by Formosus Viriustus on Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:34 pm
Salve Quirites,
Here's an educational movie for all you history buffs.
Find out what really happened when Hannibal laid siege to Rome ...
Jupiter's Darling
Director : George Sidney
Starring : Esther Williams, Howard Keel, George Sanders
MMDCCVIII ( MCMLV )
Fabius (George Sanders) loves his beautiful but vulnerable city, Rome, and he also loves his beautiful but invulnerable fiancee, Amytis (Esther Williams). Fascinated by the tales she has heard about Hannibal (Howard Keel), who is about to attack Rome, Amytis is driven by curiosity to the edge of his camp. Captured, she makes a last request of the indifferent Hannibal...that he spare the city. She offers to lead him to a hilltop where she can prove that taking the city is not worth the trouble. Hannibal goes with her, even though she has to cup her hand under his chin and float him across a river as he can't swim. Before long, Hannibal is doing more surveying of Amytis than of Rome. And Fabius finds he can defend neither his city nor his fiancee against the advances of Hannibal. Especially after he has his elephants painted bright colors because Amythis thinks gray is drab. Written by Les Adams {longhorn3708@windstream.net}
It's been a while since I have seen it. So I'll only add that there are plenty of Cunctator-jokes at the expense of poor Fabius. Of cause, in the best buffo tradition, all ends well and of cause, miss Williams gets plenty of chances to show her considerable swimming skills.
DEFINITELY worth your time if you run into it.
Ah, they still knew how to make movies when I was a kid (sigh).
find out more at
imdb.com
PS if you are a stickler for historical accuracy – and I know you are – with some looking round on this site, you can also find a three page review. It hardly says anything about the movie at all – except to point out it's innumerable inaccuracies. ( That will show those Hollywood morons ! )
And, with some minor editing, you have a ready made concise but accurate account of the Punic War II in case you should need such a thing.
Vale,