Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) & the Cross in the Dirt.

[MarianJack]

This is the sequel to "The Robe" (1953).

Victor Mature is Demetrius, a freed Christian slave re-captured and put into gladiator training. In one scene, Ernest Borgnine, playing a slave serving food to the gladiators, draws a cross in the dust (or whatever) on the table. He then makes brief eye contact with Demetrius and wipes it away.

That is one of the few things about that movie, which I haven't seen in 20+ years, but it was the first thing I said to my lovely ChicaAzul when McSame told that story.

At least it would be somewhat more classy to steal from a renowned author than a cheesy 50's movie. Then again, who's going to remember the cheesy 50's movie?

PEACE!

[berni_mccoy]

1. Good Find!

[MarianJack]

4. Thanx!

One positive consequence of a youth spent watching old movies.

[TooBigaTent]

2. Grandpa saw the real Demetrius watch that slave draw the cross. He was a consultant on

the movie in 1954.

[MarianJack]

5. WOW!

I didn't think he was even born until 2 or 3 years after the real Demetrius died!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Figures McCain would be into gladiator pictures.

Wasn't that whole "listing the starting line up from a pro team" thing also in a movie?

I'm sure I've seen it somewhere else.

[Bicoastal]

6. Johnny, do you like movies about gladiators?

Also, have you ever seen a grown man naked?

[MarianJack]

8. Could Be,...

...but I remember reading that Groucho Marx said he wasn't going to see Demetrius because he never goes to a movie where "...the man's tits are bigger than the woman's".

It always cracked me up that Victor Mature eventually retired from acting and made a fortune selling TVs. He'd relate that people who wanted a TV would say that they'd "...buy it from that jerk actor Victor Mature".

I always liked him though, especially in "My Darling Clementine".

[ContinentalOp]

19. You may be right. I was thinking Stalag 17 but I might just be thinking of the footbal game they..

play in that movie. I just found this though which is amusing.
http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/11/mccains-steelers-story-doesnt-add-up/

[Barack_America]

7. Strong work. nt

[MarianJack]

15. Thanx!

[ashling]

9. I was saying it sounded like something out of Thre Robe

I knew I had seen it before. A pretty stock piece in all of those old movies .... I guess those VietNamese guards were Victor Mature fans, huh. :sarcasm:

[MarianJack]

11. You're close enough...

...that I'd have to give it to you if I were a judge!

[Cleita]

10. Except that in that period the sign for Christians was a fish, not the cross.

However, all in all it wasn't such a bad movie. Susan Hayward was entertaining as Messalina, Emperor Claudius' slutty wife. I really never liked those maudlin Christians thrown to the lions movies. They were just too campy. However, there were the unexpected laughs one could enjoy from the dialogue.

[MarianJack]

12. At one time...

...the Christian symbol was also an anchor.

[NanceGreggs]

18. Like the scene where Messalina throws ...

... a goblet of wine in Peter's (Michael Rennie) face. Demetrius then enters the room and says, "Peter, can I get you some wine?" And he says, "No, thank you, I've already had some."

[Hekate]

13. Cheesy is right. I think they were into drawing the fish acronym instead.

ICTHUS = acronym for the Greek words Jesus Christ Son of God, Savior. It's why there's all the fishies on cars today. Secret symbol.

Hekate

[MarianJack]

16. Thanx for the Info!

[GoesTo11]

14. Borgnine is still alive. Could ask him

if he ever shared this story with the Vietnamese guard.

[MarianJack]

17. Maybe they met...

...on the set of "McHale's Navy"!

[thereismore]

20. We need video and make it into an ad. Would complement his Moses ad nicely. nt

[MarianJack]

21. I don't know about that, thereismore.

McSame could probably counter that he knew Moses personally!

[thereismore]

29. Ha! nt

[izzybeans]

22. Raygun stole his idea for Star Wars from a movie too. Early onset dementia does that to a fella.

[kristyt]

23. Would you please stop with this cross in the dirt? It can't work.

You can't prove he stole it. So it just brings up POW status and McCain Christianity.

I don't know how many of us have to tell you(speaking generally, since this isn't just the one poster) this has no legs unless you have someone with a tape recorder or an exact passage lifted. It actually benefits McCain unless you have that. And if you did, it would be a story.

So stop helping McCain. Investigate the lobbyist Iseman if you want something that matters.

[Spazito]

24. LOL, how about you investigate the "lobbyist Iseman"....

and not worry about those who want to further the question of the "cross in the sand" controversy. Works for me, how about you?

[kristyt]

26. You can only lead a horse to water...

[Spazito]

32. It's YOUR horse that wants the water, aka the lobbyist investigation...

I say go for it but it seems you don't want to do that investigation either. Darn, and I was so looking forward to your post informing us of what you have found! Oh well, I think I will survive the disappointment.

[ProSense]

28. But we can prove McCain and his band of liars are

lying.

[MarianJack]

35. OI point this out as a curiosity.

I personally don't want to use anything that makes McSame look symapthetic, but I did, in this forum where I am preaching to the choir, want to show this as a place I saw this scenario before.

In my own personal discussions, I focus on "John McCain = more of the same".

PEACE!

[Spazito]

25. Good find!

Further raises the question regarding McCain's honesty with regard to this "story" of his.

Recommended.

[TexasObserver]

27. Victor Mature was the thinking man's Aldo Ray.

no, probably not, but I wanted to mention both guys as almost stars of a bygone era

[Bucky]

30. You missed the most important part: Demetrius and the Gladiators was written by

Alexander Solzhinetzyn. Oh shit, a perfectly good joke ruined by bad spelling.

[Jawja]

31. Hey! Susan Hayward

and Anne Bancroft were both in that movie! It's not cheesy! ;-)

[edhopper]

33. And here is McCain

from his pilot days, discussing Gladiator movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHEivPHjimw

[eleny]

34. Excellent! - I hope someone can get a clip on You Tube