After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Won 11 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 16 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Charlton Heston | ... |
Judah Ben-Hur
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| Jack Hawkins | ... |
Quintus Arrius
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| Haya Harareet | ... |
Esther
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| Stephen Boyd | ... |
Messala
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| Hugh Griffith | ... |
Sheik Ilderim
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| Martha Scott | ... |
Miriam
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| Cathy O'Donnell | ... |
Tirzah
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| Sam Jaffe | ... |
Simonides
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| Finlay Currie | ... |
Balthasar / Narrator
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| Frank Thring | ... |
Pontius Pilate
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| Terence Longdon | ... |
Drusus
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George Relph | ... |
Tiberius Caesar
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| André Morell | ... |
Sextus
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Fortunato Arena | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Bruno Ariè | ... |
Roman Officer (uncredited)
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Les Ballets Africains | ... |
Dancers at Roman Banquet (uncredited)
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| Emma Baron | ... |
Jewish Woman (uncredited)
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| Ady Berber | ... |
Malluch (uncredited)
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| Marina Berti | ... |
Flavia (uncredited)
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Hugh Billingsley | ... |
Mario (uncredited)
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| Jerry Brown | ... |
The Corinthian (uncredited)
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| Robert Brown | ... |
Chief of Rowers (uncredited)
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| Lando Buzzanca | ... |
Jewish Slave in the Desert (uncredited)
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| Joe Canutt | ... |
Sportsman (uncredited)
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Otello Capanna | ... |
The Byzantine (uncredited)
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Emile Carrer | ... |
Rower No. 28 (uncredited)
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Richard Coleman | ... |
Metellus (uncredited)
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Antonio Corevi | ... |
Senator (uncredited)
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Michael Cosmo | ... |
Raimondo (uncredited)
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Alfredo Danesi | ... |
The Armenian (uncredited)
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David Davies | ... |
Quaestor (uncredited)
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Carmen de Hohenlohe | ... |
Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
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Victor De La Fosse | ... |
Galley Officer (uncredited)
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Liana Del Balzo | ... |
Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
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| Mino Doro | ... |
Gratus (uncredited)
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Michael Dugan | ... |
Seaman (uncredited)
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Franco Fantasia | ... |
Roman Soldier Who Brings Crown to Gratus (uncredited)
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Dino Fazio | ... |
Marcello (uncredited)
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| Enzo Fiermonte | ... |
Galley Officer (uncredited)
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Bob Folkerson | ... |
Chariot Racer (uncredited)
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| Giuliano Gemma | ... |
Roman Officer with Messala (uncredited)
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John Glenn | ... |
Rower No. 42 (uncredited)
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| José Greci | ... |
Mary (uncredited)
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| Richard Hale | ... |
Gaspar (uncredited)
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| Claude Heater | ... |
Jesus - The Christ (uncredited)
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Prince Hohenlohe | ... |
Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
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| John Horsley | ... |
Spintho (uncredited)
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Eddie Juaregui | ... |
The Athenian (uncredited)
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William Kiehl | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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| Duncan Lamont | ... |
Marius (uncredited)
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| Howard Lang | ... |
Hortator (uncredited)
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| John Le Mesurier | ... |
Doctor (uncredited)
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| Tutte Lemkow | ... |
Leper (uncredited)
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| Cliff Lyons | ... |
The Lubian (uncredited)
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Luigi Marra | ... |
The Syrian (uncredited)
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| Ferdy Mayne | ... |
Captain of Rescue Ship (uncredited)
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| May McAvoy | ... |
Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
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Nona Medici | ... |
Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
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| Furio Meniconi | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Tiberio Mitri | ... |
Roman at Bath (uncredited)
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Aldo Mozele | ... |
Barca (uncredited)
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Thomas O'Leary | ... |
