Product Review

NTSC/Region 0.

Out-of-print in the US.

The epic first production of Ben-Hur, the most expensive silent movie, a mammoth undertaking with scenes of the terrifyingly realistic chariot race and sea battle filmed with more than 40 cameras, and Technicolor used only to film certain scenes, while the rest are Black & White. The film starts with a look of very old sepia photographs, but then it goes into the familiar Black & White mode. William Wyler was Assistant Director, and later in 1952 directed Charlton Heston in the "Ben-Hur" most of us know. Remarkably, actors who went on to become legends such as Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Carol Lombard, Clark Gable, Fay Wray, Myrna Loy, and many others, were uncredited extras in this movie. There are many fascinating facts and figures about this movie on the Internet, which can greatly add to the viewing experience.