EPISODE · May 26, 2025 · 1H 55M
Ben-Hur (1959)
from WHAT WENT WRONG
How did a studio on the brink, a Jewish director, and a second-rate star turn a pulpy, near-blasphemous mass market Christian book into a blockbuster for the ages? Join Chris and Lizzie as they travel back in time to a tinsel town in painful transition to learn why MGM bet it all on a remake of the costliest film of the silent era, examine Gore Vidal's controversial contributions to the script, and test Mussolini's assertion that film is the ultimate weapon.*CORRECTIONS: Chris mispronounces both Cinecitta Studios (should be "chin-eh-cheetah") and Quo Vadis ("Vah-dis"). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
How did a studio on the brink, a Jewish director, and a second-rate star turn a pulpy, near-blasphemous mass market Christian book into a blockbuster for the ages? Join Chris and Lizzie as they travel back in time to a tinsel town in painful transition to learn why MGM bet it all on a remake of the costliest film of the silent era, examine Gore Vidal's controversial contributions to the script, and test Mussolini's assertion that film is the ultimate weapon.*CORRECTIONS: Chris mispronounces both Cinecitta Studios (should be "chin-eh-cheetah") and Quo Vadis ("Vah-dis"). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ben-Hur (1959)
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