Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) User Reviews

An encompassing drama of what happened to "The Robe"

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 28 December 1999]

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

Continuing the Story

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 22 May 2006]

The box office reception of The Robe for 20th Century Fox exceeded a whole lot of expectations. 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. An original screenplay was done with these characters already familiar to the public from the film and from the beloved Lloyd C. Douglas novel. The film starts with a clip from the end of The Robe where Caligula has condemned Richard Burton and Jean Simmons to execution. As they leave Simmons hands Jesus's robe to an unnamed extra and says it's for the big fisherman.

Of course it gets into Michael Rennie's hands, but Jay Robinson has heard rumors about this magical robe the Christians possess. Nobody can get an obsession like Robinson so he finds Demetrius who's now got a girlfriend in Debra Paget. He's sold back into slavery this time as a gladiator.

Mature who was a supporting character in The Robe takes center stage here. He goes through quite a test of faith on many levels, including an affair with the notorious Messalina played by Susan Hayward. She's appropriately tempting and Mature's flesh is definitely weak here if not in the arena.

Michael Rennie who has always played aesthetic upper class gentlemen is really miscast as the rugged outdoor St. Peter. He does what he can with the part, but my conception of St. Peter at various times of his life is better realized by Howard Keel in The Big Fisherman and Finlay Currie in Quo Vadis. These two look like they made a living outdoors, I could never see Rennie out on a commercial fishing boat.

Of course Robinson continues with his well received portrayal of Caligula from The Robe. The difference is that in The Robe he was the spoiled heir to the throne. In Demetrius and the Gladiators, Robinson truly descends into madness as he starts believing he's divine.

Another outstanding performance is William Marshall as Glycon, the gladiator/slave from Ethiopia. Marshall had a tremendous speaking voice, think James Earl Jones and Marshall makes him sound like a soprano. Had he come along a few years later, Marshall would have had the career Mr. Jones had. He's probably best remembered today for both the Blacula films and in an episode of the original Star Trek series as Dr. Dengstom who invents a computer to run the Enterprise.

Some of this ground was covered better in the highly rated I Claudius series from the BBC. But that does not diminish Demetrius and the Gladiators in quality. Both should be seen and evaluated side by side on their own separate merits.

Works well as a spectacle, with a more intelligent script than many epics

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 6 September 2006]

The historical epics which were so popular in the fifties and early sixties frequently had a religious theme. Some were based on stories taken directly from the Bible ("The Ten Commandments", "Solomon and Sheba", "King of Kings"), while others tried to convey a Christian message indirectly. Thus the central character of "Spartacus" is treated as a metaphorical Christ-figure, and "The Egyptian" draws parallels between Christianity and the monotheistic religion of Atenism which briefly flourished under the heretical Pharaoh Akhnaten. "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. The stories told by such films were normally fictitious, but were set against a background of historical fact.

The central character, Demetrius, is a former slave who, after assaulting a soldier who is molesting his girlfriend Lucia, is sentenced to fight in the arena as a gladiator. This causes him difficulties as he is a Christian whose moral code will not permit him to kill another man, even in self-defence. He survives, however, largely because he attracts the attention of Messalina, the wife of Claudius, uncle of the Emperor Caligula. Later, believing that Lucia has accidentally been killed by another gladiator, Demetrius renounces his Christian faith, and fights fiercely, killing the man he believes to have been responsible for her death and several others. His courage and skill with a sword lead to his being made a tribune in the Praetorian Guard, and he becomes Messalina's lover. As in "The Robe", the robe which Christ wore to His crucifixion plays an important part in the film; Caligula wants to get his hands on it because he believes that it has magical powers and that it will give him the secret of eternal life.

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. There are elements of this strange combination of godliness and sexiness in "Demetrius", but the sexiness is very much downplayed. Messalina's notorious promiscuity is alluded to rather than shown on screen, and the scene between the gladiators and the women brought in to entertain them may be an orgy, but it is a very decorous one. The film-makers were clearly more interested in the element of godliness, and, unlike some films of this type, "Demetrius" raises genuine moral issues about pacifism, non-violence and Christian forgiveness.

