In what year was the highly acclaimed film 'Ben Hur' released?
"New York City on November 18, 1959. Present at the premiere were William Wyler, Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet, Martha Scott, Ramon Novarro (who played Judah Ben-Hur in the 1925 silent film version), Spyros Skouras (president of the 20th Century Fox), Barney Balaban (president of Paramount Pictures), Jack L. Warner (president of Warner Bros.), Leonard Goldenson (president of the American Broadcasting Company), Moss Hart (playwright), Robert Kintner (an ABC Television executive), Sidney Kingsley (playwright), and Adolph Zukor (founder of Paramount Pictures). During its initial release the film earned $33.6 million in North American theater rentals (the distributor's share of"
"of ""Ben-Hur"" is considered one of the greatest films ever made and was seen by tens of millions, going on to win a record 11 Academy Awards in 1960, after which the book's sales increased and it surpassed ""Gone with the Wind"". It was blessed by Pope Leo XIII, the first novel ever to receive such praise. The success of the novel and its stage and film adaptations also helped it to become a popular cultural icon that was used to promote numerous commercial products. The story recounts the adventures of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem, who is"
"in 1969. By 1989, ""Ben-Hur"" had earned $90 million in worldwide theatrical rentals. ""Ben-Hur"" received overwhelmingly positive reviews upon its release. Bosley Crowther, writing for ""The New York Times"", called ""Ben-Hur"" ""a remarkably intelligent and engrossing human drama"". While praising the acting and William Wyler's ""close-to"" direction, he also had high praise for the chariot race: ""There has seldom been anything in movies to compare with this picture's chariot race. It is a stunning complex of mighty setting, thrilling action by horses and men, panoramic observation and overwhelming use of dramatic sound."" Jack Gaver, writing for United Press International, also"
"William Wyler, who would direct the 1959 remake. The black-and-white footage was color tinted and toned in the film's original release print. The studio's publicity department was relentless in promoting the film, advertising it with lines like: ""The Picture Every Christian Ought to See!"" and ""The Supreme Motion Picture Masterpiece of All Time"". Audiences flocked to ""Ben-Hur"" after its premiere in 1925 and the picture became MGM's highest-grossing film, with rentals of $9 million worldwide. Its foreign earnings of $5 million were not surpassed at MGM for at least 25 years. Despite the large revenues, its huge expenses and the"
"credits are ""My Gal Sal"" (1942), ""Standing Room Only"" (1944), ""Kitty"" (1945) both with Paulette Goddard, ""Because You're Mine"" (1952), ""Valley of the Kings"" (1954), ""Beau Brummell"" (1954), ""The Seventh Sin"" (1957), ""Count Your Blessings"" (1958), ""Libel"" (1959). He is perhaps best known for ""Ben Hur"" (1959). As noted in many contemporary sources, in addition to Tunberg, who had written the first script for the project more than five years before the start of principal photography, Christopher Fry and Gore Vidal contributed to the screenplay during filming. Maxwell Anderson and S.N. Behrman are also mentioned as contributing writers in the"
"the second highest-grossing film in history at the time after ""Gone with the Wind"". It won a record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Wyler), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Heston), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Griffith), and Best Cinematography – Color (Surtees). ""Ben-Hur"" also won three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Stephen Boyd. Today, ""Ben-Hur"" is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, and in 1998 the American Film Institute ranked it the 72nd best American film"
"Ben Hur (1907 film) Ben Hur is a 15-minute-long 1907 silent drama film, the first film version of Lew Wallace's novel """", one of the best-selling books at that time. The film was directed by Canadian director Sidney Olcott and Frank Oakes Rose. At fifteen minutes long, only a small portion of the story was put on screen. The focus of the piece was the chariot race, which was filmed on a beach in New Jersey with local firemen playing the charioteers and the horses that normally pulled the fire wagons pulling the chariots. In 1908, perhaps seeking to capitalize"
"a major studio. The film was re-released in 1931 with an added musical score, by the original composers William Axt and David Mendoza, and sound effects. As the decades passed, the original two-color Technicolor segments were replaced by alternative black-and-white takes. ""Ben-Hur"" earned $1,352,000 during its re-release, including $1,153,000 of foreign earnings, and made a profit of $779,000 meaning it had an overall profit of $81,000. It remains one of the few films at Rotten Tomatoes to maintain a 100% freshness rating. The film became notorious after its release for the egregious animal abuse involved in filming. A reported one"
