Fact Check
Rumor holds that a stuntman was killed during the filming of the chariot race scene in the 1959 version of 'Ben-Hur,' and that his death was left in the movie's final cut.
Snopes Staff
Published Jul 12, 1997
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A stuntman was killed during the filming of the chariot race scene in the 1959 version of 'Ben-Hur' and that his death was left in the final cut.
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FalseAbout this ratingIt is frequently claimed that a stuntman was killed during the filming of the chariot scene in the 1959 epic Ben-Hur (from MGM, directed by William Wyler). Versions of the rumor include Wyler's leaving the fatal accident in the final cut (against the wishes of the stuntman's widow), yet no published discussions of the film mention the accident, and Charlton Heston's 1995 autobiography In the Arena specifically states that no one was seriously injured during the filming of the scene.
The Internet Movie Database labels as false the rumor that the stunt double for Stephen Boyd (the villain Mesalla) was killed during the chariot race. This rumor has been attached to practically every human injury faked by stuntmen for the race scenes. (See the end of this article for a listing and analysis of the individual stunts.) In John Baxter's Stunt: The Story of the Great Movie Stunt Men (1974), much is made of the care that went into the filming of this climactic race. The scene was managed by veteran stuntman Yakima Canutt, who included his two sons in the stunt team. Joe Canutt, doubling for Heston, received the only injury when he was flipped out of chariot, catching himself on the center hitching rail before pulling himself back in place. His only injury was a gash on his chin requiring four stitches. The scene was used in the final print:
https://youtu.be/frE9rXnaHpE
https://youtu.be/-yv-6XDSrvM
But there was an earlier, silent version of Ben Hur, also produced by MGM and released in 1926 (this date varies with sources). Kevin Brownlow gives a thorough discussion of the trials and tribulations involved in the seemingly jinxed 1925 production in The Parade's Gone By… (1969). The intention was to shoot the chariot race in a recreation of the Circus Maximus on location in Rome. The second-unit director in charge of the chariot race was B. Reeves "Breezy" Eason, known for his genius with action scenes involving horses. He was also known for being ruthless. Vets were seldom consulted: if a horse limped, they shot it. Some suggested he was not much more caring with stuntmen.
The set in Rome proved to be unsuitable due to problems with shadows and the racetrack surface. Francis X. Bushman (Mesalla) relates the following: "During one take, we went around the curve and the wheel broke on the other fellow's chariot. The hub hit the ground and the guy shot up in the air about thirty feet. I turned and saw him up there — it was like a slow-motion film. He fell on a pile of lumber and died of internal injuries."
It was decided to give up the Rome location. Another set was built in Culver City and filled with both extras and the Hollywood elite on a festive Saturday in October. To ensure a good race, Eason offered a bonus to the winning driver. One spectacular unplanned pile-up was left in the final cut, 42 cameras were used that day, and a total of 50,000 feet of film was shot. The final, choreographed pile-up, in which Mesalla meets his end, was shot later at the cost of five horses. No human was seriously injured in the U.S. filming. Most film histories concentrate on this fact, and neglect the death in Rome.
Another impressive and controversial scene in the 1926 version is the sea battle. Filmed at Livorno, Italy, it used hundreds of local extras, many of whom apparently lied about being able to swim. Friction was evident between the fascist and anti-fascist camps of the Italian cast. According to Brownlow, director Fred Niblo found a pile of sharpened swords on the deck of the pirate flagship — apparently the man casting the extras had separated the crews along political lines in hopes of getting a real naval engagement.
During filming, the staged fire on one of the triremes got out of control, sending armor-clad extras overboard. Whether any died is debatable. Bosely Crowther (The Lion's Share, 1957) reports that no one died, although three men dressed as Roman soldiers showed up after being missing for three days. Others maintained that some deaths did occur but were covered-up by the studio. Brownlow again quotes Bushman as saying to Niblo, "My God, Fred, they're drowning, I tell you!" as they watched the catastrophe. Niblo supposedly answered, "I can't help it, those ships cost me $40,000 apiece." Baxter accuses Crowther of falsifying the bloodier facts of Ben-Hur.
The problems associated with the 1926 version and rumors of cover-ups prompted similar rumors in the press regarding the later film. Andrew Marton, director of the chariot scene in the 1959 version, exploded at a press conference, telling reporters that 20 men and 100 horses had died while filming the race, adding "That's what you want to hear, isn't it?" This outburst apparently help feed the gossip.
