Of Biblical Proportions: The 65th Anniversary of "Ben-Hur"

by Michael Lyons

Growing up, it seemed that Ben-Hur was an Easter week tradition. One of the local stations in New York, sometime during the days leading up to Easter Sunday, would show Ben-Hur, sometimes spreading the epic film out over two nights.

When I got older, I came to appreciate this film as part of the season and as an example of powerful filmmaking and storytelling we just don't see anymore.

Based on the book by Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur is set in A.D. 26 in Jerusalem and tells the story of the title character, a Jewish prince, played by Charlton Heston, who is betrayed by his friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd), and sentenced to a condemned life as an enslaved person.

Through the act of a Roman Commander (Jack Hawkins), Judah Ben-Hur is able to return to a new life that eventually finds him the champion of the chariot races at the circus. He vows vengeance against Massala but finds his mind and faith are changed and renewed after a chance meeting with Jesus Christ, and witnessing his crucifixion changes him.

Celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, Ben-Hur is still just as powerful in its three-and-a-half-hour run time, telling a story of another time that's still relevant today.

In honor of the film's milestones, here are some quotes from those who worked on Ben-Hur and the critics who have greeted the film with acclaim:

 

"They asked me to do Ben-Hur. It was really not the kind of picture I...been making. But, I felt it would be intriguing to see if I could make a Cecil B. DeMille picture." - Director William Wyler

Left to right: Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd,

and director William Wyler on the set of Ben-Hur.

 

"...Mr. Wyler and his money-free producers have smartly and effectively laid stress on the powerful and meaningful personal conflicts that are strong in this heroic tale. As a consequence, their mammoth color movie, which opened at Loew's State last night, is by far the most stirring and respectable of the Bible-fiction pictures ever made." - Bosley Crowther, reviewing Ben-Hur for The New York Times, November 19, 1959

Ben-Hur playing at the Loew's State

Theater in New York.

 

“There was one particular point where I had to be dragged, and the company very kindly made a sort of a steel contraption that would give me some sort of protection around my stomach. They naturally did a dry run on this just to see whether or not it would work. I was down at the other end of the of the track, and I saw them go up on this dry run, and it looked all right, but when they got to the other end of it, they stopped, and they all got around, and they seemed like they were having the conference. So, I wondered what was going on, and finally, the young Italian doctor who was there [on the set] came walking down to me, and he said, ‘Steve, you want to die, go die.’” - Stephen Boyd, laughing, as he remembered filming the iconic chariot race sequence.

The chariot race scene in Ben-Hur.

 

“An extraordinary motion picture, greater in dimension and significance than any similar film of our time, Ben-Hur is more spectacular than any of the previous spectacles. More importantly, it is at the same time a highly rewarding dramatic experience, rich and complex in human values: a great adventure, full of excitement, visual beauty, thrills, and unsurpassed cinema artistry.” - from Ben-Hur movie review in The Hollywood Reporter, November 18, 1959.

Charlton Heston as Ben-Hur.

 

"You can be sure that they'll be showing Ben-Hur somewhere for a long, long time to come." - Charlton Heston.

The ending scene of Ben-Hur.

 

Oh, how right Mr. Heston was. From its days as a "road-show movie event" to its annual Easter season viewings today, appreciation, 65 years later, for Ben-Hur is deserved. It is a story of how our life’s events can change us and shape us, and how the power of kindness, forgiveness, and faith is unwavering.

 

 

 Sources:

Brainyquote.com

hollywoodreporter.com

IMDb.com

Youtube.com

For more of my articles, podcasts and to learn more about my book Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, visit: Words From Lyons

As Good As Gold: The 65th Anniversary of "Darby O'Gill and the Little People"

 

by Michael Lyons

When it comes to those corners of Disney history that have become somewhat forgotten through the years - movies, TV shows, theme park attractions, and even characters - Darby O'Gill and the Little People has become one of them.

