Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
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49% of users liked it
(4,941 ratings)
Demetrius and the Gladiators was the sequel to The Robe, and though they were released several months apart, the films were shot at the same time. Based on characters originally conceived by Lloyd C. Douglas, the film stars Victor Mature as the title character, an ex-slave who embraced Christianity… More Demetrius and the Gladiators was the sequel to The Robe, and though they were released several months apart, the films were shot at the same time. Based on characters originally conceived by Lloyd C. Douglas, the film stars Victor Mature as the title character, an ex-slave who embraced Christianity after being present at the Crucifixion. Thrown in jail for defending an elderly merchant from a sadistic Roman legionnaire, Demetrius is forced to attend gladiator school and fight in the arena for the amusement of the mad, debauched emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson, likewise repeating his performance in The Robe). The well-proportioned Demetrius attracts the attention of Messalina (Susan Hayward), the nymphomaniac wife of Caligula's would-be successor Claudius (Barry Jones). Briefly losing faith in Christ, Demetrius is saved from himself by the apostle Peter (Michael Rennie). Because of contractual complications, Demetrius and the Gladiators was released to television seven years before The Robe. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Delmer Daves
- Written By
- Philip Dunne
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jun 18, 1954 Wide
- On DVD
- Feb 27, 2001
- Studio
- Fox
Critic Reviews
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Scott Weinberg, Apollo Guide
Old-time gladiator epic, and all the sweatiness that implies.
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Cast
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Victor Mature
as Demetrius
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Susan Hayward
as Messalina
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Michael Rennie
as Peter
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Debra Paget
as Lucia
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Anne Bancroft
as Paula
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Jay Robinson
as Caligula
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Barry Jones
as Claudius
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Richard Egan
as Dardanius
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Ernest Borgnine
as Strabo
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Charles Evans
as Cassius Chaerea
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Everett Glass
as Kaeso
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Jeff York
as Albus
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Carmen De Lavallade
as Slave girl
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John Cliff
as Varus
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Barbara James
as Specialty Dancer
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Selmar Jackson
as Senator
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Fred Graham
as Decurion
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Dayton Lummis
as Magistrate
- Harry Cording
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Karl (Killer) Davis
as Macro
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George Eldredge
as Chamberlain
- Jack Finlay
- William Forrest
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Paul Kruger
as Courtier
- Peter Mamakos
- Shepard Menken
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Paul Newlan
as Potter
- Gil Perkins
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Jean Simmons
as In Clip from "The Robe"
- Ray Spiker
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Woody Strode
as Gladiator
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Richard Burton
as In Clip from "The Robe"
- Paul Stader
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William Marshall
as Glydon
- Dick Sands
- George Bruggeman
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Allen Kramer
as Clerk
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Paul Richards
as Prisoner
