"Ben Hur" (1959)

Classic Movie Trailer

Ben Hur (1959)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

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

"Ben Hur" is a 1959 American epic religious drama film, directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Charlton Heston as the title character. A remake of the 1925 silent film with the same title, Ben-Hur was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay is credited to Karl Tunberg, but includes contributions from Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry.

Ben-Hur had the largest budget ($15.175 million), as well as the largest sets built, of any film produced at the time. Costume designer Elizabeth Haffenden oversaw a staff of 100 wardrobe fabricators to make the costumes, and a workshop employing 200 artists and workmen provided the hundreds of friezes and statues needed in the film.

Genre': Adventure, Drama, History
Release date: November 18, 1959

Director: William Wyler

Produced by: Sam Zimbalist
Screenplay by: Karl Tunberg
Based on: "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" by General Lew Wallace
Music: Miklós Rózsa
Cinematography: Robert L. Surtees
Edited by: John D. Dunning, Ralph E. Winters
Narrated by: Finlay Currie

Cast: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell, Sam Jaffe

Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Awards

Academy Awards (1960 / 32nd):
  • Best Picture
  • Best Actor in a Leading Role
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role
  • Best Director
  • Best Cinematography, Color
  • Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color
  • Best Costume Design, Color
  • Best Sound
  • Best Film Editing
  • Best Effects, Special Effects
  • Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
Golden Globe Awards (1960):
  • Best Motion Picture - Drama
  • Best Director
  • Best Supporting Actor
  • Special Award for directing the Chariot Race
BAFTA Awards (1960):
  • Best Film from any Source
Overall: 28 wins and 13 nominations

 Photo camera Credit 
* © 1959 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
** © 1959 Warner Bros.

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"Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959) *
Cathy O'Donnell, Haya Harareet, Martha Scott, Sam Jaffe, Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959) **
Sam Jaffe, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd | "Ben Hur" (1959) **
Claude Heater | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Ferdy Mayne | "Ben Hur" (1959) **
Jack Hawkins, Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Jack Hawkins, Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Haya Harareet | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston, Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell, Stephen Boyd | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston, Hugh Griffith | "Ben Hur" (1959)
 Stephen Boyd, Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Finlay Currie,  Richard Hale, Reginald Lal Singh | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Frank Thring, Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Jack Hawkins, Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959)
George Relph, Jack Hawkins | "Ben Hur" (1959)
"Ben Hur" (1959)
"Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959)
"Ben Hur" (1959)
William Wyler, Charlton Heston | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, William Wyler | "Ben Hur" (1959)
Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd | "Ben Hur" (1959)
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Year Released
1959