The iconic chariot race in William Wyler's BEN-HUR ('59) took 10 weeks to shoot and was coordinated by Yakima Canutt. It has influenced filmmakers to this day including George Lucas who said this scene inspired the pod race sequence in THE PHANTOM MENACE ('99). #31DaysofOscar | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

The Big Classic Epics Ben Hur 1959 Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic historical drama film, directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Charlton Heston as the title character. A remake of the 1925 silent film with a similar title, Ben-Hur was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay is credited to Karl Tunberg, but includes contributions from Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. Be