Perseo l'invincibile (1963)

 

From Wiki-  Medusa Against the Son of Hercules (Italian: Perseo l'invincibile, lit. 'Perseus the Invincible', Spanish: El valle de los hombres de piedra, lit. 'The Valley of the Stone Men') is a 1963 Italian-Spanish sword and sandal film directed by Alberto De Martino and starring Richard Harrison. It is loosely based on the myth of Perseus and Medusa.^[1][2]

Plot

Medusa is a monster that haunts a lake and attacks a group of soldiers; her single eye is capable of turning her victims to stone and the kingdom of Argos uses her to impose suffocating tolls on those who pass through. Perseus, the missing son of the true king of Argos (murdered by a usurper who married his widow), is captured by the troops of an evil monarch and forced to fight as a gladiator. But he escapes and plots to overthrow the villain, still having time to face the Medusa and try his luck if he can bring the petrified soldiers back to life. Back to me:

This is a really fun movie, and mercifully shorter than the 1981 version of the legend (not better, mind you, but fun and shorter).  The Medusa is very cool looking, and the lake dragon/monster is well done.  Both of those are Carlo Rambaldi creations.  He did alright for himself!