Gant d'acier

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.

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.

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.

(1978) The Glove CRIME DRAMA THRILLER

'The Glove' as the movie is called is really a backdrop to the real story of Sam Kellog's life as a bounty hunter played by John Saxon- this was years before the popular syndicated show "Dog- The Bounty Hunter", since a considerable amount of cities it is the police that do that sort of thing now- not the bounty hunters. Anyways, we get to witness his life story as a bounty hunter and how he is behind in child support payments, considering he also has a daughter and loves to gamble. And as the movie progresses, this person who's wearing "The Glove" is really an African American man named Victor Hale (Roosevelt Grier) who's tagged with a $20,000 bail after assaulting a national security guard occurred at the beginning. He attains the so-called Glove after stealing the newest and improved rioting equipment, and is now using it to get even with the people/ guards who mistreated and abused their authority while he was being incarcerated. What's dumb about this movie, is the fact that if Victor's on the run, why wasn't the police involved, since he can still be charged with assault after his release from prison. This movie makes no sense, since bounty hunters are usually used when people miss their court dates, and fugitives which Victor (the man with the huge bounty) is seen playing in night clubs just because he's also a musician as well.

This movie isn't the best thing I've ever seen, but as a fun PI flick from the late seventies it gets the job done and has a quirky personality of its own. In other words, it isn't an exploitation classic or an ultraviolent actioner, it kind of just is what it is. The great John Saxon is great here, as a down on his luck PI. His somewhat over the top narration is fun. Rosy Grier is great as an angry convict out for revenge. The movie doesn't really have much of a drive, there are many pointless scenes, but it doesn't really bore either. The ending is excellent, with a big surprise at the last minute. Overall, if you aren't expecting some 70s cult phenomenon and you like John Saxon, its worth watching.