Ben Hur (1907)

The scene opens with an assembly of citizens who are harangued by one of their number, whose words have great weight with the crowd, and their attitude of approval shows that Roman misrule ... See full summary »

Directors:

Sidney Olcott, Frank Oakes Rose

Writers:

Gene Gauntier, Lew Wallace (novel)

Stars:

Gene Gauntier, Harry T. Morey, William S. Hart

Cast

Credited cast:
Gene Gauntier
Harry T. Morey

Storyline

The scene opens with an assembly of citizens who are harangued by one of their number, whose words have great weight with the crowd, and their attitude of approval shows that Roman misrule in Jerusalem has reached its climax. Heralds now approach and Roman soldiers beat back the crowd to make way for the approach of the Roman Procurator. The scene changes to the home of Ben Hur, who is seen with his sister and mother on the house top. The cavalcade of Roman troops approaches, and to get a near view Ben Hur leans from the coping and knocks down one of the stones thereof onto the shoulder of the Procurator. This is seen and misconstrued by the Governor, who orders soldiers to arrest the inmates; they, after ineffectual pleas and struggles, are carried off. Ben Hur is consigned to the galleys, where he is loaded with chains. Here he signalizes himself by saving the life of Arrias, who publicly adopts him as his son and proclaims him a Roman citizen amidst the acclamations of the ...

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | ben hur chatracter | two word title | ben hur character | jerusalem | 

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Taglines:

Positively the most super motion picture ever made

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Genres:

Short | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

7 December 1907 (USA)

Also Known As:

Бен-Гур

Filming Locations:

Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kalem Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

15 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first film based on the Roman empire.

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Connections

Version of Ben-Hur (1959)

User Reviews

6/10 for effort!

Remember, folks, this mini-Hur was made well over a century ago. It would be nearly two decades before the excellent 1926 version was produced. Still, this was a worthy effort for the time. It's a rare glimpse of Hollywood moviemaking in its infancy---interestingly, there are scene-change titles, but no dialogue cards---and this 13-minute incarnation gave audiences a taste of the 1880 Lew Wallace novel. (It also spares us the presence of the oft-overrated Charlton Heston.) If only for its historical value, this is worth at least one watch for film buffs.