Customer Reviews

Demetrius and the Gladiators

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"Demetrius and the Gladiators", is often relegated to the shadows of its illustrious and far better known parent "The Robe",which was the first lavish effort in Cinemascope. This sequel takes up where the original story ends and uses some of the same cast and many of the original films sets in it's continuation of the saga dealing with the search for Christ's robe. In many ways however is a much more enjoyable and lively effort and focusing on life at the Roman Court features some of the most stunning gladiator scenes ever included in a film. Based on characters drawn from the biblical novel "The Robe", by Llyod C. Douglas this effort focuses on the freed Greek slave Demetrius (Victor Mature), and his ongoing battle between his Christian beliefs and the lure of a decadent Rome under the mad emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson). While the original movie was a very respectful effort centred around Christ's crucifixion "Demetrius and the Gladiators", focuses more on the viciousness of Imperial Rome and the bloody sport of Gladiator combat where innocent men fought to the death for the Roman mob's amusement. For its amazingly accurate depiction of the "sport", of gladiator combat it far surpasses more recent efforts in showing the training, equipment, and life of Gladiators in Imperial Rome. Blessed with some memorable performances, in particular Jay Robinson's amazingly wild performance as the deranged Caligula this film captures beautifully all that was unique about this period in Rome's history while still including the conventional love story element.

After the executions of the earlier heroes Marcellus and Diana at the hands of Caligula Demetrius is entrusted with Christ's sacred robe which the Romans believe works miracles. The insane Caligula meanwhile has had himself declared a living God and strikes terror into everyone including his uncle Claudius (Barry Jones), and his much younger seductive wife Messalina (Susan Hayward). Caligula orders an immediate search for the robe which is still in Rome and when the house where Demetrius is staying is searched the simple peasant girl Lucia (Debra Paget), is attacked by the soldiers trying to conceal the robes whereabouts. When Demetrius comes to her aid he is arrested and sentenced to train as a gladiator in one of the Imperial schools run by Claudius. Refusing to fight because of his christian beliefs Demetrius becomes an unwelcome focus of interest for the dangerous and deadly Messalina who uses people fo rhe rown amusement. When Lucia attempts to visit Demetrius at the school prior to his debut in the arena she is molested by another gladiator Dardanius (Richard Egan)and suffers a crippling shock. Disillusioned by the cruelty of the men and the lack of a sign that his christian beliefs tell him will come to those who are decent Demetrius forsakes his religion and becomes the most successful fighter in Rome. Breaking with the christians Demetrius becomes the lover of Messalina. Sent by Caligula to retrieve the robe Demetrius comes into conflict with Peter (Michael Rennie)who reminds him of how he has abandoned Jesus's teaching and given himself over to the immoral values of Caligula's court. He nevertheless gives Christ's Robe to Demetrius who passes it onto Caligula who in a deranged moment kills a prisoner and tries to raise him from the dead. When he fails Demetrius is sent back to the arena as a gladiator again. Caligula now sets out to deliberately destroy Demetrius in the arena however he doesn't take into account his own changing popularity with the all powerful Praetorian Guard who fed up with his threats against them oppose his plan to remove Demetrius and murder Caligula in the arena. The placid Claudius is nominated as the new Emperor and in his first speech gives christians the right to worship as they see fit. The conclusion sees Demetrius reunited with Peter who leave together to begin a new life as practising christians spreading the word of the teachings of Jesus free of Caesar's tyranny.

"Demetrius and the Gladiators", exemplifies all that is typical of these lavish 1950's epics. Beautiful colour photography, a rousing musical score courtesy of Franz Waxman, lavish sets and opulent eye filling costumes and extensive historical research into all matters related to gladiators all combine to make this film a sumptous viewing experience. The talent on display here is perhaps even more extensive than that in "The Robe". Victor Mature as the questioning and very human Demetrius had one of his best roles here and once again displays his ideal suitability for these epic type of productions. Susan Hayward, an extremely talented dramatic actress perhaps at times appears too modern for the role of the seductive Messalina but she very capably makes the most of her scenes in playing one of Ancient Rome's most infamous ladies. Jay Robinson of course towers over this whole production with his larger than life portrayal of the insane Caligula and captures very well the deadly and depraved mind that the emperor according to historical sources possessed. The supporting players are first rate with Michael Rennie repeating his pivotal role of the calm and assured Peter from "The Robe", Barry Jones making good work of what could have been the potentially uninteresting character of Claudius, and especially William Marshall who really excels in his part as Glycon, the African gladiator who is converted to christianity and provides Demetrius with a focus and a conscience. The recreation of the deadly Roman sports in the arena in "Demetrius and the Gladiators", are first rate and really keep the action moving. So well staged are they that at times it really looks like Victor Mature is actually fighting with real tigers during the famous scene here he confronts a group of them in the arena.

