The chariot race required 15,000 extras on a set constructed on 18 acres of backlot at Cinecitta Studios outside Rome. Tour buses visited the set every hour. Eighteen chariots were built, with half being used for practice. The race took five weeks to film.

How was the chariot race filmed in Ben-Hur?

Ben Hur and his splendid white horses emerge victorious. The dramatic scene of the chariot race was shot at Cinecittá Studios, in Rome, on an arena track that covered 18 acres, the largest single set in motion picture history at the time. To set the track, many tonnes of white sand were brought over from Mexico.

Did Charlton Heston do his own chariot driving in Ben-Hur?

Yes, in close-up shots, that's really Charlton Heston (as Judah Ben-Hur) and Stephen Boyd (as his rival Messala) driving the chariots. They trained for months to learn how to drive the four-horse teams. In long shots, however, the chariots are driven by stuntmen.

Who turned down the role of Ben-Hur?

Several actors were offered the role of Judah Ben-Hur before it was accepted by Charlton Heston. Burt Lancaster stated he turned down the role because he found the script boring and belittling to Christianity. Paul Newman turned it down because he said he didn't have the legs to wear a tunic.

Did Charlton Heston do his own stunts?

Here, Charlton Heston did all of his own stunts except the most dangerous which came in the films climactic chariot race. Legendary stunt co-ordinator Yakima Canutt was bought onboard to put the sequence together and created one of the most thrilling, and most talked about action sequences in movie history.

Ben-Hur (1959) Movie | Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet | Review And Facts

Did they use real horses in Ben Hur?

Lipizzan horses, like this one in Vienna, were used for chariot teams in Ben-Hur. Planning for the chariot race took nearly a year to complete.

Which actor never does his own stunts?

Liam Neeson

The actor started boxing at the age of nine and used those skills while acting. Despite his willingness to take a punch, Neeson does not perform the stunts himself.

Why did Ben-Hur flop?

However, the film failed to generate the same kind of excitement as the Heston epic. The filmmakers had some success attracting faith-based consumers, but couldn't grow the audience beyond the devout. Kids stayed away, critics lobbed bombs, and secular consumers took a hard pass.

Why wasn't Jesus' face shown in Ben-Hur?

As filming progressed, Heater was given more time in front of the camera and a few lines, but British law at the time forbid Jesus to speak or his face to be seen if he were a “secondary character.” So, Heater as Jesus appears only from behind, as when he gives water to Charlton Heston's enslaved Judah Ben-Hur.

How long did it take to film the chariot race in Ben-Hur and at what cost?

The race took five weeks to film. During the 18-day auction of MGM props, costumes and memorabilia that took place in May 1970 when new studio owner Kirk Kerkorian was liquidating the studio's assets, a Sacramento restaurateur paid $4,000 for a chariot used in the film.

Where was Ben-Hur's chariot scene filmed?

Then of course, there's the stupendous chariot race – shot by Second Unit Director Andrew Marton on an 18-acre section of the backlot at Cinecittà. The gigantic race-track, modelled on the Circus of Antioch (in present day Turkey), was filled with 40,000 tons of white sand, imported from Mediterranean beaches.

Is Ben-Hur 1959 historically accurate?

Not very. While many details are correct, there is one glaring error: the Roman admiral Quintus Arrius would not have been granted a triumph after defeating the pirates.

How much money did Ben-Hur make?

Why did Ben-Hur only gross 147 million even though it won 12 Academy Awards? Actually the gross of Ben-Hur (1959) was very impressive considering that the budget of the movie was $15.2 million (in 1959 dollars).

How tall was Charlton Heston?

There was, from the start, something monumental, something reminiscent of Mount Rushmore, about Heston with his 6ft 3in height and chiselled features. He could be angry, threatening and cruel, but he couldn't be commonplace, diffident or funny.

How many Oscars did Ben-Hur win?

Ben-Hur. The 1959 movie was the first to achieve a record 11 wins at the Oscars.

How many extras were used in Ben-Hur?

Over 200 camels and 2,500 horses were used in the shooting of the film, with some 10,000 extras.

What was the disease in Ben-Hur?

In Ben-Hur, Miriam and Tirzah acquired their skin disease from their dungeon cell that had been con- taminated with leprosy.

Did Ben-Hur meet Jesus?

In the novel it is clear that hate had nothing to do with Ben-Hur's survival, contrary to Arrius' assertion. Instead, Wallace intended to show God's benevolence through the compassion of strangers—one of the strangers being Christ, who gives Ben-Hur water and hope on his march to become a Roman galley slave.

Is there a crucifixion scene in Ben-Hur?

One of the most intense scenes in the film is Jesus' crucifixion — a moment that Huston described as incredibly "powerful" to film.

Why is Ben-Hur banned?

Ben-Hur. After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge. Banned for "propaganda of superstitious beliefs, namely Christianity".

Is Ben-Hur problematic?

The bigger problem is that it's another movie made by Christians that fails to do justice to their faith. The original novel, Ben-Hur was published in 1880. It tells the story of a Judean prince, betrayed and condemned to slavery by his Roman friend, Messala, who then returns to seek revenge.

Did Ben-Hur forgive Messala?

Messala was severely injured in the chariot race but did not die as he did in the 1959 film. Messala reconciled with Ben-Hur after the race and left with Hur and his family as part of Shiek Ildreim's caravan.

Which actor never needed a stunt double?

Arnold Schwarzenegger

He was always in top physical condition. It was his ability as a stunt performer that gave him his start in Hollywood in the first place, and Arnold never looked back. Like many of his colleagues, Schwarzengger has kept it up even though he seems past his prime.

Did Clint Eastwood do any of his own stunts?

Clint Eastwood did almost all of his own stunts, including the scene where he cuts his safety line over a drop of at least 1,000 feet. The only stunt he did not perform was a 2,500-foot drop, for which a dummy was used.