Claire McDowell (left), Ramon Novarro and     Kathleen Key.     Photo: Silent Era stills collection.

Cast: Ramon Novarro [Judah Ben-Hur], Francis X. Bushman [Messala], May McAvoy [Esther], Claire McDowell [Mother Hur], Kathleen Key [Tirzah], Nigel de Brulier [Simonides], Mitchell Lewis [Sheik Ilderim], Carmel Myers [Iras], Frank Currier [Arrius], Charles Belcher [Balthasar], Leo White [Sanballat], Dale Fuller [Amrah], Betty Bronson [Mary], Winter Hall [Joseph]; William Donovan, Mickey Millerick, Myrna Williams (Myrna Loy) [extra], Clark Gable [extra], Gilbert Clayton, Ray Erlenborn [background extra]

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production by arrangement with Abraham L. Erlanger, Charles B. Dillingham and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.; distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. / Produced by Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg. Scenario by Carey Wilson with continuity by Carey Wilson and Bess Meredyth, from the adaptation by June Mathis of the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by General Lew Wallace. Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Horace Jackson. Set design by A. Arnold Gillespie, Ferdinand Pinney Earle and Camillo Mastrocinque. Artistic effects by Ferdinand Pinney Earle. Costume design by Hermann J. Kaufmann + [Camillo Innocente, Erté, and Harold Grieve]. Production management by Harry Edington. Special effects by Paul Eagler. Color sequences direction by Ferdinand Pinney Earle (also listed as William Christy Cabanne for the Nativity scene). Assistant director Charles Stallings. Associate directors Alfred A. Raboch and Reeves Eason (B. Reaves Eason [Sr.]). Second unit direction by B. Reaves Eason (Sr.) and William Christy Cabanne. Production assistance by Silas Clegg, Alfred A. Raboch and William Wyler. Cinematography by Rene Guissart, Karl Struss, Percy Hilburn and Clyde deVinna, with additional photography by E. Burton Steene and George Meehan. Trick photography by Paul Eagler. Traveling matte photography by Frank D. Williams. Intertitles by Katharine Hilliker and H.H. Caldwell. Edited by Lloyd Nosler, with assistance by Basil Wrangell, William Holmes, Harry Reynolds, Ben Lewis and Irving Thalberg. Original music score by David Mendoza and William Axt. / © 1925 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Premiere 30 December 1925 at the George M. Cohan Theatre in New York, New York, at 194 minutes. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. Technicolor two-strip color process sequences. Black & white footage in original prints was color-tinted and toned. / Charles J. Brabin was replaced as director early in the production. Forty-two cameramen were utilized on the chariot race sequence, exposing approximately 200,000 feet of film which was edited down to approximately 750 feet in the final cut. Director of the 1959 version, William Wyler, was one of several crowd assistant directors for the chariot race sequence, as was Henry Hathaway. A few shots remain in the final edit of the original footage shot on location in Italy. The film’s production costs were approximately $4.5 million. A scene of Esther driving a chariot, which resulted in an injury to May McAvoy, was cut from the final release for length.

Drama: Action-Religious.

Survival Status: Print exists in the Turner Entertainment Company film archive [35mm positive].

Keywords: Animals: Horses - Chariots - Color cinematography - Crowds - Deserts - Families: Adopted sons - Italy: Rome - Jesus Christ - Miracles - Oceans - Rafts - Roman Empire - War - Water

Listing updated: 27 January 2005.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Baer-Film p. 21; Bardèche-History pp. 49, 199, 285-286, 291, 307; Basten-Technicolor pp. 33-34, 169; Bohn-Light pp. xxiii, 81, 170, 179, 194, 200; Bondanella-Italian pp. 6, 11, 12; Brownlow-Parade pp. 109, 287, 291, 299, 324, 386, 387, 388-391, 392, 393-397, 398-400, 401-405, 406-407, 408-414, 471, 513, 575; Carroll-Matinee pp. 89-90, 136; Cooper-Dark pp. 161, 202; Dowd-Vidor pp. 51, 53-53, 183, 273; Drew-Speaking pp. 17, 111, 123, 124-126, 131, 279; Eames-MGM p. 18; Everson-American pp. 136, 140, 214, 215, 293, 310m, 356; Geduld-Birth pp. 117, 140; Higashi-Virgins p. 73; Kerr-Silent pp. 8, 31, 40; Keylin-NYTimes p. 22; Kobal-Fifty p. 46; Lahue-Collecting pp. 27, 39; Lahue-Gentlemen pp. 40, 41-42, 46, 169, 174; Leish-Cinema p. 45; Limbacher-Feature p. 20; Maeder-Hollywood pp. 20, 21, 62, 87, 122-123, 198; Maltin-Guide p. 98; McCaffrey-Guide pp. 5, 10; Perry-British p. 56; Shipman-Cinema pp. 86, 89; Shirley-Australian pp. 49, 64; Sinyard-Silent pp. 4, 149-150, 151; Sklar-Movie p. 149; Smith-Colman p. 300; Smith-Epic pp. xvi, 22-23; Sweeney-Coming pp. 92, 97; Vermilye-Twenties pp. 133-135; Walker-Garbo p. 28; Webb-Hollywood pp. 149, 151, 163, 165 : AmerCine-199510 pp. 98, 101; ClasIm-221 p. 52; ClasIm-311 p. 72.

Home Video: DVD.