Demetrius himself is a man who goes through a crisis of faith and abandons his Christian beliefs in favour of an ethic based on revenge and worldly ambition. His conscience, however, is troubled, especially after he is reproached by his old friend St Peter. 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. Susan Hayward (an actress who could often look bored and listless when asked to play roles that did not interest her) makes a weak Messalina. Neither give their worst performance (in Hayward's case that must surely have been "The Conqueror"), and Mature brings a certain rough sincerity to his part, but I felt that the film might have been improved with other actors in these roles.

Nevertheless, there was much I enjoyed about the film. Michael Rennie was appropriately dignified as Peter, played as a sort of ascetic philosopher, although I would agree with the reviewer who pointed out that it would be hard to imagine him ever working as a fisherman. I also liked William Marshall as Glycon, the former African king now forced to fight as a gladiator, who befriends Demetrius. ("Spartacus", a better film than "Demetrius" although it owes something to it, also features a sympathetic black gladiator who befriends the hero).

Jay Robinson, who played Caligula, has been criticised by some reviewers for overacting, although I must say I liked his performance. Historians have doubted whether the real Caligula was actually insane, although he was undoubtedly cruel and eccentric, but in the context of this film he is definitely presented as a lunatic, a man who has literally been driven mad by power to the point where he believes himself to be a god. (Not even Hitler went that far). There is an interesting contrast with a modern epic, "Gladiator", in which Joaquin Phoenix plays another tyrannical Roman Emperor, Commodus, as a basically weak and insecure young man. Although Phoenix's performance works well in the context of that particular film, the way the role of Caligula was written called for something quite different- the sort of ranting, over-the-top performance which might be unfashionable now but would have been less controversial in the fifties.

Although the standard of the acting is mixed, I generally enjoyed the film. It does not reach the standard of the really great epics, such as "Spartacus" or "Ben-Hur", but it works well on the level of spectacle, with fine sets and costumes and some exciting scenes of gladiatorial combat, and has a more intelligent script than many epics. 7/10

see this for one of the most amazing performances on film

[zippgun · 28 April 2003]

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.

This is a place where men are trained to kill each other like animals!

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 6 December 2009]

Demetrius and the Gladiators is a sequel to The Robe. 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 screenplay is from Philip Dunne (How Green Was My Valley/The Agony and the Ecstasy) and cinematography comes courtesy of Milton R. Krasner (Academy Award winner Best Colour Cinematography for Three Coins in the Fountain 1955).

Following straight on from The Robe, Demetrius and the Gladiators is a safe and enjoyable Biblical picture that doesn't outstay its welcome. Running at just over 100 minutes, the film is far from being epic in its telling. However, and without cramming in, it does contain all the necessary ingredients to make up a sweaty sword and sandals pie. Filmed in CinemaScope it has a persecuted hero, a bonkers villain, a sexy babe, huge sets, colourful costumes and fights, lots of fights. Thankfully the serious dialogue is mostly kept brief, as there a few things worse in this genre of film than bloated discourse on religious beliefs and political dalliances. Just get in there, let us know what is going on, and move on to the next chapter of the story. This is something that Daves' film does very well, it has an eagerness to entertain with dots of gusto and sexual swagger. 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 their respective 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. That both films are not in the same league as the likes of Ben-Hur and Spartacus is a given, but both have much to offer the discerning cinephile. So this one is recommended Sunday afternoon fare with a flagon of claret and a roast ox dinner. 7/10

Line cut from film

[thomreid · 7/10 · 21 May 2012]

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). Susan is a bit 50s looking for ancient Rome, with her bushy hairdos. Jay Robinson again goes way over the top as Caligula but really has some delicious mad scenes. One oddity: while watching the trailer on the DVD, scene 17 with Debra Paget on the trailer has her saying a line about "seeing Jesus". This line was NOT in the finished film. Wonder why. All in all, fun to watch, a good cast, and a fine score by Franz Waxman, who wisely gives credit to Newman for the themes used.

