Where was the Ben-Hur chariot race supposed to be?
Jerusalem
The final chariot race was supposed to been held in Jerusalem, but there was no such structure in that city. The only two chariot race courses (“Circus”) in Israel (Judea) were both in the coastal city of Caesaria near present-day Tel-Aviv.
How many chariots are there in Ben-Hur?
Nine chariots start the chariot race. After the first crash, there appear still to be nine chariots in the race. After the third crash, six are shown, but as Ben-Hur passes to catch up, clearly there is a total of seven in the race. After five have crashed, five are left.
Did Charlton Heston really drive the horses in Ben-Hur?
These white horses were to be driven by the picture’s star, Charlton Heston, and had to be instructed to rear while hooked to the chariot for the added realism of horses in a frenzy during the race. At the end of the race in the film they perform a jumping stunt that is quite spectacular.
Why was Jesus face not shown in Ben-Hur?
In the 1959 movie version of Ben Hur the character of Jesus Christ was played by the late American actor Claude Heater. He was not included in the credits for the movie. All the shots of Heater in the film showed him facing away from the camera as it was decided not to show his face in the film.
How did they make the chariot race in Ben-Hur?
Filming. Marton and Canutt filmed the entire chariot sequence with stunt doubles in long shot, edited the footage together, and showed the footage to Zimbalist, Wyler, and Heston to show them what the race should look like and to indicate where close-up shots with Heston and Boyd should go.
Who drove the chariots in Ben-Hur 1959?
Jack Huston (who plays Ben-Hur) and Toby Kebbell (as his rival brother Messala) trained for months to ride the actual chariots behind four moving horses — hitting speeds as high as 38 mph.
Who rode the chariot in Ben-Hur?
Charlton Heston had learned how to handle a two-horse chariot when he was making The Ten Commandments (1956). When he arrived in Rome, he instantly began lessons in four-horse chariot racing with the film’s stunt coordinator, Yakima Canutt.
How long was the chariot race in Ben Hur?
3h 32m
Ben-Hur/Running time