JohnHowardReid NOTES: A sequel to "The Robe", this movie was nowhere near as successful at the box-office with a domestic rentals gross of just over $4 million compared to the previous picture's $17½ million. In Australia, the movie came in 18th at the ticket-windows, which is probably its position in the U.K. and North America as well. Certainly it took good money, but considerably less than its predecessor.REVIEW: Competition is the key word here. The movie is competing with "The Robe". It fails of course. And the players are competing with each other as to who can give the most over-the-top performance. Robinson wins easily, though he has the advantage of all the best lines. Mature's hamminess in fact seems often embarrassing, but at least he's a trier. Michael Rennie is a dead loss. So is Barry Jones. And naturally, Richard Egan. I don't even remember Anne Bancroft. But good to see Ernest Borgnine in a villainous role.The budget is not as full-blown as "The Robe", though good use is made of standing sets. Daves' direction appears stolidly routine. And photographically the film shows up early CinemaScope's defects (fuzziness, distortion, blurring) even more than "The Robe" Obviously, less care was taken as the movie was hurried into release.

Desertman84 Demetrius and the Gladiators is a fictional 1954 a sequel to The Robe. and it was based on characters created by Lloyd C. Douglas's novel.It features Victor Mature as Demetrius, a Christian slave made to fight in the Roman arena as a gladiator, together with Susan Hayward,Ernest Borgnine, William Marshall, Michael Rennie, Jay Robinson, Debra Paget, and a young Anne Bancroft in one of her early roles during her film career.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.This allows Demetrius to attract the attention of Messalina, the nymphomaniac wife of the soon-to-be emperor Claudius. For a short while,Demetrius lost his faith in God but he was allowed to get re-acquainted with his Christian faith through the Apostle Peter.This happens to be more of a gladiator epic rather than a religious one like its predecessor film,The Robe.People would probably watch it more for the action scenes.Too bad that it won't allow viewers to have some serious thoughts about their religion particularly their relationship to both God and Jesus.Despite being advertised as The Robe's sequel,it is definitely a different film compared to it.

Daisy Brambletoes 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. The only accuracy in the story of Caligula is that he was assassinated by one of his own guards. He is also played so outrageously hammy that it is hard to take him seriously. Caligula also wasn't the slightest bit concerned with Christians or Jews, and in real life largely ignored them. His 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 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, who comes across here as just a cheating wife. But then - hey, I'm a history buff. The point is that despite these little problems, it is still a good movie, and Victor Mature is perfect as the toughened gladiator. It's a classic and still a favorite

Spikeopath 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 arena as a gladiator ( and ultimately entering into a bigger fight, that of faith), and Susan Hayward as Messalina. Filling out the support cast are Ernest Borgnine, William Marshall, Michael Rennie, and Jay Robinson as the maniacal emperor Caligula. The screenplay is from Philip Dunne (How Green Was My Valley/ The Agony and the Ecstasy} and cinematography comes courtesy of Milton R. Krasner (Academy Award winner Best Color Cinematography for Three Coins in the Fountain 1955).Following straight on from The Robe, Demetrius and the Gladiators is a safe and enjoyable Biblical picture that doesn't outstay its welcome. Running at just over 100 minutes, the film is far from being epic in its telling. However, and without cramming in, it does contain all the necessary ingredients to make up a sweaty sword and sandals pie. Filmed in CinemaScope, persecuted hero, bonkers villain, sexy babe, huge sets, colourful costumes, and fights, lots of fights. Thankfully the serious dialogue is mostly kept brief, there a few things worse in this genre of film than bloated discourse on religious beliefs and political dalliances. Get in there, let us know what is going on, and move on to the next chapter of the story. This is something that Daves' film does real well, it has an eagerness to entertain with dots of gusto and sexual swagger. The acting is mixed, Mature is solid without ever really convincing as the heroic figure of Demetrius, Hayward and Robinson are camping it up and thus entertain royally, while Borgnine and Rennie earn there pay.Very much like another Phillip Dunne screenplay genre piece, David And Bathsheba, this one is often overlooked or forgotten in discussion about the sword & sandals genre. That both film's are not in the same league as the likes of Ben-Hur and Spartacus is a given, but both have much to offer the discerning cinephile. Recommended Sunday afternoon fare with a flagon of claret and a roast ox dinner. 7/10