BEN-HUR was the biggest film production of its time. It took more than 5 years to prepare the shoot, more than 300 specific sets were created, which is the largest built to date. Also, more than 15,000 extras participated, whose only requirement for men was to have a beard. The chariot race, which lasts 9 minutes, is one of the most memorable scenes in cinema history, the horses used were of pure Spanish race.
In the original version you can recognize the Romans by their accent. All the actors who play them were British, while those who play Jews were Americans. The galley was specially designed by an expert in Roman ships, however it was sunk when it was freighted, which precipitated the urgent creation of another by other means.
In addition to the original book, where the story is told among olive trees and details on numerous occasions the use of olive oil in gastronomy, and as fuel for lamps; olive oil had a more than remarkable presence both in the supply of the cast during the 11 months of filming and in the development of the plot itself. There was another famous scene, set in the Roman galleys, where BEN-HUR was sent to serve a sentence for a false accusation. In the galley, the rowers used olive oil to oil their hands and protect them from the friction of the oars. In addition, they used olive oil to illuminate their transition to the future with lamps, whose fuel was also olive oil. The whole boat, in addition to the houses, were lit with olive oil.
Also, at that time olive oil was used in the symptomatic and curative treatment of skin diseases, as is the case of leprosy, a condition that is shown in some sequences of the film.
The famous 1959 film is based on Carol Wallace’s book, «BEN-HUR: A Tale of the Christ»