Demetrius and the Gladiators

Plot synopsis:
The movie is introduced by the closing scene from the previous year's The Robe, in which Marcellus (Richard Burton) and Diana (Jean Simmons) are martyred for their Christian beliefs. As they are led away to their deaths, the robe of Christ is given to former slave Demetrius (Victor Mature) for safekeeping. Mad emperor Caligula, mistakenly believing that it is the mysterious robe which bestows eternal life, orders his soldiers to find it at all costs. While ransacking the village of Demetrius during the search, a Roman soldier assaults Lucia (Debra Paget), the beautiful love interest of Demetrius. Demetrius rushes to her defense and attacks the centurion. He is sentenced to a gladiator school, where he draws the lustful attention of sensuous Messalina (Susan Hayward), the unsatisfied wife of Caligula's elderly uncle. Demetrius initially refuses to fight out of devotion to his Christian beliefs. But when he spurns the advances of Messalina, she is enraged and wants revenge. He is returned to the arena where he is forced to defend himself against several tigers, killing all of them. He becomes a hero to the crowds. Lucia goes to the gladiator school to see Demetrius, but Messalina allows her to fall into the hands of the gladiators. As one of the gladiators hungrily paws at her, a helpless Demetrius prays for her deliverance. She fights wildly before falling into a catatonic state resembling death. An embittered Demetrius renounces his faith and accepts a post as a centurion. Caligula sends Demetrius to the Christian enclave to personally find the robe, where he finds unconscious Lucia clutching the sacred robe. The emotional encounter sets him on the path to redemption.

Tags: good versus evil, insanity, violence, murder, romantic

Review:
The film opens with Emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson) calling for his guards to find him the robe to bring him eternal life Caligula stakes his life on the loyalty of the Praetorian Guards So if they can keep him alive at all, why not forever?Peter (Michael Rennie) gave Demetrius of Corinth (Victor Mature) their master's robe to keep for him As we all remember, Demetrius took the robe from the foot of the cross before Jesus diedBy order of Caligula, 20 pieces of gold were authorized to pay for information concerning the robe that Jesus wore to the cross Defending Lucia (Debra Paget) from malicious attack of a Praetorian Decurion, Demetrius is caught and sentenced to train as gladiator in the Claudian schoolBeing fully a Christian entails having a commitment: Demetrius, obviously, is condemned to death because he can't take a man's life Puzzled by his religion, and fascinated by his magnificent physique, and wanting to find out if Demetrius will kill or not his opponent, Messalina asks to be put in the arena against the king of swordsmen the Nuban Glycon (William Marshall).
Julie Newmeyer was one of the dancing girls, long before she became Julie Newmar and played Howard's rival in "The Marriage-Go-Round.""Demetrius and the Gladiators" is a lively, efficient sequel to "The Robe," with emphasis less on religiosity than on the brutality of the arena.
What to do, but make a sequel to tell of where the rest of some of these characters wound up.Victor Mature as Demetrius, Michael Rennie as St. Peter, and Jay Robinson as Caligula continue their roles from The Robe.
The film starts with a clip from the end of The Robe where Caligula has condemned Richard Burton and Jean Simmons to execution.
Of course it gets into Michael Rennie's hands, but Jay Robinson has heard rumors about this magical robe the Christians possess.
Once you have seen this movie you will never ever forget Jay Robinson's performance as deranged but cunning Caligula.Is it great acting or just one of the greatest slices of ham ever put on film?I don't know but it proves the maxim that one actor can make a basically routine movie into a personal favourite."Demetrius" is in some ways superior to its predecessor "The Robe" -it lacks the ponderous religiosity,theres more action,and Caligula moves into centre stage..
"Demetrius and the Gladiators" is one of a number of films (the most famous is "Ben Hur", but others include "The Robe", to which "Demetrius" is a sequel, "Quo Vadis" and "The Fall of the Roman Empire") which deal with the early days of the Christian church and its persecution by the Roman emperors.
Several of the epics of this period combined, incongruously, an improving religious message with a good deal of eroticism, with much bare female flesh on display- examples include "Solomon and Sheba", "Esther and the King" and "Salome", where we get to see the famous dance of the seven veils, but it is made clear that, contrary to the Biblical version of the story, Rita Hayworth's character is in fact a virtuous heroine who only is flashing her legs in public in a desperate attempt to save John the Baptist from his fate.
