A sequel to "The Robe" this is a story about the early years of the Christian Church in the Roman empire. The hero becomes a gladiator who refuses to kill. Lots of good action scenes, and one really bizarre and scary Roman Emperor.
Some have accused Jay Robinson, the actor who plays Emperor Caligula of "overacting." On the contrary, I love the way he portrays one of the worst of the Roman Emperors. Caligula is the perfect movie villain: he's ruthless, cruel, vain, and he speaks in a loud, whiny voice that is both hilariously camp and scary at the same time, like an effeminate serial killer.
As for the gladiators my favorite is not the "hero" played by Victor Mature, but the gladiator trainer played by Earnest Borgnine. I love Earnest Borgnine's work. Only he could deliver a line like "I fought 52 times in the arena and killed 52 men and that is how I won my freedom." Earnest was a World War II veteran and, unlike a lot of phony Hollywood "tough guys" like John Wayne, he was the real deal.
Some have accused Jay Robinson, the actor who plays Emperor Caligula of "overacting." On the contrary, I love the way he portrays one of the worst of the Roman Emperors. Caligula is the perfect movie villain: he's ruthless, cruel, vain, and he speaks in a loud, whiny voice that is both hilariously camp and scary at the same time, like an effeminate serial killer.
As for the gladiators my favorite is not the "hero" played by Victor Mature, but the gladiator trainer played by Earnest Borgnine. I love Earnest Borgnine's work. Only he could deliver a line like "I fought 52 times in the arena and killed 52 men and that is how I won my freedom." Earnest was a World War II veteran and, unlike a lot of phony Hollywood "tough guys" like John Wayne, he was the real deal.