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Demetrius and the Gladiators |  | Director: Delmer Daves
Actors: Victor Mature, Susan Hayward, Michael Rennie, Debra Paget, Anne Bancroft
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $4.92
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Rating:  50 reviews
Sales Rank: 7135
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D2001177D
UPC: 002454301177
EAN: 0002454301177
ASIN: B000056AXZ
Theatrical Release Date: June 18, 1954
Release Date: February 27, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A devoted early Christian in possession of Christ's robe has his faith tested by the seductive Messalina & the trials of the Roman arena.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: NR
Release Date: 22-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com
Amid a cast of all-stars in 1953's The Robe, Victor Mature made the strongest impression as the Greek slave, Demetrius. It was only natural, then, that Mature should star in this 1954 sequel, in which the newly liberated Demetrius forges an alliance with his Christian brethren to hide the sacred robe of Christ, coveted for its "magic" by the vile emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson, also reprising his role in The Robe). Captured and manipulated into believing his beloved Lucia (Debra Paget) has been killed, Demetrius rejects his pacifist faith, plots vengeance while becoming a rising star in the bloody arena, and falls prey to the scheming senator's wife Messalina (Susan Hayward), who craves his... affection. It all leads to a crisis of faith that will determine Demetrius's fate as a noble Christian or downfallen hedonist. Inheriting The Robe's CinemaScope production values, Demetrius and the Gladiators has everything you'd want in a Biblical epic, riding the wave that would crest two years later with Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments. It's campy, of course--Robinson is outrageously over-the-top; Mature is too contemporary (preceding the absurdity of Richard Gere's King David by 30 years); and Hayward seems closer to Rodeo Drive than ancient Rome. Still, there are abundant pleasures here, from the lavish arena battles (a bit cheesy, but still impressive) to a straightforward morality tale that doesn't compromise its themes of religious loyalty. You don't watch movies like this for historical accuracy, but for the combination of thrills, passion, and glory that were Hollywood trademarks of 1950s epics, long before the more secular ambition of Gladiator. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 50
History is Bunk January 15, 2010
Daisy Brambletoes (the Shire)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Call it "The Robe II". It's a pretty good story, actually, this sequel to "The Robe". As
entertainment, it has plenty to offer. As history, however, it falls flat on its face.
Caligula is played by the most outrageous ham I have ever seen. The only real accuracy of his story of Caligula is that he was assassinated by one of his own guards. Caligula also wasn't the slightest bit concerned with Christians or Jews, and in real life largely ignored them. There is no mention, of course, of the almost terminal brain fever he had that made him go mad and think himself to be a god.
Caligula's successor, Claudius, played here as a fine old Roman gentleman who wished the Christians well at the end, in fact found them and the Jews both to be a bother, and showed them the doors of Rome at every opportunity. (Please note: with the exception of one politically motivated action of Nero, real persecution of Christians did not occur until much later, under the Emperor Diocletian) And let's not forget the Empress Messalina, probably the most notorious loose woman in Roman history, resolving at the end to be a good wife from now on. Sorr-eeeee.
These things really annoy me, but then - hey, I'm a history buff. Despite these little problems, it is still a good movie, and Victor Mature is perfect as the toughened gladiator. In fact, the gladiator school sequences were very well done, and Ernest Borgnine was wonderful as hardened old Stabo, the trainer. It's a classic and still a favorite.
The sequel to another movie called... December 30, 2009
T. Coleman
'The Robe'; another great show. I enjoy the movie immensely and heartily recommend it to all lovers of Hollywood when it didn't suck -in the past few years now- big failings now.
 Demetrius and the Gladiators December 15, 2009
Brinley C. Jones
I liked it back in 1954 when I first saw it but the sound quality is rather poor. I have to turn my volume way up to hear the sound.
 Demetrius and the Gladiators November 15, 2009
Bartley Rejrat (Baltimore, MD USA)
This is a very good Bible type story but it seems that is a continued part of the movie The Robe. It seems to appear when they made the Robe they continued on to its sequal Demetrius and the Gladiators, most of the same actors and cast.
My favorite "religious theme" type movie March 28, 2009
Michael P. Lentz (Columbus, Ohio)
I just bought the new issue of The Robe & so I went back & watched this sequel to it. What a great movie this is. Of course it's "Hollywood" & much historical liberties are taken. But one also learns & enjoys so much. I love the flashback start & the heroic-style music-the music is great in this movie & really inspires me. This is one of Victor Mature's best roles & Jay Robinson as Caligula makes me wish he had done a whole movie based on his character. Watch for the musical song sung by Miriam's character & Dean Jagger's role-both very well done. I just really like this movie & everything about it.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 50
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