He is a more complex and interesting figure than many epic heroes, so it is unfortunate that the part was played by Victor Mature, an actor whose success often seemed to owe more to his ruggedly masculine good looks and his virile physique than to his acting technique.
It's directed by Delmer Daves and stars Victor Mature as Demetrius, a Christian slave made to fight in the Roman arena as a gladiator ( and ultimately entering into a bigger fight, that of faith), and Susan Hayward as Messalina.
Filling out the support cast are Ernest Borgnine, William Marshall, Michael Rennie, and Jay Robinson as the maniacal emperor Caligula.
The acting is mixed, Mature is solid without ever really convincing as the heroic figure of Demetrius, Hayward and Robinson are camping it up and thus entertain royally, while Borgnine and Rennie earn there pay.Very much like another Phillip Dunne screenplay genre piece, David And Bathsheba, this one is often overlooked or forgotten in discussion about the sword & sandals genre.
When I first saw this movie " Demetrius and the Gladiators ", I was very impressed with the acting skills of both my favorite actors at the time.
There was something shortcoming about this sequel in that it concentrated on the search for the robe by the Mad Emperor Caligula, played to the hilt by superb actor Jay Robinson.
A sequel to the box office successful "The Robe", this film is just one more of those spectacular epic films of the 50's and early 60's settled in ancient Rome and with a religious background of the early Christians and their whereabouts in an all pagan world.After a secondary lead in "The Robe", Victor Mature (as the freed Christian slave Demetrius) takes here the centre of the stage and the film deals with his story; the man looses his faith and recovers it after fighting as a gladiator in the arena, becoming a Decurion for Emperor Caligula and having a passionate affair with the woman (Messalina) married to the weak emperor's uncle Claudius (Barry Jones).
The film is most colourful, the script is not bad as well as the costumes and armors, the settings and reproduction of the old Rome are good enough (no computers back in 1954) and some action sequences in the arena are well achieved.
But somehow this picture lacks the sort of sensation of greatness and huge spectacle other products of the genre transmitted ("The Robe" itself, the previous "Quo Vadis?" or the posterior "Ben Hur" and "Spartacus"); in fact, "Demetrius and the Gladiators" is not one of the titles that comes to mind easily when epic spectacular films is the subject.Victor Mature shows his inevitable overacting as the main character though it is fair to say he has done worse ("The Egyptian" and "Samson and Delilah", for instance, and many others).
Jay Robinson clearly overacts and very much as Calìgula (Caius Germanicus was his real name) but in his case it appears to be a conscious performing decision after he was the most remembered character in the previous "The Robe"; he just lets himself go without limits.
There are good performances by Ernest Borgnine, Richard Egan (as a villainous gladiator), Barry Jones, Anne Bancroft and William Marshall (far before his "Blacula" days).
Debra Paget delivers her acceptable acting but she looks as a contemporary girl here (she could have used the same hairdo and make up for her real life in the middle 50's).All in all, "Demetrius and the Gladiators" is a watchable and entertaining product, but no much more than that in my opinion.
A sumptuous musical score, in the tradition of Miklos Rosza's Ben-Hur,greets the movie goer who sees "Demetrius and the Gladiator." This 1954 film was a sequel to 1953's Oscar nominated "The Robe."Victor Mature plays a Christian who denounces his religion when his beloved is killed or so he thinks.
Ultimately falling for Mature, she will give him up to rule with her husband at film's end for the glory of Rome.The real acting kudos go to Jay Robinson who portrays Caligula.
Fresh from his sadistic Fatso in "From Here to Eternity," Ernest Borgnine appears as Strabo, a bull-like head of the gladiators school.In certain respects, this film is far better than the sequel.
All in all, a decent film that is far better than I'd suspected.UPDATE: Since this review, I've finally seen the precursor, "The Robe", and was surprised just how bad it was compared to "Demetrius and the Gladiators.
Yes, Jay Robinson does go way overboard as Caligula, and Victor Mature was a bit too wholesome as Demetrius, but the guy never really took himself too serious as an actor to start with.
Toss in Michael Rennie, William Marshall, a young Richard Egan (300 Spartans), and Earnest baby, and your get a star-studded action film that holds it's own in the world of even worse Roman epics like the tortuous "Fall of the Roman Empire".I sat through that no-action/women (Ok Sophia!) bore in a theater for as long as my mother could put up with her two boys squirming and bellyaching about the 188 minute run time.
