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Maciste
Maciste The Warrior
Advertisement in Moving Picture World, Dec 1917

Real Name

Maciste

First Appearance

Cabiria (1914)

Created by

Gabriele d'Annunzio and Giovanni Pastrone

Origin[]

Maciste (Italian pronunciation: [maˈtʃiste]) is one of the oldest recurring characters in cinema, created by Gabriele d'Annunzio and Giovanni Pastrone. He cuts a heroic figure throughout the history of the cinema of Italy from the 1910s to the mid-1960s. He is usually depicted as a Hercules-like figure, utilizing his massive strength to achieve heroic feats that ordinary men cannot. Many of the 1960s Italian films featuring Maciste were retitled in other countries, substituting more popular names in the titles (such as Hercules, Goliath or Samson).

Maciste made his debut in the 1914 Italian silent movie classic Cabiria. Cabiria was a story about a slave named Maciste (played by Bartolomeo Pagano) who was involved in the rescue of a Roman princess from an evil Carthaginian king who plotted to sacrifice her to the cruel god Moloch. The film was based very loosely on Salammbo, a historical novel by Gustave Flaubert, and had a plot and screenplay by Gabriele D'Annunzio.

Public Domain Film Appearances[]

Silent Films[]

  • Cabiria (1914)
  • Maciste (1915) (aka "Marvelous Maciste, the Giant of Cabiria")
  • Maciste bersagliere (1916) (aka "Maciste the Ranger")
  • Maciste alpino (1916) (aka "Maciste The Warrior")
  • Maciste atleta (1917) (aka "Maciste the Athlete")
  • Maciste medium (1917) (aka "Maciste the Clairvoyant")
  • Maciste poliziotto (1917) (aka "Maciste the Detective")
  • Maciste turista (1917) (aka "Maciste the Tourist")
  • Maciste sonnambulo (1918) (aka "Maciste the Sleepwalker")
  • Il Testamento di Maciste (1919) (aka "Maciste's Last Will and Testament")
  • Il Viaggio di Maciste (1919) (aka "Maciste's Journey")
  • Maciste I (1919) (aka "Maciste the First")
  • Maciste contro la morte (1919) (aka "Maciste vs Death")
  • Maciste innamorato (1919) (aka "Maciste in Love")
  • Maciste salvato dalle acque (1920) (aka "Maciste, Rescued from the Waters")
  • La Rivincita di Maciste (1921) (aka "The Revenge of Maciste")
  • Maciste in vacanza (1921) (aka "Maciste on Vacation")
  • Maciste e la figlia del re della Plata (1922) (aka "Maciste and the Silver King's Daughter")
  • Maciste und die Japanerin (1922) (aka "Maciste and the Japanese")
  • Maciste contro Maciste (1923) (aka "Maciste vs Maciste")
  • Maciste und die chinesische truhe (1923) (aka "Maciste and the Chinese Chest")
  • Maciste e il nipote di America (1924) (aka "Maciste's American Nephew")
  • Maciste imperatore (1924) (aka "Emperor Maciste")
  • Maciste contro lo sceicco (1925) (aka "Maciste vs the Sheik")
  • Maciste all'inferno (1925) (aka "Maciste in Hell")
  • Maciste nella gabbia dei leoni (1926) (aka "Maciste in the Lion's Cage")
  • Il gigante delle dolomiti (1927) (aka "The Giant of the Dolomites")

1960s films[]

  • Maciste in the Land of the Cyclops (1961) (aka "Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops")
  • Maciste Against the Monsters (1962) (aka "Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules")
  • Maciste, the World's Greatest Hero (1963) (aka "Goliath and the Sins of Babylon")
  • Maciste in King Solomon's Mines (1964) (aka "Samson in King Solomon's Mines")
  • Maciste and the Queen of Samar (1964) (aka "Hercules Against the Moon Men")

See also[]

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