A fitting sequel to "The Robe"

[ozthegreatat42330 · 6/10 · 4 March 2007]

Filmed at almost the same time, this film was a fitting sequel to "The Robe," considering it did not have the star power of the earlier film. None the less it loses some of the reverence of the first film, as Demetrius, so passionate a Christian in the first film, seems to give in and give up on it all too quickly in this one. The tie-in of the final scene from "The Robe" as the opening scene to this movie was a good advertising ploy, and the musical score of Franz Waxman melded well with the earlier Newman themes. The powerful insanity of Caligula is once again handled well by Jay Robinson, who brought the character vividly to life, as I remember from my Roman History studies. If the Rome of those days was as charming as depicted in these films, I would not have minded living there and then.

The performances of the cast, especially the minor characters, was excellent, although Mature was still awfully stiff in his performance. But a good sequel over all.

A spectacular and stirring sequel to The Rob with emotion , thrills and spiffing gladiatorial fights.

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 2 May 2021]

A follow-up to 20th Century Fox's first big CinemaScope success , the religious mammoth epic titled The Robe from bestselling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas , that begins where the former one left off and resulting to be better than the original . Stars Victor Mature again as the title role , Demetrius , the Greek who is given charge of the rob of Jesus Christ at the Crucifixion. In fact , there's a brief introduction about legionnaire Marcellus : Richard Burton , as he was in charge of the group that was assigned to crucify Christ and from his official duties he won Jesus' homespun robe in a dice-game . Meanwhile , Christ's garment is now the object of quest of Emperor Caligula and he will stop at nothing to get it and at whatever means . As the holy-robe-carrying slave is enlisted as one of Caligula's gladiators and along the way he mixes with the sex-hungry Messalina . The religious and pieties from previous film have partially gone , to be replaced by the tortuous court machinations of nasty Caligula : repeating role Jay Robinson, his astute uncle Claudius : Barry Jones and cunning Messalina : Susan Hayward .

This is an overwhelming Colossal turning out to be the continuation of the Robe, packing breathtaking combats among furious gladiators , a sensitive love story between Victor Mature/Debra Paget , an adequate cast of thousands , religious remarks mainly starred by apostle Saint Peter : Michael Wilding and reaching an exciting peak at the end . There are some moving battles in the arena and an impressive fight between Victor Mature and various hungry tigers. There are also some historical characters as the extremely baddie and sadistic Caligula giving him a hammy overacting by Jay Robinson , the allegedly silly but really intelligent Claudius finely played by Barry Jones and the tempter , seducer Messalina nicely performed by the trampy Susan Hayward . While the main star Victor Mature provides a wooden interpretation , as usual . They are competently performed by an attractive support cas , such as : Ernest Borgnine playing a gladiator trainer, Richard Egan as a brave hunk gladiator , William Marshall as Glycon , Anne Bancroft , Charles Evans and uncredited as gladiators : Michael Conrad , Russell Johnson , Jeff York and Ed Fury , the latter to be continued an Italian career as a Peplum or Sword and Sandal heroe , in addition , appearing as uncredited dancer girl , Julie Newmar .

It contains a rousing as well as lyric musical score by great composer Franz Waxman . As well as colorful and brilliant cinematography by Milton R. Krasner in glimmer Technicolor . The motion picture was well directed by Delmer Daves (The Red House , Broken Arrow , Cowboy , Jubal, The Last Wagon, Destination Tokyo, An Affair to Remember) and showing much more ease in the CinemaScope format than The Robe by Henry Koster . Rating : 6.6/10 . Decent Colossal that will appeal to star-studded fans and Roman time lovers .

" Do you think a Gladiator who has killed forty men like I have, can still find forgiveness? "

[thinker1691 · 8/10 · 26 January 2009]

As a young boy going to the movies was entertaining and wondrous as I imagined how they could make men and animals so lifelike and real. 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. I loved the dynamic style of Victor Mature who plays Demetrius, and awed with his being able to fight a tiger to the death. I was further enthralled with my other favorite Richard Egan who played Dardanius. As a regular 'good guy' it was entertaining to see him play a heavy. Then again I felt that way about Ernest Borgnine who is Strabo and William Marshall as majestic 'Glycon, King of Swords'. The story is actually part two of the movie "The Robe" which I believed centered more on the Icon than on the slave character. 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. With additional actors like Michael Rennie playing Peter the apostle and Barry Jones playing Claudius, the director tried to make this sequel as reverential as the first. But that was not what I sought when I first saw it. It was a great film for the arena action and that's what made it fun. I realize there are superior movies out there like 'Gladiator' by Ridley Scott, but I remember early films as a child and that's what made this one a Classic. ****

Not all that bad!

