Ramon Novarro
Ben-Hur
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Synopsis
A Jewish nobleman's reunion with a Roman childhood friend exposes their opposing loyalties. An accident gives the officer an excuse to condemn him to the galleys and imprison his family. Survival turns into a search for revenge and reunion, unfolding alongside encounters with the emerging story of Jesus.
Cast
Inspirations
The film adapts Lew Wallace's 1880 novel on a scale that extended the popular stage version into cinematic spectacle. Ramon Novarro's performance anchors the vast production, whose naval action and chariot race became enduring reference points for historical adventure films.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Ramon Novarro — George Hurrell · Public domain
- May McAvoy — Clarence S. Bull · Public domain
- Betty Bronson — Bain News Service · Public domain
- Francis X. Bushman — Sarony, N.Y. · Public domain
