Valley of the Lions

Ursus in the Valley of the Lions (Italian: Ursus nella valle dei leoni, also known as Valley of the Lions) is a 1962 Italian peplum film directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia. Although it was the fourth film in the Italian "Ursus" series, it was the first to provide Ursus with an origin story, explaining how he was raised by a lioness (very similar to "Tarzan of the Apes" in plot). Ed Fury once again played Ursus, and Alberto Lupo played the villanous Ajak. When the film was distributed in the USA, the title was shortened to simply Valley of the Lions (Ursus' name was omitted from the title for some reason). This film was also distributed as Son of Atlas in the Valley of the Lions. An interesting note is that the actors who played the two villains in this film both appeared in Italian cult horror films as well. Alberto Lupo (King Ajak) had played the monster in Atom Age Vampire (1960), while Gerard Herter (who played Ajak's henchman Lothar in the film) had played a maniacal killer in Caltiki, the Immortal Monster (1959).