The Glove (1979)

Director:

Ross Hagen

Writers:

Julian Roffman (writer)
Hubert Smith (writer)

Release Date:

December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Wanted: Dead NOT Alive

Plot:

A bounty hunter is offered $20,000 - off the record - for the capture of a very large man who dons body armor and steel-plated gauntlets for his regular beatings of some unfortunate individuals.

Plot Keywords:

Bounty Hunter | Glove | Revenge | Homosexual | City

Cast

John Saxon	...	Sam Kellog
Roosevelt Grier	...	Victor Hale (as Rosey Grier)
Joanna Cassidy	...	Sheila Michaels
Joan Blondell	...	Mrs. Fitzgerald
Jack Carter	...	Walter Stratton
Aldo Ray	...	Prison Guard
Keenan Wynn	...	Bill Schwartz
Howard Honig	...	Lt. Krugar
Michael Pataki	...	Harry Iverson
Hoke Howell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Misty Bruce	...	Lisa
Nicholas Worth	...	Gay blank check dropper

Also Known As:

Blood Mad
The Glove: Lethal Terminator

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Tommy J. Productions

An entertaining and likable 1970's era B movie.

Fairly amusing drive-in fare with the always welcome John Saxon as a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter who's having a hard time making his alimony payments. He gets wind of a major payday upon learning that Victor Hale (played engagingly by Rosey Grier), an ex-con, is getting revenge on his prison guards using a lead and steel laced glove; nabbing Victor will be worth $20,000, so Sam (Saxon) picks up his trail.

This film is amiable enough, with some decidedly humorous elements. One of them would be Sam's narration, which provides plenty of chuckles. For another, Sam's tussles with his quarries are often played for laughs; you will have to see the fight in the slaughterhouse to believe it. There are some effective scenes of violence, although the film plays out more like a character study than a more traditional action flick. It does indeed tend to be episodic, with various guest stars (Keenan Wynn as Sam's boss, Jack Carter as an arrogant rich jerk) popping up here and there. It's all rather laid back, more so than one might think, with not too many moments that one might consider intense.

Saxon is great as the world-weary lead; the role fits him, shall I say, like a glove. Grier is quite an interesting presence as the character who's more of an antagonist than a true villain. (Grier even gets to play a guitar on more than one occasion.) The supporting cast is likewise impressive: Joanna Cassidy as the secretary whom Sam romances, Michael Pataki as Sam's sleazy competitor, Howard Honig as Sam's police contact Lt. Kruger, Aldo Ray as an ill-fated prison guard, Hoke Howell as a gambler, and Nicholas Worth as one of Sam's targets.

"The Glove" does just fine as a low-key, character-driven drive-in picture. It's hard to resist, delivering generous doses of amusement for a solid 92 minutes.

7/10