Joyce Taylor and Sal Ponti (Anthony Hall) |
Greek fisherman Demetrios (Sal Ponti, here billed as "Anthony Hall") finds a woman floating in the sea and discovers she is supposedly Princess Antillia (Joyce Taylor) of Atlantis. Demetrios and his father, Petros (Wolfe Barzell), think she must be out of her head, but she eventually importunes Demetrios to set sail beyond the Pillars of Hercules and on to Atlantis. There Demetrios thinks he will be showered with riches and marry Antillia, but instead -- unbeknownst to the princess -- he winds up a slave, as do all foreigners. Demetrios can win his freedom if he survives the Ordeal of Fire and Water, but even if he does he will have to contend with evil Zaren (John Dall), the true power behind the throne, who wants to wage war on other countries with his laser canon. Then there's that pesky volcano that keeps trembling in the background ...
Atlantis sinks! |
John Dall and Frank DeKova |
Berry Kroeger sizes up Sal Ponti |
Verdict: A hoot! ***.
I like this movie, too, Bill, saw it several times as a kid and then recently. John Dall was great in roles like this and in Spartacus late in his career—of course he was wonderful as the gay murderer in Hitchcock’s Rope.
ReplyDeleteSal Ponti was a handsome leading man!
- Chris
Indeed he was! As for John Dall, he was one of those actors who was always interesting in whatever he did, partly because he was talented and partly because he developed a great style of delivery, as if you never knew if his character was serious or not, being sincere or laughing right in your face. He made a formidable suspect on several Perry Mason episodes because of that!
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