Main Cast: Cuba Gooding, Jr., James Marshall, Robert Loggia, Ossie Davis, Brian Dennehy, Cara Buono
Release Year: 1992
Country: US
Run Time: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Gladiator is the kind of boxing movie that goes that extra mile -- a self-loathing boxing saga that relishes in bare-knuckled sucker punches, illegal eye-rubs, and gentlemen boxers who obey the Marquis of Queensbury rules by drop-kicking opponents when the are not only down but unconscious. James Marshall plays Tommy Riley, a Windy City high school student conned into participating in the illegal underground boxing arenas of the South Side of Chicago. In high school, Tommy was a prize boxer, and this skill comes in handy when his Father (John Heard) runs up a large gambling debt. When a sleazy boxing manager (Robert Loggia) spots Tommy defending himself during recess, he offers him quick money to box. Tommy, although he hates the sport, readily agrees, thinking his winnings will help his father pay off his debts. He quickly comes under the thumb of unscrupulous boxing promoter Horn (Brian Dennehy), who is involved in fight-fixing and dirty fighting. Manipulating the odds and exploiting his boxers make Horn rich and more venal. In the rancid environment, Tommy befriends another fighter, Lincoln (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a black fighter who sees fighting as his way out of poverty. Inevitably, Horn arranges for the two friends to duke it out in the ring together. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
John Heard - John Riley; Lance Slaughter - Shortcut; T.E. Russell - Spits; Francesca Roberts - Miss Higgins; Debra Sandlund - Charlene; Derek Anunciation - Teen in Classroom; Tab Baker - Storm Trooper; Johnny Bellino - Dawn's Father; Mike A. Burgos - Odds Board Man; Julian S. Campo - Bodyguard; Kevin M. Casey - Collector; Kenneth Scott Coopwood - Bookie; Blake Dollard - Heavyweight Fighter; James "Ike" Eichling - Cop on Take; Anthony Fitzpatrick - Collector; Mary Flynn - Teen in Diner; Tony Gios - Bookie; Michael Glienna - Black Death Corner Man; Jean-Paul Griffin - Black Death; Emily Marie Hooper - Belinda; Franklin Jones - Ring Manager; Jill Kiblinger - Teen in Diner; Harve Kolzow - Timekeeper; Anthony "Primo" LaCassa - Romano's Cornerman; Richard Lexsee - Father in Park; Johnny Lira - Bookie; Theorn "Touche" Lykes - Bodyguard; Marctwaine Nettles-Bey - Teen in Classroom; Mike Nussbaum - Doctor; Brian O'Shea - 4th Referee; Patrick Outlaw - Lincoln's Opponent; Hector Pena - Tommy's Opponent; David Spence Perkins - Fight Fan; Dwain A. Perry - Storm Trooper; Mark Phillip Raff - Teen in Diner; Antoine Roshell - Scarface; Raul Salinas - Teen in Classroom; Joan Schwenk - Secretary; Mik Scriba - 1st Referee; Jon Seda - Romano; Chilton Shellito - Bettor; Thomas Charles Simmons - Leo; Desi Singh - Bookie; Debra Stipe; Virgil Strauss - 2nd Referee; Vonte Sweet - Tidbits; Laura Whyte - Millie; John Louis Williams - School Guard; John Wilson - 3rd Referee; Jena Wynn - Laura Lee; Tak Fujimoto; Amanda Mackey-Johnson; David Burton - Bettor; John M. Watson, Sr. - Hospital Patient
Credit
Donfeld - Costume Designer, Rowdy Herrington - Director, Harry B. Miller III - Editor, Peter Zinner - Editor, Brad Fiedel - Composer (Music Score), Jerry Goldsmith - Composer (Music Score), Glenn Williams - Musical Direction/Supervision, Gregg Fonseca - Production Designer, Bruce A. Miller - Production Designer, Kenneth Utt - Production Designer, Tak Fujimoto - Cinematographer, Frank Price - Producer, Stephen J. Roth - Producer, Jay R. Hart - Set Designer, Jim Nickerson - Stunts, Robert Mark Kamen - Screenwriter, Nicholas Kazan - Screenwriter, Lyle Kessler - Screenwriter, Djordje Milicevic - Screenwriter
Gladiator is a 1992sport film, directed by Rowdy Herrington, and starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., James Marshall, Brian Dennehy, and Robert Loggia. The film tells the story of two teenagers trapped in the world of illegal underground boxing. One is fighting to save his father's life and using the money to pay off gambling debts accumulated by his father. The second is fighting for the money to get out of the ghetto. While being exploited by a boxing promoter, the two teens become friends. An explosive ending puts the two friends in the ring against each other in a fight for survival.
Plot
Tommy Riley (James Marshall) and his father have just moved in an attempt to start a new life. Tommy's father has accumulated many gambling debts, but has found a new job that requires him to travel extensively, leaving his son alone at home. Tommy also has a hard time fitting in at school, having crossed some gang members. He takes a job at a local diner and enters into a romantic relationship with Dawn (Cara Buono), the daughter of the owner, but is jumped by the gang members outside the restaurant. Seeing how well Tommy is able to fight, a local boxing promoter by the name of Pappy Jack (Robert Loggia) offers Tommy a chance to fight in an illegal underground boxing operation. When two men arrive announcing that Tommy's father owes a large sum of money to pay off gambling debts, Tommy decides to pay off his father's debts by boxing.
Tommy enjoys a great deal of success and develops a friendship with Romano (Jon Seda) and Abraham Haines (Cuba Gooding Jr.), two fellow fighters. He also is embraced by the organizer of the boxing league, a wealthy man who is a former boxer himself named Jimmy Horn (Brian Dennehy). Romano is brutally beaten in the ring and is declared brain dead by the doctors, while Abraham shows signs of brain damage and is told to quit fighting or else he could suffer a serious injury.
Tommy realizes that Horn cares nothing about the health of the young men and forces Tommy and Abraham to fight each other. Tommy refuses at first, but eventually does fight, isolating all of his punches to Abraham's body and not his head. The two eventually agree to end their bout, which prompts Horn himself to fight Tommy in a bare-knuckle match with Tommy the ultimate victor.