Thankfully, with its story set in Ireland and rooted in the country's culture and legends, the film has resurfaced each March in the sixty-five years since its debut to help celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. Although, with Disney's catalog (including Darby) transitioning to Disney+, those March 17th showings have disappeared, and, with it, knowledge of how excellent this film is seems to have also.

 Darby O'Gill and the Little People is a movie that deserves to be celebrated more than once a year, as noted writer and film historian Leonard Maltin wrote in his book The Disney Films: "Darby O'Gill and the Little People is not only one of Disney's finest films but is certainly one of the best fantasies ever put on film."

Set in the small, fictional Irish village of Rathcullen, the film centers on the title character, Darby (played by Albert Sharpe), an aging ner'do well, who is well known around the village for sitting in the pub, and sharing his "tall tales" about his meetings with the little people, the leprechauns.

Darby is being "retired" as the caretaker of an estate and replaced with a younger man, Michael McBride (Sean Connery in his American film debut). Darby is somewhat embarrassed and hasn't yet told his daughter Katie (Janet Munro).

Darby turns to King Brian of the leprechauns (Jimmy O'Dea) and the other little people for help, but Darby tricks the leprechaun king and traps him, forcing Brian to grant him three wishes. This further complicates Darby's situation, causing trouble for him and culminating in a life-or-death situation in which the wailing (and scary) banshee appears.

Directed by Robert Stevenson, who would go on to helm some of Disney's best-loved live-action films, such as Mary Poppins (1964) and The Love Bug (1968) and written by Lawrence Edward Watkin (based on stories by H.T. Kavanagh), Darby O'Gill and the Little People is carefully crafted storytelling and filmmaking.

As Darby himself, Albert Sharpe, who spent most of his career on the stage and only made about a dozen films, is a wonder. The twinkle in his eye, coupled with his sometimes innocent/sometimes mischievous delivery, would lead anyone to believe in leprechauns. 

The actor crafts a character that's just a joy to watch on screen, and he has fantastic chemistry with actor Jimmy O'Dea, who plays King Brian of the leprechauns like King Lear, with seriousness and heart, making the magical world seem all that more real.

It's no wonder that Connery went on to a career as 007 and beyond, as he is a true charmer on screen, and Munro is extremely likable as Darby's put-upon daughter.

Some incredible visual effects also significantly influence Darby O'Gill and the Little People., which uses a concept of "forced perspective" an optical illusion where actors stand in different locations while filming gives the appearance of differences in size.

The technique allows Darby and the Little People to seemingly occupy the same space. A sequence where Darby visits the realm of the Leprechauns is still astonishing six decades later in our age when computer-generated imagery makes anything possible.

Just as unique and terrifying is a sequence toward the film's conclusion where the wailing banshee visits Darby through a "negative" film and color technique.

When Darby O'Gill and the Little People debuted, the promotion for the film, including an episode of Disney's weekly TV show, hinted at the fact that the leprechauns in the movie were real. This even carries over to a quote from Walt in the opening credits:

"My thanks to King Brian of Knocknasheega and his leprechauns, whose gracious co-operation made this picture possible."

Walt Disney (right) with "Darby" and "King Brian,"

promoting the film on his weekly TV show.

This technique gives the film a heightened sense of wonder.

This author first saw Darby O'Gill and the Little People at the Mayfair Movie Theater in Commack, NY, during the summer of 1977 as a double-feature with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which was part of the "Disney Summer Hit Parade" film festival.

The schedule from 1977's

"Disney Summer Hit Parade," which 

featured "Darby" with "Winnie the Pooh,"

July 20-26.

Darby O'Gill and the Little People was magic then and is even more magical today, sixty-five years later. Thanks, indeed, King Brian. 

For more of my articles, podcasts and to learn more about my book Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, visit Words From Lyons !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Film FOMO : Oscar Snubs Through the Years

 

Clockwise: Audrey Hepburn, Leonardo DiCaprio,

Steven Spielberg and Cary Grant.

by Michael Lyons

 

How the heck did THAT happen?!? 

That's all that was heard the morning of the Oscar nominations when last year's biggest film and a movie that became an event more than a movie and saved the moviegoing experience - Barbie - received multiple nominations.

