Samson Burke (1930-)

biography

Born Samuel Burke in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on April 6, 1930, bodybuilder and professional wrestler Samson Burke made several movies between 1960 and 1969. While he acted in several sword and sandal films, his best known is the 1962 comedy The Three Stooges Meet Hercules. Burke is one of the larger sword and sandal actors, standing 6'4" and weighing 245 lbs. As a competitive bodybuilder, Burke won several titles in Canada and came in third for "Mr. Muscle Beach" in 1957 (as Sam Berg) and in the 1950s was a professional wrestler who narrowly lost the world title four times.

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. 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. Burke wrestled for a number of years, but by the early 1960s had given up wrestling for acting.

the films of samson burke

The Vengeance of Ursus (1961)

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962)

Toto vs. Maciste (1962)

Nibelungen, Teil 1: Siegfried, Die (1966)

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.

samson burke films available from movies unlimited

Vengeance Of Ursus (La Vendetta Di Ursus) [DVD](1962) DVD
The appropriately appellationed Samson Burke stars as heroic Ursus, who fights like a bear to save a village's oppressed residents from their enemies, but is soon accused of murdering their king. It's then up to the muscular hero to prove his innocence by completing some Herculean labors in this rousing swords-and-sandals thriller. Wandisa Guida, Livio Lorenzon co-star. AKA: "Revenge of Ursus." Soundtrack: English (dubbed). Dubbed in English.
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules [DVD](1962) DVD
Those lovable knuckleheads, Moe, Larry and Curly Joe, journey back to ancient Greece, where they become prisoners on a galley ship, have a run-in with a pair of Cyclopean brothers and meet the famous strongman. Co-stars Vicki Trickett, Quinn Redeker. 89 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English.
Death Trip [DVD](1967) DVD
A special agent brings LSD into the country for "military purposes," and when it gets stolen by some gun-toting criminals he and his partner try to find it amidst desert oil ruins and wild motorcycle chases. Gladiator film experts Brad Harris and Tony Kendall star along with Samson Burke of "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules." Based on the "Kommissar X" book series. AKA: "Kill Me Gently," "Soft Kill." Standard; Soundtrack: English (dubbed). Dubbed in English.
Five For Hell [DVD](1967) DVD
Europe, 1944: Five misfit soldiers are sent on a suicide mission into Nazi territory to retrieve attack plans. No one expected them to come out alive...but then no one asked them. Exciting WWII thriller stars John Garko, Nick Jordan, and Klaus Kinski. AKA: "Five Into Hell." Soundtrack: English (dubbed). Dubbed in English.
The North Star (1943)/Commandos (1968)/Five For Hell [DVD](1967) DVD
Europe, 1944: five misfit soldiers are sent on a suicide mission into Nazi territory to retrieve attack plans. No one expected them to come out alive...but then no one asked them. "Five for Hell" stars John Garko, Nick Jordan and Klaus Kinski. AKA: "Five Into Hell." Also includes "The North Star" and "Commandos." 4 3/4 hrs. total.
I Spy: Season 3 [DVD](1967) DVD
All 26 episodes from the third season--including "Let's Kill Karlovassi," "The Seventh Captain," "Anyplace I Hang Myself Is Home," "The Spy Business," and "Pinwheel"--have been collected in a five-disc set. 22 1/4 hrs. total. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono. **26 episodes on 5 discs. 22 1/4 hrs.**
Sartana: The Complete Saga [DVD] DVD
The "James Bond of the West" is back in a three-disc collection of the spaghetti western icon's exploits. Gianni (Johnny) Garko first played an outlaw named Sartana in "Blood at Sundown" (1966), with Anthony Steffen as his good sibling. AKA: "One Thousand Dollars on the Black." Garko's true Satana debut in "If You Meet Sartana...Pray for Death" (1968) has him tracking stagecoach robbers. AKA: "Gunfighters Die Harder," "Sartana." Garko is framed for robbery in "Sartana: Angel of Death" (1969), and promises his foes "Have a Good Funeral, My Friend...Sartana Will Pay" (1970). George Hilton steps up to announce "I Am Sartana" (1970) and battle Mexican bandits, while William Berger is a Sartana betrayed by crooks and hungry for revenge in "Sartana in the Valley of Death" (1970). Next, Hunt Powers' Sartana squares off against fellow frontier tough guy Django not once, but twice, in "Django and Sartana" (1970), with Fabio Testi, and "Django vs. Sartana" (1970), with Chet Davis. Finally, Garko returns to the role he made famous in "Price of Death" (1971) and "Light the Fuse...Sartana Is Coming" (1971). 15 hrs. total. Standard/Widescreen; Soundtrack: English (dubbed). Dubbed in English.

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filmography

This listing is mostly complete:
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
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) with the Three Stooges, Vicki Trickett, Emil Sitka, and Quinn Redeker
Toto Vs. Maciste (1962) with Toto, Nino Toranto, and Nerio Bernardi
The Vengeance of Ursus (1961)

TELEVISION
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, featuring Peter and David Paul, Paul Wynter, and Richard Lloyd.