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Steve Reeves Sword and Sandal Movies for Sale

Below is a list of the Steve Reeves film that are offered for sale. Steve made during his acting career.

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Biography for
Steve Reeves
Height
6' 1" (1.85 m)
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Mini biography
Though he did not possess a Herculean acting talent, bodybuilder Steve Reeves certainly had a Herculean physique, and made good use of it to play some of filmdom's most famous mythological heroes during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Reeves was born on a cattle ranch in Montana in 1926. His father died in a farming accident, and at age six months, Steve won his first fitness title as "Healthiest Baby of Valley County." His family moved to California later that year. He joined the Army, where his job was loading boxcars and trucks, and constantly worked out at the gym in his free time. His body developed quite rapidly and he decided to pursue bodybuilding professionally. Following Army service, he won "Mr. Pacific Coast" in Oregon in 1947 and, eventually, "Mr. America", "Mr. World" and "Mr. Universe". He traveled to New York, where he studied acting, and afterwards made his way to Hollywood. He didn't get many parts other than bulging pectorals in the background of various musical spectacles and costumers, although he did manage to snag a role as a detective in infamous director Edward D. Wood Jr.'s Jail Bait (1954). Small parts on TV came his way, but they too were mostly posing bits or walk-ons. Disappointed, luck finally came his way when Italian film director Pietro Francisci saw him play Jane Powell's boyfriend in Athena (1954) and persuaded him to go overseas to play the title role of Fatiche di Ercole, Le (1958) (US title: "Hercules"). Though critics dismissed the film as "muddled mythology" (and worse!), the public loved the sword-and-sandal epic despite its poorly-dubbed sound track and Steve became an "overnight" star. Sequels followed, none any better or worse. Reeves paved the way for other pumped-up hopefuls (Ed Fury, Mark Forest, Reg Park) to seek fame and fortune playing absurdly muscled mythological figures such as Samson, Ursus and Colossus, but nobody topped Steve in popularity. A shoulder injury forced his retirement, and he spent the remainder of his life promoting drug-free bodybuilding while living on a ranch and breeding horses. He died of lymphoma at age 74.
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IMDb mini-biography by
Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
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Spouse
Aline Czartjarwicz (24 June 1963 - 24 July 1989) (her death)
Sandra Smith (31 January 1955 - 4 September 1956) (divorced)
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Trivia
His wife, Aline, died of complications from a stroke in 1989. He wrote "Building the Classical Physique -- The Natural Way". Through his Steve Reeves International Society Web site, he promoted supplements and powders with natural ingredients. He moved to Oakland with his family as a child and began lifting weights when he was 16 years old.
Mr. Universe 1950
Mr America c. 1947

Mentioned in the song "Sweet Transvestite" from the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).

At the peak of his bodybuilding career at age 23, he was 6'1", 200 pounds, with a chest measuring 48 inches, a 29-inch waist, and had 17 1/2-inch biceps.

Such bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and David Prowse have credited Reeves as a role model for the bodybuilding world.

Often confused with, and is not related to, George Reeves, who played Superman on TV in the 1950s. While working on a studio next to the set where the Superman series was filmed, producers once threatened to fire George after an argument and replace him with Steve.

In 1949 director Cecil B. DeMille considered (and came very close) casting Reeves as Samson in Samson and Delilah (1949) after Burt Lancaster proved unavailable. Although DeMille liked Reeves and thought he was perfect for the role, a dispute between Reeves and the studio over his physique forced DeMille to recast the role of Samson with Victor Mature. After becoming popular in the late 1950s and 1960s, Reeves turned down the roles of James Bond in Dr. No (1962) and the Man With No Name in Per un pugno di dollari (1964).

He loved horses and was a great rider himself. Italian producers later found that to be an advantage, since Reeves usually did his own stunts in his films and they didn't have to hire a horse riding double for him. After retiring from films due to a shoulder injury, Reeves bought a ranch and took up breeding horses professionally.

