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Ben-Hur

  • 1959
  • G
  • 3h 32m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
250K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,954
1,327
Ben-Hur (1959)
Official Trailer
Play trailer3:00
6 Videos
99+ Photos
AdventureDrama

After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.

  • Director
    • William Wyler
  • Writers
    • Lew Wallace
    • Karl Tunberg
    • Gore Vidal
  • Stars
    • Charlton Heston
    • Jack Hawkins
    • Stephen Boyd
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    250K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,954
    1,327
    • Director
      • William Wyler
    • Writers
      • Lew Wallace
      • Karl Tunberg
      • Gore Vidal
    • Stars
      • Charlton Heston
      • Jack Hawkins
      • Stephen Boyd
    • 512User reviews
    • 92Critic reviews
    • 90Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Top rated movie #184
    • Won 11 Oscars
      • 29 wins & 13 nominations total

    Videos6

    Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collectors Edition [Blu-Ray]
    Trailer 3:00
    Watch Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collectors Edition [Blu-Ray]
    Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition [Blu-Ray]
    Trailer 1:53
    Watch Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition [Blu-Ray]
    Ben-Hur
    Trailer 4:03
    Watch Ben-Hur
    Streaming Passport: The Roman Empire
    Clip 4:38
    Watch Streaming Passport: The Roman Empire
    Ben-Hur | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:19
    Watch Ben-Hur | Anniversary Mashup
    Ben Hur: Clip 1
    Clip 1:01
    Watch Ben Hur: Clip 1

    Photos326

    Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments (1956)
    Charlton Heston and William Wyler in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Joe Canutt in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet, and Sam Jaffe in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, and Ferdy Mayne in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Charlton Heston, Haya Harareet, Sam Jaffe, Cathy O'Donnell, and Martha Scott in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Charlton Heston and Haya Harareet in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Charlton Heston and John Glenn in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd in Ben-Hur (1959)
    Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur (1959)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charlton Heston
    Charlton Heston
    • Judah Ben-Hur
    Jack Hawkins
    Jack Hawkins
    • Quintus Arrius
    Stephen Boyd
    Stephen Boyd
    • Messala
    Haya Harareet
    Haya Harareet
    • Esther
    Hugh Griffith
    Hugh Griffith
    • Sheik Ilderim
    Martha Scott
    Martha Scott
    • Miriam
    Cathy O'Donnell
    Cathy O'Donnell
    • Tirzah
    Sam Jaffe
    Sam Jaffe
    • Simonides
    Finlay Currie
    Finlay Currie
    • Balthasar…
    Frank Thring
    Frank Thring
    • Pontius Pilate
    Terence Longdon
    Terence Longdon
    • Drusus
    George Relph
    George Relph
    • Tiberius Caesar
    André Morell
    André Morell
    • Sextus
    Umberto Alivernini
    • Officer Spectator at the Chariot Race
    • (uncredited)
    Armando Annuale
    • Witness at the Birth of Jesus
    • (uncredited)
    Artemio Antonini
    • Galley Guard
    • (uncredited)
    Nello Appodia
    • Oarsman
    • (uncredited)
    Fortunato Arena
    • Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • William Wyler
    • Writers
      • Lew Wallace
      • Karl Tunberg
      • Gore Vidal(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The chariot race required 15,000 extras on a set constructed on 18 acres of backlot at Cinecitta Studios outside Rome. Tour buses visited the set every hour. Eighteen chariots were built, with half being used for practice. The race took five weeks to film.
    • Goofs
      (at around 2h 35 mins) During the chariot race just before Ben-Hur's chariot jumps the wrecked chariot, stunt driver Joe Canutt can be seen dropping the reins and grabbing hold of the side of the his chariot (his father, stunt coordinator-2nd unit director Yakima Canutt, had instructed him to grip the underside of the chariot's railing. Joe ignored him, or forgot, and grasped the railing from the top, and was vaulted over the top of the chariot, which could have been fatal had his quick reflexes and strength not allowed him to haul himself back over the vehicle's yoke before he fell between the horses and chariot).
    • Quotes

      Quintus Arrius: Your eyes are full of hate, forty-one. That's good. Hate keeps a man alive. It gives him strength.

    • Crazy credits
      The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion is shown in a still-frame to appear looking peaceful at the beginning rather than roaring.
    • Alternate versions
      The first DVD release had an "Intermission" title card printed in a different font from the one used in the theatrical film and on the second, 4-disc DVD release.
    • Connections
      Edited into Spisok korabley (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Overture
      (uncredited)
      Composed and Conducted by Miklós Rózsa

    User reviews512

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Stunning Film That Was Worthy of 11 Oscars
    "Ben-Hur" is a dominant Best Picture Oscar winner that is perhaps more impressive now than it was when it was first released in 1959. Charlton Heston (Oscar-winning) stars as a rich Jewish nobleman during the time of Jesus Christ who is turned into a slave by the Romans after a freak accident. Now he is manning an oar in a ship's galley and his family is imprisoned. Years pass and now Heston is after the former childhood friend (Stephen Boyd), a Roman, that turned against him. The 17 minutes of footage for the chariot race is some of the best during the history of the cinema. Hugh Griffith won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and William Wyler won his third and final Best Director Oscar. A monumental film that is great in every cinematic category known to man. 5 stars out of 5.
    helpful•137
    92
    • tfrizzell
    • Mar 15, 2001

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    Production art
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    FAQ2

    • What are some differences between the different versions of the story?
    • Why does Sheik Ilderim believe Judah does not like the meal he was served? Why does Balthasar seem to want him to burp?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 18, 1959 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Warner Bros. (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
    • Filming locations
      • Corner of Via di Salone and Via delle Case Rosse, Salone Caves, Rome, Lazio, Italy(Valley of the Lepers)
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $74,432,704
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $241,792
      • Apr 14, 2019
    • Gross worldwide
      • $74,437,720
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      3 hours 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.75 : 1

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