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IMDbPro

Ben-Hur

  • 19591959
  • GG
  • 3h 32m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
242K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,228
199
Ben-Hur (1959)
Official Trailer
Play trailer3:00
5 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.
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
242K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,228
199
    • William Wyler
  • Writers
    • Lew Wallace(A Tale of Christ)
    • Karl Tunberg(screen play by)
    • Gore Vidal(contributing writer)
  • Stars
    • Charlton Heston
    • Jack Hawkins
    • Stephen Boyd
    • William Wyler
  • Writers
    • Lew Wallace(A Tale of Christ)
    • Karl Tunberg(screen play by)
    • Gore Vidal(contributing writer)
  • Stars
    • Charlton Heston
    • Jack Hawkins
    • Stephen Boyd
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 500User reviews
    • 135Critic reviews
    • 90Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #183
    • Won 11 Oscars

    Videos5

    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

    Photos317

    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
    • Tiberius Caesar
    André Morell
    André Morell
    • Sextus
    Nello Appodia
    • Oarsman
    • (uncredited)
    Fortunato Arena
    • Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Bruno Ariè
    • Roman Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Les Ballets Africains
    • Dancers at Roman Banquet
    • (uncredited)
    Emma Baron
    Emma Baron
    • Jewish Woman
    • (uncredited)
      • William Wyler
    • Writers
      • Lew Wallace(A Tale of Christ)
      • Karl Tunberg(screen play by)
      • Gore Vidal(contributing writer) (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
      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 Catalogue of Ships (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Overture
      Composed and Conducted by Miklós Rózsa

    User reviews500

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    The best of the "Intimate Epics"
    The same quality that made epics like "Gone with the Wind," "Lawrence of Arabia," "Doctor Zhivago," and, ultimately, "Titanic" the memorable stories they were is present in spades in "Ben-Hur." These are stories, though told on canvases far vaster than the CinemaScope- or Panavision-sized movie screens they were meant for, succeed because, in their best moments, they focus on the interaction between and history of as few as two characters.

    What begins as a childhood friendship between a Roman boy and a Jewish boy in Roman-occupied Palestine, becomes, briefly, a politically-charged rivalry, and ultimately, a search for revenge by one upon the other.

    Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd deliver the performances of their careers, and get to chew up scenery and sets of such grandeur that Hollywood could never afford their like again.

    This film, the greatest epic film ever made, deserves every accolade heaped upon it. The modern viewer may have to apply some patience, but at the end of the nearly four hour running time will find themselves to be vastly rewarded for it. You will find your life changed by both the scale of the film and the intimate message of friendship, betrayal, revenge--and the power of forgiveness.
    helpful•87
    60
    • Troydawg
    • Mar 31, 2000

    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)
      • United States
      • Official Facebook
      • Warner Bros. (United States)
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Corner of Via di Salone and Via delle Case Rosse, Salone Caves, Rome, Lazio, Italy
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 3 hours 32 minutes
      • Color

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