We’ve seen some pretty bad examples of Hollywood’s misuse of vehicles on the silver screen but the worst case of using a Chevy truck in a starring role belongs to the movie, Gladiator. Originally made for release in the theaters, the film was purchased by Showtime Networks and aired on ABC Television as an original film. In doing so, this film became a “made for TV” film, which is fortunate for moviegoers. 

The hero’s Chevrolet C20 on the prowl for bad guys and drunk drivers. Photo from video.

The plot behind the story is as laughable as the cast. In a nutshell, there is a crazy driver, known by his nickname “Skull,” that is killing other motorists and random people at will. When Skull kills Jeff Benton in one of these random acts of murder on the streets, Jeff’s brother Rick takes matters into his own hands. Rick decides to hunt down the twisted assassin Skull with his hopped up Chevy truck.

After spending days converting this 1979 Chevy C-20 into a battle wagon, it falls short of anything that could survive the zombie apocalypse. Neverless, Rick believes that his truck has the speed and strength to take on Skull’s “death car” in a one-on-one battle.

Playing the villain is a 1969 Dodge Charger. Photos from www.imcdb.org

 In order to make the plot interesting, the cops find out about the would-be vigilante through the local grapevine. Known only as the “Gladiator,” the police actively seek Rick’s truck in order to prevent the ultimate citizen’s arrest from happening. 

The Cast

Ken Wahl as Rick Benton, “the Gladiator.” Wahl was cast in the lead role of Vinnie Terranova in the television series Wiseguy in 1987, which turned out to be his calling card. The show ran until 1990 and brought Wahl a Golden Globe Award, as well as an Emmy Award nomination. Wahl wrote an episode of Wiseguy in 1989 and directed an episode in 1990. Overall, his role in “Gladiator” was quickly forgotten.

A 1961 Chevrolet Corvette C1 makes a cameo appearance.

Nancy Allen as Susan Neville. Allen performed in several acclaimed films such as “The Last Detail,” the “Robocop” trilogy and “Dressed to Kill.” Despite these high profile films, she is considered one of the queens of  the b-movies. Her participation in “The Gladiator” helped cement that title.

Robert Culp as Lieutenant Frank Mason. A longtime TV actor, Culp was best known for his lead role in the “I-Spy” series. Appearing on shows such as  Bonanza, Rawhide, The Rifleman, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Get Smart, and the Cosby Show, Culp was well known and loved. His appearance in “The Gladiator” is a departure from his normal roles.

Rick Dees as Garth Masters. Dees claim to fame is more of a radio personality than a film star. Having achieved success as a Disc Jockey and even proved himself as a comedic performer in the 1976 novelty song “Disco Duck.” He was obviously growing his talents as a dramatic actor with his role in “The Gladiator.” He fell short.

1979 Chevrolet C-20. The Chevrolet C-20 pickups have seen action on the silver screen and TV screen in far greater roles than the one in this movie. From TV shows like “Emergency!” to the movies like “King Kong Lives,” and “My Cousin Vinny,” the C-20 was used a lot more effectively by Hollywood, and was accustomed to much better roles than the one offered in this substandard flick.

The Review 

Master Mechanic Rick Benton and younger brother Jeff take a drive as soon as the 15-year old Jeff gets his learner’s permit. During the drive, the brothers are run off the road by a maniac driver. Rick wakes up in the hospital to discover that his younger brother was killed in the accident.

The Hero prowls the streets at night looking for the scary black Dodge Charger.

Haunted by his brother’s death and angry because of the lack of interest by the local police lieutenant, Benton decides to build himself the perfect vehicle to battle the frightening muscle car that is terrorizing the town. Hitting the Los Angeles streets at night looking for the maniacal car causing all of the destruction, Benton becomes “the Gladiator.” As the self-appointed vigilante, Benton takes out his anger on the unruly and reckless citizens that pose a threat to the decent folks that obey the law in Los Angeles (we should say this is a fictional story). As “The Gladiator” gets more press and coverage in the air waves, the local police want to stop this vigilante before he turns into a folk hero.

Inevitably there is a final showdown in a junkyard between the tricked out Chevy truck and the scary black ’69 Charger. Facing each other at opposite ends of the junkyard, the two vehicles run full speed at each other in the final duel. 

A sad ending to the real stars of this movie, the Chevy truck and the Dodge musclecar.