The Glove 1979

Thriller

Action

Runtime

92 mins

Language

English

Made by

Tommy J. Productions

Test your knowledge of The Glove with our quiz!

The Glove Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Glove (1979). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Sam Kellog John Saxon is an ex-cop turned modern-day bounty hunter in Los Angeles, working under the wary pay scale of bailbondsman Bill Schwartz Keenan Wynn. He incomes his living by tracking down ex-convicts who have skipped bail, but the work pays poorly, leaving him hungry for a bigger payday. Recently divorced, Kellog is also dealing with the strain of his ex-wife threatening to restrict weekend visitation with their young daughter due to missed alimony payments, adding personal pressure to his already tense professional life.

Everything changes when Kellog is tapped for a large, off-the-books bounty worth $20,000 by his former police commander, Lt. Kruger Howard Honig. The target is ex-convict Victor Hale Rosey Grier, suspected of murdering several former prison guards in the L.A. area. Hale’s prison history is brutal: he was savagely beaten by guards who relied on a heavy five-pound riot glove, a leather-covered steel contraption, and he has since used a copy of that glove to carry out more killings. Kellog takes the job despite warnings, driven by the hope that the prize will finally fix his financial woes.

As the pursuit unfolds, another bounty hunter from New York, Harry Iverson Michael Pataki, arrives with an offer to team up. Kellog declines, insisting he works alone, and the chase intensifies. The film then shifts between Kellog’s gritty, on-the-street life and Hale’s dangerous, almost peaceful charisma in his own world. Hale, who earns a living as a guitarist and is well-liked by many tenants in the low-income housing project where he resides, is fully aware that Kellog is closing in. Hale’s calm exterior masks a predator’s instinct, and he begins to stalk Kellog as well, even calling Kellog’s home to keep him off track.

The cat-and-mouse game culminates on the roof of Hale’s apartment building, where Hale, nicknamed by Kellog as “hound dog,” challenges him by offering the riot glove to spar. A brutal, intimate brawl ensues, both men trading blows until their bodies tire and they collapse, Kellog conceding defeat as he removes the glove. In a moment that blends uneasy respect with betrayal, Hale helps Kellog to his feet and starts to escort him away, only for Iverson to appear and shoot Hale dead. Iverson confesses that the bounty was always to kill Hale, not to capture him alive, revealing the moral gray area at the heart of the pursuit.

The building’s residents flood the scene, turning on Iverson and beating him to death for killing “one of their own,” leaving Kellog battered on the rooftop. In a concluding voice-over, Kellog reveals that he did indeed receive the $20,000 bounty and used it to pay off his debts, a jailbreak of sorts that allows him to regain visitation rights to his daughter. The story closes on Kellog’s cautious victory—resolute, morally complex, and haunted by the price of a life spent chasing both criminals and redemption.

The Glove Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The Glove (1979) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Offer of the $20,000 bounty

Ex-cop Sam Kellog is offered a large off-the-book bounty of $20,000 by Lt. Kruger to track down Victor Hale. The promise of cash pulls him into a dangerous pursuit through Los Angeles. He knows taking the job could solve his finances but also pull him deeper into trouble.

Opening Los Angeles

Kellog's financial troubles

Kellog is frustrated by the low pay from bounty work and the strain of unpaid alimony. His ex-wife threatens to limit weekend visitation with their daughter if payments slip further. The impending money from the Hale case represents a potential life-changing fix.

Opening Los Angeles

Victor Hale's double life

Hale is introduced as a dangerous former prisoner who uses a riot glove to brutalize guards. In contrast, he earns a living as a guitarist in a jazz band and is well-liked by tenants in his low-income housing project. The contrast paints Hale as both menacing and charismatic.

Pre-bounty / Backstory Low-income housing project, Los Angeles

Hale's murders begin with the riot glove

Hale targets former prison guards who brutalized him, continuing to use the riot glove motif. The killings pulse through the city as Kellog starts to connect the crimes to Hale. The violence escalates as Hale's spree gathers attention.

