AllMovie

This French version of The Last Days of Pompeii was shots on standing sets left over from the epic historical drama Fabiola. Bypassing the continuity of the original Bulwer-Lytton novel and the 1936 Hollywood film version, this adaptation concocts a plotline concerning a pair of lovers named Isias (Georges Marchal) and Helen (Micheline Presle). When Isias is slipped a so-called love potion by a rival, he is driven mad. Upon recovery, he learns he is to stand trial for the murder of gorgeous slave Nadia (Laura Alex). Thrown to the lions in the arena, Isias is saved by the timely eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The plot is strictly for the birds, but Les Dernieres Jours de Pompeii is redeemed by its excellent special effects.