The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

George Stevens
(more)

Writers:

Fulton Oursler (book)
Henry Denker (source writings)
(more)

Release Date:

9 April 1965 (UK)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

The life of Jesus Christ.

Plot Keywords:

Epic | Jesus Christ | Faith | John The Baptist | Narration

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars.

Cast

Max von Sydow	...	Jesus
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	James the Younger
Carroll Baker	...	Veronica
Ina Balin	...	Martha of Bethany
Victor Buono	...	Sorak
Richard Conte	...	Barabbas
Joanna Dunham	...	Mary Magdalene
José Ferrer	...	Herod Antipas
Van Heflin	...	Bar Amand
Charlton Heston	...	John the Baptist
Martin Landau	...	Caiaphas
Angela Lansbury	...	Claudia
Pat Boone	...	Angel at the Tomb
Janet Margolin	...	Mary of Bethany
David McCallum	...	Judas Iscariot
Roddy McDowall	...	Matthew
Dorothy McGuire	...	The Virgin Mary
Sal Mineo	...	Uriah
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Shemiah
Donald Pleasence	...	The Dark Hermit - Satan
Sidney Poitier	...	Simon of Cyrene
Claude Rains	...	King Herod
Gary Raymond	...	Peter
Telly Savalas	...	Pontius Pilate
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Nicodemus
Paul Stewart	...	Questor
John Wayne	...	Centurion at crucifixion
Shelley Winters	...	Woman who is healed
Ed Wynn	...	Old Aram
John Abbott	...	Aben
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Captain of lancers
Michael Ansara	...	Herod's commander
Robert Blake	...	Simon the Zealot
Burt Brinckerhoff	...	Andrew
Robert Busch	...	Emissary
John Considine	...	John
Philip Coolidge	...	Chuza
John Crawford	...	Alexander
Frank DeKova	...	The tormentor (as Frank de Kova)
Cyril Delevanti	...	Melchior
Jamie Farr	...	Thaddaeus
David Hedison	...	Philip
Russell Johnson	...	Scribe
Mark Lenard	...	Balthazar
Robert Loggia	...	Joseph
John Lupton	...	Speaker of Capernaum
Peter Mann	...	Nathanael
Tom Reese	...	Thomas
Marian Seldes	...	Herodias
David Sheiner	...	James the Elder
Frank Silvera	...	Caspar
Joseph Sirola	...	Dumah
Abraham Sofaer	...	Joseph of Arimathaea
Harold J. Stone	...	Gen. Varus
Chet Stratton	...	Theophilus
Michael Tolan	...	Lazarus
Ron Whelan	...	Annas
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Bakalyan	...	Good thief on cross (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth	...	(uncredited)
Marc Cavell	...	Bad thief on cross (uncredited)
Jay C. Flippen	...	Drunken soldier (Herod Antipas' court) (uncredited)
Kay Hammond	...	(uncredited)
Dal Jenkins	...	Philip (uncredited)
Celia Lovsky	...	Woman behind railings (uncredited)
Victor Lundin	...	Centurion guard (uncredited)
Dorothy Neumann	...	(uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Jacob of Bethlehem (uncredited)
Joseph V. Perry	...	Archelaus (uncredited)
John Pickard	...	Peter's accuser #2 (uncredited)
Frank Richards	...	(uncredited)
Gene Roth	...	(uncredited)
Johnny Seven	...	Pilate's aide (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	Rabble rouser (uncredited)
Norm Taylor	...	Roman Soldier at Crucifixion (uncredited)
Randall Taylor	...	Male Baby Extra (uncredited)
Renata Vanni	...	Weeping woman (uncredited)
Ronald Walkshorse	...	Male Child Extra (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	(uncredited)
Jimmy Yates	...	Herodian Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
George Stevens
David Lean		(some scenes) (uncredited)
Jean Negulesco		(some scenes) (uncredited)

