THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES, the legendary statue of Helios, the Greek sun god, on the Aegean island of Rhodes, drew amazement in its day (280-226 BC) for its height and grandeur, one of the Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World. The 1961 movie concerning the long-destroyed marvel came and went at the time but since has drawn, if not amazement, but belated recognition and some praise for being the first credited movie directed by Sergio Leone. He only made six more, but they include the famous ‘Man With No Name’ trilogy that made star of Clint Eastwood and put ‘spaghetti westerns’ on the menu. He also co-wrote this fictional ‘sword & sandal’ epic, which stars all-American western veteran Rory Calhoun as a Greek military hero visiting the island just in time for a rebel uprising and a multi-pronged natural disaster.

“Father’s been spending nights at the Colossus, working on some new inventions.”  Some excuses are good for centuries.

‘Darios’ (Rory, 38, smiling like he’s going to seduce all the Rhodian babes within javelin range, his hair holding half the olive oil in Sparta) is there to visit his uncle and check out opening trade with Athens. Then he meets ‘Diala’ (Lea Massari, 27; if Karen Black was Italian and had Bob Hope’s nose), daughter of the statue’s builder and ally to sinister ‘Thar’, second-in-command to gross and evil king ‘Serses’, who rebels led by ‘Peliocles’ plan to overthrow. Before the Phoenicians arrive. Torture abounds (it’s a twisted movie in that regard, but then again, torture is warped, so you may as well show it and satisfy the creep that lurks behind “How many I help you?”) and the Colossus is rigged with all manner of destructive features. Because of what use is a giant, costly bronze object d’art if it can’t pour boiling pitch out of its ‘friendship bowl’ or fire incendiaries from catapults that surprise-rise from the top of its head?

“Perhaps you need more proof of my ardor?”

Most of the eat grapes-throw spears adventures that charged out of Europe (Italy mostly) in the era are pretty lame, but a good number are fun and a few are quite well-made along with being goofy and entertaining. Leone had built a keen skillset and eagle eye for mood and mayhem as an assistant director on big-budget spectacles like Quo Vadis, Helen Of Troy and Ben-Hur, and while the script isn’t great shakes (too complicated for one thing) the look of the film is excellent. The art direction is dandy, the Colossus is cool, the costumes superior and the dubbing is much better than what was standard from the type. The action scenes are well done and there’s a robust, often lovely score from Angelo Francesco Lavagnino. When Leone decides to follow history’s lead and topple the title titan the earthquake is accompanied by a windstorm, lightning, fire erupting when the ground cracks, crashing temples and fighting between factions going on simultaneously. What do you bet the handsome American will get out with a righteous dame?

“We Phoenicians are more than happy to split the booty in half.”

The US end of the booty was $2,500,000, 83rd place in 1961. Leone’s six fellow scenarists included Ennio De Concini (Divorce Italian Style) and Luciano Martino (The Whip And The Body). Shot in well-chosen locations in Spain and Italy, in SuperTotalScope, the Italian version of CinemaScope. The international release is 127 minutes.The original Italian version runs 142 minutes.

Calhoun got the job on a day’s notice after a quarrelsome John Derek was fired. With Georges Marchal, Conrado San Martin, Mimmo Palmara and Roberto Carmadiel.

* Scholars believe that before it was topped by a quake in 226 BC, the real Colossus was 32 meters/104 feet tall. The one in the movie towers 110 meters/361 feet.

1961 was a big year for big flicks about big deals in the BC days—King Of Kings, Barabbas, Atlantis:The Lost Continent, Duel Of The Titans, Constantine And The Cross, Duel Of Champions. The first two are worthy, The Colossus Of Rhodes is interesting, the others sillypants time in the treehouse.