I
have heard two totally different stories about how the hit show American Gladiators
came into existence. If you have your own favourite theory or know the true story how it
came to be tell me. I
have heard two totally different stories about how the hit show American Gladiators
came into existence. If you have your own favourite theory or know the true story how it
came to be tell me.
The Theory...
The action packed film "The Running Man" starring Arnie S. was a big hit,
it featured an ex-army officer being fitted up for a crime and being wrongly banged up in
prison. He leads a prison breakout, escapes meets a babe then gets captured again, nothing
original there. However this time his talent for survival gets recognised by a smarmy game
show host and he gets drafted in to play the game called "The Running Man".
In the show Arnie and two others have to make their way through a ruined under city world
to supposedly make an escape, blocking their way and attempting to stop them are the bad
guys with name like "Buzz-Saw" a biker who kills with a chainsaw
and "Sub-Zero" an Eskimo with a deadly hockey stick.
The confrontations, although they are to the death, could be deemed to be like the
Gladiators events.
Does the Theory Hold?
I need to do a bit of research into the dates, if the film was made before the
first show then this theory could be discounted. Film buffs let me know
Otherwise, yes there is a possibility some network exec picked up the idea from watching
the film.
The Theory
Ok, this one is a little more outlandish but its non-believability makes it believable.
There was this guy, an Elvis Impersonator who an idea for a film which went something like
this. There are some truck drivers in the near future who always drive around in convoys
for protection, at night the convoy pulls off the road and makes a circle, this circle
forms the Gladiatorial arena in which the combat like events take place.
He tried to sell it to the movie companies but nobody wanted it, MGM bought the rights to
the movie and turned it into the game show.
Does the Theory Hold?
Check out the following that I recieved by email, it seems very conclusive from this.
"Apache" Dann Carr, the original creator of the American Gladiators, wrote a script back in the late 70's for a movie. Dann was by trade, a local union laboror, and world class armwrestler. In his day, he was unbeatable, and a legend in Armwrestling around the world. He was one of the most feared armwrestlers, and to this day, has a bone-crushing grip. Dann hosted the first American Gladiator event at Tech High School, in Erie, PA. Area toughman gathered for events that included armwrestling, tug-o-war, the joust and other strength events. Dann's vision was to create a show that the average American athlete, particularly blue-collar worker, could paritcipate in a bona fide strength competition. His idea was a "pie-in-the-sky", and he presented the idea to your infamous "Elvis Impersonator" from Youngstown, OH. Johnny C. Ferraro and Dann Carr are credited as Co-creators of the American Gladiators. Soon thereafter, Samuel Goldwyn Productions/MGM birthed the American Gladiators as we know it today. The only Gladiators in the United States are Live in Orlando, FL and show nightly in Kissimmee, FL.