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.
"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.