The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

George Stevens
(more)

Writers:

Fulton Oursler (book)
Henry Denker (source writings)
(more)

Release Date:

9 April 1965 (UK)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

The life of Jesus Christ.

Plot Keywords:

Epic | Jesus Christ | Faith | John The Baptist | Narration

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars.

Cast

Max von Sydow	...	Jesus
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	James the Younger
Carroll Baker	...	Veronica
Ina Balin	...	Martha of Bethany
Victor Buono	...	Sorak
Richard Conte	...	Barabbas
Joanna Dunham	...	Mary Magdalene
José Ferrer	...	Herod Antipas
Van Heflin	...	Bar Amand
Charlton Heston	...	John the Baptist
Martin Landau	...	Caiaphas
Angela Lansbury	...	Claudia
Pat Boone	...	Angel at the Tomb
Janet Margolin	...	Mary of Bethany
David McCallum	...	Judas Iscariot
Roddy McDowall	...	Matthew
Dorothy McGuire	...	The Virgin Mary
Sal Mineo	...	Uriah
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Shemiah
Donald Pleasence	...	The Dark Hermit - Satan
Sidney Poitier	...	Simon of Cyrene
Claude Rains	...	King Herod
Gary Raymond	...	Peter
Telly Savalas	...	Pontius Pilate
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Nicodemus
Paul Stewart	...	Questor
John Wayne	...	Centurion at crucifixion
Shelley Winters	...	Woman who is healed
Ed Wynn	...	Old Aram
John Abbott	...	Aben
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Captain of lancers
Michael Ansara	...	Herod's commander
Robert Blake	...	Simon the Zealot
Burt Brinckerhoff	...	Andrew
Robert Busch	...	Emissary
John Considine	...	John
Philip Coolidge	...	Chuza
John Crawford	...	Alexander
Frank DeKova	...	The tormentor (as Frank de Kova)
Cyril Delevanti	...	Melchior
Jamie Farr	...	Thaddaeus
David Hedison	...	Philip
Russell Johnson	...	Scribe
Mark Lenard	...	Balthazar
Robert Loggia	...	Joseph
John Lupton	...	Speaker of Capernaum
Peter Mann	...	Nathanael
Tom Reese	...	Thomas
Marian Seldes	...	Herodias
David Sheiner	...	James the Elder
Frank Silvera	...	Caspar
Joseph Sirola	...	Dumah
Abraham Sofaer	...	Joseph of Arimathaea
Harold J. Stone	...	Gen. Varus
Chet Stratton	...	Theophilus
Michael Tolan	...	Lazarus
Ron Whelan	...	Annas
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gene Roth
Richard Bakalyan	...	Good thief on cross (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth	...	(uncredited)
Marc Cavell	...	Bad thief on cross (uncredited)
Jay C. Flippen	...	Drunken soldier (Herod Antipas' court) (uncredited)
Kay Hammond	...	(uncredited)
Dal Jenkins	...	Philip (uncredited)
Celia Lovsky	...	Woman behind railings (uncredited)
Victor Lundin	...	Centurion guard (uncredited)
Dorothy Neumann	...	(uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Jacob of Bethlehem (uncredited)
Joseph V. Perry	...	Archelaus (uncredited)
John Pickard	...	Peter's accuser #2 (uncredited)
Frank Richards	...	(uncredited)
Johnny Seven	...	Pilate's aide (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	Rabble rouser (uncredited)
Norm Taylor	...	Roman Soldier at Crucifixion (uncredited)
Randall Taylor	...	Male Baby Extra (uncredited)
Renata Vanni	...	Weeping woman (uncredited)
Ronald Walkshorse	...	Male Child Extra (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	(uncredited)
Jimmy Yates	...	Herodian Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
George Stevens
David Lean		(some scenes) (uncredited)
Jean Negulesco		(some scenes) (uncredited)

Writing credits
Fulton Oursler		(book)
Henry Denker		(source writings)
James Lee Barrett		(screenplay) and
George Stevens		(screenplay)
Carl Sandburg		uncredited

Produced by
Frank I. Davis	....	executive producer
George Stevens	....	producer
George Stevens Jr.	....	associate producer
Antonio Vellani	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Loyal Griggs		(director of photography)
William C. Mellor		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress
Argyle Nelson Jr.
J. Frank O'Neill		(as Frank O'Neil)

