The Gladiator

During the early to mid-1930s, Joe E. Brown was a hot commodity at Warner Brothers. He was a top start and he commanded top money to make a long string of agreeable comedies. However, in a bone-headed career move, Brown was convinced to sign with tiny David Loew Productions and his career was in a tailspin. I've seen four of the six Loew films with Brown and most of them are adequate but no more--the best of which was the first, "When's Your Birthday?". The final two, this film and "Wide Open Faces" are on the same disk.

Aside from the usually cute and perfect-looking child actor (I suspect he was a robot), Dickie Moore, this film has nothing but unknown actors in supporting roles--and so it's up to Brown to carry to carry this movie. Fortunately, the plot idea is strong.

The film begins with Brown losing his job at the hospital. Although he's great with these kids in the pediatric ward, they want a college educated person for the position. But, when Brown wins $1500 soon after this, he decides to return to college and get his degree.

Soon after he arrives, the students learn that his father was the captain of their football team and his grandfather was a track and field star. So, they expect him to follow in his family's footsteps. But, they don't realize that he's no athlete--that is, until the wacky professor injects him with a formula that makes him like Superman! In fact, the film was inspired by the same story that inspired the writers of the Superman comic. Now, Brown is an amazing athlete--but the Professor is worried--worried Brown is SO powerful that he kill kill the other players! And when Brown realizes this, he doesn't want to play ball either--until he's tricked into doing it by a pretty co-ed.

Where all this goes next you'll just have to see for yourself. I found the film to be enjoyable--one of the better Loew productions. I think the story idea was a 'can't miss' plot and so it's not surprising that the film worked. However I can't help thinking that it could have been a lot funnier given the great story. Worth seeing but not nearly as good as his Warner Brothers films.

A couple final observations. Brown was actually 46 when he made this film--a bit old to be on the college team--and to be taking all those hits and wrestling with Man Mountain! Also, like most college films of the era, did you notice that no one ever seems to go to classes?! Not a single scene of him in class or doing classwork occurs!

This is a 16 mm movie made nine years after the book came out. For people interested in seeing an adaptation of Wylie's novel, you're in for a disappointment. Aside from the character's name, there is practically no relationship between the two stories. This slapstick comedy carries none of the weight found in Wylie's novel of the same name.

Joe E. Brown's brand of humor irritated the heck out of me. There were several scenes manufactured simply to allow him to use funny voices. The results were embarrassingly not funny.

The climax scene between Hugo and Man Mountain Dean was contrived to the point of being forced into the plot.

If you're curious, go for it. If you're a completest of this title (like me) go for it. If you think you're getting an adaptation of Wylie's novel...pass.

Joe E. Brown finds a windfall and returns to college twelve years after his freshman year. Entomology professor Lucien Littlefield injects him with a serum that turns him into a superman, and Brown is persuaded by campus cutie June Travis to join the football team.

It's based on the Philip Wylie novel that also inspired Superman. This being a Joe E. Brown movie, its a comedy, even when Brown is wrestling Man Mountain Dean. Although it becomes more standard towards the end, director Edward Sedgwick puts in some lovely gags, like siphoning gasoline into Miss Travis' car, lighting her cigarette with a match, and then trying to blow the match out with his gas-infused breath. Superman never started a fire that way! With Dickie Moore, Lloyd Ingraham, and Eddie Kane.

Another great football gladiator movie. Better than the motorbike one but not as good as the boxing one or even the one with Russell Crowe.

Although a complete diversion from the landmark novel, it's not fair to judge this comedy on the basis that it's not faithful. As it stands, it's a decent B-movie comedy for Brown, who was a much bigger star - mostly due to his radio work - than anyone remembers today. Surprisingly, there is a bit of Wylie left in the story, as Brown is at first elated by his powers, but is later disturbed by them.

This comedy feature not only completely converts a section of Wylie's novel into a comedy, but some material is borrowed from Harold Lloyd's THE FRESHMAN. Most notably, there's the scene where Brown tries out for the team and stands in for the tackling dummy.