Ben-Hur (/bɛnˈhɜːr/) is a 1959 American religious epic film[1] directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist, and starring Charlton Heston as the title character. A remake of the 1925 silent film with a similar title, it was adapted from Lew Wallace‘s 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay is credited to Karl Tunberg, but includes contributions from Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The cast also features Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O’Donnell in her final film, and Sam Jaffe.
In contrast to the 1925 film, during the making of which at least one hundred horses were reported to have died,[123] director William Wyler brought in Yakima Canutt to ensure the safety of the animals.[124] No horse was injured while shooting the chariot race sequence.[124]