[mike683 · 7/10 · 4 January 2005]

Being born in 1956, this film has had it's run on my TV screen for years. I have always enjoyed this movie even with it's campy backdrops and fake tiger scenes.

The first positive, is that Susan Hayward was and is a babe throughout this film, and awful easy on the eyes. Second, add a young Anne Bancroft and Debra Paget, and the film goes babe-fest! What's not to like?

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. Alas, with us tag-teaming her, she never lasted to see the end of that film!

Not Quite as Good as "The Robe" or Historically Accurate, But a Worthy Watch

[WordWeaver777 · 5/10 · 20 July 2014]

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. There are a number of other well-known actors as well. Please refer to the cast listing.

While this movie has some Biblical themes and deals with faith, it is not strictly a Bible-based movie per se. In other words, it does not follow the lives of Jesus Christ, the Apostles or any of the Old Testament prophets or patriarchs. Rather, it concerns what happens to the former slave Demetrius after the events which are portrayed in "The Robe". It has more gladiator scenes than religious scenes.

Briefly, due to an altercation with Roman soldiers while trying to protect the Robe, Demetrius is taken prisoner, and is then forced to enter a Roman gladiator school. Initially, Demetrius refuses to fight, or to kill another man because of his Christian convictions. However, following a series of events in which it appears that his love interest Lucia -- played by Debra Paget who was also Joshua's love interest Lilia in "The Ten Commandments" -- has died, Demetrius does an about face, turns against God and his faith, because very worldly, and begins to kill his opponents. Furthermore, Demetrius gets a taste of power and popularity when Caligula makes him a tribune following his victory over multiple opponents in the arena.

The storyline includes a variety of plots and subplots, including Emperor Caligula's endeavors to acquire the Robe, Claudius' wife Messalina's romantic escapades with the backslidden Demetrius, and Claudius' patience in waiting to become the next emperor.

Ultimately, Demetrius repents of his backslidden state and returns to the Christian fold when it is revealed that Lucia is not really dead, and her health is restored. Caligula is assassinated by members of the Praetorian Guard while sitting in the arena; and Claudius is proclaimed the new emperor, with his wife Messalina by his side. 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.

Quite enjoyable.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 23 July 2013]

I am not a huge fan of the religious epics of the 1950s. For every good one, such as "Ben Hur", there seemed to be two turkeys--such as "David and Bathsheba" or "Samson and Delilah". Because of that, I have avoided watching "Demetrius and the Gladiators" for many years. However, after completing the task, I am surprised that I actually enjoyed the film very much.

When Twentieth Century-Fox filmed "The Robe", they already knew that it would be followed up by "Demetrius and the Gladiators". In fact, the movies were filmed like one huge film and then separated into two as the studio was THAT confident that "The Robe" would be a big hit--which it was. And, for that matter, so was its sequel. Fortunately, you can watch either without watching the other.

The film begins with a clip from the previous film--just before the two main characters (Richard Burton and Jean Simmons) were executed. Soon you learn that the Apostle Peter and his followers (including Demetrius--Victor Mature) are the keepers of the robe that Jesus wore to the cross. Oddly, however, the Emperor Caligula is very fascinated by the robe and insists he must have it. When Demetrius tries to hide it, he's sentenced by this loony emperor to become a gladiator--a sure death since Demetrius has vowed never to fight now that he's become a Christian. However, the lure sexy Messalina (Susan Hayward) and his own desire to live make it difficult, if not impossible, to fulfill this oath. What's next? See for yourself.

