Ben-Hur (1959)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Lew Wallace (novel)
Karl Tunberg (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

10 December 1959 (Argentina)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A Tale of the Christ

Plot:

When a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Roman | Jerusalem | Revenge | Galley

Awards:

Won 11 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Judah Ben-Hur
Jack Hawkins	...	Quintus Arrius
Haya Harareet	...	Esther
Stephen Boyd	...	Messala
Hugh Griffith	...	Sheik Ilderim
Martha Scott	...	Miriam
Cathy O'Donnell	...	Tirzah
Sam Jaffe	...	Simonides
Finlay Currie	...	Balthasar
Frank Thring	...	Pontius Pilate
Terence Longdon	...	Drusus
George Relph	...	Tiberius Caesar
André Morell	...	Sextus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ady Berber	...	Malluch (uncredited)
Marina Berti	...	Flavia (uncredited)
Hugh Billingsley	...	Mario (uncredited)
Jerry Brown	...	The Corinthian (uncredited)
Robert Brown	...	Chief of Rowers (uncredited)
Lando Buzzanca	...	Jewish Slave in the Desert (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	...	Sportsman (uncredited)
Otello Capanna	...	The Byzantine (uncredited)
Emile Carrer	...	Rower No. 28 (uncredited)
Richard Coleman	...	Metellus (uncredited)
Michael Cosmo	...	Raimondo (uncredited)
Alfredo Danesi	...	The Armenian (uncredited)
David Davies	...	Quaestor (uncredited)
Princess Carmen de Hohenlohe	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Victor De La Fosse	...	Galley Officer (uncredited)
Liana Del Balzo	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Mino Doro	...	Gratus (uncredited)
Michael Dugan	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Dino Fazio	...	Marcello (uncredited)
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Galley Officer (uncredited)
Giuliano Gemma	...	Roman in the Baths (uncredited)
John Glenn	...	Rower No. 42 (uncredited)
José Greci	...	Mary (uncredited)
Richard Hale	...	Gaspar (uncredited)
Claude Heater	...	Jesus - The Christ (uncredited)
John Horsley	...	Spintho (uncredited)
Eddie Juaregui	...	The Athenian (uncredited)
Bill Kuehl	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Duncan Lamont	...	Marius (uncredited)
Howard Lang	...	Hortator (uncredited)
Stevenson Lang	...	Blind Man (uncredited)
Lord Layton	...	Good Thief on Cross (uncredited)
John Le Mesurier	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Tutte Lemkow	...	Leper (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	...	The Lubian (uncredited)
Luigi Marra	...	The Syrian (uncredited)
Ferdy Mayne	...	Captain of Rescue Ship (uncredited)
Nona Medici	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Tiberio Mitri	...	Roman at Bath (uncredited)
Aldo Mozele	...	Barca (uncredited)
Thomas O'Leary	...	Starter at Race (uncredited)
Remington Olmstead	...	Decurian (uncredited)
Laurence Payne	...	Joseph (uncredited)
Aldo Pial	...	Cavalry Officer (uncredited)
Aldo Pini	...	Bad Thief on Cross (uncredited)
Diego Pozzetto	...	Villager (uncredited)
Edwin Richfield	...	Supplier to Leper Colony (uncredited)
Hector Ross	...	Officer (uncredited)
Maxwell Shaw	...	Rower No. 43 (uncredited)
Noel Sheldon	...	Centurion (uncredited)
Aldo Silvani	...	Man in Nazareth (uncredited)
Reginald Lal Singh	...	Melchior (uncredited)
Pietro Tordi	...	Pilate's Servant (uncredited)
Giuseppe Tosi	...	Chariot Driver (uncredited)
Ralph Truman	...	Aide to Tiberius (uncredited)
Raimondo Van Riel	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Stella Vitelleschi	...	Amrah (uncredited)
Dervis Ward	...	Jailer (uncredited)
Irina Wassilchikoff	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	...	The Egyptian - Chariot Racer (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
Lew Wallace		(novel) (as General Lew Wallace)
Karl Tunberg		(screenplay)
Maxwell Anderson		uncredited and
Christopher Fry		uncredited and
Gore Vidal		uncredited

Produced by
Sam Zimbalist	....	producer
William Wyler	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees		(director of photography) (as Robert L. Surtees)

