Did anyone get hurt filming Ben Hur?
The only injury in the 1959 film took place while stuntman Joe Canutt was doubling for star Charlton Heston. He was flipped off the chariot (you can see it in the film), and he ended up with a small cut on his chin. Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s official historian. His latest book is Wyatt Earp: Showdown at Tombstone.
What happened in the chariot race in Ben Hur?
Mesala manages to tear several opponents apart, until he is left in a dramatic one-on-one with Ben Hur. But in the end, Mesala’s chariot is wrecked, and he is dragged behind his horses and trampled on by another chariot. Ben Hur and his splendid white horses emerge victorious.
Was anyone killed during the filming of Ben-Hur?
Ben-Hur (1925). An early filming attempt of the chariot race was done on location at the Circus Maximus in Rome. It brought about the death of one stuntman when a wheel of his chariot broke.
Who died in filming Ben-Hur?
However, someone did die during production: the film’s producer, Sam Zimbalist. He died of a heart attack, reportedly shortly after leaving the set one day, just weeks before the film was finished.
Is someone wearing a watch in Ben-Hur?
Concentrate during the final chariot race when Ben Hur’s enemy falls from his chariot and you might see the opponent is wearing a watch. There are various versions of this claim, with some saying it is a Rolex while other’s believe it is a digital wrist watch.
Who turned down the role of Ben Hur?
Burt Lancaster, a self-described atheist, claimed he turned down the role of Judah Ben-Hur because he “didn’t like the violent morals in the story” and because he did not want to promote Christianity. In any event, Lancaster, who was 45 when the film eventually went before the cameras, was too old for the part.
Who turned down Ben Hur?
After Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster, and Rock Hudson turned down the title role in “Ben-Hur” (1959), Charlton Heston accepted the role, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor, one of the unprecedented 11 Oscars the film earned.
Do horses get killed in movies?
A lot of horses died in old westerns and sword & sandal movies. (Something like 150 horses were killed during the filming of the 1925 Ben-Hur). In modern times, however, stunt horses are trained to fall on cue. You can tell a horse that has been trained to fall because they always lift their head up as they go down.