There's no doubt about it--this film is a spectacle. It has huge scenes, huge gladiatorial fights and lots of beautiful sets and costumes. While it's not a fantastic film, the action is there and the film is fascinating. Part of this is due to the supporting performances. William Marshall shows what a wonderfully unsung actor he was. Had he been born later, his wonderful voice and acting skills would have made him a top star--something not possible for a black actor during this age. Additionally, while Jay Robinson's version of Caligula is not in the least bit subtle, it IS very entertaining and fun to watch. 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. It's an odd example of a film whose sequel was better--much better.

Watchable Epic

[ragosaal · 6/10 · 28 December 2006]

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). Susan Hayward also overacts every now and then as the wicked Messalina but she was a fine actress and rounds up a better job. 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. It is hard to swallow Michael Rennie (Peter) as a rude uneducated fisherman not for his acting but for his important and polite looks. 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 6 (out of 10) for me.

Inferior Sequel To "The Robe"

[pacificgroove · 4/10 · 3 December 2007]

If made today, they'd call this The Robe II. Mostly a beefcake fest and spectacle rather than a first class religious drama--which is what "The Robe" was. This one has lots of gladiator fights in the arena and "a day in the life " at gladiator school stuff. The action is quite excitingly staged, but lessened by the handicap of early Cinemascope, where close ups and even medium closeups looked distorted and were very seldom used.

Susan Hayward is fun to watch as a sexually ravenous and manipulative noblewoman. Victor Mature confirms his acting chops (see "My Darling Clementine") by making a the struggling hero part believable, in a part that could have been cardboard rendered by many an action hero actor.

The video quality on this DVD is disappointingly mediocre; Fox obviously didn't spend any money on restoration, as they do with many of their titles from the 1950's. Colors are muddy, and the print, while perfectly watchable, is scratched. 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.

Cheesy, Yes, but Still Fun!

[cariart · 13 May 2003]

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! 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. As the emotionally-charged Alfred Newman theme is played, Jay Robinson as Caligula, hissing contempt, orders the execution of a stoic Diana and Marcellus (Jean Simmons and Richard Burton)...but wait! Up in the balcony are Susan Hayward and Barry Jones, as Messalina and Claudius, looking suitably imperious! As Diana directs a slave to give the robe of Jesus to "the big fisherman", only Messalina, at least 100 yards away, hears the instructions (she IS a crafty wench!), and the scene fades out, to be replaced by Franz Waxman's imperiously Roman theme music, and the title credits.

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. As Peter must make a trip to the north, he turns over the robe to the Greek, and tells the Christians to obey him. Unfortunately, Caligula, doing an 'about face' from the first film, decides he wants the robe, after all, and Messalina informs him where it is to be found. When Paget is pushed by a soldier, Demetrius jumps in, swinging, quickly getting himself arrested (so much for being a leader!), and, when he cannot prove he is a freed slave, he is assigned to Gladiator training, under gruff-but-likable Strabo (played by gruff-but-likable Ernest Borgnine!).

The school has all the usual stereotypes; Richard Egan (who would achieve '50s stardom being even MORE wooden than Mature!), is the sneering bully, William Marshall (with a Paul Robeson-like intensity), is the noble black ex-king turned gladiator who befriends Demetrius, etc. When Messalina visits, she immediately gets the hots for Demetrius, and decides she'll 'cure' his Christianity by making him fight his black friend to the death, for the Emperor's birthday. When, after winning (without, by the way, ANY gladiator training), the Greek refuses the Emperor's demand for 'No Mercy', and he then must fight three tigers (not being human, he CAN kill them!) Messalina, lust dripping from her pagan heart, orders the injured and unconscious Demetrius to be taken to her quarters, where she nurses him back to health.

Of course the noble Christian spurns her advances, but when his true love sneaks in to visit him during the next prefight orgy (a very G-rated affair!), Messalina, all jealous indignation, has Demetrius locked away, and the poor Christian girl is left to the mercy of Egan and his horny friends. The Greek prays for a miracle, the young girl swoons, and Anne Bancroft(!), another love slave, screams "She's DEAD!" Mature goes ballistic, blaming God for killing his love, and at last the film moves on into the Blood-and-Sex phase that everybody has been WAITING for! Demetrius kills Egan and his (actually innocent) buddies in the arena, rebukes Jesus and gives fealty to the Emperor, then shacks up for THREE MONTHS with Messalina, while her husband, Claudius, is ridiculed by Caligula! How the pious has fallen!

