Charlton Heston in Ben Hur (1959)

Ben-Hur color still set image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

Ben-Hur returned to the silver screen in 1959 courtesy of MGM. Nominated for 12 Academy Awards, Ben-Hur remains the epitome of the big Hollywood spectacular. Ah, the fabulous chariot race!

Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur is based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace (1827-1905). During the American Civil War, Wallace had risen to the rank of major general in the Union Army.

Ben-Hur Stage Production, Silent Movies

Ben-Hur was brought to the stage in 1899 with William Farnum in the title role. An elaborate production for its day, the stage version featured elegant sets, handsome costumes, large crowd scenes and even a chariot race with real horses.

Director Sidney Olcott filmed one of the play’s live chariot races, added some interior shots and released his silent movie version of Ben-Hur via the Kalem Company in 1907. The Lew Wallace estate cited copyright violation, and successfully sued Kalem, winning a $25,000 judgment – the first of its kind in motion picture history.

The Goldwyn Picture Corporation secured the movie rights to Ben-Hur in 1922. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, made for a then staggering $3.9 million, was subsequently released as a silent picture by MGM in 1925, with Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman in the starring roles.

Ben-Hur Returns in 1959

MGM had wanted to do a sound remake of Ben-Hur for years, but only with the right director at the helm. Producer Sam Zimbalist and MGM eventually found him in William Wyler, whose services they secured for a cool $1 million, the highest salary ever paid to a director up to that time.

Karl Tunberg, with uncredited assistance from Maxwell Anderson, Christopher Fry and Gore Vidal, wrote the screenplay. Miklos Rozsa, who completed his work in eight weeks, served up the film’s majestic music score.

William Wyler Casts Ben-Hur

Director William Wyler had free reign in casting Ben-Hur. He eventually settled on Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, with Jack Hawkins (Quintus Arrius), Haya Haraeet (Esther), Stephen Boyd (Messala), Hugh Griffith (Sheik Ilderim), Martha Scott (Miriam), Cathy O’Donnell (Tirzah), Sam Jaffe (Simonides), Finlay Currie (Balthasar) and Frank Thring (Pontius Pilate) in crucial roles.

Also considered for starring roles in Ben-Hur were Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman and Rock Hudson (Ben-Hur) and Robert Ryan and Leslie Nielsen (Messala).

Ben-Hur Filmed in Italy

Budgeted at a whopping $15 million, Ben-Hur was filmed on location in Italy, with some additional scenes shot at MGM Studios in Culver City, California.

In Rome, MGM rented Cinecitta Studios, taking over sound stages, dressing rooms, offices and cutting rooms. A number of magnificent exterior sets were constructed, including the gate to Jerusalem, the House of Hur and Pilate’s palace.

The Great Circus of Antioch, the site of the spectacular chariot race, was the largest of all the sets. Located off to the side was a practice track, where Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd were taught how to handle horse-drawn chariots.

Ben-Hur’s Famous Chariot Race

The site of Ben-Hur’s famous chariot race encompassed 18 acres, with 40,000 tons of sand trucked in to make the track. Hired to fill the stadium were 4,000 extras, who were then shifted around in military precision in order to film different angles. The chariot race took five weeks to complete.

Joe Canutt, son of legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt, performed the most dangerous chariot stunts. The younger Canutt was nearly crushed to death in one scene, where Ben-Hur’s chariot is seen leaping over the wreckage from the race.

Judah Ben-Hur and the Crucifixion

The motion picture centers on Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur, who is reunited with his childhood friend, Messala, the new Roman commander of Jersualem. Concerned about growing Jewish protests and mounting criticism of Rome’s rule, Messala unsuccessfully tries to enlist the assistance of his old friend.

When the two have a falling out, Messala condemns Ben-Hur to the galley of a slave ship and Judah’s mother and sister, Miriam and Tirzah, to prison. While at sea, Ben-Hur distinguishes himself in battle, saving the life of the powerful Roman commander Quintus Arrius.

A free man once again with Arrius as his grateful sponsor, Ben-Hur learns the ways of Rome. He becomes an expert charioteer, driving Sheik Ilderim’s team of white Arabian stallions in a fabulous race in which the favored Messala is also entered.

Although told that his mother and sister had died, Ben-Hur eventually finds them alive in the Valley of the Lepers. After witnessing the execution of Christ, Ben-Hur discovers that his mother and sister have been cured of leprosy, a miracle attributed to the Crucifixion.

Ben-Hur Premieres in New York City

Ben-Hur premiered at New York City’s Loew’s State Theatre on November 18, 1959.

“A whale of a picture…The best of the Hollywood super-spectacles…” crowed Time magazine (11/30/59).

“Blockbuster to top all previous blockbusters…” reported Variety (11/18/59).

Ben-Hur Box Office, Academy Awards, DVD

• Ben-Hur was the top moneymaking film of 1959, grossing $36.922 million at the box office.
• Nominated for 12 Academy Awards, Ben-Hur took home 11 Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Wyler), Best Actor (Heston), Best Supporting Actor (Griffith), Best Color Cinematography (Robert Surtees), Best Color Costume Design (Elizabeth Haffenden), Best Music Scoring (Miklos Rozsa), Best Film Editing (Ralph E. Winters, John D. Dunning), Best Special Effects (A. Arnold Gillespie, Robert MacDonald, Milo B. Lory), Best Sound (Franklin Milton) and Best Color Art Direction-Set Decoration (William A. Horning, Edward C. Carfagno, Hugh Hunt).
• On DVD: Ben-Hur (Warner Home Video, 2004).

“The Entertainment Experience of a Lifetime!” promised one of Ben-Hur’s promotional taglines.

And, folks, they weren’t kidding…