Being a real fan of the biblical epics of the 50's I feel that this film gets over its sincere message while still providing first class rousing entertainemnt of the old school of filmmaking. Often dismissed as "hokey", or "camp" mainly because of the performance of Jay Robinson, "Demetrius and the Gladiators", perhaps has those elements present but it also offers far more and is one of the most elaborate of these types of films. Intrigue, romance, tragedy, and danger are all combined in an eye filling package that is sure to win over all lovers of Roman history and of epic biblical productions in particular. Enjoy!

Demetrius and the Gladiators is an enjoyable film (see other reviewers for details) but the film quality on the DVD sucks! No effort was made to restore the film and it shows in it's very fuzzy quality. What a shame, and a ripoff to the consumer. No extras either.

I love this corny old movie(and it rates 4 stars). I love it for being a sequel to "The Robe", I love it for Victor Mature's hammy Demetrius (and he was so restrained in the same role in "The Robe"), I love it for Susan Hayward's traditional portrayal of an amoral temptress (something she did wonderfully well), I love it for Jay Robinson's way over-the-top(-and-over-the-rainbow) Caligula, I love it for its use of CinemaScope and I love it for Franz Waxman's music score.

This DVD looks great, but the first time I viewed it, years ago, I couldn't watch it all the way through because I wanted to HEAR it. I wrote on these pages that to hear this film presentation I had to crank the volume way, way up....to the point where I had to endure hiss along with dialogue and special effects.

The fact of the matter is, I was taking the word of the folks who sold me my receiver, DVD player and surround speakers that the optical hookups converted audio signals for both DTS and 5.1CH. And the 5.1, for years, was a very undesirable sound for me -- and I couldn't understand why folks liked it.

Now I know why. My receiver does not convert to 5.1 via the optical cables. (And that's why both the receiver and DVD have separate input panels for 5.1CH hookups).

Now that the hookups are completed, I have to say the sound on this DVD is A-W-E-S-O-M-E for a 1954 4-track stereo film.

I apologize to Fox Video for criticizing the sound quality. I'd have loved for there to have been more bonus features on this, but the film is splendid on its own.

The packaging remains lacking, IMO. The film is vivid and colorful and the DVD cover is drab.

Victor Mature makes a better gladiator than Russell Crowe in this sequal to "the Robe."

Join Demetrius in his journey as he battles gladiators, tigers, Caligula, and most dangerous his feelings for the wiley and seductive Susan Haywood. What makes this movie so entertaining is the moral dilemma he faces, and his fall and redemption. This is a real man facing real temptations in an immoral world, much like we are in today.

Jay Robinson makes a welcome return as the emperor Caligula, chewing up the scenary with his wonderful performance.

This is like gladiator with heart.

Mention the name Demetrius to any American male over the age of 45 and I guarentee his immediate response will be the fond recollection of one his favorite films from his youth, 'Demetrius and the Gladiators.' Released in '54, 'Demetrius and the Gladiators' is the sequel to the highly successful 'The Robe' released a year earlier and continues the storyline concerning Romes' attempt to stamp out the "Christian Rebellion" and obtain the elusive robe of Christ.

While the first installment of this story was more of a spiritual/psychological drama, the second took on a decidedly more action/adventure flavor. Demetrius (Victor Mature) is a Christian pacifist captured by the Romans and sentenced to die in the arena. However when his girlfriend Lucia (Debra Paget) apparently dies in an altercation with a group of gladiators he becomes enraged, denies his newfound faith, takes up a sword and stuns the Roman world by killing them all one-by-one in battle before Emperor Caligula.

Once jeered by the crowd Demetrius is now a "Hero of Rome" and becomes head of the elite Pretorian Guard. However his new life of power and excess eventually comes into question when he discovers that his beloved Lucia still lives and the Christian God is not dead.

'Demetrius and the Gladiators' is one of the greatest of all gladiator films and a rarity among the genre, a movie with a message. This is Victor Mature in his signature performance as Demetrius. However as good as Mature is, he is outshined by Jay Robinson who is also reprising his role as Caligula from 'The Robe.' Robinson's flamboyant mannerisms, drastic mood swings and disturbing, murderous glares are unmatched in cinematic history and has defined forever how to play the mad Emperor Caligula.

This movie starts just where the biblical blockbuster "The Robe", ended. This is another film that showcases the fine acting talent of the late actor Victor Mature as Demetrius, a Christian gladiator who is hiding the robe of Christ from the evil and insane Roman emperor Caligula. The story is moving and entertaining even though some of the events presented here are historically inaccurate and/or misrepresented; the most notably being the eventual demise of Caligula.

