Happy 65th Anniversary to MGM’s ‘Ben-Hur’ (1959)
One of the greatest epics in Hollywood history
On November 18, 1959, Ben-Hur premiered at Loew’s State Theatre in New York City. Adapted from Lew Wallace’s 19th-century bestseller Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, MGM’s epic had the largest budget ($15+ million) and the largest sets of any film yet produced.
Starring Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur received 12 Oscar nominations and landed 11 statuettes. It held the record for most Academy Award wins until tied by Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
Two of its most famous sequences — a Roman naval battle and an exciting chariot race — still hold their own even in 2024.
I was first introduced to MGM’s famous epic sometime in my adolescence during the late 1970s or early 80s. At first, it was that naval battle and chariot race that grabbed me. In time, I came to appreciate its story.
Judah Ben-Hur’s journey from quasi-pacifist compliance with Roman occupation to victimhood and a thirst for vengeance and finally peace was one I came to see that the entire world needed. The closing scene that…
*spoiler alert, but you’ve had 65 years to see this movie!*