Stereo sound is so-so, and at least on my system, I didn't hear any surround sound, which this movie certainly had (this was a significant aspect of early Cinemascope presentations).The actor playing bad guy Caligula gives one of the most hammy, over the top performances I can remember; he seems to have studied at the Simon Legree school of melodrama..
This direct sequel to The Robe starts literally where the previous movie ends, starting out with the last 2 minutes of The Robe.Even though the Roman guard and his girlfriend were executed for refusing to renounce Jesus, the slave Demetrius still lives and has faith.
Victor Mature, who plays the lead role in this film, appeared in three box office champion films in the 1950's; #1 "Samson and Delilah"(1950), #1 "The Robe" (1953), and #6 The Egyptian" (1954).
The battle in the arena between Glycon (William Marshall) and Demetrius (Victor Mature) is reminiscent of the battle between Kirk Douglas and Woody Strode as gladiators in "Spartacus" six years later.
One scene I thought was particularly awkward when Saint Peter (Michael Rennie) has a cup of wine thrown on him by Messalina (Hayward) when he tries to convince Mature to return as a Christian.
It was one of those big-screen epics that made an impression on me.With your Roman Empire movies, your best bet is to set the story in the reign of one of the three mad emperors - Nero is tops, but Caligula and Commodus are the next best thing.
Someone like Augustus with his stable, 40-year reign is just a little too sedate when it comes to drama - a bit like the Eisenhower era.Set in Rome during the reign of Caligula, all Demetrius (Victor Mature) wants to do is hand over the robe of Jesus to Peter (Michael Rennie), and lead a quiet life as a potter.
It takes Peter and a good buddy from the arena, Glycon (William Marshall), to guide him back to the light.Well that's the story; the script is there to keep the spectacular arena scenes apart, and clear the set for Jay Robinson's viperish and eye-poppingly campy interpretation of Caligula.
He plays Dardanius, a gladiator with attitude, and he looks the part with more muscles and teeth than Burt Lancaster.Susan Hayward gave Messalina some of the same medicine Jay Robinson gave Caligula; together they keep the movie from getting too serious.
The script is standard Biblical-Roman-epic tripe, but what makes it enjoyable for a bad movie fan like myself are the performances.
Then there's the acting: Victor Mature, just horrible; Susan Hayward, a decent actress who only makes things worse trying; some fool named Jay Robinson, who minces through his lines like a pre-menopausal Boston fishwife.
Absolutely wonderful!Other than that, this movie is a pretty standard '50s sex-and-reverence Biblical potboiler, with really dreadful acting by Victor Mature in the title role, and Susan Hayward more luscious than ever as Messalina.
The film was such a success, Hollywood spawned a sequel, without the two leads, but starring Victor Mature in a reprise of his role as Demetrius, a Christian slave.Susan Hayward joins him in the film, as does Michael Rennie, Deborah Paget, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Egan, and Anne Bancroft.
The absence of Richard Burton, which I didn't like to see in the first film due to his bad acting, was another improvement, allowing Demetrius to come out and be the center of our attention.
SPOILERS!'Demetrius and the Gladiators', the sword-and-sandal sequel to 'The Robe', sets the tone from the opening frames, when the famous climax of the earlier film is repeated.
Demetrius (the ever-wooden Victor Mature), has assumed the position of second-in-command to Peter (again played, with dignity, by Michael Rennie), and has found happiness hanging around a pottery, where his love (played by Debra Paget), a young Christian girl (with VERY '50s makeup), works for her father.
Messalina promises to be a good Empress, and not mess around with the hired help, anymore (yeah, right!), and Demetrius, Marshall (carrying the robe), and Peter leave the Palace, to the swell of Waxman's finale.Seeing Bancroft, Julie Newmar (in an unbilled role as a court dancer), and Borgnine are added pleasures, but the REAL fun in this movie is watching Robinson define 'ham' as the scenery-chewing Emperor!
A worthy, though rushed, follow-up to "The Robe" has a fun cast, a tired looking Victor Mature (from all his work on the previous film, no doubt).
Douglas's novel.It features Victor Mature as Demetrius, a Christian slave made to fight in the Roman arena as a gladiator, together with Susan Hayward,Ernest Borgnine, William Marshall, Michael Rennie, Jay Robinson, Debra Paget, and a young Anne Bancroft in one of her early roles during her film career.Thrown in jail for defending an elderly merchant from a sadistic Roman legionnaire, Demetrius is forced to attend gladiator school and fight in the arena for the amusement of the mad, debauched emperor Caligula.This allows Demetrius to attract the attention of Messalina, the nymphomaniac wife of the soon-to-be emperor Claudius.