However, there were major snubs - no nomination for the film's star, Margot Robbie, and director Greta Gerwig, who had both championed the movie into existence.

How the heck did THAT happen?!? 

Well, it happens all the time, almost every year. And Margot and Greta are in good company. They shouldn't have that fear of missing out (FOMO) feeling, but instead, they should know they are in good company.

Here are some other famous Oscar snubs through the years:

 Steven Spielberg - Jaws (1975) and The Color Purple (1985)

Yup, it's true. Steven Spielberg gave us one of the greatest films of all time, which also created the summer movie blockbuster, and the summer movie season - Jaws.

And, while this all-time masterpiece may have been nominated for Best Picture and a host of other awards, Spielberg, crafted the film so carefully (he didn't even have a fully functioning automated shark for most of the film) that it's become a benchmark for so many other films, but he was shut out for director when the Oscars for 1975 were announced.

The same thing would happen a decade later: The Color Purple received 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, but Mr. Spielberg was shut out for a director nom.

Since then, thankfully, the Academy has remedied these wrongs, and Spielberg has won twice - for Schindler's List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Additionally, he now holds a record of being nominated at least once over the past six decades.

 

Bruce Beresford - Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Here is a beloved film that won Best Picture, but the film's director, Bruce Beresford, wasn't even nominated. In his opening monologue, that year's host Billy Crystal called it "...the movie that apparently directed itself."

 

Leonardo DiCaprio - Titanic (1997)

James Cameron's massively epic Titanic brought him Best Director and Best Picture Oscars, and the fact that it was, then, the biggest movie of all time brought major viewership to that year's Oscar show.

But, Leonardo DiCaprio, who helped make the film such a success, was shut out of the Best Actor race that year. He would eventually make up for it with multiple nominations years after, including a Best Actor win with The Revenant (2015)

 

Rob Reiner - A Few Good Men (1992)

Another film nominated for Best Picture, and another film, where the director, Rob Reiner, was left out in the Oscar cold.

Reiner had helmed beloved films such as The Princess Bride (1987), but for his now classic, A Few Good Men, he didn't receive a nomination, which he deserved. And, if you don't believe that? Well..."You can't handle the truth!"

 

Barbara Streisand - The Prince of Tides (1991)

The legend herself, Barbara Streisand, had already won Oscars for Best Actress (Funny Girl, 1968) and Best Original Song ("Evergreen," the love theme from A Star is Born, 1976). Still, when she went behind the camera to direct the acclaimed adaptation of the novel The Prince of Tides (1991), she found herself without an Oscar nomination as director. The film was nominated for seven other Oscars, including Best Picture.

Bob Hoskins - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

How do you act to nothing and make it look like something? This is what Bob Hoskins did, and did so brilliantly in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. No "Toons" were on set, and the animation was added later. In addition to the fantastic effects, Hoskins is a big part of what made this film so amazing, but he didn't receive an Oscar nomination for it.

 

Audrey Hepburn - My Fair Lady (1964)

This one hurts. There was a lot of controversy that Julie Andrews, who originated the lead in Broadway's version of My Fair Lady, was replaced by Audrey Hepburn in the film adaptation.  Andrews went on to star in Disney's classic Mary Poppins, released that same year, and she won Best Actress for it. And...as a real burn...Audrey Hepburn wasn't even nominated for My Fair Lady. Yikes!

 

Cary Grant - The Philadelphia Story (1940)

He had top billing, this is a fantastic classic...and he's Cary Grant, but while Katherine Hepburn was nominated and James Stewart won, Grant was completely shut out. The only Oscar that Grant ever received was an Honorary Oscar in 1970.

 

These are just a few of the many Academy Awards snubs through the years. Watching the Oscars this Sunday night on ABC may make you think not just of who wins and not just of who is nominated but also of the many talents that weren't recognized. Ah well, here's to next year!

Visit my website: Words From Lyonsfor more articles and podcasts, as well as information about my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance !