“Ben Hur” hit theaters in 1959, and shortly thereafter set an impressive record with 11 Oscars. The film, one of the most sought after at Easter, stars the iconic Hollywood actor Charlton Heston and tells the story of Judah Ben-Hura fictional character created by Lewis Wallace.
Like all cinematographic works, it is full of anecdotes, stories and curiosities that many times not even the most fanatic know. In that sense, we show you 7 interesting curiosities of the famous feature film.
There are 7 versions (until today) of the classic story of the Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur. Photo: Composition / The Republic.
7 curious facts about “Ben-Hur”
The screenwriter of the film directed by William Wyler, Gor Vidal, assured that there was a homosexual relationship between the characters Judá Ben-Hur and Messala; however, this information was kept from the protagonist Charlton Heston due to his conservatism.
Initially, the film was going to be shot in the deserts of Libya, but when the Muslim regime learned that the film promoted Christianity, it requested that the entire production be withdrawn from the country. Filming was completed in Spain, in the only desert in Europe.
In this film, Jesus’ face is never seen and he does not speak any dialogue; he only appears from behind. The person who performed it was the opera singer Claude Heater.
The scenes of conglomerates of people were recorded in the middle of summer under a powerful sun, so the production devised a system of costumed water carriers who distributed water to all the people without being noticed in the film.
In the chariot scene one of the Romans is seen to fall from the chariot and die. This happened in real life, because the actor, when he fell, got under the wheels of the car, dying at that very moment.
“Ben Hur” can be seen on HBO Max, Google Play and iTunes. Photo: YouTube.
The actress Martha Scott, who was only 10 years apart from Charlton Heston, played the mother of the actor’s character twice: in the movie “The Ten Commandments” and in “Ben-Hur”.
The film had the participation of 250,000 extras. In the chariot race scene alone, 15,000 people took part. The only requirement they asked for was to have a beard.
Where to watch “Ben Hur” online?
The story of Judah Ben Hur is one of the most popular at Easter. Photo: HBO Max
You can watch “Ben Hur” online and legally on the following platforms: HBO Max, Google Play and iTunes.
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