Starter at Race (uncredited)
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Remington Olmsted | ... |
Decurian (uncredited)
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| Laurence Payne | ... |
Joseph (uncredited)
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Aldo Pial | ... |
Cavalry Officer (uncredited)
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Vladimiro Picciafuochi | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Aldo Pini | ... |
Bad Thief on Cross (uncredited)
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| Ferdinando Poggi | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Diego Pozzetto | ... |
Villager (uncredited)
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Prince Raimondo | ... |
Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
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Stella Rho | ... |
Amrah (uncredited)
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| Edwin Richfield | ... |
Supplier to Leper Colony (uncredited)
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Mario Rivoltella | ... |
Undetermined Role (uncredited)
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Hector Ross | ... |
Officer (uncredited)
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Emanuele Ruspoli | ... |
Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
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| Amerigo Santarelli | ... |
Rower (uncredited)
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Maxwell Shaw | ... |
Rower No. 43 (uncredited)
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Noel Sheldon | ... |
Centurion (uncredited)
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Aldo Silvani | ... |
Man in Nazareth (uncredited)
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Umberto Silvestri | ... |
Guard on ship (uncredited)
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Reginald Lal Singh | ... |
Melchior (uncredited)
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Gianni Solaro | ... |
Galley Officer (uncredited)
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John Stevenson Lang | ... |
Blind Man (uncredited)
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Alfred Thomas | ... |
Oarsman (uncredited)
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Pietro Tordi | ... |
Pilate's Servant (uncredited)
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Giuseppe Tosi | ... |
Chariot Driver (uncredited)
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Ralph Truman | ... |
Aide to Tiberius (uncredited)
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Raimondo Van Riel | ... |
Old Man (uncredited)
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| Venantino Venantini | ... |
Palefrenier de la course de chars (uncredited)
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Dervis Ward | ... |
Jailer (uncredited)
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Irina Wassilchikoff | ... |
Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
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Joe Yrigoyen | ... |
The Egyptian - Chariot Racer (uncredited)
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| Nazzareno Zamperla | ... |
Roman Soldier with a Bow on Galley (uncredited)
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Directed by
| William Wyler | ||
Written by
| Lew Wallace | ... | (A Tale of Christ) (as General Lew Wallace) |
| Karl Tunberg | ... | (screen play by) |
| Gore Vidal | ... | (contributing writer) (uncredited) |
| Maxwell Anderson | ... | (contributing writer) (uncredited) |
| S.N. Behrman | ... | (contributing writer) (uncredited) |
| Christopher Fry | ... | (contributing writer) (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Sam Zimbalist | ... | producer |
| Sol C. Siegel | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| Joseph Vogel | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| William Wyler | ... | producer (uncredited) |
Music by
| Miklós Rózsa | ... | (as Miklos Rozsa) |
Cinematography by
| Robert Surtees | ... | director of photography (as Robert L. Surtees) |
Film Editing by
| John D. Dunning | ... | film editor |
| Ralph E. Winters | ... | film editor |
| Margaret Booth | ... | (uncredited) |
Editorial Department
| Joan Bridge | ... | color consultant: costumes |
| Charles K. Hagedon | ... | color consultant: settings |
| Frederick Muller | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
| Fredric Steinkamp | ... | supervising editor (uncredited) |
Casting By
| Irene Howard | ... | (uncredited) |
Production Design by
| Vittorio Valentini | ... | (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
| Edward C. Carfagno | ... | (as Edward Carfagno) |
| William A. Horning | ||
Set Decoration by
| Hugh Hunt | ... | (set decorations) |
Costume Design by
| Elizabeth Haffenden | ||
Makeup Department
| Gabriella Borzelli | ... | hair stylist |
| Charles E. Parker | ... | makeup (as Charles Parker) |
| John Truwe | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| Edward Woehler | ... | unit production manager |
| J.J. Cohn | ... | production manager (uncredited) |
| Dave Friedman | ... | production manager (uncredited) |
| Henry Henigson | ... | production manager (uncredited) |
| Maurizio Lodi-Fè | ... | assistant production supervisor (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Gus Agosti | ... | assistant director |
| Yakima Canutt | ... | second unit director |
| Alberto Cardone | ... | assistant director |
| Andrew Marton | ... | second unit director |
| John Alarimo | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
| Ferdinando Baldi | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
| Donald C. Klune | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
| Sergio Leone | ... | second unit director (uncredited) |
| Mario Soldati | ... | second unit director (uncredited) |
| Richard Thorpe | ... | third unit director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Sante Barelli | ... | scenic artist |
| Henry Greutert | ... | sculptor |
| Ken Adam | ... | assistant art director (uncredited) |
| Mentor Huebner | ... | primary conceptual artist and production illustrator (uncredited) |
| Harold Michelson | ... | storyboard artist (uncredited) |
