The Arena (1974)

In ancient Rome audiences have grown tired of viewing gladiators fight to the death. Something new is needed--women. (Josiah Howard, "Blaxploitation cinema: The Essential Reference Guide.")

Director:

Steve Carver

Writers:

John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington

Stars:

Margaret Markov, Pam Grier, Lucretia Love

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Margaret Markov	...	Bodicia
Pam Grier	...	Mamawi
Lucretia Love	...	Deidre
Paul Muller	...	Lucilius
Daniele Vargas	...	Timarchus
Marie Louise Sinclair	...	Livia (as Marie Louise)
Maria Pia Conte	...	Lucinia (as Mary Count)
Rosalba Neri	...	Cornelia (as Sara Bay)
Vassili Karis	...	Marcus (as Vic Karis)
Silvio Laurenzi	...	Priscium (as Sid Lawrence)
Mimmo Palmara	...	Rufinius (as Dick Palmer)
Antonio Casale	...	Lucan (as Anthony Vernon)
Franco Garofalo	...	Aemilius (as Christopher Oakes)
Pietro Ceccarelli	...	Septimus (as Peter Cester)
Jho Jhenkins	...	Quintus

Storyline

Two thousand years ago, the people of Rome are so blasée, so used to violence, that entertaining them becomes a political problem. Someone suggests, after a hectic girl fight in a kitchen between a Nubian and a Viking slave, as a joke, that they should fight in the arena, instead of male gladiators. The idea is approved, though - and a female "Spartacus" theme follows.

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Plot Keywords:

female full frontal nudity | nude black woman | arena | female gladiator | rape | 

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Taglines:

Black slave, white slave.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Naked Warriors

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

New World Pictures, Rover Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Federico Fellini visited the set during the filming of the movie.

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Quotes

Mamawi: The Romans have taught you to live like an animal!

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Alternate Versions

The original version was re-edited, with cuts cuts of about 9 minutes, for re-release on video in the USA and Canada, re-titled Naked Warriors. One of the cut scenes was the men's gladiator fights that prompts the grief among the novice women gladiators.

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Connections

Featured in Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011)

User Reviews

Wow.. it's Pam Grier!

Nothing like seeing washed-up blaxploitation actresses further their careers with such shimmering nuggets of bile as this. She has since gone on to bigger and better things, but this film is noticeably absent from her resume.. Hmmm... I wonder why? This is just another mindless t&a flick with some dumb cat fights and forgettable characters. Except for maybe Priscium, a drag queen Roman praetor portrayed masterfully by Sid Lawrence. And some big goofy bald guy who was sort of reminded me of Tor Johnson, one of Ed Wood's old spooks. If you absolutely must know what this garbage is about.. I'll enlighten you. Roman soldiers recruit "beautiful" (read: laundromat recruits) women to be love slaves for the hedonist government officials. When two of the girls, Pam Grier and some blonde chick, start a particularly brutal food fight, those ever-crafty Romans devise a new plan to keep the proles entertained: we'll make these girls fight! So, they make 'em be gladiators. I would've thought that Pam Grier would've used this film to showcase her awesome whupa$$ skills, but.. she didn't. She was suprisingly subdued, actually. Especially for being a Nubian warrior woman. Anyway, after several boring battles, unsaved even by copious amounts of jiggling flesh, the girl gladiators start a revolt and overthrow the government, allowing Pam Grier and blonde chick to escape.

If you're looking for bad movies, this is merely average. There are so many better ones out there, but it is nice to see Pam Grier again. I bet she looks back on this one as a crowning achievement.