Poppea: A Prostitute in Service of the Emperor

Poppea: A Prostitute in Service of the Emperor is a 1972 commedia sexy all'italiana film co-written and directed by Alfonso Brescia starring Femi Benussi and Don Backy.

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Luis Film. As with other Alfonso Brescia productions of the time, it reuses scenes from other 1960s peplum films. According to screenwriter Vittorio Vighi, the Terence Hill and Bud Spencer duo was the inspiration for the characters played by Don Backy and Peter Landers.

Release

The film was released in Italian cinemas on 21 November 1972.

Reception

Italian film critic Marco Giusti described it as funny and better than expected. According to Derek Elley, it is a film that "with its floating morality, picaresque leads, arena scenes, convenient baptism and final miracle, satirises the popular aspects of the genre". Paolo Mereghetti described it as "a failed attempt to mix a parody of the sword-and-sandal genre, the spaghetti western fistfights, and a bit of sexy comedy".