He was a friend of "Tarzan" actor Gordon Scott, and recommended him for the role of Remus in Romolo e Remo (1961). The producers originally wanted Reeves to play both Romulus and Remus through some doubling, but Reeves convinced them that it would be more effective to have another actor playing Remus.

His voice was dubbed in his Italian epics. The only films where his real voice is heard are Jail Bait (1954) and Athena (1954).

His entire bodybuilding career consisted of 6 contests.

His mother was a nutritionist.

He survived numerous life-threatening experiences as a child, including being hit by a car and dragged, being thrown from a horse and sleeping through an earthquake as a child in Montana. When he couldn't be accounted for, family members found him sound asleep, his bedroom teetering on the brink of a three-story fall.

Took him 4 weeks to get into contest shape for his Mr. America victory.

Was of Welsh, Irish, English and German descent

Served in the Philippines during WWII, contracted malaria, and served his remaining time under Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the occupation of Japan.

Prior to its release, Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000) was being referred to by some writers as the first "Steve Reeves type" movie in decades. It had also been written that Scott was amiss in not getting Reeves to at least do a cameo. Sadly, Reeves died on the very day that "Gladiator" premiered..

While filming Ultimi giorni di Pompei, Gli (1959) (a remake of The Last Days of Pompeii (1935)), the chariot he was driving struck a tree and he dislocated his shoulder. This put an end to his more intense exercise routines and caused problems in the following years.

He was reportedly diagnosed with lymphoma only six weeks prior to this death.

He was played by Michael J. Nelson in the episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (1988) that showed his film Ercole e la regina di Lidia (1959).

He often criticized the use of steroids in bodybuilding because he felt that it undermined the health value and the challenge of bodybuilding as a sport. He once remarked, "Body builders used to come in all shapes and sizes. Now they all look like Arnold [Schwarzenegger]."

Almost paradoxically, Reeves' impressive physique prompted filmmakers to put him into a variety of "bondage" situations. Two such situations are cited in the book: "Lash! The Hundred Greatest Scenes of Men Being Whipped in the Movies." Ranking 7th is Reeves' flogging in Romolo e Remo (1961) and ranking 24th is his flogging in Agi Murad il diavolo bianco (1959).

Though proud of his work as Hercules, he was always disappointed that his other films did not receive much recognition. He once remarked "I only did two Hercules films, but everyone seems to think I did ten."

Took up power walking (which combined swinging hand held weights in both hands while walking) in order to compensate for the damage done to him by his shoulder injury.

He was the undisputed king of the European produced sword and sandal/mythological muscleman epics. Although he became an international sensation, the core of his film career lasted only 5 years (1958-1963)and a staggering 15 epic productions during that period. Afterward, he made another "Sandokan" feature and attempted a film in the next big Italian film craze, the spaghetti western, before retiring from the screen.


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Personal quotes
"Filmmaking in Europe was a little different from working in the United States. There's a scene in 'Hercules' where I'm in chains -- they looked like steel, but they were actually made of wood -- and I had to swing these chains at my supposed enemies who were advancing towards me. Well, I didn't want to really strike someone so I kind of held back with my motions. The director yelled, 'Swing those chains! Swing them hard!' I said, 'I don't want to hurt someone.' And the director yelled back, 'If they don't get hurt, they don't get paid!'"

