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:

Rescue From Drowning | Narration | Friend | Prayer | Male Female Relationship

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)
• CBS Television (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)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (19??) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Varus Video (19??) (Russia) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

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:

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

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) | 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:

Author Lew Wallace's preference was that the face of Christ should not be seen in the film. He was played by opera singer Claude Heater, who went uncredited for his only film role.

Goofs:

Continuity: An establishing shot of Jerusalem in the opening sequence shows a hooded Ben-Hur, long before he is born. The scene appears again later in the film as Judah Ben-Hur returns to Jerusalem from Rome.

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:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

Deserved All The Honors

Wow, what can you say about a film that won 11 Academy Awards back in the days where the best films actually were honored, not the garbage they salute today.

In other words, this film lives up to its reputation and has to be ranked as one of the most memorable movies of all time. Nobody who ever saw this film ever forgot the chariot race, for instance, perhaps the greatest action scene filmed without special effects.

This can be a very sad film as well. I doubt if I've ever watched this without a few tears in my eyes at certain points. The scenes with hero's mother and sister suffering with leprosy are still some of the most heart-wrenching scenes I've ever witnessed on film. They can just tear you apart.

The combination of drama, action and romance, along with very involving storyline is aided by an incredible soundtrack, once again one of the best ever put on film. The more one hears this music, the more was is moved by it.

To fully appreciate the cinematography in this film I recommend you purchase the recently-released 4-disc DVD special edition which also includes the first rendition of this story, the silent movie "Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ." That was name of the book, by the way, the second part of the title being left off the 1959 movie as Hollywood slowly began deemphasizing Christianity in films. However, there is a reverence for Jesus Christ in this film, which should be there since it's a key element of the storyline, even though most folks forget that.

In summary, this is about as good an example as ever found of what is labeled an "epic" movie. It's an incredible story transferred memorably on screen.