HOLLYWOOD: All Muscle

Rippling his muscles in a meaty arpeggio, the Strong Man tells the gods: "I want to live like any other mortal. I want children of my own." The dialogue is typical of one of the funniest pictures to reach U.S. screens in years—although the humor is not deliberate. A sort of Homeric Tarzan, heavy on sex and mixed-up mythology, Hercules is also the biggest surprise box-office smash in Hollywood's memory. Starring a onetime (1947) Mr. America named Steve Reeves, Hercules drew $900,000 in its first week when it opened in 145 neighborhood houses last month. This week, with a...

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