Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Poster
MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Up 721 this week

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)

143 min  -  Action | Adventure | Drama   -  8 October 1927 (USA)
8.0
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 8.0/10 from 4,438 users  
Reviews: 45 user | 13 critic

Erstwhile childhood friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala meet again as adults, this time with Roman officer Messala as conqueror and Judah as a wealthy... See full summary »

Writers:

Lew Wallace (by), June Mathis (adaptation), and 5 more credits »
 Loading Watchlist 

Watch now

Buy it from Amazon »
Oscar Nominations    Photos    more »

Related Lists

image of title
a list of 2,175 titles by Dr-Faustus created 8 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 900 titles by JohnnyGray created 09 Oct 2010
 
image of title
a list of 969 titles by cermus created 10 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 641 titles by bertramsharp created 2 weeks ago
 

Connect with IMDb


1 win See more awards »
Edit

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ramon Novarro ...
Francis X. Bushman ...
May McAvoy May McAvoy ...
Betty Bronson Betty Bronson ...
Mary
Claire McDowell Claire McDowell ...
Kathleen Key Kathleen Key ...
Carmel Myers Carmel Myers ...
Iras
Nigel De Brulier Nigel De Brulier ...
Simonides (as Nigel de Brulier)
Mitchell Lewis Mitchell Lewis ...
Leo White Leo White ...
Sanballat
Frank Currier Frank Currier ...
Arrius
Charles Belcher Charles Belcher ...
Dale Fuller Dale Fuller ...
Winter Hall Winter Hall ...
Joseph
Edit

Storyline

Erstwhile childhood friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala meet again as adults, this time with Roman officer Messala as conqueror and Judah as a wealthy, though conquered, Israelite. A slip of a brick during a Roman parade causes Judah to be sent off as a galley slave, his property confiscated and his mother and sister imprisoned. Years later, as a result of his determination to stay alive and his willingness to aid his Roman master, Judah returns to his homeland an exalted and wealthy Roman athlete. Unable to find his mother and sister, and believing them dead, he can think of nothing else than revenge against Messala. Written by Doug Sederberg <vornoff@sonic.net>  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

The Outstanding Attraction in America. The Greatest Wealth of Drama, Spectacle, Thrills, Awe Inspiring Magnitude, and Most Delicate Love Story ever presented in the History of the Theatres of the World. MIGHTY BEN-HUR See more »

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Ben-Hur See more »

Filming Locations:

Anzio, Rome, Lazio, Italy See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,900,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$4,359,000 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 | Germany: (restored version)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Color (2-strip Technicolor) (some sequences) | Black and White (tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

At $3.9 million, the most expensive silent movie ever. See more »

Goofs

Crew or equipment visible: At one point in the chariot race a man in modern clothing - light-colored shirt, long pants, dark shoes - can be seen running out of the crowd onto the track and waving his arms at the camera. That was assistant director William Wyler, who saw that one of the chariots - out of camera range - was approaching the curve of the track too fast and Wyler was signaling the director to have the crew cleaning up a crashed chariot to get out of the way. See more »

Connections

Featured in The Phantom of Hollywood (1974) See more »