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IMDb > Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
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Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.2/10   2,944 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 15% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Fred Niblo
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Writers:
Lew Wallace (novel)
June Mathis (adaptation)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 October 1927 (USA) more
Tagline:
The Picture Every Christian Ought to See! more
Plot:
Erstwhile childhood friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala meet again as adults, this time with Roman officer Messala as conqueror and Judah as a wealthy... more | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
The Ultimate Guide to TCM's 31 Days of Oscar Begins Here
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 31 January 2009, 5:56 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Silent Film Making at It's Best more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Ben-Hur (USA) (short title)
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Runtime:
143 min | Germany:151 min (restored version)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (2-strip Technicolor) (some sequences) | Black and White (tinted)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Silent
Certification:
Finland:S | Sweden:15
Filming Locations:
Anzio, Rome, Lazio, Italy more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
According to The Guinness Book of World Records (2002), the movie contains the most edited scene in cinema history. Editor Lloyd Nosler compressed 200,000 feet (60,960 meters) of film into a mere 750 feet (228.6 meters) for the chariot race scene - a ratio of 267:1 (film shot to film shown). more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When Ben Hur first sees Jesus and is given water, Jesus seems to be standing upright, but the arm giving Ben Hur the water seems to be be coming from originating from around his knee. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Everything Happens at Night (1939) more

FAQ

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21 out of 24 people found the following comment useful:-
Silent Film Making at It's Best, 21 June 2000
9/10
Author: Brian J. Smith from Gloucester, Ontario, Canada

The 1925 version of Ben-Hur is an outstanding example of silent film making at it's best. With the proverbial cast of thousands, it compares favorably with it's more expensive and lavish 1959 remake. Had the Academy Awards been given out at this time, Ben-Hur would undoubtedly have won it's share.

The video version that I saw was restored to it's original splendor complete with tints and two color technicolor sequences, They are quite spectacular and hold up quite well today. The birth of Christ sequence is most memorable.

The flagship sequences, the sea battle and the chariot race, are expertly staged and remain the most exciting parts of the picture. They are as good as those in the 1959 version.

The casting is, for the most part, excellent. Ramon Navarro as Judah and Francis X. Bushman as Messala stand out. The only problem is the casting of May McEvoy as Esther. With her blond hair, blue eyes and riglets, she looks more like a Mary Pickford want to be than a Jewish slave girl.

Despite all of it's well documented production problems, Ben-Hur still is one of the best movies of all time, silent or sound.

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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Just Saw It: Part II shandy8
Two different Thames Silent versions angmc43
What I Liked and Disliked suel41452
strange light roman_g
Is there a crappy dvd out there with only the B+W? vintage_houstonguy
PLEASE TELL ME... roman_g
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