Diar (Valley of the Lions)

Diar (Moira Orfei) was a secondary antagonist in the 1961 Peplum film "Valley of the Lions".
Ursus (Ed Fury) survives the sword after his mother packs him off to safety in a basket on horseback. His parents who are the king and queen of the kingdom of Atlea are killed, and Ursus is taken in by a pride of lions who raise him.
Many years pass, and Ursus has become a strongman. He helps a wagon transporting a load of female slaves that has broken down on the road near his cave. After helping them, he carries off one of the maidens he is smitten with. When the slave trader follows him back to the cave, he trades her for an amulet his parents gave him before they were killed. The amulet has the royal symbol on it.
In the meantime, Ursus and the slave girl, Annia (Mariangela Giordano) fall in love during their time alone.
Diar is one of the other slaves in the wagon, and she catches the eye of the evil king during the auction. She is therefore purchased. To gain favor from the king, Diar shows him the amulet that the slave trader took from Ursus. The Usurper King Simud (Giacomo Furia), by seeing the amulet, fears Ursus will one day visit and figure out that he is the rightful heir to the throne. He therefore, has his soldiers seek out Ursus and kill him. In the meantime, Diar becomes the favorite of the king, and she enjoys the power she has been given. Her personality is influenced by the evil king, and she becomes one in the same.
The soldiers return after failing to kill Ursus. They do however succeed in poisoning the lions with tainted meet, and kidnap Annia.
Diar is furious to see Annia, especially since the king begins to take a fancy to her instead. When Ursus arrives to take Annia back he is quickly imprisoned. Diar hacks a plan that she will free Ursus from his chains and then take care of Annia.
After freeing Ursus, he is led out of the palace in a tunnel by a servant (Maria Luisa Merlo, who is also knwon as Mary Marlon). She then returns to the royal chamber and attempts to kill Annia with a large knife. However, the king returns to see this attempt, and chokes Diar to death on the steps.
Ursus is able to win his crown back from the evil king and then regain the love of Annia.
==Trivia ==
*Moira Orfei appeared as Attea in the 1961 Peplum film "Ursus".
*Moira Orfei appeared as Queen Halis Mojab in the 1961 Peplum film "Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules".
*Moira Orfei appeared as Zahira in the 1962 Peplum film "Kerim, Son of the Sheik".
*Moira Orfei appeared as Ura in the 1963 Peplum film "The Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules".
*Moira Orfei appeared as Malva in the 1963 Italian sword and sandal movie "Samson and the Slave Queen".
*Moira Orfei appeared as Artamne, High Priestess in the 1964 Peplum film "Revolt of the Praetorians".
*Moira Orfei appeared as Pasiphae, the Witch n the 1964 Peplum film "Hercules vs the Giant Warriors".
==Gallery ==
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Category:1960s
Category:Attempted Murder
Category:Bare Stomach
Category:Beehive Hairstyle
Category:Brunette
Category:Cape
Category:Conspirator
Category:Corset or Bustier
Category:Demise: Strangled
Category:Femme Fatale
Category:Greedy
Category:Knife
Category:Live Action Villainess
Category:Long Skirts & Dresses
Category:Low Cut Top
Category:Man Kills Villainess
Category:Open Side Dress
Category:Fate: Deceased