This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Toronto Theatre Organ Society in association with the Toronto Silent Film Festival presents
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ 1925 143min
Director: Fred Niblo Starring: Ramon Navarro, Francis X Bushman, Carmel Myers, May McAvoy, Betty Bronson
Amazing! Thrilling! Colossal! Mighty! Those were films’ original tag lines and they are as true today as they were back in late 1925. With the impending release of a new film version in 2016, it’s time to revisit the impressive silent classic. Regarded as one of the greatest historical epics ever made, the story behind the its making is almost as long as the film itself and taxed the newly formed MGM to the maximum: wholesale firing of cast and director, sunken ships, behind the scenes interference from the Fascist government of Mussolini, merging of companies, vast sets, skyrocketing costs, and ambitious technical achievements (including 6 Technicolor sequences). A smash success upon release, it still brings audiences to their feet.
Judah Ben-Hur, the young heir to a noble Jewish family is childhood friends with Messala, a Roman noble. When they meet again as adults, it’s as conquered and conqueror. A fatal accident is mistaken for something more sinister and Messala destroys the Hur family and sends Ben-Hur to the slave galley ships. After years of hardship and an iron determination to live, Judah returns home a revered and wealthy athlete harbouring a deep hatred for Messala and seeking revenge for his lost family. The ensuing chariot race is still one of the greatest sequences ever filmed.
Print Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Musical Artist: Clark Wilson on the Wurlitzer Theatre Organ with a score devised from the original release composition
$20 in advance $20 cash at the door.
Please note: this event sells out every year, so don’t wait to order.
Toronto Silent Film Festival runs April 7-12 Festival tickets & Passes available online
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