Finally Peter, escorted by Marshall, visits the sinning couple, and tells the sneering Demetrius to come to the pottery, if he wants to get Christ's robe for Caligula...and, SURPRISE!, Paget is NOT dead, only catatonic (actually, considering her performance, it's hard to tell the difference!) Naturally, the Greek prays for forgiveness, the girl recovers, and everything is as right as rain (other than the fact he's had a chance to savor Messalina's forbidden fruit for months!)

Caligula quickly RE-discovers the robe has no miraculous powers (his scene of commanding a murdered prisoner to rise, while wearing the robe, is a hoot!), and orders Strabo to kill Demetrius in the arena. Strabo is killed by a Praetorian Guard (only to REAPPEAR, alive, in the final scene...maybe the robe worked, after ALL!), then another Guardsman kills Caligula (acting schools around the country, REJOICE!), and Claudius is named Emperor. 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! While the moral message of "Have as MUCH fun as you can, THEN ask forgiveness" may have Christian ministers cringing, the film always maintains a '50s approach to sin and sex, always as implied rather than demonstrated, so it can be safely viewed by the entire family!

Cheesy? You bet! But ENJOYABLE cheese!

"Do you like movies about gladiators?"

[tomsview · 7/10 · 5 April 2016]

Talk about guilty pleasures. I saw this film for the first time when I was about 8-years old.

Back in those days you really only saw movies once - with mum and dad at the local cinema on Friday night. But my memory wrapped around this film almost as if I had a rewind button inside my head. 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. Instead he has his faith shaken, and ends up in the arena where he dispatches many opponents and a streak of tigers. Along the way his most dangerous enemy turns out to be Messalina (Susan Hayward), the wife of Caligula's uncle Claudius. 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. Despite tigers, dancing girls, oiled muscles, nets, tridents and short swords, the movie would have been pretty heavy going without Jay.

Victor Mature is on screen for just about the whole movie and for the most part is either angry or anguished. I've always thought he was pretty good for a guy who once told a club, which did not accept actors as members, that he wasn't an actor and he had the reviews to prove it.

One actor who was perfect in his role was Richard Egan. 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. I love the way Messalina does a complete turnaround right at the end to wrap the whole thing up in about two minutes flat.

Debra Paget is beautiful. Michael Rennie has gravitas and William Marshall is imposing - two great voices in the one movie.

Although technical aspects weren't things I noticed much back in the 50's, I can now appreciate how Franz Waxman's score gave the film spirituality and depth. Waxman was a composer who contributed intelligent scores to every film he did without repeating himself.

I must admit I still have a soft spot for this film; the arena scenes alone are worth the price of admission.

Less pious and more entertaining than "The Robe"

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 28 April 2023]

Picking up right where "The Robe" left off, "Demetrius And The Gladiators" is more of a Roman epic than a religious epic compared to its predecessor; whether that's good or bad is up to you. Demetrius' journey is rather predictable, but the production values are still solid, the fight scenes are well-choreographed (even if completely bloodless), the pace is good, there is some juicy dialogue ("tell me, how can you love a woman as your brother?"), Susan Hayward is a terrific, tempting Messalina (the film goes as far as censorship of the time would allow in suggesting that she gets turned on by the spectacle of gladiatorial battle), Jay Robinson is a convincingly mad Caligula, and William Marshall is commanding as a black gladiator (he has some scenes with Victor Mature which are reminiscent of, but predate, the Kirk Douglas - Woody Strode dynamic in "Spartacus"). **1/2 out of 4.

The Sequel To "The Robe"

[FloatingOpera7 · 7/10 · 29 December 2006]

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. Kemp, David Leonard, Dayton Lummis, Mickey Simpson, Ray Spiker, Paul Stader, Gisele Verlaine, Jim Wikler, Jeff York...Director Delmer Daves, Screenplay Phillip Dunne.

