 21 December 1959 and in the United States on 18 June 1960.

DVD release

The film was released on DVD in the USA on October 19, 2004. The DVD includes 16:9 format, a 33-minute interview with Edgar G. Ulmer, a photo and poster gallery, the theatrical trailer, and cast and crew biographies. The DVD contains no subtitles.

References

Footnotes

Sources

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hannibal (1959 Film) 1959 films 1950s historical adventure films 1950s biographical films Italian historical adventure films Italian biographical films 1950s English-language films English-language Italian films 1950s Italian-language films Peplum films Films directed by Edgar G. Ulmer Films directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia Films scored by Carlo Rustichelli Films set in the Roman Empire Films set in Tunisia Films set in Spain Films set in Italy Films set in the Alps Films shot in Serbia Films about elephants Second Punic War films Cultural depictions of Hannibal Warner Bros. films Sword and sandal films 1950s multilingual films Italian multilingual films 1950s Italian films