USA, 1925
143m
black and white; some sequences in 2-strip Technicolor, 1.33:1
silent
An American religious fantasy film directed by Fred Niblo.
Plot Summary
The story of a Jewish prince who is sold into slavery by his childhood friend, now a Roman officer. Years later he returns in search of his family and thirsting for revenge against his former friend. Features several scenes depicting the life and miracles of Jesus Christ including the healing of a leper.
Credits
Crew
Director: Fred Niblo
© Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in arrangement with Abraham L. Erlanger, Charles B. Dillingham and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr
Scenario: Carey Wilson
Titles: Katharine Hilliker, H.H. Caldwell
Adaptation: June Mathis
Based on the book by: General Lew Wallace
Directors of Photography: René Guissart, Percy Hilburn, Karl Struss, Clyde De Vinna
Editor: Lloyd Nosler
Costumes: Theaterkunst Hermann J. Kaufmann
Settings: Cedric Gibbons, Horace Jackson
Art Effects: Ferdinand P.Earle
Cast
Ramon Novarro (Ben-Hur)
Francis X. Bushman (Messala)
May Mcavoy (Esther)
Betty Bronson (Mary)
Claire Mcdowell (Princess of Hur)
Kathleen Key (Tirzah)
Carmel Myers (Iras)
Nigel De Brulier (Simonides)
Mitchell Lewis (Sheik Ilderim)
Leo White (Sanballat)
Frank Currier (Arrius)
Charles Belcher (Balthazar)
Dale Fuller (Amrah)
Winter Hall (Joseph)
Alternative Titles
Ben Hur – alternative title
Ben Hur – Priča o Hristu – Serbia
Бен-Гур – Russia
ベン・ハー – Japan
Links
Extracts included in
Final Cut: Hölgyeim és uraim (2012)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
Spisok korabley (2008)
See also
Ben Hur (1907)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Ben Hur (2003)
Ben Hur (2010)
Ben-Hur (2016)
References
Periodicals
- American Cinematographer vol.69 no.3 (March 1988) p.108
- The Bioscope vol.69 no.1048 (11 November 1926) p.58a – review
- The Bioscope vol.87 no.1287 (3 June 1931) p.34 – review
- Classic Film Collector no.23 (Spring 1969) p p.25-28 – illustrated synopsis, credits
- Empire no.220 (October 2007) p p.129-133 – article (Round the bend by Simon Braund)
- Favorite Westerns & Serials Plus no.20 (Winter 1985) p.39 – article
- Film and History vol.39 no.2 (Autumn 2009) p p.39-48 – article (The Idol Body: Stars, Statuary and the Classical Epic by Michael Williams)
- Films and Filming vol.16 no.3 (December 1969) p p.26-32, 58 – illustrated article
- Films and Filming vol.26 no.6 (March 1980) p p.35, 38
- Image et Son no.63 (May 1953) p.11 – article
- Kine Weekly no.1021 (11 November 1926) – review
- New Zealand Film Music Bulletin no.101 (February 1998) p.11 – article (Ben-Hur to music by Hans Petrovic)
- The Picturegoer vol.1 no.31 (26 December 1931) p.21 – review
- The Picturegoer vol.13 no.73 (January 1927) p.34 – review
- The Picturegoer vol.13 no.74 (February 1927) p.32 – review
- Positif no.468 (February 2000) p p.91-96 – article (Ben-Hur, une bible américaine by Michel Cieutat)
- Post Script vol.28 no.1 (Autumn 2008) pp.63-78 – article (The vision and the struggle: June Mathis’s work on Ben-Hur (1922-24) by Thomas J. Slater)
- Score Filmmuziek Magazine no.99 (June 1996) p.5 – interview with Carl Davis (Carl Davis over zijn score voor Ben-Hur/Concerten by HM)
- Screen International no.621 (10 October 1987) p.20 – article
Books
- Armchair Cinema: A History of Feature Films on British Television, 1929-1981 by Sheldon Hall p.38
- The British Board of Film Censors: Film Censorship in Britain, 1896-1950 by James C. Robertson p.61
- The Encyclopedia of Epic Films by Constantine Santas, James M. Wilson, Maria Colavito, Djoymi Baker pp.79-81
- Epic Films (2nd edition) by Gary Allen Smith pp.33-23
- Movies of the 20s and Early Cinema by Jürgen Müller pp.228-233 – illustrated credits, review (by PB [Phillip Bühler])
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.31 – credits
- Silent Films, 1877-1996: A Critical Guide to 646 Movies by Robert K. Klepper pp.393-396
- Spectacular! The Story of Epic Films by John Cary, edited by John Kobal p.147 – credits
