Classic Adventure
Remember those moments where the main character finds himself in a difficult or precarious dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation, those thrill-a-minute extravaganzas, those rip-roaring spectacles, swashbuckling and derring-do action, cliff-hanger endings .... that was what Saturday Matinees were made of.
Below is a compilation of the 'essence' of this wonderful genre. See also 'Cliff-Hanger Serials'
Prince of Foxes (1949)
7.1/10
Director: Henry King
Starring: Everett Sloane, Orson Welles, Tyrone Power, Wanda Hendrix
Tyrone Power stars as Orsini, an ambassador to the despotic Cesare Borgia (Orson Welles) who grows weary of serving as a political pawn to the powerfu... Read more
Hercules (1959)
4.4/10
Director: Pietro Francisci
Starring: Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Fabrizio Mioni
The original "swords, sandals and sweat" number stars the former Mr Universe Steve Reeves as Herc. On his quest for the Golden Fleece, Hercules just f... Read more
Fanfan la Tulipe (1952)
7.3/10
Director: Christian-Jaque
Starring: Genevieve Page, Gerard Philipe, Gina Lollobrigida
Set in 18th-century France, this romantic farce stars Gerard Philipe as the charming peasant Fanfan. After joining King Louis XV's army in order to av... Read more
Prince Valiant (1954)
6.3/10
Director: Henry Hathaway
Starring: Debra Paget, James Mason, Janet Leigh, Robert Wagner, Sterling Hayden
Young Prince Valiant (Robert Wagner), son of the exiled King of Scandia, journeys to Camelot to become a knight at King Arthur's Round Table. He hopes... Read more
Beneath the 12 Mile Reef (1953)
5.8/10
Director: Robert D Webb
Starring: Robert Wagner, Terry Moore, Gilbert Roland
Follows two people caught up in the business rivalries of two sponge-diving families on Key West. It is best known for its pioneering use of Cinemasco... Read more
Hannibal (1959)
5.3/10
Director: Edgar G Ulmer
Starring: Rita Gam, Victor Mature
Victor Mature strains his breastplate as the Carthaginian general who drove an armada of elephants over the Alps as part of his campaign against the l... Read more
Captain from Castile (1947)
6.9/10
Director: Henry King
Starring: Cesar Romero, Jean Peters, Lee J Cobb, Tyrone Power, John Sutton
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire is the backdrop for this lush costume drama starring Tyrone Power as a 16th-century Castilian nobleman who he... Read more
Son of Fury (1942)
7.1/10
Director: John Cromwell
Starring: Elsa Lanchester, Gene Tierney, George Sanders, John Carradine, Roddy McDowall, T...
An exciting swashbuckler set in the early 19th century and starring Tyrone Power as the illegitimate son of a British nobleman who is forced into serv... Read more
Man Friday (1975)
6.5/10
Director: Jack Gold
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Richard Roundtree
Daniel Defoe's classic story of survival and heroism takes on a whole new perspective in this action-adventure tour-de-force. Robinson Crusoe is maroo... Read more
Captain Kidd (1945)
6.4/10
Director: Rowland V Lee
Starring: Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott, John Carradine, Barbara Britton
Charles Laughton stars as the cruel, ruthless pirate, Captain Kidd. Despite his reputation, King William III enlists Kidd and his men to safeguard pas... Read more