Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

The Sword and the Cross

Original title: Le schiave di Cartagine
  • 19561956
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
76
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Le schiave di Cartagine (1956)
  • Drama
Tarsus, in the Roman province of Cilicia, AD 120. Two Carthaginian sisters, Lea and Esther, are bought as slave girls by Roman tribune Marcus Valerius, who gives them as a present to proud J... Read allTarsus, in the Roman province of Cilicia, AD 120. Two Carthaginian sisters, Lea and Esther, are bought as slave girls by Roman tribune Marcus Valerius, who gives them as a present to proud Julia Martia, daughter of the proconsul. Ambitious, greedy and vindictive, Julia is betroth... Read allTarsus, in the Roman province of Cilicia, AD 120. Two Carthaginian sisters, Lea and Esther, are bought as slave girls by Roman tribune Marcus Valerius, who gives them as a present to proud Julia Martia, daughter of the proconsul. Ambitious, greedy and vindictive, Julia is betrothed to the cynical Flavius Metellus, a member of the Senate, but in fact she is in love wit... Read all
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
76
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Guido Brignone
  • Writers
    • Francesco De Feo(screenplay)
    • Mario Guerra(screenplay)
    • Nicola Manzari(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Gianna Maria Canale
    • Jorge Mistral
    • Marisa Allasio
Top credits
  • Director
    • Guido Brignone
  • Writers
    • Francesco De Feo(screenplay)
    • Mario Guerra(screenplay)
    • Nicola Manzari(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Gianna Maria Canale
    • Jorge Mistral
    • Marisa Allasio
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Marisa Allasio in Le schiave di Cartagine (1956)
    Le schiave di Cartagine (1956)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gianna Maria Canale
    Gianna Maria Canale
    • Giulia Marziaas Giulia Marzia
    Jorge Mistral
    Jorge Mistral
    • Marco Valerioas Marco Valerio
    Marisa Allasio
    Marisa Allasio
    • Leaas Lea
    Ana Luisa Peluffo
    Ana Luisa Peluffo
    • Esteras Ester
    Rubén Rojo
    Rubén Rojo
    • Flavio Metelloas Flavio Metello
    Luigi Pavese
    • Publio Cornelioas Publio Cornelio
    Germán Cobos
    Germán Cobos
    • Tullioas Tullio
    • (as Herman Cobos)
    Nando Tamberlani
    Nando Tamberlani
    • Giulio Severoas Giulio Severo
    • (as Fernando Tamberlani)
    Albert Hehn
    Albert Hehn
    • Livio Catulloas Livio Catullo
    Marcello Giorda
    Marcello Giorda
    • Libanioas Libanio
    Ricardo Valle
    • Stefanoas Stefano
    Nietta Zocchi
    • Afraas Afra
    Vinicio Sofia
    • Mercante di schaveas Mercante di schave
    Renato Navarrini
    • Fausto Domizioas Fausto Domizio
    Edoardo Toniolo
    • Orazio Tiberioas Orazio Tiberio
    Carlo Lombardi
    Carlo Lombardi
    • Senatore Licinioas Senatore Licinio
    Ugo Sasso
    • Fulvioas Fulvio
    Emilio Petacci
    • Director
      • Guido Brignone
    • Writers
      • Francesco De Feo(screenplay) (story)
      • Mario Guerra(screenplay) (story)
      • Nicola Manzari(screenplay) (story)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    More like this

    Hannibal
    5.2
    Hannibal
    Nero's Mistress
    5.5
    Nero's Mistress
    Carthage in Flames
    5.0
    Carthage in Flames
    La spada e la croce
    5.1
    La spada e la croce
    Ulysses
    6.6
    Ulysses
    Ballata tragica
    Ballata tragica
    Texas, Adios
    6.1
    Texas, Adios
    Hannibal
    6.7
    Hannibal
    Die Nibelungen, Teil 1 - Siegfried
    6.2
    Die Nibelungen, Teil 1 - Siegfried
    Mermaid of Naples
    5.2
    Mermaid of Naples
    Helen of Troy
    6.1
    Helen of Troy
    The Hunchback of Notre Dame
    6.6
    The Hunchback of Notre Dame

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film was a co-production between Italy, Spain, and Mexico, was and shot in widescreen (Cine-total-scope) in Italian, in Cinecittà Studios, in Rome. Cinecittà Studios (Cinema City Studios), is a large film studio in Rome, with an area of about 100 acres.

    User reviews2

    Review
    Top review
    The forgotten and flawed Slave Girls of Carthage
    Of all the Italian epics, this rarely-seen example would appear to be the most forgotten and the least acclaimed. On the face of it the film's credentials are highly impressive: the story is a broad re-make of Fabiola whereby a rich Roman lady is led to believe the Christians were responsible for the murder of her father. Italy's top costume villainess Gianna Maria Canale displays her customary icy exterior whilst harbouring a secret inner passion for Spanish hunk Jorge Mistral (although neither probably knows what the other is talking about). Albertini's cinematography is visually stunning in rich colour, which has been faithfully transferred to the Cine Epico DVD in its original 2.35:1 TotalScope. The sets certainly look magnificent, if just a tiny bit suspiciously wooden, and the costumes are top of the range. For the music score the producers have persuaded distinguished composer Enzo Masetti (who also did Fabiola) to return for the re-make. And at the opulent palace in Tarsus we are treated to an energetic display by an African ballerina, then Marisa Allasio sings (or at least mimes) a lovely Carthaginian aria in Italian. So, with all this class around him, there can surely be no way for veteran director Guido Brignone to turn out one of the turkeys of 1956? Somehow, he can and he does. One could easily blame his pedestrian pace or the static camera work, but the real killer blow is Brignone's failure to stamp any authority or care on the proceedings. The resulting lack of attention to detail is noticeable as early as the main title. Masetti opens with his eloquent and sombre music for the Christians labouring on the treadmill, but the main title designer chooses a pretty desert sketch with palm trees, which would be fine if we were watching The Road to Morocco. The heroine Lea is blinded by a white-hot sword in the dungeons and spends the rest of the picture stumbling around. However, apparently thanks to some anachronistic plastic surgery in ancient Tarsus, her face shows no sign of burns or scarring whatsoever. Somebody seems to have decided that Brignone's direction of one of the sword fights was too sluggish, so we see it speeded up like in the old cliffhanger serials. The goofs just go on and on. Gianna Maria Canale meets her end being trampled to death by horses with earth spectacularly churning into the camera lens. But, when the poor lady rolls over dead, her clothes are spotless and her face has just a couple of token dabs of red paint. Towards the end Masetti runs out of time or enthusiasm (or both) and recycles his battle music from Attila the Hun. Ironically, it's only the ending when the film really comes to life. There's a well-staged chariot race to the beach where hero and villain fight it out to the death on the sands. Flavius Metellus, up to then intelligently portrayed by fine actor Rubén Rojo, elects to theatrically fall on his sword. Then, against a grand choral finale, the Christian lovers walk off into God's sunlight, but the whole thing is ruined by the end-title again using the Hope-Crosby backdrop. One is inevitably left with the conclusion that Slave Girls of Carthage, with so much talent to admire, should have been a lot, lot better.
    helpful•9
    1
    • jimm-8
    • Feb 22, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1960 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Italy
      • Mexico
      • Spain
    • Language
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Die Sklavinnen von Karthago
    • Filming locations
      • Cinecitta, Rome, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Cinematográfica Filmex S.A.
      • Società Italiana Cines
      • Yago Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Le schiave di Cartagine (1956)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for Le schiave di Cartagine (1956)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The 10 Most Anticipated Marvel and DC Movies
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.