Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Amazing! Thrilling! Colossal! Mighty!
Country
Production
Budget
$3 950 000
Box office
$4 359 000
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Camera operator
Composer
Artist
Audition
Editing
Lloyd Nosler
Whole Team (32)
Whole Team (32)
Short description
Erstwhile childhood friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala meet again as adults, this time with Roman officer Messala as conqueror and Judah as a wealthy, though conquered, Israelite. A slip of a brick during a Roman parade causes Judah to be sent off as a galley slave, his property confiscated and his mother and sister imprisoned. Years later, as a result of his determination to stay alive and his willingness to aid his Roman master, Judah returns to his homeland an exalted and wealthy Roman athlete. Unable to find his mother and sister, and believing them dead, he can think of nothing else than revenge against Messala.
What's left behind the scenes
- The addition of extra actors (including the approval of Ramon Novarro for the role of Ben-Hur) and the replacement of the director significantly increased the film's previously planned budget. The studio's sales department, in advertising the film, used slogans such as: “This is a film that every Christian should see!” in an attempt to attract as wide an audience as possible to theaters. Although the film grossed around nine million dollars, its enormous expenses and the studio's onerous obligations to Erlanger prevented MGM from recouping its four million dollar investment in the film.
- “Ben-Hur” was not only a very successful novel but also a highly popular theatrical production that ran on stage for twenty-five years. Only in 1922, two years after the last tour of the “Ben-Hur” show, was the film company “Goldwyn Pictures” finally able to afford to acquire the rights to adapt the novel. The show's producer, Abraham Erlanger, demanded a price that was insurmountable for the studio. An agreement was reached only by offering him a very significant share of the project's profits and the ability to control every detail of the filmmaking process.
- The film is based on the novel of the same name by American writer Lew Wallace.
- The film is based on the novel of the same name by American author Lew Wallace.
- Some scenes of the film were shot using the two-color Technicolor process.
- One of the film's assistant directors was a very young William Wyler at the time, who would create a famous remake of this film in 1959.
- During the filming of the chariot race scene, the charioteers acted very slowly and cautiously, which greatly irritated Mayer. To make the scene more believable, he offered a prize of $100 to the winner of the race. The resulting terrible crash was filmed by the operator and is present in the film. Several horses died.
- A total of 60,960 meters (200,000 feet) of film were used during the filming of the chariot race scene, of which only 229 meters (750 feet) remained after editing. This scene has been repeated many times in other cinematic works. Specifically, it was replicated by William Wyler when filming the 1959 remake of this movie; it was also copied in 'The Prince of Egypt'; and it is impossible not to recall it while watching the racing scene in the first episode of 'Star Wars', filmed nearly 75 years later.
- The film is the second adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel. The previous one was released in 1907.
- Filming began in Italy in 1923.
- During the filming of the chariot race scene, the charioteers acted very slowly and cautiously, which greatly irritated Mayer. To make the scene more believable, he offered a $100 prize to the winner of the race. The resulting horrific crash was captured by the cinematographer and is included in the film. Several horses died.
- Work on the film began with Goldwyn Pictures in 1923, but in 1924 it merged with Metro Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to form Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM).
- The film was the second adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel. The previous one was released in 1907.
- One of the film's assistant directors was a very young William Wyler, who would go on to create the famous 1959 remake of this film.
- The film is the most expensive silent film in history – $3.9 million USD was spent on its production. In early 21st-century prices, this amounts to approximately $40 million.
- The additional cast (including the casting of Ramon Novarro as Ben-Hur) and the change of director significantly increased the movie's previously planned budget. In promoting the film, the studio's sales department used slogans such as: 'This is a picture every Christian must see!', attempting to attract the widest possible public to the theaters. Although the film grossed about nine million dollars, its enormous expenses and the studio's oppressive obligations to Erlanger meant that MGM was never able to recover its four-million-dollar investment in the film.
- A total of 60,960 meters (200,000 feet) of film were used during the filming of the chariot race scene, of which only 229 meters (750 feet) remained after editing. This scene has been repeatedly replicated in other cinematic works. In particular, it was recreated by William Wyler when filming a remake of the film in 1959; it was also copied in “The Prince of Egypt”; it is impossible not to recall it while watching the race scene in the first episode of “Star Wars,” filmed almost 75 years later.
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
