biography

Samson Burke Born Samuel Burke in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on April 8, 1929, actor Samson Burke was a natural athlete. As a youth, Burke was a competitive swimmer and represented Canada in the 1948 Olympic games. Afterward, he attended McGill, where he excelled in football and earned a degree in physical education. He didn't begin wrestling until he was 18 years old, but by the time he was 20 he had become a well-known professional wrestler, and his matches were often broadcast on early television. The physical conditioning from swimming and wrestling led Burke to begin a bodybuilding regimen, and before long he won the title "Mr. Montreal" and later became "Mr. Canada" before relocating to southern California. Standing 6'4" and weighing 245 pounds, as a competitive bodybuilder Burke came in third for "Mr. Muscle Beach" in 1957 (as Sam Berg) yet continued wrestling in North America, Europe, and Asia until the late 1960s.

Samson BurkeErnie Dusek and Samson BurkeSamson Burke

LEFT: Burke wrestled under the name Sammy Berg in the 1950s. CENTER: Burke gets the better of Ernie Dusek in this 1950 photo. RIGHT: Early 1960s physique photo


Burke's good friend Gordon Mitchell recommended him to Italian producers looking for muscular actors to star in the peplum films. For his first film Burke portrayed the title character in The Vengeance of Ursus (1961; with Wandisa Guida); however, he is best known for the 1962 comedy The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962; with Quinn K. Redeker). His next film, the peplum Toto vs. Maciste (1962) was also a comedy, this time a vehicle for diminutive Italian comedian Toto.

the films of samson burke

The Vengeance of Ursus (1961)

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From The Vengeance of Ursus

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962)

Samson BurkeSamson BurkeSamson BurkeSamson BurkeSamson Burke with the Three StoogesSamson Burke and Quinn Redeker

From the Columbia comedy The Three Stooges Meet Hercules. LEFT and CENTER: Various promotional shots with the Three Stooges. RIGHT: With Quinn Redeker

Toto vs. Maciste (1962)

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From Burke's 1962 sword and sandal comedy Toto vs. Maciste

Die Nibelungen, Teil 2: Kriemhilds Rache (1967)

Samson Burke and Karin Dor

With Karin Dor in the German adventure Die Nibelungen, Teil 2: Kriemhilds Rache

Five for Hell (1968)

Samson Burke and John Garko

With John Garko in the Italian war flick Five for Hell

samson burke today

Samson Burke's acting career lasted for about ten years, and during the period he acted in more than a dozen films and on several television shows. After quitting acting at the age of 40, Burke moved to Hawaii. For more information on Samson Burke, visit The Official Samson Burke Web Site.

filmography

FILM
Satiricosissimo (1970) with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
Sartana, Angel of Death (1969) with Klaus Kinski and Gordon Mitchell
The Adventures of Ulysses (1969) with Bekim Femhiu, Marina Berti, and Juliette Mayniel
Five for Hell (1968) with Margaret Lee and Klaus Kinski
Kill Me with Kisses (1968) with Pamela Tiffin and Ugo Tognazzi
Death Trip (1967) with Brad Harris and Tony Kendall
Nibelungen, Teil 1: Siegfried, Die (1966) with Terence Hill
Nibelungen, Teil 2: Kriemhilds Rache (1966) with Karin Dor
The Triumph of Robin Hood (1963) with Don Burnett, Gia Scala, and Arturo Dominici
Toto Vs. Maciste (1962) with Toto, Nino Toranto, and Nerio Bernardi
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) with Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita, Vicki Trickett, Emil Sitka, and Quinn K. Redeker
The Vengeance of Ursus (1961)

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
I Spy, episode Now You See Her, Now You Don't, originally aired October 23, 1967

samson burke links

The Official Samson Burke Web Site
Visit Samson Burke's official web site for biographical information, photos, and to see what he's up to these days.

An Interview with Samson Burke at Hollywood Teen Movies
Check out this 2002 interview with Samson Burke.

Go to the Other Hercules Heroes page
Go to the Other Hercules Heroes page, featuring Peter and David Paul, Paul Wynter, and Richard Lloyd.

samson burke trailers now showing

Watch the trailer for Samson Burke's 1962 comedy The Three Stooges Meet Hercules

samson burke film now showing

Watch Samson Burke (in a small role) in the 1969 spaghetti western I am Sartana, Your Angel of Death
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This page premiered May 20, 1998.
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