Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
- Director: Fred Niblo; Charles Brabin
- Writer: Lew Wallace; June Mathis
- Producer: J.J. Cohn; Samuel Goldwyn
CGiii Comment
A cast of thousands...and nudity!
Impressive now as it was then...you have to admire the amount of work and creativity that went into this...an astounding achievement.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
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.
Cast & Characters
Ramon Novarro as Judah Ben-Hur;
Francis X. Bushman as Messala;
May McAvoy as Esther;
Betty Bronson as Mary;
Claire McDowell as Princess of Hur;
Kathleen Key as Tirzah;
Carmel Myers as Iras;
Nigel De Brulier as Simonides;
Mitchell Lewis as Sheik Ilderim;
Leo White as Sanballat;
Frank Currier as Quintus Arrius;
Charles Belcher as Balthazar;
Dale Fuller as Amrah;
Winter Hall as Joseph;
Reginald Barker as Crowd extra in chariot race