Demetrius and the Gladiators is a 1954 sword and sandal drama film and a sequel to The Robe. It was made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Delmer Daves and produced by Frank Ross. The screenplay was by Philip Dunne based on characters created by Lloyd C. Douglas in The Robe .
It starred Victor Mature as Demetrius, a Christian slave made to fight in the Roman arena as a gladiator, and Susan Hayward as Messalina. The cast also included Ernest Borgnine, William Marshall, Michael Rennie, the brilliantly campy Jay Robinson as depraved emperor Caligula, Debra Paget, a young Anne Bancroft in one of her earlier roles and Julie Newmar as a briefly seen dancing entertainer. The film is in color and in Cinemascope, with an English language stereo sound track, and runs for 101 minutes.
Plot summary
The movie begins with a clip from the previous film, showing its central characters Marcellus and Diana going to be martyred for their Christian beliefs on the order of the Emperor Caligula. Before being executed, Diana hands the robe to Marcellus' servant Marcipor, telling him that it is "for the Big Fisherman," meaning Saint Peter, who was a fisherman before being called as an apostle.
The scene after this shows Peter entrusting the robe to Demetrius while at the funeral of Marcellus and Diana before leaving on an extended journey to evangelise in 'the north'. Caligula meanwhile becomes interested in the same robe, believing that it has magical powers and would bring him eternal life. He accosts his uncle (and eventual successor) Claudius, demanding to know what had happened to it.
Demetrius, defending his sweetheart Lucia and the robe and refusing to reveal its location, is arrested for assaulting a Roman soldier, and sentenced to the arena. Dardanius (Egan) knowing that Demetrius is a Christian, slaps him and then tells him to "turn the other cheek." Glycon (Marshall) stands up for Demetrius. Demetrius ends up getting matched against his friend. At first they try to make the fight look good so they both can live. But when no one is fooled by this, they must try to kill each other. Demetrius defeats Glycon and has him lying helpless. The crowd cheers for Demetrius to let him live. Caligula, who is in attendance, gives the thumbs down for Demetrius to finish him off. Demetrius pleads for Glycon's life. Caligula lets Glycon go, but forces Demetrius to fight three tigers - despite being seriously injured, he is able to defeat the animals. Despite being offered his freedom by Claudius in return for divulging the whereabouts of the robe, and enticed into an affair by Claudius' wife Messalina, Demetrius refuses them both and is returned to the gladiatorial school.
Meanwhile, Lucia disguises herself to gain entrance to the gladiator school to see Demetrius. The two are forcibly separated on Messalina's orders, however, and Lucia is then assaulted by Dardanius and the other gladiators. Demetrius in desperation prays for God to save her, and suddenly it appears that Dardanius has broken Lucia's neck. In anger Demetrius goes into the arena the next day (on a day he is not due to fight), and kills Dardanius and every other gladiator sent against him, that took part in Lucia's attack - fighting several men at once. As a result, the prefect of the praetorian guard asks that Demetrius be freed, and allowed to join the praetorian guard. Caligula asks if Demetrius renounces Christ; once Demetrius does this Caligula frees him and inducts him into the guard with the rank of Tribune.
As a Tribune, Demetrius rejects the teachings of Christ (and of Isis when encountering Messalina praying to her statue), beginning an affair with Messalina. When Peter comes to visit them, he turns him away too. The affair continues for several months, and eventually Caligula finds out about it.
Sent by the Emperor to find the robe, Demetrius finds that Lucia is still alive. Clutching the robe, she is in a catatonic state and refuses to let the robe go. Demetrius prays for forgiveness, Lucia comes out of her catatonic state, and Demetrius comes back to his Christian faith.
Demetrius takes the robe to the Emperor, who takes the robe down below to a prisoner. He has the prisoner killed, and tries to resurrect him. Furious that he cannot, Caligula accuses Demetrius of having brought him a fake, and that both the robe and Christ are frauds. Demetrius is taken back to the arena. When the Emperor tries to have Demetrius executed, the praetorian guard (already angry at Caligula over worse pay and conditions) finally turns against Caligula and kills first Macro, then Caligula. Claudius is installed as Emperor by the praetorian guard almost immediately after Caligula is killed.
Soon after his installation, Claudius says that he is neither a god, nor would he likely become one anytime soon. Claudius says that he maintained the appearance of being weak to survive Caligula's rule, and that he would now take on the role of Emperor to the best of his ability. He gives Demetrius his final orders as a Tribune, to go to Peter and the other Christians, and tell them that as long as they do not act against the Empire that they have nothing to fear from Claudius. Messalina re-vows her constancy to her husband. Demetrius and Glycon take the robe to Peter, and they leave the Imperial palace together.
Notes
A story has been told by Ernest Borgnine and Victor Mature that during a break in the filming of the movie, the two actors, forgeting they were still in full "Roman Gladiator" costume, drove off the set in their car to a small sandwich and soft drink restaurant and placed an order. The waitress sort of went in to shock. Whereupon Victor Mature said "What's the matter, don't you serve members of the armed forces?"
Historicity
- It is unknown whether Peter was in Rome during Caligula's reign.
- Caligula was assassinated, but in a different way - see Caligula's Assassination.
- Claudius was married to Messalina only in 38 AD, late in Caligula's reign. Messalina did commit adultery against Claudius, during his reign, and she was executed for her actions.
- Claudius is depicted here without the stutter, limp, and other disabilities mentioned in the classical sources.
- Macro was praetorian prefect under Caligula, but he was not raised from the gladiatorial school as is mentioned here.
- In the background of the arena scenes is depicted the statue of Michelangelo's David which is an anachronism; it was carved in the 16th century.
Cast
See also
External links
