BEN-HUR (SILENT, 1925) 100TH ANNIVERSARY W/ LIVE MUSICAL SCORE

APRIL 19

Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ 100th Anniversary!

Ben-Hur charges his chariot back to cinema's big screen for his 100th birthday! You've seen the more-famous Charlton Heston version (which we've shown and will show again), but did you know that the original 1925 set a very extravagant template for the 50's remake, in some ways surpassing it in grandeur and spectacle? The most expensive Silent Era film ever made (over $68 million in adjusted dollars), the magic of its craft radiates through the story-telling, most prominently in the infamous chariot race scene- often considered superior to the remake (A young William Wyler was an assistant-director on the original and would later recreate the chariot opening shot for shot in the remake.)

Screened here with an introduction and epic live musical score performed by Silent Film expert/accompanist Jeff Rapsis on synth-piano. The Turner Classic restored film looks stunning on the big screen and is sure to awe just as it did the many masses a century ago.

In this silent classic, Judah ben-Hur (Ramon Novarro) discovers that he has been betrayed by his childhood friend Messala (Francis X. Bushman), leading to separation from his family. Punished for an accident, Ben-Hur is unjustly forced to serve on a Roman ship, where he becomes a friend to the vessel's admiral, Quintus Arrius (Frank Currier). Eventually, Ben-Hur has the chance to compete against Messala in a chariot race, providing him with a shot at vengeance.