For a short while,Demetrius lost his faith in God but he was allowed to get re-acquainted with his Christian faith through the Apostle Peter.This happens to be more of a gladiator epic rather than a religious one like its predecessor film,The Robe.People would probably watch it more for the action scenes.Too bad that it won't allow viewers to have some serious thoughts about their religion particularly their relationship to both God and Jesus.Despite being advertised as The Robe's sequel,it is definitely a different film compared to it..
Demetrius And The Gladiators (1954): Starring Victor Mature, Jay Robinson, Susan Hayward, Michael Rennie, Anne Bancroft, Debra Paget, Barry Jones, William Marshall, Charles Evans, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Egan, John Cliff, Karl Davis, Carmen De Lavallade, George Eldredge, Lyle Fox, Ed Fury, Everett Glass, Fred Graham, Frank Hagney, Selmer Jackson, Russell Johnson, Kenner G.
Susan Hayward was still a big star but she abandons her usual repertoire to play the role of a Roman priestess/noblewoman Messalina, who falls for Demetrius.
But if you like Victor Mature, Susan Hayward and Anne Bancroft, then this film is for you, as well as being a film of interest to old Hollywood epic films..
A sequel to 1953's "The Robe" starring Richard Burton, Jean Simmons and Victor Mature, this film picks up following the martyrdom of Marcellus Gallio -- Burton -- and Diana -- Simmons -- due to their unwavering faith in Jesus Christ.In this movie, Victor Mature reprises his role as Demetrius, as does Jay Robinson as Emperor Caligula, and Michael Rennie as the Apostle Peter.
Claudius promises to not bother the Christians, just as long as they obey Roman laws.Overall, the acting is good, although I personally didn't really become attached to any of the characters.If you are willing to overlook the Biblical inaccuracies, as well as the errors concerning actual Roman history, and just accept this as a fictional work regarding early First Century Rome and gladiatorial fights, you may enjoy this film..
The ending of "The Robe" shows the triumphant deaths of two proud Romans choosing Christianity over the insane rantings of Jay Robinson's Emperor Caligula.
On the run, Demetrius (Victor Mature) is captured, sentenced to die in the gladiator ring, and ends up becoming a hero but gives up his Christianity.
The supporting cast includes Ernest Borgnine as Messalina's guard, Richard Egan as a brutal gladiator, and Anne Bancroft and Debra Paget as two of the decent women in Mature's life.
You do not change a winning team.Unfortunately the two stars of "the robe" (Burton and Simmons )died in the first episode.Three of its characters are featured:Demetrius (Victor Mature),Saint Peter (Michael Rennie)and Caligula (Jay Robinson ).There are two extracts from "the robe" :the first one has additional shots of Susan Hayward (Messaline)who was not present when the two Christians were sent "to their kingdom".Demetrius becomes the center of the plot.A Christian ,his belief will be put to the test.They make him a gladiator against his will and he knows he shall not kill his brothers.There is a very good depiction of the gladiators'life ,even if history is given a rough ride:it was Nero before the Christians were really persecuted,as former classics such as "sign of the cross" (1932) or "quo vadis"(1950) testify .Susan Hayward plays a bitchy Messaline,even if her wish to " loyally assist" her dear husband Claudius (who was just pretending he was a moron to fool Caligula)is rather laughable.Best performance comes from Robinson's "Caligula" .The actor is given more time to display his madness and he really does:the scene when he "tests" "the robe "is really spooky.This is an entertaining sword and sandal by Delmer Daves,known for his remarkable westerns such as "broken arrow"..
I love a good sword and sandal epic and this sequel to "The Robe" pretty much fits the bill.
I looked closely at the scene where Demetrius makes his name as a gladiator by killing three tigers in the arena and they looked real enough to me.
Of course films like this, with everyone pretty much wearing dresses, tend to see the actors either ham or camp it up and there's little doubt that Jay Campbell as the notoriously deranged Emperor Caligula is doing both while Mature however plays it pretty straight for the most part.
Susan Hayward vamps it up as the loose Messalina while Michael Rennie is positively saintly as Peter.Some of the dialogue betrays its twentieth century origins such as when Demetrius warns that his old camp is likely to be "wiped out" by the Romans while Lucia's miraculous recovery takes some swallowing too.