The Mongols [Les Mongols] (Nine original photographs from the 1961 film)

Paris: France Cinema, 1961. Nine vintage borderless black-and-white still photographs from the 1961 Italian-French film, here under the original French title, "Les Mongols." Rubber-stamps on the versos, crediting photographer Dorka and street address. Palance and Ekberg are present in a few photos, including two candid images of Ekberg. Housed in brown envelope and fold, both with French film title in manuscript ink on the front.

An ambitious entry in the Barbarian and Viking Peplum (sword-and-sandal) canon, set in the twelfth century. Genghis Kahn's son, Ogatai (Palance), and his confidant Hulina (Ekberg), incite an invasion of Poland after (truncated) a peace treaty, and Amina (Lualdi) is villager without hope who nearly burns alive. Ogatai carries out war to avenge his father and his family's honor.

Seasoned director De Toth was no stranger to Westerns, action, or even horror films. His most notable films include "House of Wax" (1953) and "Day of the Outlaw" (1959), films noir "Dark Waters" (1944) and "Pitfall" (1948), and the drug-fueled "Monkey on My Back" (1957). Savona's Western aesthetic would influence his later Euro Westerns, "Rojo" (1966), "Killer Kid" (1967), and "God Will Forgive My Pistol" (1969).

9.25 x 11.5 inches. Near Fine, slight curling. (Inventory #: 143863)