"Demetrius and the Gladiators", released in 1954, was the sequel to "The Robe" ('53) this time by a different director, Delmer Daves. The Robe, said to have been the first film in Cinemascope, was a triumph at the box office in '53 and was a superb religious drama, bu this film pales in comparison. The sense of spirituality and high drama is lost to a sensational epic about ancient Rome and its wicked characters who oppress the good Christians. Victor Mature is back as Demetrius, the Greek slave who converted his master Marcellus a Roman senator, to Christianity. The Emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson) put Marcellus and his love Diana to death. Demetrius escapes the clutches of Caligula, taking the Robe with him, to hide somewhere in the vast city of Rome. But Caligula desires ownership of the Robe to help him acquire divine powers. Yes, this is pure fiction and far removed from historical truth about ancient Rome during the early days of Christianity, but it was the sort of adventure and dramatic story that audiences in the 50's enjoyed watching. 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. There's no hint of smoldering temptress in her acting, though she is clearly costumed to attract male audiences. A young Anne Bancroft, not yet a big star, portrays Paula, another Roman noblewoman. Jay Robinson as Caligula hams it up and appears to act more like a comic book supervillain, complete with an annoying voice. The film is marked with a degree of sensationalism- mostly of the darker kind (attempted rape, torture, Gladiator fighting, religious persecution) but it's not overly violent and in fact tame by today's standards. This film was, however, lacking in the strong religious theme of hope and faith that The Robe had. The Robe, too, benefited from a great script and better acting. This film is lackluster and predictable and I really think there was no reason for making a sequel to an already successful film. So I can only give it a 7. 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.

Yet another proof that sequels are rarely as good as the original movie

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 15 June 2017]

NOTES: A sequel to "The Robe", this movie was nowhere near as successful at the box-office with a domestic rentals gross of just over $4 million compared to the previous picture's $17½ million. In Australia, the movie came in 18th at the ticket-windows, which is probably its position in the U.K. and North America as well. Certainly it took good money, but considerably less than its predecessor.

REVIEW: Competition is the key word here. The movie is competing with "The Robe". It fails of course. And the players are competing with each other as to who can give the most over-the-top performance. Robinson wins easily, though he has the advantage of all the best lines. Mature's hamminess in fact seems often embarrassing, but at least he's a trier. Michael Rennie is a dead loss. So is Barry Jones. And naturally, Richard Egan. I don't even remember Anne Bancroft. But good to see Ernest Borgnine in a villainous role.

The budget is not as full-blown as "The Robe", though good use is made of standing sets. Daves' direction appears stolidly routine. And photographically the film shows up early CinemaScope's defects (fuzziness, distortion, blurring) even more than "The Robe" Obviously, less care was taken as the movie was hurried into release.

One of my favorite guilty film pleasures.

[jack.hunter · 10/10 · 30 May 2001]

OK, so it is not historically correct and contains a dramatic personality change by Susan Hayward, I still love this movie. The film has some surprisingly witty dialogue, a rousing music soundtrack, high production values and very good performances all around. If you can accept the story for the fiction it is it can be surprisingly inspirational even if you are not Christian. My wife and I watch it at least once yearly.

Under appreciate Robe's sequel that has their defenders!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 3 November 2020]

Whether we like it or not, nobody can denies the lavish production provides by Twenty Century Fox, this sequel was fully well-done filled with a fine casting, upon an assured historical accuracy when the wild Caligula (Jay Robinson) rules over Rome, Claudio (Barry Jones) was weak as portrayed in the picture and the influential and lewd repute the youngest Messalina (Susan Hayward), she was powerful and scheming, unless by Caligula's death which didn't match with the real events, he was death by his praetorian guard, however in another place, not in the Arena as displayed, Victor Mature as Demetrius has some sameness with Samson's character, fearless and peevish.

Jay Robinson steals the show as the mad and unforeseeable imperor Caligula, with fits of rage and few instants of sweetness, the lousy and contrived fights against the tigers and five men at once on Arena, surely scratches and gave a ill repute to the movie, nonetheless has others elements that lift the movie, as those wide palatial sets wealthily emblazoned, also sustained by a secondary casting as the emphatic King-Slave by William Marshal, the booming Peter by Michael Rennie, the angelic figure of Lucia by Debra Paget, maybe the wasting appearance was the character of the Paula (Anne Bancroft) aimless on the plot with mere few minutes or so, overall a good movie for a sequel of the peerless the Robe!!

