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IMDb > Ben Hur (1907)
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Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   152 votes
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Writers:
Gene Gauntier (writer)
Lew Wallace (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Ben Hur on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 December 1907 (USA) more
Genre:
Short | Drama more
Tagline:
Positively the most super motion picture ever made
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
'Ben Hur' Is Back In The Chariot
 (From CinemaSpy. 6 May 2009, 12:43 PM, PDT)

ABC Revisiting Ben Hur
 (From TheMovingPicture. 26 March 2009, 9:54 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Watch it. It is short and an interesting insight to the capabilities of the era. more

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Additional Details

Runtime:
15 min
Country:
USA
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Silent
Company:
Kalem Company more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This version was unauthorized, and its makers were successfully sued for copyright infringement. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in 100 Years at the Movies (1994) (TV) more

FAQ

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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful:-
Watch it. It is short and an interesting insight to the capabilities of the era., 20 April 2002
Author: Fred Sivyer from Canada

I saw the first (1907) Ben Hur about 25 years ago in a film society back to back double feature with the Charlton Heston version. My memories are therefore fragmentary.

The film should be called "Illustrated scenes from the life of Ben Hur" as it really doesn't try to tell the story in the time available. If you hadn't read the book you wouldn't know what was going on. One of my recollections is my wife nudging me and saying "there's the tile that's going to fall". Above the rather pathetic and bored looking extras (showing off their knees in Roman army costume) one roof tile was very different from the rest - it wasn't painted onto the set!! Sure enough, Ben Hur leaned rather obviously on this brick.

The chariot race sticks in my mind too. A bunch of extras starts jumping up and down and two chariots race by the camera. The extras calm down and look bored for a while then start jumping up and down for the next rapid pass of two chariots. I can't remember how many times this was repeated, we were all laughing so hard that tears were running down my face.

It is mercifully short, and interesting to compare with the 1925 big budget spectacular (also silent of course) which foreshadows the third version with amazing special effects.

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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits News articles
IMDb Short section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

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