Mid-film Los Angeles

Iverson offers a partnership

Harry Iverson arrives from New York offering to team up with Kellog to catch Hale. Kellog refuses, insisting he works alone and doesn't trust partners. The clash foreshadows further tension between the men involved.

Early-mid Los Angeles

Kellog digs in and Hale detects the chase

Kellog begins asking questions about Hale's whereabouts, tightening the net around the ex-con. Hale realizes he is being hunted and starts to stalk Kellog, even calling Kellog's house to unsettle him. The cat-and-mouse game intensifies.

Mid-film Kellog's home and surrounding LA

Stalking leads to a rooftop showdown setup

The pursuit moves toward Hale's building, where Kellog closes in on Hale’s apartment. Hale studies Kellog's routines and uses taunts to keep him off balance as the confrontation looms. The tension builds toward a climactic encounter.

Climax approaching Hale's apartment building rooftop vicinity, Los Angeles

Rooftop face-off (the challenge is issued)

Kellog confronts Hale on the roof, where Hale openly invites a fight and hands Kellog the riot glove as a taunt. The duel is framed as a brutal test of wills between hunter and hunted. The confrontation is immediate and charged with history.

Climax Rooftop of Hale's apartment building

The brutal brawl ends in a stalemate

The two men exchange devastating blows until both collapse, exhausted, in a stalemate. Kellog removes the riot glove to show there is no personal grudge keeping him from finishing Hale. Hale helps Kellog to his feet and begins to escort him away from danger.

Climax Rooftop

Iverson kills Hale

Iverson arrives and shoots Hale to death, revealing the bounty was to kill him rather than capture. The violence shatters the fragile truce between the hunter and his prey and sets the stage for the residents' response.

Ending Rooftop

Residents avenge Hale

Hearing the gunfire, residents of the building rush to the scene and beat Iverson to death for killing Hale, taking justice into their own hands. Kellog is left battered and bloodied on the floor amid the chaos. The community's response underscores the film's moral underside.

Ending Inside the housing building

Kellog's payday and reunion

In a final voice-over, Kellog confirms he received the $20,000 bounty and used it to pay off his debts. With finances restored, he regains visitation rights to his daughter, closing the case with a bittersweet sense of closure.

Ending Los Angeles

The Glove Characters

Explore all characters from The Glove (1979). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Sam Kellog (John Saxon)

An ex-cop turned modern-day bounty hunter, Kellog operates on the edge of the law. He is driven by financial desperation, recently divorced with alimony worries, and determined to secure his daughter’s visitation rights. He narrates parts of his life, displaying grit, resourcefulness, and a calculating resolve.

💼 Bounty hunter 🧭 Ex-cop 💔 Divorce

Victor Hale (Rosey Grier)

A brutalized ex-prisoner who employs a copy of the riot glove to murder former guards, Hale nonetheless lives as a likable guitarist in a jazz band and is cherished by his neighbors. His dual life creates tension as Kellog relentlessly closes in. Hale’s humanity clashes with his violent methods.

🎸 Musician 🔪 Killer 🏘️ Tenement resident

Lt. Kruger (Howard Honig)

A former police commander who orchestrates the off-book bounty, Kruger represents institutional powers exploiting a porous justice system. He remains detached from the personal consequences of violence while fueling Kellog’s chase for a substantial payoff.

🏛️ Authority 💼 Corruption 🗡️ Tactical

Bill Schwartz (Keenan Wynn)

A bail bondsman who employs Kellog, Schwartz is money-driven and skeptical of partnerships. He represents the business side of bounty hunting, pushing for results and profit while backing Kellog’s dangerous mission.

💰 Boss 🧭 Mentor 🗝️ Money

Harry Iverson (Michael Pataki)

A bounty hunter from New York who initially offers to team up with Kellog but operates with a ruthless, kill-first mentality. Iverson’s actions culminate in the killing of Hale and reveal the lethal stakes behind the bounty game.