| Massimo Palmieri | ... | contruction manager (uncredited) |
| Italo Tomassi | ... | head scenic painter (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Sash Fisher | ... | sound recordist |
| Franklin Milton | ... | recording supervisor |
| William Steinkamp | ... | sound recordist |
| Kurt Hernfeld | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| Harold Humbrock | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| Van Allen James | ... | co-supervising sound editor (uncredited) |
| Kendrick Kinney | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| John Lipow | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| John Logan | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| Milo B. Lory | ... | special sound effects (uncredited) |
| Lovell Norman | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| Mauro Zambuto | ... | sound engineer (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Umberto Dessena | ... | special effects (uncredited) |
| Doug Hubbard | ... | special effects (uncredited) |
| Petro Vlahos | ... | special effects engineer (uncredited) |
Visual Effects by
| A. Arnold Gillespie | ... | special photographic effects |
| Robert R. Hoag | ... | special photographic effects |
| Lee LeBlanc | ... | special photographic effects |
| Mario Bava | ... | special photographic effects (uncredited) |
| R.A. MacDonald | ... | visual effects (uncredited) |
| Cliff Shirpser | ... | special photographic effects (uncredited) |
| Matthew Yuricich | ... | matte artist (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Bill Babcock | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Jerry Brown | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Joe Canutt | ... | stunt double: Charlton Heston (uncredited) / stunts (uncredited) |
| Tap Canutt | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Otello Capanna | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Alfredo Danesi | ... | chariot master (uncredited) / stunts (uncredited) |
| Michael Dugan | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Bob Folkerson | ... | chariot driver (uncredited) |
| Mickey Gilbert | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Eddie Juaregui | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Cliff Lyons | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Luigi Marra | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Peter Perkins | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Nosher Powell | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Glenn Randall Jr. | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Doug Robinson | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| David Sharpe | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Boyd Stockman | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Charles Willcox | ... | chariot driver (uncredited) |
| Joe Yrigoyen | ... | stunt double: Stephen Boyd (uncredited) |
| Ian Yule | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Nazzareno Zamperla | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Domenico Parrello | ... | grip |
| Piero Portalupi | ... | additional photography (as Pietro Portalupi) |
| Harold E. Wellman | ... | additional photography |
| Eric Carpenter | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
| Nino DiGiovanni | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
| Owen Marsh | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Meredith M. Nicholson | ... | camera operator: second unit (uncredited) |
| Edward Phillips | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Piero Portalupi | ... | camera operator: second unit (uncredited) |
| John Schmitz | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
| Edward Wahrman | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Harold E. Wellman | ... | camera operator: third unit (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Joan Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
| Jack Martell | ... | wardrobe (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Alex Alexander | ... | musician: cello (uncredited) |
| Gus Bivona | ... | musician: clarinet (uncredited) |
| John T. Boudreau | ... | musician: drums (uncredited) |
| Manuel Compinsky | ... | musician: violin (uncredited) |
| Alexander Courage | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
| Leonard A. Engel | ... | supervising music editor (uncredited) |
| Conrad Gozzo | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
| Virginia Majewski | ... | musician: viola (uncredited) |
| Max Rabinowitz | ... | musician: piano (uncredited) |
| Uan Rasey | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
| Miklós Rózsa | ... | conductor (uncredited) / orchestrator (uncredited) |
| William Saracino | ... | music editor (uncredited) |
| Eugene Zador | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Yvonne Axworthy | ... | script supervisor (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Ferdinando Baldi | ... | historical advisor (uncredited) |
| Reynold Brown | ... | movie poster art (uncredited) |
| Oscar Doob | ... | publicist (uncredited) |
| Boyce R. Doyle | ... | special consultant: end credits (uncredited) |
| Morgan Hudgins | ... | unit publicist (uncredited) |
| Ralph McCutcheon | ... | horse trainer (uncredited) |
| Enzo Musumeci Greco | ... | master of arms (uncredited) |
| Glenn H. Randall Sr. | ... | horse trainer (uncredited) |
| Howard Strickling | ... | publicity director: MGM (uncredited) |
| Dan S. Terrell | ... | publicist (uncredited) |
| Mauro Zambuto | ... | set engineer (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presented by)
Distributors
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (United States) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1959) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (France) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Metro (1961) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1961) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1969) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- City Filmverhuur - MY (1971) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
