Ben-Hur Premieres: MGM's Fifteen Million Dollar Gamble

# January 9, 1960: The Day "Ben-Hur" Premiered in New York City

On January 9, 1960, one of the most spectacular and ambitious films ever made thundered onto the screen at Loew's State Theatre in New York City. **"Ben-Hur,"** directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston, would go on to become a cinematic colossus that defined epic filmmaking for generations.

This wasn't just any movie premiere—it was the culmination of one of Hollywood's most expensive gambles. MGM had bet the studio's future on this biblical epic, spending an astronomical $15.175 million (roughly $158 million today), making it the most expensive film produced up to that time. The studio was hemorrhaging money and desperately needed a hit. If "Ben-Hur" flopped, MGM might have collapsed entirely.

The film's production was legendary in scope. Shot primarily at Rome's Cinecittà Studios, it required the construction of more than 300 sets covering over 148 acres. The chariot race sequence alone—perhaps the most famous nine minutes in cinema history—took five weeks to film and employed 8,000 extras. Second unit director Andrew Marton and stunt coordinator Yakima Canutt orchestrated this breathtaking sequence, which has never been surpassed for pure visceral excitement in the pre-CGI era.

Charlton Heston trained for months to drive the four-horse chariot, and the commitment shows in every frame. The race's intensity, with its splintering wheels, trampled bodies, and near-death collisions, wasn't achieved through movie magic but through genuine stunt work that put lives at risk (though contrary to urban legend, no stuntmen died during filming).

When audiences filed into that New York premiere, they witnessed something transformative. Running 3 hours and 32 minutes with an intermission, "Ben-Hur" told the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince betrayed by his Roman friend Messala, who survives years as a galley slave to return and seek revenge—all against the backdrop of Christ's life and crucifixion.

The premiere proved that MGM's gamble paid off spectacularly. "Ben-Hur" would go on to win an unprecedented **11 Academy Awards** (a record tied only twice since), including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Heston. It became the second-highest-grossing film of all time (after "Gone with the Wind"), earning over $146 million worldwide.

More importantly, "Ben-Hur" saved MGM from bankruptcy and revitalized the biblical epic genre. Its influence echoes through every historical epic since, from "Gladiator" to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Directors still study that chariot race, and the film's combination of intimate human drama with spectacular action sequences became the template for blockbuster filmmaking.

That January night in 1960, as audiences emerged onto a cold New York street after experiencing this cinematic juggernaut, they knew they'd witnessed something monumental—a perfect marriage of old Hollywood craftsmanship and sheer ambitious storytelling that would stand the test of time.


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