🗽 Outsider 🔫 Rival 💥 Killer

The Glove Settings

Learn where and when The Glove (1979) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Late 20th century

The events take place in a contemporary, late-20th-century Los Angeles. The world of off-book bounties and brutal violence reflects the era’s rough edges and urban crime climate. The pace is tense and immediate, with action often spilling onto roofs, stairwells, and crowded tenements.

Location

Los Angeles, California

The story unfolds in Los Angeles, focusing on gritty urban areas and a low-income housing project. The city serves as a backdrop for crime, bounty hunting, and the daily struggles of residents who live under the threat of violence. The environment blends sunlit streets with claustrophobic blocks, highlighting the contrast between opportunity and danger.

🔎 Crime 🌆 Urban setting 🏙️ City life

The Glove Themes

Discover the main themes in The Glove (1979). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🔪

Crime

Violence and the pursuit of criminals drive the plot, from Hale’s deadly killings to Kellog’s tense pursuit. The riot glove and the goal of capturing a dangerous ex-con create a constant sense of danger. The film examines how individuals become entangled in a cycle of violence with personal costs.

💰

Desperation

A large, off-book bounty offers Kellog a way out of mounting debts and threatened alimony arrangements. The pursuit is framed as a means to secure financial stability and regain custody rights, illustrating how money can distort morals. The story shows the fragile line between necessity and exploitation.

🤝

Community

Hale is charismatic in the housing complex, earning the tenants' uneasy respect even as he hides a violent past. The residents’ reactions culminate in the brutal response to Iverson’s murder of Hale, revealing a volatile sense of justice within the community. The ending suggests that loyalty and solidarity can emerge even in harsh urban environments.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Explore the mobile app

The Glove Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Glove (1979). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a restless Los Angeles that feels more like a pressure cooker than a city, a shadowy, sadistic presence haunts the streets, turning everyday life into a series of uneasy glances and whispered warnings. The atmosphere crackles with a blend of gritty realism and almost palpable dread, as the urban sprawl becomes a character in its own right—one that both conceals and amplifies the menace that prowls its alleys. The tone is unflinching, a balance of noir‑ish tension and brutal, kinetic energy that promises relentless, rock‑‘em‑sock‑‘em confrontations.

Sam Kellog is an ex‑cop turned modern bounty hunter, drifting through the same streets he once patrolled with a badge that now feels more like a relic. His life is a precarious juggle of low‑pay captures, a recent divorce, and mounting pressure from a estranged ex‑wife eager to limit his time with their young daughter. That personal strain gnaws at him, making every assignment feel like a gamble not just for cash but for a chance at redemption and a foothold in a life that threatens to slip away.

When his former commander, Lt. Kruger, offers a sizable, off‑the‑books bounty, Kellog is drawn into a high‑stakes pursuit. The target is Victor Hale, a massive ex‑convict whose notoriety is tied to a lethal leather‑and‑steel glove—a relic of prison brutality that has become his signature. The hunt promises a clash of raw physicality and street‑wise savvy, especially as another bounty hunter from New York, Harry Iverson, surfaces with his own agenda, adding a competitive edge to the already volatile mix.

The film’s core is the tense cat‑and‑mouse dance between a desperate hunter and a formidable quarry, set against a city that seems intent on swallowing both. Themes of financial desperation, fractured family ties, and the thin line between law and vengeance weave through the narrative, creating a world where every confrontation feels both inevitable and fraught with moral ambiguity.

Can’t find your movie? Request a summary here.

Movies with Similar Twists and Themes

Uncover films that echo the narrative beats, emotional arcs, or dramatic twists of the one you're exploring. These recommendations are handpicked based on story depth, thematic resonance, and spoiler-worthy moments — perfect for fans who crave more of the same intrigue.