This movie begins with a clip from it's successful prequel, "The Robe", creating a feeling of nostalgia. The story here is marvellous, if not as good as it's prequel's. This time the attention is on Demetrius, the Greek slave freed by the Roman centurion Marcellus. Condemned to fight as a gladiator when he dares to attack a Roman soldier, Demetrius learns that the Christian path is a difficult one. When his lover is assaulted by other gladiators, he renounces his faith and lives the life of a Roman pagan. Later on, he realizes his mistake and leaves Rome and its riches to be with his people. There's lots of action and interesting characters in this movie. Jay Robinson as the eccentric Caligula and Susan Hayward as a high-class Roman femme fatale are fabulous. Thankfully,Christian values are not compromised. The story may appear slow-moving for a while, but it certainly gets better. You'll definitely feel good at the end of this movie.

Demetrius and the Gladiators is a very good movie, in the classic sense of that term.

Many people of his time adored Victor Mature, while critics sometimes claimed he was melodramatic, but Mature was impressively right for the majority of films in which he was cast. The studio system was smart that way.

In this case, Mature brings the drama to life almost single-handedly, and certainly carries off this cast-of-thousands sequel to THE ROBE beautifully. Mature was well suited to the 50s sword-and-sandal trend, and I'd say this film, along with DeMille's equally good SAMSON AND DELILAH, are among his best performances of the period.

This film is a respectable and interesting sequel to THE ROBE, and unequivocally worth seeing. What's more, I can't agree that Jay Robinson is "over the top" -- he's just as fascinating a villain as he was in THE ROBE, and we're lucky to have more of him in the role in this movie. Considering that Robinson became, by all accounts, mentally obsessed with his character of the Roman emperor in these two films for the rest of his life, I'd say this movie is even more fascinating in that regard. Robinson is one of those actors who proves the old saying that it only takes one stand-out performance to secure an actor's place in history forever. Robinson's performance is easily the best Roman emperor ever committed to celluloid up until now, I CLAUDIUS notwithstanding.

In short, don't sell this movie short, or you'll be the worse for it. The movie's tone is certainly different from THE ROBE, but it is a genuinely satisfying Hollywood entertainment of a fairly high order. The budget is generous, the cast is excellent, and the movie looks very good in all the most important aspects as a result. Feel free to bring popcorn, and I'd recommend a Kleenex as well.

For pure unadulterated Rome meets Hollywood hogwash you can't go wrong with "Demetrius And The Gladiators". I don't mean that in a bad way at all. Pure kitsch, and Hollywood high camp this sequel to 20th Century Fox's lavish and over the top "The Robe" is much more fun than the film that spawned it. The film is so much fun to watch because it is so serious and yet so loose with facts that would have made it much more fun if only the code would have allowed it.

Victor Mature here is well, Victor Mature as he is in all his epics from "Sampson and Delilah" to "The Egyptian". He is what passes for hunky beefcake in the 1950's. The Sylvester Stallone of his day. He gives his best and even if he is a bit soft physically he is certainly likeable and entertaining. The real hunk of man meat in the film comes in the form of Richard Egan in a small and deliciously malicious role as a rival gladiator to Demetrius. Now he would have been much more convincing as as the lead in a purely physical sense.

Another staple of the 50's less is less acting style is the lovely Deborah Paget who probably hit her high mark in "The Ten Commandments". Here as the true love of Demetrius she is perfect early Christian window dressing.

Now the real star and reason to see this film comes in the form of the lush, seethingly sensuous performance of Susan Hayward as the evil empress Messalina. When she is on screen she commands your eye and when she is gone she is missed. Susan Hayward brings her brand of bold brash bravado to the role and in essence blows everyone else and most of the magnificent sets away. She is a joy to watch as she seduces and then falls to Demetrius cause in a rather silly ending. She is a joy to watch and shows us just what a real Movie Star and one hell of an actress can do in a role that is less than her talents. And of course the real Messalina never repented and ended up in a rather bad way.

Hayward only faces one challenge in the acting department and that come from the little guy with the high shrill voice, Jay Robinson. He certainly gives Hayward a run for her money in a kind of who is the better scene chomper. Mr. Robinson who reprises his role as Caligula in what must be the most over the top, flamboyant portrait of Caligula as the "Queen" of Rome. He is squirmingly good and a delight to watch as he out chews the entire cast and a few lions to boot (Little boots!) in devouring the massive scenery.

Over all this is a Cinemascope Epic fun romp that is short on historical fact but long on high camp merry making that is endlessly entertaining.

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).

The dramatic moment of the film comes when Lucia (Debra Paget)--Demetrius' sweetheart--sneaks in and is attacked by Dardanius (Richard Egan) and other gladiators... His faith shaken, Demetrius makes several kills, renounces his god, and succumbs to Messalina's charms...

Susan Hayward looked gorgeous as the wicked Messalina... The part, however, was not developed... It might have been an ideal role for this beloved actress... This was Hayward's second movie with the radiant Debra Paget, who was still considered a promising starlet, but, again, they were never together in a scene...

Future Academy Award winners Ernest Borgnine and Anne Bancroft had small parts... Michael Rennie and Jay Robinson were excellent in their respective roles... 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...