Dan Vadis

Dan Vadis (born Constantine Daniel Vafiadis in Shanghai, China: 3 January 1938 – 11 June 1987 in Lancaster, California, U.S.) was an actor famous for his lead roles in many Italian films made in the 1960s.

Biography

Vadis was an American actor of Greek descent with lineage tracing back to the island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. This former U.S. Navy sailor was a member of the Mae West Muscleman Revue in the late 1950s. He was a brawny, handsome durable 6'4" man with curly brown hair, bluish green eyes and an affable demeanor. He was probably one of the most memorable actors in the Roman epic movies created in the 60's and early 70's to portray Hercules - the most infamous Greek warrior.

He was also one of many muscle men to take a stab at fame and fortune with the Italian sword and sandal films of the 1960s - also known as the peplum films. Noted film critic Raymond Durgnat famously asked if he was "the brother of Quo?".^[1] The peplum films (pepla plural), also known as sword-and-sandal, is a genre of largely Italian-made historical or biblical epics (costume dramas) that dominated the Italian film industry from 1958 to 1965, eventually being replaced in 1965 by the Spaghetti Western. The pepla attempted to emulate the big-budget Hollywood historical epics of the time, such as Spartacus, Samson and Delilah and The Ten Commandments.

The terms "peplum" (referring to the tunic-style Greek and Roman garment often worn by characters in the films) and "sword-and-sandal" were used in a condescending way by film critics. Italian director Vittorio Cottafavi called the genre "Neo-Mythology".[1]

Dan's most notable role was The Triumph of Hercules (1964), in which Vadis portrayed Hercules battling golden giants and trying to save his princess love from her evil relative. The film was quickly followed by Hercules the Invincible retitled Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness, in The Sons of Hercules television package by Embassy Pictures. What made Vadis stand out from other athletes and bodybuilders in these films was the obvious speed, dexterity, agility and all around durability that he brought to his films, bringing much needed energy to what otherwise may have been average fight scenes.

After the sword and sandal films faded he moved into spaghetti westerns, then became a recurring face in Clint Eastwood movies such as High Plains Drifter, The Gauntlet, Every Which Way But Loose, Any Which Way You Can and Bronco Billy.

He died 11 June 1987 in Lancaster, California, United States, in a car in the desert (accidental drug overdose; acute ethanol and heroin-morphine intoxication). He was survived by his wife Sharon Jessup and his son Nick Vadis, known as "Nick V".

Selected filmography

• Colossus of the Arena (1962) - Sidon
• The Rebel Gladiators (1962) - Ursus
• The Pirates of the Mississippi (1963) - Blackfoot
• The Ten Gladiators (1963) - Roccia / The Rock
• Hercules the Invincible (1964) - Hercules
• Zorikan lo sterminatore (1964) - Zorikan
• The Triumph of Hercules (1964) - Ercole
• Triumph of the Ten Gladiators (1964) - Roccia
• Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators (1964) - Gladiator Roccia
• The Sucker (1965) - (uncredited)
• Deguejo (1966) - Ramon
• Kommissar X – Drei gelbe Katzen (1966) - King
• For a Few Extra Dollars (1966) - Nelson Riggs
• The Stranger Returns (1967) - En Plein
• The Scalphunters (1968) - Yuma
• Dio perdoni la mia pistola (1969) - Martin
• High Plains Drifter (1973) - Dan Carlin, outlaw
• Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973) - Brownie
• The White Buffalo (1977) - Tall Man (uncredited)
• The Gauntlet (1977) - Biker
• Every Which Way But Loose (1978) - Frank (Black Widow)
• Bronco Billy (1980) - Chief Big Eagle
• Any Which Way You Can (1980) - Frank (Black Widow)
• I sette magnifici gladiatori (1982) - Nicerote (Las appearance)

Notes

External links

• Dan Vadis at the Internet Movie Database