The Glove

Shot in 1978 but released in 1980, "The Glove" (also known under an alternate title as "Blood Mad") is a competent B-movie featuring John Saxon as a latter-day bounty hunter, not unlike the character played by Steve McQueen in his final pic "The Hunter". A gratuitously violent subplot involving vengeful Roosevelt Grier provides the film's title but throws it off its dramatic tracks in an unsuccessful effort to cater to the blood 'n guts market.

Saxon plays an ex-ball player and ex-cop, eking out an existence by chasing down bail jumpers. He voices over his world-weary lament in well-written film noir fashion, but the film's episodic structure, and flat, unatmospheric direction fail to capture the ambience of those '40s pics.

Saxon's possible big score comes when a Prison Guards Association offers a $20,000 reward for the apprehension of Grier, who is on a revenge rampage beginning with his brutal attack on guard Aldo Ray at film's outset. Grier was motivated by the ruthless treatment he received in prison from guards equipped with a "riot glove". Supposedly invented in the '60s to deal with student riots and outlawed after its use in prisons, the metal and cloth glove is the film's gimmick. Dressed in black with helmet and the glove on to wreak revenge, Grier looks like a refugee from "Rollerball" in his violent scenes. Stuck with an absurdly underwritten role, Grier is Mr. Nice Guy when not cracking heads, wont to serenade ghetto kids with his guitar.

As pic meanders along to the inevitable he-man showdown between Saxon and Grier. Saxon impresses with a strong, personable performance which indicates he could be a solid detective-type hero if given better material. Girlfriend Joanna Cassidy is a distinctive presence stuck in a non-role, while various guest stars (including the late Joan Blondell) have little to do in their episodic cameos. Social consciousness in the violent finale is very poorly conceived as the filmmakers contrive to whip up audience support for mob violence and then cop out with "There has to be another way" line of dialog. Tech credits are okay.

My review was written in January 1981 after a 42nd St. Theater screening.

I saw this awhile ago, but I thought of it again after watching the film "Death Walks at Midnight" which also features a giant metal glove used as the murder weapon. The titular glove in this one, however, is not spiked and is used entirely on male victims who really deserve it, and is wielded by ex-football player turned preacher Rosy Grier. Grier plays an innocent man sent to prison, who takes revenge on the men who sent him there using a stolen "high-tech weapon" (the glove). John Saxon, playing a cop for the thousandth time in his career, is the man who tries to stop him and recover the glove. Both characters are pretty sympathetic and as I recall the films ends happily. That's probably one of the reasons it wasn't very successful and remains pretty obscure today. It lacks any real exploitative elements--the violence is pretty tame and there's no sex or nudity. Even the blaxploitation elements aren't too strong here. But if you're not expecting too much, it's worth a look.

The premise for this film is what drew me to rent it. A hitman is

after a killer that uses a high tech riot glove to torture his victims.

John Saxon stars in this heap of garbage and narrates throughout

the ENTIRE movie. This feature is pretty cool at first, but after a

while you begin to get irrated with him explaining the obvious.

About 45 minutes in, the movie loses any steam that it had (it had

none to begin with), and things start making absolutely no sense

at all. The theme music and soundtrack to this movie sounds like

it came from some Saturday morning cartoon, and the fighting

scenes are poorly choreographed. I would not recommend this

film to anyone with a conscience.

This movie is a classic example of 1970's unintentional hilarity. John Saxon plays bounty hunter Sam Kellogg. He is financially down on his luck and is trying to get custody of his young daughter from his estranged wife. Rosie Grier plays a recently released prison inmate who is beating up guards with a lead filled riot glove, hence the title: The Glove. Saxon's character provides an extremely cheesy narration throughout the entire film. It is good for a few chuckles. The scene in the slaughter house where Saxon and a baddie engage in a battle with two racks of raw lamb makes the film worth seeing alone. There is actually a scene where you can tell it was an obvious blooper but they just keep the camera rolling and used it in the final print. See if you can find it.

Sam Kellog is a worn out bounty hunter of Los Angeles, who takes on a job, which would pay him $20,000 big ones and help with his martial problems. For tracking down an ex-convict, Victor Hale, who's dressed up in riot gear and is beating prison guards to death with a steel laced glove that was invented by the police and was first used on him. So, it's payback time for Victor, but Sam is determined to find his man and bring him in despite the warnings.

Are you ready for a good old beating. Well, don't be expecting much venom here, as when it was time for a beating. It's nothing more than comic, b-grade action fodder, which is inadequately done. But that in mind the action is kept at a minimal and we simply follow the life of the struggling bounty hunter, Sam looking into the case of Victor, but it gets put on the back-burner at times, by falling into some side-projects. They do feel unnecessary and nothing more than fillers to the overall picture, as it does take half of the film before Sam and Victor first get in contact and get things moving. Just like a fellow reviewer mentioned, it's more so a character study with a touch of noir and social commentary to boot. It's very hammy in its treatment of it, but Saxon (the reason why I took the chance with the flick) makes great of the meek material.

"The Glove" is an odd chunk of cheap and slightly dim schlock that bathes itself in cheesy glory and is entertainingly goofy. Unintentionally, of course. But it just doesn't live up to its cracking idea, since it basically sits there for too long, after the pounding opening and somewhat colourful poster artwork, has you believe. There's a real erratic mood because of scrappy direction by Ross Hagen. He stages some fun clashes with the crushing fist and manages to get a real grungy look to the flick with its scummy surroundings coming off the screen. How about that unusually sleek, broad and quite smooth music score. The theme songs kind of stick to you and the time goes by so quickly, which makes it an enticing treat.

The story is rather typical detective stuff with Saxon's crisp and smoking voice-over running throughout the film and being one of the high notes. It blends a variety of ingredients and savvy interactions with its scathing, wry and bold dialogues. John Saxon turns in a charming lead performance as the steely-eye bounty hunter, Sam Kellog. Rosey Grier (former football player) simply fills out the costume by bringing an enforcing and unstoppable figure, which is totally opposite to his subdue attitude and husky voice, the anti-hero Victor Hale. He's rather hypnotic whenever on screen and the interplay between the two leads was always on the boil. Making up the rest of the studded b-cast is the always lovely Joanna Cassidy, Keenan Wynn, Jack Carter the rich tycoon and the unlucky Aldo Ray.

Interesting, if not totally successful exploitation, but thanks largely to the prolific performances of Saxon and Grier. It's enjoyably, uncanny trash.