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The story picks up at the point where "The Robe" ends, following the martyrdom of Diana and Marcellus. Christ's robe is conveyed to Peter for safe-keeping, but the emperor Caligula wants it back to benefit from its powers. Marcellus' former slave Demetrius seeks to prevent this, and catches the eye of Messalina, wife to Caligula's uncle Claudius. Messalina tempts Demetrius, he winds up fighting in the arena, and wavers in his faith.
In ancient Rome, Demetrius, a Thracian gladiator who once served the cruel Emperor Caligula, finds himself freed from slavery after Caligula's assassination. He falls in love with Messalina, a powerful and manipulative noblewoman, and becomes entangled in the brutal world of gladiatorial combat and political intrigue. Demetrius must navigate treacherous alliances and fight for his survival, while wrestling with his faith and his desires.
Demetrius and the Gladiators was a commercial success, building on the popularity of its predecessor, 'The Robe'. While not critically acclaimed for its narrative depth, it was praised for its spectacle, action sequences, and performances, particularly Victor Mature's portrayal of the conflicted gladiator. It's generally regarded as a solid example of the biblical epics of its era.
Praised for its engaging spectacle and action-packed gladiatorial combat.
Victor Mature's performance as the conflicted hero was a notable highlight.
Seen as a worthy successor to 'The Robe' within the popular biblical epic genre.
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The film was a sequel to 'The Robe' (1953), which was the first film released in CinemaScope. 'Demetrius and the Gladiators' was one of the first historical epics filmed entirely in CinemaScope and Eastmancolor.
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Richard Burton and Jean Simmons made sure they couldn't be involved in this sequel to "The Robe" (1953) but director Delmer Dawes did manage to bring in Susan Hayward and retain the maniacal services of arch-ham Jay Robinson to keep this sw...
was about to rate it 3 for the tiger fight, but the end was too corny to handle
This is a place where men are trained to kill each other like animals! 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...
This was a solid and very satisfying sequel to 'The Robe' for me. I have both a soft spot for swords-and-sandals epics of days gone by, and a preferential fondness for films from cinema's studio glory days of the 20's to 60's--not to mentio...
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