Taneal (Helga Line) was the villainess in the 1964 Italian Peplum film, "Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon". The original title was "Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia", and Taneal was known as Tanit.
Taneal is one of three siblings who rule Babylon, along with warlike Salmanassar (Livio Lorenzon) and the more conservative Azzur (Tullio Altamura). They are visited by Phaleg, King of Assyria, who showers them with untold riches in exchange for all of the slaves in Babylon. The three are suspicious of Phaleg's motives, and Taneal seduces and drugs the Assyrian king. In doing so, he discovers that he intends to find Queen Asparia (Anna-Maria Polani) and marry her, creating a powerful empire of Assyria and Hellas. Asparia is said to have hid herself and living as a common slave in Babylon.
Taneal and her siblings send troops to ambush the king. Hercules (Peter Lupus) discovers the plan and aids the Assyrians, as the Babylonians are his enemy. He saves the king, and Phaleg makes Hercules go to Babylon to retrieve Asparia.
Salmanassar and Azzur both with to marry Asparia and form an empire, while Taneal intends to steal the wealth of the city and destroy it. She intends to do this by using a giant subterranean wheel which supports the foundation of all Babylon. In the process, the city will crumble around her and bury her brothers and the citizens. Then she won't have to share the throne with anyone.
Taneal tries to get Hercules to operate the wheel, that she says will open a bronze door. Behind the door is all the gold and treasures of Babylon. However, Hercules had secretly listened to Taneal and her counselor/lover Moksor (Franco Balducci) tell the evil plan. He agreed to help her, but this was a lie.
Hercules locates Asparia, and then tries to destroy the giant wheel. Salmanassar kills his brother, and then is crushed by falling debris while attempting to kill his sister with a bow and arrow. Taneal's lover is crushed by falling rocks, and she offers little sympathy as she walks away.
Taneal kills Asparia's guard by stagging him in the back, and then takes her hostage as Phaleg and his army ride into claim his bride. However, Hercules frees the Babylonian slaves, and kills Phaleg.
Taneal seeing that Hercules will win, uses a poison hidden in her ring to kill herself rather than face the judgement of Hercules and Asparia. We last see Taneal as the drug is taking effect on her, when Hercules and Asparia walk up. She the collapses face down in the ground, and they walk away. Hercules then leads Asparia and the Hellenes back to their homeland.
Trivia[]
- Helga Line appeared as Miss Eleonore, the Housekeeper in the 1963 Italian horror film, "The Blancheville Monster".
- Helga Line appeared as Aspasia in the 1964 Italian peplum film "The Revolt of the Seven".
- Helga Line appeared as Solange in the 1965 Italian horror film "Nightmare Castle".
- Helga Line appeared as Inge/Trude in the 1966 Italian crime film "Kriminal".
- Helga Line appeared as Hilde in the 1966 Italian Eurospy film "Special Mission Lady Chaplin".
- Helga Line appeared as Gloria in the 1967 Italian action film "Mister-X".
- Helga Line appeared as Mara Gitan in the 1968 French thriller "Il March Di Kriminal".
- Helga Line appeared as Marlene Schulman in the 1970 film, "Churchill's Leopards".
- Helga Line appeared as Matilde in the 1971 film, "Long Live Robin Hood".
- Helga Line appeared as Maybelle in the 1971 Spaghetti Western "Raise Your Hands, Dead Man, You're Under Arrest".
- Helga Line appeared as Mabille De Lancre in the 1973 film, "Horror Rises from the Tomb".
- Helga Line appeared as Sara in the 1973 sci-fi film "Santo vs Doctor Death".
- Helga Line appeared as Lorelei in the 1974 film, "The Lorelay's Grasp".
- Helga Line appared as Zanufer in the 1975 Spanish horror film, "The Mummy's Revenge".
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