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Art Direction by
William J. Creber		(as William Creber)
Richard Day
David S. Hall		(as David Hall)

Set Decoration by
Fred M. MacLean		(as Fred MacLean)
Ray Moyer
Norman Rockett

Costume Design by
Marjorie Best
Vittorio Nino Novarese

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ridgeway Callow	....	assistant director
William Hale	....	second unit director
Richard Talmadge	....	second unit director
John Veitch	....	assistant director

Art Department
Sam Gordon	....	property master

Sound Department
Charles E. Wallace	....	sound

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Robert R. Hoag	....	special effects
J. McMillan Johnson	....	special effects
Clarence Slifer	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Henry Wills	....	stunt coordinator
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Johnny Hagner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Neil Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Norm Taylor	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Terhune	....	stunt double: John Wayne (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
R.B. Garig	....	grip
Homer Plannette	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	effects camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Intlekofer	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Hal Ashby	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Eliot Elisofon	....	color coordinator (uncredited)

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	choral supervisor
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Alfred Newman	....	conductor
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator
Hugo Friedhofer	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Fred Steiner	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gene Clinesmith	....	driver

Other crew
John Dutton	....	script supervisor (as John C. Dutton)
Carl Sandburg	....	creative associate
Tony Van Renterghem	....	director of research

Production Companies

• George Stevens Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1975) (USA) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• United Artists (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1965) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Fox-MGM (2007) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

George Stevens Presents The Greatest Story Ever Told (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

199 min (edited version) | USA:141 min (re-issue version) | USA:225 min (premiere version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.76 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

South Korea:All | West Germany:6 (f) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1972)

Filming Locations:

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

George Stevens Productions

Trivia:

Martin Landau has said in interviews that half of his part was deleted in the editing stage.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In the film Judas Iscariot kills himself by jumping into a fire, but the Gospel accounts of this story say he hung himself. Also, after the Gospels, at the beginning of the Book of Acts, it is reported that Judas also died when he fell and his body split open, perhaps in the act of hanging himself. No where is his death associated with a fire. However, the director certainly was aware of these reports. As in other scenes in the movie, he may have decided to use a theatrical device to suggest something to the audience. Because Hell is popularly linked with fire, the implication may be that Judas sent himself to Hell, as if he literally jumped into it.

Quotes:

Narrator: [first lines]
Narrator: In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I am He. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him, was made nothing that has been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of man. And the light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness grasped it not. The greatest story ever told...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Golden Girls: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sophia? (#6.8)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

Hallelujah Chorus

The Saddest Story Ever Told?

History has not been kind to this film. It suffered through an extended and sometimes turbulent gestation. It's birth was, at best, painful.

George Stevens, its director, producer, co-writer, and guiding force, spent the better part of a decade bringing this project to the screen. Even with all his considerable experience, it seems he was unable to translate his vision into the cinematic experience it deserved. At times we see flashes of what he must have had in mind. More often we see a film, for all its' moments of brilliance, stumble into exactly the sort of C.B. DeMille pomposity Stevens was surely trying to avoid. Much has been made of his "who's who of Hollywood" approach to the casting of smaller roles, which led to a "who's that" reaction in the theater. However, that approach to casting has been used before and since to positive effect. So the fault doesn't lie there. The fault lies, it seems, in an embarrassment of riches. Mr. Stevens simply had too much. Too much money. Too much talent. Too much time. Too much control. And too little willingness, it would seem, to accept input from others. Is the film a total failure? Of course not. There is much greatness in "The Greatest Story Ever Told". The cinematography is breathtaking. The Alfred Newman score, at least the portions Stevens left unadulterated in the film, is magnificent. Some of the individual performances are compelling. Could it have been better? Should it have been better? Absolutely.

It has always been my belief that there was a successful movie made, called "The Greatest Story Ever Told". Sadly no one ever saw it. Worst of all is the absolutely dreadful version of this movie currently on videocassette. It is nearly an hour shorter than the original road-show presentation, and, while letterboxed, is in the incorrect 2.35x1 "scope" aspect ratio rather than the correct 2.75x1 ratio the Ultra Panavision-70 cameras filmed in. In addition, regardless of what the box says, the soundtrack is in Hi-Fi Mono! Ken Darby, composer Alfred Newman's long time associate, wrote a book, entitled "Hollywood Holyland", which chronicles his first hand experiences working on this film. It is a "must-read" for anyone interested in the cinematic art.