The Robe 1953
The Robe is the epic story about a Roman Tribune that is assigned the task of overseeing the crucifixion of Jesus. Richard Burton plays Marcellus Gallio, the Roman Tribune and Victor Mature plays Demetrius, his Greek slave. At the crucifixion, Marcellus wins Christ's Robe in a game of chance. When he picks up the robe it does something powerful and awful to him. He throws down the robe and it is picked up by his slave Demetrius. Demetrius is a follower of Christ and even went to warn his followers that the Romans were after him, but it was too late and Jesus was already in jail.
With the robe Demetrius takes his freedom and goes with Peter the fisherman to preach the word of Christ. Marcellus returns home and is haunted with supernatural panic attacks. His elder instructs that he must find the Greek and destroy the robe.
In the meantime, while on the trail of the robe, Marcellus becomes a Christian and is thus arrested and taken back to Rome. Richard Burton does a great job as the haunted tribune. Victor Mature is as always great in his role as Demetrius. A year later Mature reprises the role in the sequel to
The Robe, Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954). In 1959 Howard Keel starred in the 3rd installment titled
The Big Fisherman.
Both
The Robe and Demetrius and the Gladiators are available on DVD. I recommend the Cinema Classics Collection edition of
The Robe, if only for the superior packaging.
For more info:
The Robehttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046247/
Demetrius and the Gladiators
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046899/
The Big Fishermanhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052627/
As Always Turn to Turner Classic Movies for all your classic film needs.
www.TCM.com