The early days of the film industry was particularly hard on stunt people. Baxter lists 55 deaths, mostly stunt people, as occurring in California film productions during the years 1925-30. Most of these deaths were hushed up. Although later years saw fewer deaths, and less secrecy, the legacy of studio spin-doctors and confusion between the two movies helped create a movie legend.
The following is a chronological listing of the stunts in the chariot race scene of the 1959 version of Ben-Hur:
- Chariot flips over as it rounds a turn, driver spills out. Easily performed by stuntman.
- After Messala rips the wheels of a chariot, the driver is dragged behind the horses. He then turns to face the oncoming chariots, leaps out of the way of one, and then is run over by a second. The camera cuts away from an obviously live stunt man, to a posed dummy which gets flattened. Many people point to this as the fatal accident.
- Ben Hur (Heston) avoids Messala and makes another chariot crash into the wall, dumping the driver. Another easily performed stunt.
- Messala forces one chariot into another, both pile up into wall. Horses fall in typical trip-wire fashion.
- Roman soldier standing along wall pitches forward as one chariot passes, is run over by second. This gag has been labeled fatal. When you go through it in slow motion, note that the body's legs remain straight even after being trampled. Note particularly that the feet remain perpendicular to the legs. This is obviously a dummy.
- Ben-Hur is pinned against wall and must leap the two chariots that crashed in [4.] above. This is the incident in which Canutt is pitched forward and receives a minor cut to his chin. Although this was the only stunt that was very nearly serious, it is rarely suggested that this was the fatal accident.
- Messala's chariot disintegrates, and he is pitched out, dragged behind, and finally trampled by the horses of another chariot. Going through this in slow motion, you can clearly see that the figure pitched out of the chariot, dragged and trampled is a dummy. A close-up of Stephen Boyd being dragged is cut into the sequence, but the distance shots are all done with a stiff figure. This is where many people erroneously feel an accident occurred.
By Snopes Staff
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FAQs
Has a stunt double ever died? ›
Eminem's stunt double, Ryan Shepard, has tragically died after being hit by a truck while crossing the street. Ryan, who worked with the rapper in the early 2000s, died in Washington in late January, his brother Kyle told TMZ.
What actor died doing his own stunts? ›Soviet actor Yevgeni Urbansky died in an accident while performing a stunt during filming on 5 November 1965. Shark! (1969).
Did Charlton Heston actually drive the chariot in Ben-Hur? ›A total of 18 Roman chariots were built; half of them went to Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd. Both actors had to spend long hours training to learn to ride the chariots. For Heston, it was faster and easier to learn to ride the chariot, as he was a gifted and talented horse rider.
Who drove the chariots in Ben-Hur? ›Ben Hur rides the quadriga of Magnificent Arabians of Sheik Ilderim while Messala rides his Black Devils, on a Greek styled chariot with blades on the hub. Of course, we all know that Ben Hur wins that spectacular race against Messala and gets his revenge.
What happens if an actor dies during filming? ›In many cases, a show will handle the death of an actor by killing off their character or otherwise writing them out of the show. In other cases, the show may recast the part with another actor. In extreme cases, the show may be cancelled outright.
Has any actor died while filming? ›Fast & Furious fans were shocked by Paul Walker's death in 2013. The actor lost his life in a high-speed car accident while filming Furious 7, the seventh film in the beloved franchise.
What movie stuntman was killed by a shark? ›Trivia (6) Stuntman Jose Marco was killed on-camera when a great white shark bit through a protective net and attacked him. Samuel Fuller had clashed with the producers on a variety of issues, and when the production company used Marco's death to help promote the film, he quit.
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An accidental overdose ended Ledger's life in January 2008, months before the movie that would make him a movie icon was released. The film smashed box office records and is considered one of the best superhero movies ever made.
And since it's a novel, that means the tale of Ben-Hur is 100 percent fiction, wholly created by Wallace. So what is Jesus doing in the story? Ben-Hur is considered a Christian novel, perhaps the most influential one of all time. It uses the fictional character of Judah Ben-Hur to work as an allegory for Jesus' life.
