THE AVENGER or LEGEND OF AENEAS (1962)

THE AVENGER or LEGEND OF AENEAS is a 1962 Italian film directed by Giorgio Venturini.

PLOT:
Aeneas leads escaped survivors of the Trojan War to new land in Italy. Based on Virgil's The Aeneid.
The Avenger covers the story of Aeneas and how he led some survivors of Troy into exile on the Italian peninsula. Steve Reeves repeats his role Aeneas from The Trojan War as the exiled Trojans look to make a new home.
Unfortunately in Etruscan Italy their addition complicates what looks like a delicately balanced situation among a lot of petty kings. One of them covets the land the Trojans have been granted on to settle.
In the tradition of the Trojan War the film is cut above a lot of the Peplum epics that the Italians were churning out in the early 60s, taking advantage of those sets left over from Ben-Hur and Quo Vadis.

CAST:
Steve Reeves as Enea (Aeneas)
Carla Marlier as Lavinia, Latino's Daughter
Liana Orfei as Camilla, Queen of the Volsci
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart as Eurialo (Euryalus)
Gianni Garko as Turno (Turnus), King of the Rusalie (Rutuli)
Mario Ferrari as King Latino (Latinus)
Lulla Selli as Queen Amata, Latino's Wife
Maurice Poli as Mesenzio (Mezentius), Turno's Henchman
Luciano Benetti as Sergesto (Sergestus)
Pietro Capanna as Bisia
Enzo Fiermonte as Acate (Achates)
Charles Band as Ascanio (Ascanius)
Benito Stefanelli as Niso (Nisus)
Nerio Bernardi as Drance
Adriano Vitale as Dancer
Walter Zappolini as Dancer
Robert Bettoni as Pallante (Pallas)

RELEASE:
The Avenger was released in Italy on 28 November 1962 with a running time of 95 minutes. It was released in the United States in June 1965 with a 105-minute running time.