The Terror of the Steppes (1964)

Now I suppose that after Hollywood gave us "The Conqueror" (1956) it is nigh on impossible to criticise any similar themed Peplum enterprise for bad as they might be, they cannot be any worse than that terrible effort from the "Duke". Indeed, Kirk Morris ("Sandar Khan") is probably just as wooden as he and his band capture the Princess "Samira" (Ombretta Colli). Initially they want to ransom her, but he has to change his plans when a surprise attack by her father all but wipes out his tribe. Of course, she feigns hostility towards her captor but as sure as the sun rises and sets, that dynamic changes - and that does not impress his erstwhile lady "Melina" (Moira Orfei) who is not a woman to be crossed. The story is actually quite adequate, but the production is shocking - and frequently silly, too. Morris is often clad in a hat that wouldn't have looked out of place in "Scaramouche"; the continuity is all over the place and the plot has more holes than a string vest convention. The ending is quite good, though - a duel with quite a difference, and the Rustichelli score works well in helping the thing along for a seriously over-long 100 minutes. The lighting budget had clearly been spent on the outlandish costumes, which doesn't help either and in the end I felt this had more (unintentional) comedy value than any as an action adventure film.