Where was the original Ben-Hur filmed? ›Ben-Hur was shot in Rome, Lazio, Italy. Filming also took place at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in California, USA. Rome, Italy.
How long did it take to film the chariot scene in Ben-Hur? ›
In all, the chariot scene took five weeks (spread over three months) to film at a total cost of $1 million and required more than 200 miles (320 km) of racing to complete. Two of the $100,000 70mm lenses were destroyed during the filming of the close-up shots.
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What are some fun facts about Ben-Hur? ›FUN FACTS ABOUT BEN HUR
1. It is the only Hollywood production to be included in the list of films approved by the Vatican in the category of religion. 2. During the filming, director William Wyler noticed that one of the extras was missing a hand.
Nearly two hundred horses were used during the filming of the chariot race scene in the 1925 Fred Niblo film, Ben-Hur. Fortunately, it was reported that not a single horse was injured (“Forty-two” 405).
Can actors go home during filming? ›Producers who own property near the set may offer their homes to actors as a perk while also saving on accommodation costs. Or, if an actor's main residence isn't far from the filming location, they may choose to stay at home while filming, commuting to and from set everyday.
How much do actors get paid during filming? ›For example, on a film with a budget of at least $2 million, under the SAG-AFTRA theatrical contract, the minimum day rate is currently $1,056 per day. If your role requires at least five days of work, then the rate is $3,664 for the week. Background actors make $182 a day, and stand-ins make $214 a day.
What is the death rate of stuntman? ›According to ehstoday.com, being a stuntman is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States, with a “fatality rate [of] 2.5 per 1,000 workers.” Nearly three people will die for every 1,000 people brave enough to take on this daring career.
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Who was the most famous stuntman? ›1. Dar Robinson. Celebrated as the greatest stuntman of all time, Dar Robinson broke 19 World Records and set 21 World's Firsts in stunts during his lifetime, which included jumping off the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada in 1980.
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What actor has the highest death rate? ›Christopher Lee (70 on-screen deaths)
Christopher Lee easily wins when it comes to the most on-screen deaths at an unprecedented 70. Lee passed away in 2015 at the age of 93, so technically this number could be beaten in the future.
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Has a shark ever killed a person on it? ›There were nine shark-related fatalities this year, five of which are assigned as unprovoked. This number is in line with the 5 year annual global average of six unprovoked fatalities per year. Annual fluctuations in shark-human interactions are common.
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What does Ben-Hur mean in Hebrew? ›
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What happened to the mother and sister of Ben-Hur? ›He is sent to be a slave, and his mother and sister are imprisoned. Years later he returns, wins a chariot race against Messala, and is reunited with his now leprous mother and sister. The mother and sister are cured on the day of the Crucifixion, and the family is converted to Christianity.
What is the longest movie ever? ›Guinness World Records says the longest film ever made is "The Cure for Insomnia" released in 1987. The 85-hour experimental film was directed by John Henry Timmis IV.
What race was Ben-Hur? ›Based on General Lew Wallace's 1880 novel of the same name, "Ben-Hur" stars former Hollywood megastar Charlton Heston as the affluent Jewish prince who is thrust on an epic journey of faith, friendship, and betrayal after his best friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) imprisons him for speaking ill against the Roman Empire.
Which Ben-Hur movie is closest to the book? ›Ben Hur (1907)
At 15 minutes long, the film is certainly the shortest adaptation of the novel's hundreds of pages; in terms of film history, though, it might be even more significant than the 1959 classic because it created the concept of movie rights.
To me, and quite a number of others, the definitive 'Ben-Hur' version (also the best known) will always be the one from 1959 starring Charlton Heston and directed by William Wyler, a film that epitomises the term epic in every sense and in many ways iconic.
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Did Gibby actually get hurt? ›Fun fact: According to Gibby himself, Noah Munck. His stunt double did not wear any safety equipment when they were filming this and broke all his ribs.
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Do stunt doubles get paid much? ›Salary Ranges for Stunt Doubles
The salaries of Stunt Doubles in the US range from $10,321 to $260,665 , with a median salary of $46,845 . The middle 57% of Stunt Doubles makes between $46,845 and $118,085, with the top 86% making $260,665.
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What age do stunt doubles retire? ›Like many other professional athletes, Stunt Performers have a narrow age window for their career. If they have not already started Stunt Coordinating by age 45, they may see their careers already winding down.