"and lasted about five months, finishing in June 2015. ""Ben-Hur"" premiered on August 9, 2016 in Mexico City and was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on August 19, 2016 in the United States in 2D, 3D, RealD 3D, Digital 3D, and IMAX 3D. The film received generally negative reviews and was a box office bomb, grossing $94.1 million worldwide against its $100 million production budget plus a large amount spent on marketing and distribution. A Jewish nobleman, Judah Ben-Hur, and his adopted Roman brother Messala are best friends despite their different origins. Messala enlists in the Roman army"
"November 1911. This ruling established the precedent that all motion picture production companies must first secure the film rights of any previously published work still under copyright before commissioning a screenplay based on that work. Ben Hur (1907 film) Ben Hur is a 15-minute-long 1907 silent drama film, the first film version of Lew Wallace's novel """", one of the best-selling books at that time. The film was directed by Canadian director Sidney Olcott and Frank Oakes Rose. At fifteen minutes long, only a small portion of the story was put on screen. The focus of the piece was the"
"him instead the role of Messala, which Douglas rejected. Douglas then went on to star in ""Spartacus"" (1960). ""Ben-Hur"" cost $15 million to produce but earned $47 million by the end of 1961 and $90 million worldwide. Audiences mobbed movie theaters in the months after it opened. Critic Pauline Kael praised Wyler's achievement: In 1968 he directed Barbra Streisand in her debut film, ""Funny Girl"", costarring Omar Sharif, which became a huge financial success. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and like Audrey Hepburn in her first starring role, Streisand won as Best Actress, becoming the thirteenth actor to"
"of ""Ben-Hur"", which looked like it was going to be a phenomenal success, and were looking for other old MGM properties to remake. They obtained the necessary rights and announced they would make the movie in June 1958. Julian Blaustein was assigned as producer. Blaustein announced the story would be updated from World War I to World War II: The driving force of the book, is of love among men instead of hatred. I don't think it can be said often enough that such love is indispensable for all of us if we are to have any future. If a"
"several ""best of"" lists generated by the American Film Institute, an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1967. The ""AFI 100 Years... series"" were created by juries consisting of over 1,500 artists, scholars, critics, and historians, with movies selected based on the film's popularity over time, historical significance, and cultural impact. ""Ben-Hur"" appeared at #72 on the 100 Movies, #49 on the 100 Thrills, #21 on the Film Scores, #56 on the 100 Cheers and #2 on the AFI's 10 Top 10 Epic film lists. In 2004, the National Film Preservation Board selected ""Ben-Hur"""
"""Ben-Hur"" (1959), and ""Cleopatra"" (1963) were made in English with international casts and sometimes, but not always, Italian settings or themes. The heyday of what was dubbed '""Hollywood on the Tiber"" was between 1950 and 1970, during which time many of the most famous names in world cinema made films in Italy. With the release of 1958's ""Hercules"", starring American bodybuilder Steve Reeves, the Italian film industry gained entree to the American film market. These films, many with mythological or Bible themes, were low-budget costume/adventure dramas, and had immediate appeal with both European and American audiences. Besides the many films"
"scope and grand spectacle, ""Ben-Hur"" still ranks among Hollywood's finest examples of pure entertainment."" ""Ben-Hur"" was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won an unprecedented 11. , only ""Titanic"" in 1998 and """" in 2004 have matched the film's wins. The lone category where ""Ben-Hur"" did not win was for Best Adapted Screenplay (losing to ""Room at the Top""), and most observers attributed this to the controversy over the writing credit. MGM and Panavision shared a special technical Oscar in March 1960 for developing the Camera 65 photographic process. ""Ben-Hur"" also won three Golden Globe Awards – Best Motion Picture"
"32nd Academy Awards The 32nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was held on April 4, 1960 and took place at the RKO Pantages Theatre to honor the best films of 1959. The epic drama ""Ben-Hur"" won 11 Oscars, breaking the record of nine set the year before by ""Gigi"". ""Ben-Hur"" remained the most honored motion picture in Academy Award history until ""Titanic"" equaled the feat in 1997, followed by """" in 2003. ""Ben-Hur"" was the third film to win both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, a feat not repeated until ""Mystic River"""
