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'
Hercules and the Princess of Troy / Atlas in the Land of Cyclops / Giants of Rome (1965)
Director: Albert Band
Starring: Gordon Scott, Gordon Mitchell, Richard Harrison
Made in English as the pilot for a proposed Hercules TV series, "Hercules and the Princess of Troy" stars Gordon Scott as the heroic demigod, pitted a... Read more
The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1964)
8.1/10
Director: Jean Sacha
Starring: Robert Hoffman, Robert Dalban
Shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, Robinson Crusoe fills his time in either building a shelter for himself, or by reminiscing about the years he sp... Read more
Hercules Against the Moon Men (1964)
2.6/10
Director: Giacomo Gentilomo
Starring: Alan Steel
In grand Herculean fashion, our hero (Alan Steel) comes to the aid of Good Samaritans and battles the interplanetary menace of the Moon Men (who look... Read more
The Long Ships (1964)
6.1/10
Director: Jack Cardiff
Starring: Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Russ Tamblyn
A thrilling seafaring saga in which Viking warrior Richard Widmark and Moorish Chieftain Sidney Poitier race to find a fabled treasure known as the Go... Read more
Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World (1963)
Director: Riccardo Freda
Starring: Gordon Scott, Yoko Tani
In the 13th Century, hordes of sadistic Mongol warriors descend upon China, enslaving the people and plotting to defile and assassinate the virgin pri... Read more
Taras Bulba (1962)
6.4/10
Director: J Lee Thompson
Starring: Yul Brynner, Tony Curtis, Christine Kaufmann, Sam Wanamaker, Brad Dexter
The legendary tale of the Cossacks' fight for freedom from the Poles over 400 years ago. Yul Brunner stars as a powerful Cossack chieftain leading his... Read more
Damn the Defiant! (1962)
7.2/10
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde, Anthony Quayle
Alec Guinness must battle a mutinous crew and Napoleon's fleet in this rousing, historical adventure. As commander of the British warship H.M.S. Defia... Read more
Hatari! ( Blu-ray ) (1961)
7.2/10
Director: Howard Hawks
Starring: Elsa Martinelli, Hardy Kruger, John Wayne, Red Buttons, Gerard Blain
It's adventure African style in this classic look at big game hunters. The great cast also includes Red Buttons, Elsa Martinelli and Hardy Kruger. Read more
The Guns of Navarone ( Blu-ray ) (1961)
7.6/10
Director: J Lee Thompson
Starring: Anthony Quayle, Anthony Quinn, David Niven, Gregory Peck, Irene Papas, James Dar...
Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn star as a team of Allied military specialists recruited for a dangerous but imperative mission: to infilt... Read more
Son of Samson / Son of Cleopatra (1961)
Director: Carlo Campogalliani
Starring: Mark Forrest, Mark Damon
Heeding an inner voice, the 'Son of Samson,' a loner from an outlying borough scourges the capital, using his high-caliber muscles to break up the Que... Read more