Film Editing by
John D. Dunning
Ralph E. Winters

Casting by
Irene Howard		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Vittorio Valentini		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
William A. Horning

Set Decoration by
Hugh Hunt

Costume Design by
Elizabeth Haffenden

Makeup Department
Gabriella Borzelli	....	hair stylist
Charles E. Parker	....	makeup artist (as Charles Parker)

Production Management
Edward Woehler	....	unit production manager
Dave Friedman	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gus Agosti	....	assistant director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director
Alberto Cardone	....	assistant director
Andrew Marton	....	second unit director
Sergio Leone	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Mario Soldati	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Richard Thorpe	....	third unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ken Adam	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Mentor Huebner	....	primary conceptual artist and production illustrator (uncredited)
Harold Michelson	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Italo Tomassi	....	head scenic painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Sash Fisher	....	sound recordist
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
William Steinkamp	....	sound recordist
Van Allen James	....	co-supervising sound editor (uncredited)
Milo B. Lory	....	special sound effects (uncredited)
Mauro Zambuto	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special photographic effects
Robert R. Hoag	....	special photographic effects
Lee LeBlanc	....	special photographic effects
Doug Hubbard	....	special effects (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Robert MacDonald	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Babcock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunt double: Charlton Heston (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Michael Dugan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Juaregui	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd Stockman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunt double: Stephen Boyd (uncredited)
Ian Yule	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Piero Portalupi	....	additional photographer (as Pietro Portalupi)
Harold E. Wellman	....	additional photographer
Eric Carpenter	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Nino DiGiovanni	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Edward Phillips	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Piero Portalupi	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
John Schmitz	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Edward Wahrman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Harold E. Wellman	....	camera operator: third unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jack Martell	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Joan Bridge	....	color consultant: costumes
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant: settings
Fredric Steinkamp	....	associate editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Morgan Hudgins	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Ralph McCutcheon	....	horse trainer (uncredited)
Glenn H. Randall Sr.	....	horse trainer (uncredited)
Mauro Zambuto	....	set engineer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presented by)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1961) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1971) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (pan/scan)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Finland) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2002) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• V8 (2003) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Veronica (2004) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2004) (Finland) (TV)
• Net5 (2005) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Nothing's New Video (2005) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (4-disc collector's edition)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (19??) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Varus Video (19??) (Russia) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies

Also Known As:

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

212 min | Sweden:219 min (1970) | Sweden:224 min (1962) | UK:222 min (1993 re-release) | 214 min (DVD edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.76 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Dolby (1993 re-release)

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | China:(Banned) | South Korea:All | Brazil:12 | USA:Approved (certificate #19158) (original rating) | Canada:G (video rating) | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (1959) | Peru:PT | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) | USA:G (re-rating) (1969) | West Germany:16 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Anzio, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

According to his memoirs Stewart Granger was offered the role of Messala but claimed that he turned it down on the advice of his agent who recommended Granger not to play a supporting role to Charlton Heston.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Sheik Ilderim pins a Star of David onto Ben Hur's belt before the race, obviously to goad the Romans. The Star of David didn't become a symbol of Judaism until the Middle Ages, in Eastern Europe.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Balthasar: [narrating] In the Year of our Lord, Judea - for nearly a century - had lain under the mastery of Rome. In the seventh year of the reign of Augustus Caesar, an imperial decree ordered every Judean each to return to his place of birth to be counted and taxed. The converging ways of many of them led to the gates of their capital city...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator' (2005) (V)

Quite simply the finest epic movie of all time

What can you say about this film? It has everything, magnificent script, superb acting ,and the most famous chariot race in Hollywood history. Although the chariot race is the centrepiece of this spectacular ,it is by no means the only highlight.Ben Hur (Charlton Heston) is the victim of a terrible miscarriage of justice on himself and family ,and his dramatic adventures in the desert, at sea and finally back in Rome are just brimming with highlights. At the same time his meetings with Christ just add to the Wonderful drama that enfolds in this movie.It has a magnificent musical score which just adds to the drama,and I suspect the climax of the film would only leave the stone hearted unmoved.It has other great stars who make this a must see film ,particularly Jack Hawkins,Hugh Griffith and Stephen Boyd.

This is the sort of film Gladiator should have been but wasn't (what a waste). Still we'll always have Ben Hur to enjoy.