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The poster artwork suggests violent grindhouse-style exploitation, but the reality is far more subdued. It's more of a slow burn modern noir, with John Saxon's ex-cop bounty hunter for hire filling the role of the traditional private eye narrator. Interestingly his riot-glove-wielding target turns out to be a decent citizen turned vigilante, rendering the primary struggle a conflict of conscience. I was both disappointed at the misdirection and surprised by the unexpected depth of this strange little film.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
A bounty hunter tracks a fugitive who is beating his former prison guards to death with an ominous metal plated riot glove. Who needs Isotoners. Could have used more scenes of the glove pounding through tables and walls.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/13/23
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Audience Member
Much better than it has any right to be, mostly thanks to the near-hypnotic performance of Rosey Grier, though there does seem to be two different movies going on at the same time. Grier is out for revenge on prison guards who abused him, and John Saxon (who thinks he's Sam Spade or something), is the bounty hunter out to get him. Manages to overcome near-inept direction by Ross Hagen and being a exploitation film without any exploitation (the violence is minimal, and the two scenes that seem like they're headed for sexytime cut away before they get going). Definitely worth watching if you get a chance.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/03/23
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Audience Member
Actor & director Ross Hagen does not glamorize the travails of a modern day bounty hunter in his low-budget feature THE GLOVE where John Saxon squares off against a rotund Roosevelt Grier. Later, Steve McQueen made THE HUNTER about a real-life bounty hunter. Hagen carefully establishes the characters of each individual and the irony implicit in the way that our hero triumphs in the end gives THE GLOVE a sense of realism.
A large African-American male dons a padded outfit and pulls on a glove. The glove weighs in at five pounds of lead and steel. They call it a 'riot glove.' He attacks a prison guard with his girlfriend as they are necking. He smashes the windshield and tears the doors off the Ford Pinto. Occasionally, when he is beating up the guard, Tiny (Aldo Ray of THE GREEN BERETS), the villain misses his victim and rips out a headlight. Meanwhile, the girlfriend screams in terror at this one-man army. The scene shifts to our bounty hunter hero, Sam Kellogg (John Saxon of ENTER THE DRAGON) who provides us with a synopsis of his life and his careen. He was once a baseball shortstop before he became a bounty hunter. The person who means the most to him is his daughter. Several scenes show the depth of the bond between father and daughter. Probably the best is when Saxon is doing one-legged push-ups with his daughter on his back. We learn that our hero is divorced and has a hard time making ends meet. His ex-wife threatens to stop letting his daughter Lisa (one-time only actress Misty Bruce) visit him. A former policeman, Sam never wants to button himself in blue again. Instead, he takes the hard knocks as a bail bondsman.
As a long-suffering hero, Sam wins our sympathy for his dire straits. He tangles with a couple of homosexuals in his first bust. Bill Schwartz (Keenan Wynn of LASERBLAST) gives him jobs, but warns Sam to be careful. Sam learns from Bill that his old friend, Lieutenant Howard Kruger (Howard Honig of AIRPLANE 2: THE SEQUEL), has a lead for him. Kruger explains that Victor Hale has jumped bail. He is only worth peanuts. However, he reveals that this sometime-jazz musician has aroused the wrath of the Prison Guard Association and these fellows have put an unofficial $20-thousand on his capture. Kruger shows Sam an example of the riot glove. He briefs him (and us) about its notorious history. The protest riots in the early 1960s spawned it and it was later used in prison. Neither application worked, and the lawmakers outlawed the glove. According to Kruger, Hale stole the glove from his first victim.
Sam poses as a journalist and interviews Victor's mother. She is an old lady who lives with her daughter. The daughter was slashed up by a pimp and Victor killed the pimp. Victor wound up in prison where the guard pummeled him with the glove. When we finally meet Victor, he is living in a rented apartment. Hagan elicits sympathy for him as a character because of his background and his vigilante justice in the case of his younger sister. Later, we see him teaching a black youngster how to play the guitar like a blues master. Forty seven minutes into the action, Victor calls Sam and suggests that he leave him alone. Sam explains that Victor represents a $20-thousand pay day. Victor assures him that he will be gone before Sam can locate his whereabouts. Sam keeps a tape recording of the telephone conversation. He tracks Victor down to a blues nightclub and barely misses him. As Sam is cruising away in his Cadllac, he receives a phone call from Victor. Victor invites him over to his apartment house. Sam sneaks up the fire escape. Victor hands him the glove, but Sam is still no match--even with the glove--for the gigantic Victor. Earlier, Sam's old partner, Harry Iverson (Michael Pataki of DEATH HOUSE), was waiting for him to arrive home. Harry wants in on the Victor Hale deal. Meanwhile, Victor agrees to escort Sam downstairs so his friends in the apartment house won't hurt him. Harry surprises them as they enter the stairway and he shoots Victor four times. Victor's friends mob Harry and kill him. Sam ends up receiving the bounty and being reunited with his daughter.
Clocking in at 90 solemn minutes, THE GLOVE qualifies as an average thriller with strong performances by a sturdy cast.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/17/23
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Audience Member
I have to say that I could live without John Saxon's grizzled P.I. styled voice over, but otherwise this was a good bit of fun, feeling a bit like a long episode of a television show that I'd not seen before.
Another decent time-waster, but nothing that will change your life or anything.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/07/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A bounty hunter tracks a fugitive who is beating his former prison guards to death with an ominous metal plated riot glove. Who needs Isotoners. Could have used more scenes of the glove pounding through tables and walls.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/28/23
Full Review
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