Gold for the Caesars

SEE the quest for a fabulous treasure... The pagan revels of Saturnalia... The 'sport' that turned men into beasts! Screamed a poster for the fast-paced adrenaline charged adventure Gold for the Caesars. Among the sword-and-sandal epics produced in Italy following the 1959 U.S. box-office success of Hercules the film follows the popular formula: an American star (here Jeffrey Hunter of the Searchers) voluptuous temptresses slaves tyranny and exciting displays of muscle-ripping combat. Gold for the Caesars centers on a slaved named Lacer (Hunter) and his beloved the mistress of Maximus the ruthless Roman proconsul of Spain. Charged with managing a vast gold-mining operation in the middle of a bloody Celtic uprising Lacer fights men nature and his conflicted heart. The film builds to a spectacular denouement with Lacer and Maximus battling atop a sluice gate and floodwaters smashing down on Celtic attackers below.