"left the studio in 1953, leaving Hanna and Barbera to focus on the popular ""Tom and Jerry"" and ""Droopy"" series. After 1955, all cartoons were filmed in CinemaScope until MGM closed its cartoon division in 1957. In 1959, MGM enjoyed what is quite probably its greatest financial success of later years, with the release of its nearly four-hour Technicolor epic ""Ben–Hur"", a remake of its 1925 silent film hit, loosely based on the novel by General Lew Wallace. Starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the film was critically acclaimed, and won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, a record"
"and the 2nd best American epic film in the AFI's 10 Top 10. In 2004, the National Film Preservation Board selected ""Ben-Hur"" for preservation by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for being a ""culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"" motion picture. In AD 26, Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a wealthy prince and merchant in Jerusalem, who lives with his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott); his sister, Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell); and their female servant Amrah (Stella Vitelleschi). The family's loyal slave, the merchant Simonides (Sam Jaffe), pays a visit with his daughter, Esther (Haya Harareet). Judah and Esther"
"""Ben-Hur"" become one of the best-selling novels of its time. It not only reduced lingering American resistance to the novel as a literary form, but also later adaptations were instrumental in introducing some Christian audiences to theater and film. After the novel's publication in 1880, Wallace was deluged with requests to dramatize it as a stage play, but he resisted, arguing that no one could accurately portray Christ on stage or recreate a realistic chariot race. Dramatist William Young suggested a solution to represent Jesus with a beam of light, which impressed Wallace. In 1899, Wallace entered into an agreement"
"Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925 film) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a 1925 American silent epic adventure-drama film directed by Fred Niblo and written by June Mathis based on the 1880 novel """" by General Lew Wallace. Starring Ramon Novarro as the title character, the film is the first feature-length adaptation of the novel and second overall, following the 1907 short. In 1997, ""Ben-Hur"" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being ""culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."" Ben-Hur is a wealthy young Jewish prince and boyhood"
"February 1958, reaching $15.175 million by the time shooting began—making it the costliest film ever produced up to that time. When adjusted for inflation, the budget of ""Ben Hur"" was approximately $ in constant dollars. One notable change in the film involved the opening titles. Concerned that a roaring Leo the Lion (the MGM mascot) would create the wrong mood for the sensitive and sacred nativity scene, Wyler received permission to replace the traditional logo with one in which Leo the Lion is quiet. Lew Wallace's 1880 novel, """", ran to about 550 pages. Zimbalist hired a number of screenwriters"
"television was much longer. Whereas today it can take as brief a period as three years before a theatrical film shows up on commercial television, between 1954 and 1972 a theatrical motion picture (even a relatively recent one) usually had to wait as many as twelve years (as in the case of the 1959 ""Ben-Hur"") before it turned up on the home screen. A short-lived black-and-white ABC-TV series entitled ""Famous Film Festival"" had premiered in the fall of 1955, but had shown British films made in the 1940s and early 1950s. In 1957, ABC broadcast ""Hollywood Film Theater"", which also"
"soul for a thousand years of life as a man."" Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace published by Harper and Brothers on November 12, 1880, and considered ""the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century"". It became a best-selling American novel, surpassing Harriet Beecher Stowe's ""Uncle Tom's Cabin"" (1852) in sales. The book also inspired other novels with biblical settings and was adapted for the stage and motion picture productions. ""Ben-Hur"" remained at the top of the US all-time bestseller list until the publication of Margaret Mitchell's"
"it as the most influential Christian book of the 19th century. Others named it one of the best-selling novels of all time. At the time of ""Ben-Hur""'s one hundredth anniversary in 1980, it had ""never been out of print"" and had been adapted for the stage and several motion pictures. One historian, Victor Davis Hanson, has argued that ""Ben-Hur"" drew from Wallace's life, particularly his experiences at Shiloh, and the damage it did to his reputation. The book's main character, Judah Ben-Hur, accidentally causes injury to a high-ranking Roman commander, for which he and his family suffer tribulations and calumny."
