Ben-Hur (1959) – Ben-Hur (1925)
Most of us have seen the 1959 Biblical epic Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston as the titular Jewish prince who loses his family, becomes a slave, races a chariot against his childhood friend, and finally finds salvation. But while it might be the most famous version of Lew Wallace’s novel, the 1959 Ben-Hur is not the first.
1925 saw the first full version of the novel, with Ramon Novarro in the title role (there’s an even earlier 1904 version that ran only 15 minutes). The silent film follows the same plot as its remake, but in some ways is the better movie. As exciting as that later chariot race would be, it’s even more kinetic and wild in 1925, with horses and drivers flying every which way without the benefit of complex intercutting.
Honestly, it’s worth a look just for comparison’s sake, but somehow the original film actually beats out its more famous remake.