Ben-Hur was the first runaway literary hit to generate multiple and hugely profitable adaptations, most famously the 1959 film that won a record-setting 11 Oscars. More than a century before The Hunger Games and the Harry Potter series, and decades before Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, General Lew Wallace's 1880 novel (subtitled “A Tale of the Christ”) became a veritable commercial brand name that generated tens of millions of dollars.
Ben Hur’s various editions, spin-off publications, stage productions, movies, comic books, radio plays, and retail products (from toiletries to bicycles, jewelry to flour) were successfully marketed from the era of its first publication through the 20th century. The title still spells box office: The latest Hollywood adaptation, from screenwriter John Ridley, is set to hit theaters in August.
Join Jon Solomon, author of the recent Ben-Hur: The Original Blockbuster (Edinburgh University Press) as he discusses the multimedia phenomenon’s unprecedented range, popular appeal, and extraordinary endurance. Then view the 1959 version starring Charlton Heston in all its wide-screen glory in AFI Silver’s beautifully restored art deco theater. Solomon’s book is available for signing.
The program begins at 1 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. screening; film’s running time is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.
Other Connections
The original trailer for the 1926 film version of the novel, starring Ramon Navarro, inspired some appropriately extravagant language as it touted the release of this “immortal photoplay.”