"""Ben-Hur"" as the most influential Christian book of the 19th century, while others have identified it as one of the best-selling novels of all time. Carl Van Doren wrote that ""Ben-Hur"" was, along with ""Uncle Tom's Cabin"", the first fiction many Americans read. Wallace's original plan was to write a story of the biblical magi as a magazine serial, which he began in 1873, but he had changed its focus by 1874. ""Ben-Hur"" begins with the story of the magi, but the remainder of the novel connects the story of Christ with the adventures of Wallace's fictional character, Judah Ben-Hur."
"marched through the streets he collapses while carrying his cross. Judah recognizes him as the man who gave him water years before, and returns the gesture. Judah witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus, and Miriam and Tirzah are miraculously healed during the rainstorm following the crucifixion. Judah returns home a changed man and embraces Esther, Miriam and Tirzah. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) originally announced a remake of the 1925 silent film ""Ben-Hur"" in December 1952, ostensibly as a way to spend its Italian assets. Stewart Granger and Robert Taylor were reported to be in the running for the lead. Nine months later, MGM"
"Calvin Beck. Kevin Brownlow described an infamous incident at the Huff Society:It was a society that showed the rarest films — often in a double bill with a recognised classic. Everson's programme notes became world-famous (and let us hope that some enterprising publisher will bring them out). In 1959, MGM's ""Ben-Hur"" received rave reviews and Everson felt they were not deserved — so he showed the 1925 version at the Huff. Rival collector Raymond Rohauer, experiencing a little trouble himself over a lawsuit from MGM, told the FBI what Everson was doing, and they confronted him after the performance. They"
"of 'Ben Hur', starring Ramon Navarro. The ownership of the cinema later passed to Union and subsequently ABC Cinemas. The original ballroom was used as a venue by King George V for his Sandringham Hunt Balls. In , a scheme to demolish the Majestic Cinema and build a Multiplex in its place was denied. The plans were submitted to the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk by SMM Investments. Objectors to the cinemas demolition included the Lynn Civic Society, the national Cinema and Theatre Association, the Theatres Trust and councillor Dr Paul Richards. The owner of the Majestic"
"most expensive film ever made at the time. Far from leading to a decline in Italian cinema, the native industry boomed during the era. In 1960, Italian films outperformed American imports to Italy for the first time since 1946. However, there was a growing influence of Hollywood-style productions, as popular Italian genres such as the Sword-and-sandal and Spaghetti Western attempted to imitate successful Hollywood productions. Italian actors and directors often adopted English-sounding names. Cinecittà was at the peak of its international fame between the production of ""Ben Hur"" and ""Cleopatra"" (1958-1960). As the 1960s drew on, the fashion for classical"
"the University of Wales, Bangor, in 1980. Griffith died of a heart attack in London in 1980, shortly before his 68th birthday. Hugh Griffith Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh film, stage and television actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ""Ben-Hur"" (1959) and received an additional Oscar nomination in the same category for his work in ""Tom Jones"" (1963). Griffith was born in Marian-glas, Anglesey, Wales, the youngest son of Mary and William Griffith. He was educated at Llangefni County School and attempted to gain"
"Award winner Susan Hayward in the Canadian-based drama ""Woman Obsessed"". Some advertisements for this movie labeled Boyd as ""The New Gable."" He was then part of another excellent ensemble cast in the adaptation of Rona Jaffe's novel ""The Best of Everything"", filmed in May and June 1959 at Fox Studios in Hollywood and on location in New York City. ""Ben-Hur"" was released in December 1959 and immediately made Boyd an international star. His portrayal of the Roman tribune Messala brought in rave reviews. Press columnist Erskine Johnson wrote, ""A brass hat and the armor of a Roman warrior in ""Ben-Hur"""
"projects. He was an important personality in the early years of Hollywood and was one of the original founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In recognition of his role in the development of the film industry, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7014 Hollywood Boulevard on February 8, 1960. His ""Ben-Hur"" film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Fred Niblo died in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery near his wife Enid Bennett in Glendale, California. His son with"
"in copyright law. The movie was made without the permission of the author's estate, which was common practice at that time. The screenwriter, Gene Gauntier, remarked in her 1928 autobiography how the film industry at that time infringed upon everything. As a result of the production of ""Ben Hur"", Harper & Brothers, Klaw and Erlanger, and the author's estate brought suit against Kalem Studios and the Motion Picture Patents Company copyright infringement on 20 March 1908. The case was initially decided against Kalem on 11 May 1908. Ultimately, the United States Supreme Court ruled against the film company on 13"