Demetrius and the Gladiators

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Demetrius and the Gladiators

1954

1h 41m

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

77%

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13 Reviews

65%

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5,000+ Ratings

In this sequel to The Robe, the corrupt emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson) believes that the sacred robe of Christ has magical powers, and will stop at nothing to obtain it. When Demetrius (Victor Mature) refuses to help Caligula find the holy object, Caligula has him arrested and forces him to fight in the arena in battles to the death. As Demetrius faces trial after trial, his faith in Christ is pushed to its limits, as he sees no point in the endless suffering he is forced to endure.

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Wanda Hale

New York Daily News

Jul 14, 2026

3.5/4

Not carrying much weight as a historical document, the story is imaginative in fiction.

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Mildred Martin

Philadelphia Inquirer

Jul 14, 2026

Demetrius and the Gladiators, sequel to The Robe, proves beyond doubt that in the right hands and under propitious circumstances lightning can strike twice.

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W. Ward Marsh

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Jul 14, 2026

Very rarely does a sequel ever begin to approach the the original story in pictorial and dramatic values. But in the instance of Demetrius and the Gladiators... we are treated to a film vastly superior in almost every way to the original.

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Mitch Woodbury

Toledo Blade

Jul 14, 2026

Jay Robinson as Caligula really goes overboard in his depiction of the mad and depraved emperor this time and chews all the scenery in sight. Considering the film is a spectacle, his appetite is tremendous.

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Julian Fox

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Jul 14, 2026

For all its pretension, Demetrius and the Gladiators is just another preposterous Hollywood drama about love and sin in ancient Rome.

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Edward Murrain

New York Age

Jul 8, 2021

CinemaScope as an entertainment media reaches a new dimension in Demetrius and the Gladiators... [it's] the finest action story yet filmed in the new process, and the realization of the promise shown by actor William Marshall.

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Robert P

@Superbad 3 hrs ago

Demetrius And The Gladiators is a 3.5 star Movie!

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Sep 29, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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The H

@manunited Feb 16, 2024

was about to rate it 3 for the tiger fight, but the end was too corny to handle

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Jun 14, 2015

This sequel to The Robe brings more of what made these period pieces so great back in the day. Along with the likes of Cleopatra, Demetrius and the Gladiators sports fantastic set pieces, wonderful costumes and stories of Rome of old. While I think the portrayal of Emperor Caligula is much more subdued than any other I've ever seen, he is still clearly not a very nice emperor The gladiator games are where this film really gets interesting. While nothing like the tv show Spartacus, being more like the modern film Gladiator, it shows some truly entertaining arena combat. Not as flashy as modern films with action more akin to the stage, it is still a spectacle to behold. Demetrius and the Gladiators is a wonderful film and should delight any fans of older films and those who enjoy seeing the likes of Italy before it was called Italy.

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Jan 18, 2015

an excellent follow up to the movie The Robe

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Jul 30, 2014

As a sequel to the robe this naturally continues the themes of the early days of Christianity in the Roman world. It's a fair survival romp for Victor Mature with a mix of romance, danger and action.

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Delmer Daves

Director

Victor Mature

Demetrius

Susan Hayward

Messalina

Michael Rennie

Peter

Debra Paget

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Synopsis

In this sequel to The Robe, the corrupt emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson) believes that the sacred robe of Christ has magical powers, and will stop at nothing to obtain it. When Demetrius (Victor Mature) refuses to help Caligula find the holy object, Caligula has him arrested and forces him to fight in the arena in battles to the death. As Demetrius faces trial after trial, his faith in Christ is pushed to its limits, as he sees no point in the endless suffering he is forced to endure.

Director: Delmer Daves
Producer: Frank Ross
Screenwriter: Philip Dunne
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 16, 1954, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 41m

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