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Where was the 1959 Ben Hur chariot race filmed?

Where was the 1959 Ben Hur chariot race filmed?

Then of course, there’s the stupendous chariot race – shot by Second Unit Director Andrew Marton on an 18-acre section of the backlot at Cinecittà. The gigantic race-track, modelled on the Circus of Antioch (in present day Turkey), was filled with 40,000 tons of white sand, imported from Mediterranean beaches.

How was the chariot scene filmed in Ben Hur?

Filming. Marton and Canutt filmed the entire chariot sequence with stunt doubles in long shot, edited the footage together, and showed the footage to Zimbalist, Wyler, and Heston to show them what the race should look like and to indicate where close-up shots with Heston and Boyd should go.

How many horses died in the making of Ben Hur?

150 horses
During the chariot race in the 1925 film Ben-Hur, up to 150 horses were killed. Yakima Canutt, the legendary Hollywood stunt man (and occasional John Wayne double), created one dangerous procedure involving horses.

Did Charlton Heston drive the horses in Ben Hur?

These white horses were to be driven by the picture’s star, Charlton Heston, and had to be instructed to rear while hooked to the chariot for the added realism of horses in a frenzy during the race. At the end of the race in the film they perform a jumping stunt that is quite spectacular.

Where was the chariot scene in Ben Hur filmed?

Paramount Pictures has posted a behind-the-scenes video that focuses on the new film’s chariot sequence, and reveals just how close to reality — and injury — the movie took things in an effort to live up to the expectations set by its 1959 predecessor.

What was the chariot race in Ben Hur?

The chariot race from 1959’s Oscar-winning film Ben-Hur is widely considered one of the greatest sequences in cinema history, and it’s expected to be a major element in the upcoming film based on the famous story of Judah Ben-Hur.

How many horses were used in the movie Ben Hur?

Some 10,000 extras appeared in “Ben-Hur,” including 1,500 on any day that the chariot sequence needed a crowd in the stadium grandstands. For the race, 78 horses were imported from Yugoslavia and Sicily.

Where was the sea battle in Ben Hur filmed?

The sea battle, where Judah Ben Hur (Heston) is rescued from slavery after he saves the life of Roman consul Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) was shot at Nettuno, a coastal town famed for its Medieval town walls, 30 miles south of Rome. Production notes are notoriously untrustworthy.