Resume:

First watch: 1984 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.

Hollywood Hokum

[brogmiller · 4/10 · 18 May 2020]

This film of Delmer Daves is not without interesting features despite being on the whole a load of tosh. Franz Waxman's score is super. There is Barry Jones as Claudius, an early appearance by Anne Bancroft and a masterclass in the art of coarse acting by Jay Robinson as Caligula. Apparently this actor developed a 'drug problem'. One is hardly surprised! Best of all we have a small but telling performance as a gladiator by William Marshall whose voice and bearing would mark him out as an impressive Othello but who deserved much better than the roles he was destined to play in the worthless Blaxploitation films of the 1970's. The self-righteous and sanctimonious Christians put one in mind of Mark Twain's observation: 'You go to Heaven for the climate, to Hell for the company'. Were I to find myself consigned to the nether regions I would ask the powers that be for a meeting with Messalina although I have no doubt there would be a long waiting list!

Worthy Sequel to "The Robe" (1954) ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 5 March 2006]

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. Susan Hayward, as beautiful as ever, is the evil Massalina married to an emperor in this film. 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. He is the very embodiment of evil and gives a tour-de-force performance in the tradition of Peter Ustinov's Nero in 1951's Quo Vadis? You feel and almost understand Caligula's insanity which will stop at nothing to achieve his quest of obtaining the religious robe. "Take hostages," he screams to his commanders. He even kills with the robe in his hands in order to see if it works.

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. Hayward shows her usual gutsiness far more than a subdued Lady Diana (Jean Simmons) in the original. Mature is quite appealing, especially in his denunciation scenes of his faith. His ultimate redemption is truly remarkable as well.

BIBLICAL EPIC + CAMP...YES PLEASE...!

[masonfisk · 7/10 · 2 April 2022]

A biblical epic (& sequel to 1953's The Robe) from 1954 directed by Delmer Daves (3:10 to Yuma/Jubal). Victor Mature (already having mined biblical territory when he played Samson in Samson & Delilah in 1949) plays the free man in Rome who was lucky enough to get the robe which Jesus wore when he was crucified. News of the robe reaches Caligula's ears, played w/gleeful scene gummery by Jay Robinson, who believes the garment has God like properties commands his minions to recover the prized cloth but Mature, who is the robe's protector, steps forth when the centurions come a-calling but when one of them gets rough w/a fellow neighbor, played by Debra Paget (from The 10 Commandments), Mature defends her honor & lands himself in the coliseum fighting for his life (even though the strictures of his Christian beliefs preclude him from taking another life). Gaining favor w/the emperor after a fight w/another warrior, played by Blacula's William Marshall, draws a tie, he soon gains employment as a bodyguard to one of Robinson's circle, played by Susan Hayward but during a visit w/Paget, who is attacked & believed dead by another of his fellow warriors, Mature forsakes God & soon acquiesces to the hedonist lifestyle afforded him even as Robinson's reign soon becomes unbearable. Will Mature rekindle his faith anew or fall prey to the godless environment he's surrounded by? Not as deep as other epics of the period like Ben Hur or Spartacus, this saga still delivers the goods (Mature takes on a trio of tigers) w/Hayward vamping any chance she can get & the aforementioned Robinson, sounding like Paul Lynde on helium, doesn't disappoint as he struts firmly in camp. Also starring Ernest Borgnine as the gladiator trainer (he'd work w/Daves in Jubal in 1956), Anne Bancroft plays a woman who plies her trade w/the gladiators & Michael Rennie plays Simon Peter, Mature's spiritual guide on Earth.

Worthless

[imyjr · 2/10 · 11 October 2001]

I thought it might be fun, with Jay Robinson over the top and Susan Hayward chewing scenery...... it really wasn't. The only sparkle came in seeing Ernest Borgnine, Anne Bancroft and Richard Egan in small character roles. Cheesy and boring. Skip it.