- CBS (1971) (United States) (tv)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Japan) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1974) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- United Artists (1974) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release) (thru)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Finland) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (70mm re-release)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Japan) (theatrical) (re-release)
- MGM/CBS Home Video (1980) (United States) (VHS) (Betamax)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (1982) (Hungary) (theatrical) (re-release)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1982) (United States) (video) (CED VideoDisc)
- MGM/UA Home Video (1982) (United States) (VHS) (Betamax)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Philippines) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Turner Entertainment (1986) (World-wide)
- MGM/UA Home Video (1988) (United States) (VHS)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (United States) (VHS) (pan/scan)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Warner Home Video (1992) (Finland) (VHS)
- MGM/UA Home Video (1993) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1993) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1996) (United States) (VHS) (pan/scan)
- Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (new 35mm & 70mm prints)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (Finland) (tv)
- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
- Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
- Warner Bros. (2001) (Argentina) (re-release)
- Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2001) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2002) (United Kingdom) (tv) (BBC2)
- V8 (2003) (Netherlands) (tv)
- MTV3 (2004) (Finland) (tv)
- Veronica (2004) (Netherlands) (tv)
- Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD) (special edition)
- Net5 (2005) (Netherlands) (tv)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (4-disc collector's edition)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2006) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2011) (Australia) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2011) (Germany) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2011) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- More4 (2013) (United Kingdom) (tv)
- Warner Home Video (2013) (Germany) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2013) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2013) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2014) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (deluxe edition)
- Versión Digital (2015) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Warner Home Video (2016) (Spain) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Reel Corporation (2017) (Australia) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (through)
- Reel DVD (2017) (Australia) (DVD) (through)
- Roadshow Entertainment (2017) (Australia) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (through)
- Warner Home Video (2017) (Australia) (DVD)
- Flash Pictures (2012) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- MacMahon (1998) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1960) (India) (theatrical)
- Neue Visionen Filmverleih (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Warner Bros. (2014) (Spain) (theatrical)
- ARTE (2020) (France) (tv)
- Audio Visual Enterprises (1982) (Greece) (VHS)
- Cinemax (1993) (United States) (tv)
- Esselte Video (Finland) (VHS)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video)
- MGM/UA Home Video (West Germany) (VHS)
- Prem'er Video Fil'm (Russia) (VHS)
- United Artists Television (1981) (United States) (tv) (syndication) (for MGM Television)
- VUDU (2020) (United States) (video) (streaming)
- Varus Video (Russia) (VHS)
- Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland (2005) (Finland) (DVD) (4-disc edition)
- Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland (2011) (Finland) (Blu-ray) (3-disc edition)
- Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Cannes Film Festival (festival)
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment (camera cranes and dollies)
- Danesi Brothers of Rome (chariot makers)
- MGM Camera 65 (photographed by)
- Panavision (photographic lenses by)
- Steinheil (lenses manufactured by)
- Turner Entertainment (DVD package design)
- Warner Bros. Entertainment (DVD package design)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Judah Ben-Hur lives as a rich Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 1st century. Together with the new governor his old friend Messala arrives as commanding officer of the Roman legions. At first they are happy to meet after a long time but their different politic views separate them. During the welcome parade a roof tile falls down from Judah's house and injures the governor. Although Messala knows they are not guilty, he sends Judah to the galleys and throws his mother and sister into prison. But Judah swears to come back and take revenge.
Written by Matthias Scheler |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | A Tale of the Christ See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
| Also Known As |
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| Filming Locations |
Box Office
| Budget | $15,900,000 (estimated) |
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $196,200,000 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The only Hollywood film to make the Vatican-approved film list in the category of religion. See more » |
| Goofs | Sheik Ilderim pins a Star of David onto Ben-Hur's belt before the race, obviously to goad the Romans. The Star of David didn't become a symbol of Judaism until the Middle Ages, in Eastern Europe. The first reference occurs in the 12th Century. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Spisok korabley (2008). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Overture See more » |
| Crazy Credits | The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion is shown in a still-frame to appear looking peaceful at the beginning rather than roaring. See more » |
| Quotes |
Quintus Arrius:
Your eyes are full of hate, forty-one. That's good. Hate keeps a man alive. It gives him strength. See more » |