IMDB

Steve Reeve's filmography

1. 73rd Annual Academy Awards, The (2001) (TV) as Himself, Memorial Tribute (archive footage)
2. Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co (2000) (TV) (archive footage) as Himself
3. Hercules Recycled (1994) (V) as Hercules
4. Vivo per la tua morte (1967) as Mike Sturges
   ... aka I Live for Your Death (1967) (USA)
   ... aka Long Ride from Hell, A (1967) (USA)
5. Pirati della Malesia, I (1964) as Sandokan
   ... aka Meute der Verdammten (1964) (West Germany: video title)
   ... aka Piratas de Malasia, Los (1964) (Spain)
   ... aka Pirate of Malaya (1964) (Australia: video box title)
   ... aka Pirates de Malaisie, Les (1964) (France)
   ... aka Pirates of Malaysia, The (1964)
   ... aka Pirates of the Seven Seas, The (1964)
   ... aka Schwarzen Piraten von Malaysia, Die (1964) (West Germany)
6. Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem (1963) as Sandokan
   ... aka Sandokán, el magnífico (1963) (Spain)
   ... aka Sandokan the Great (1965) (USA)
   ... aka Tigre de Bornéo, Le (1963) (France)
7. Figlio di Spartacus, Il (1963) as Randus
   ... aka Slave, The (1963) (USA)
   ... aka Son of Spartacus (1963)
8. Giorno più corto, Il (1962)
   ... aka Giorno più corto commedia umoristica, Il (1962)
   ... aka Shortest Day, The (1962) (USA)
9. Leggenda di Enea, La (1962) as Enea (Aeneas)
   ... aka Avenger, The (1964) (USA)
   ... aka Conquérants héroiques (1962) (France)
   ... aka Last Glory of Troy, The (1962) (USA: TV title)
10. Guerra di Troia, La (1962) as Aeneas
    ... aka Guerre de Troie, La (1962) (France)
    ... aka Trojan Horse, The (1962)
    ... aka Trojan War, The (1962)
    ... aka Wooden Horse of Troy, The (1962)
11. Romolo e Remo (1961) as Romulus
    ... aka Duel of the Titans (1963) (USA)
12. Morgan il pirata (1961) as Henry Morgan
    ... aka Capitaine Morgan (1961) (France)
    ... aka Morgan the Pirate (1961)
13. Ladro di Bagdad, Il (1960) as Karim
    ... aka Thief of Bagdad, The (1961) (USA)
    ... aka Voleur de Bagdad, Le (1960) (France)
14. Agi Murad il diavolo bianco (1959) as Hadji Murad the White Warrior
    ... aka Beli djavo (1959)
    ... aka White Warrior, The (1959)
15. Battaglia di Maratona, La (1959) as Phillipides
    ... aka Bataille de Marathon, La (1959) (France)
    ... aka Giant of Marathon (1960) (USA)
16. Terrore dei barbari, Il (1959) as Emiliano
    ... aka Goliath and the Barbarians (1959) (USA)
17. Ultimi giorni di Pompei, Gli (1959) as Glaucus
    ... aka Últimos días de Pompeya, Los (1960) (Spain)
    ... aka Last Days of Pompeii, The (1960) (USA)
    ... aka Letzten Tage von Pompeji, Die (1959) (West Germany)
18. Ercole e la regina di Lidia (1959) as Ercole (Hercules)
    ... aka Hércules y la reina de Lidia (1959) (Spain)
    ... aka Heracles y la reina de Lidea (1959) (Spain: literal title)
    ... aka Hercule et la reine de Lydie (1959) (France)
    ... aka Hercules Unchained (1960) (USA)
    ... aka Hercules and the Queen of Lydia (1959) (International: literal title English title)
    ... aka Hercules and the Queen of Sheba (1959)
19. Fatiche di Ercole, Le (1958) as Ercole (Hercules)
    ... aka Hércules (1958) (Spain)
    ... aka Hercules (1959) (USA)
    ... aka Labors of Hercules (1958) (International: literal title English title)
    ... aka Viajes de Heracles, Los (1958) (Spain)
20. Jail Bait (1954) as Lt. Bob Lawrence
    ... aka Hidden Face (1954)
21. Athena (1954) as Ed Perkins

Filmography as: Actor, Writer, Notable TV Guest Appearances

Writer - filmography

1. Vivo per la tua morte (1967)
   ... aka I Live for Your Death (1967) (USA)
   ... aka Long Ride from Hell, A (1967) (USA)

Filmography as: Actor, Writer, Notable TV Guest Appearances

Notable TV Guest Appearances

1. "Xena: Warrior Princess" (1995) playing "Hercules" in episode: "Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards" (episode # 1.13) 22 January 1996

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