Writing credits
Fulton Oursler		(book)
Henry Denker		(source writings)
James Lee Barrett		(screenplay) and
George Stevens		(screenplay)
Carl Sandburg		uncredited

Produced by
Frank I. Davis	....	executive producer
George Stevens	....	producer
George Stevens Jr.	....	associate producer
Antonio Vellani	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Loyal Griggs
William C. Mellor

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress
Argyle Nelson Jr.
J. Frank O'Neill		(as Frank O'Neil)

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Art Direction by
William J. Creber		(as William Creber)
Richard Day
David S. Hall		(as David Hall)

Set Decoration by
Fred M. MacLean		(as Fred MacLean)
Ray Moyer
Norman Rockett

Costume Design by
Marjorie Best
Vittorio Nino Novarese

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ridgeway Callow	....	assistant director
William Hale	....	second unit director
Richard Talmadge	....	second unit director
John Veitch	....	assistant director

Art Department
Sam Gordon	....	property master

Sound Department
Charles E. Wallace	....	sound

Visual Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special visual effects
Robert R. Hoag	....	special visual effects
J. McMillan Johnson	....	special visual effects
Clarence Slifer	....	special visual effects
Jan Domela	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	effects camera operator (uncredited)
Albert Simpson	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Henry Wills	....	stunt coordinator
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Johnny Hagner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Neil Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Norm Taylor	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Terhune	....	stunt double: John Wayne (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
R.B. Garig	....	grip
Homer Plannette	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Intlekofer	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Hal Ashby	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Eliot Elisofon	....	color coordinator (uncredited)

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	choral supervisor
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Alfred Newman	....	conductor
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator
Hugo Friedhofer	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Fred Steiner	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gene Clinesmith	....	driver

Other crew
John Dutton	....	script supervisor (as John C. Dutton)
Carl Sandburg	....	creative associate
Tony Van Renterghem	....	director of research

Production Companies

• George Stevens Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1975) (USA) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• United Artists (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1965) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Fox-MGM (2007) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

George Stevens Presents The Greatest Story Ever Told (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

199 min (edited version) | USA:141 min (re-issue version) | USA:225 min (premiere version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.76 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

South Korea:All | West Germany:6 (f) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1972)

Filming Locations:

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

George Stevens Productions

Trivia:

Filming began using 3-strip Cinerama process. After three days of filming with the 3-strip camera, the production switched to 70mm Ultra Panavision 70.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In the film Judas Iscariot kills himself by jumping into a fire, but the Gospel accounts of this story say he hung himself. Also, after the Gospels, at the beginning of the Book of Acts, it is reported that Judas also died when he fell and his body split open, perhaps in the act of hanging himself. No where is his death associated with a fire. However, the director certainly was aware of these reports. As in other scenes in the movie, he may have decided to use a theatrical device to suggest something to the audience. Because Hell is popularly linked with fire, the implication may be that Judas sent himself to Hell, as if he literally jumped into it.

Quotes:

Narrator: [first lines]
Narrator: In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I am He. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him, was made nothing that has been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of man. And the light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness grasped it not. The greatest story ever told...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Call First (1967)

Soundtrack:

Hallelujah Chorus

Biblical Epics

I just got my first DVD payer after holding out for year and have become a total convert. I am watching some of the old classics of my youth, both to see them again in mint condition and to have a look at all the special features, including the documentaries and commentaries. Presently I'm doing a festival of the great biblical epics of the 50's and 60's. My local video store had THE ROBE, (1953), BEN-HUR (1959), CLEOPATRA, (1963) and THE GREATST STORY EVER TOLD, (1965-let's call it TGSET). I thought I'd write a joint review comparing them.

THE ROBE was done at the tail end of the old Hollywood, a studio production whereas these others were all filmed primarily on location with the international casts and crews we often saw making movies in the later era. But THE ROBE has all the Hollywood know-how we've come to expect. Particularly important was the pacing. It's a history lesson and a reverent film but it's also an entertainment. Young Richard Burton, (he was about 28) shows the impressive voice and passionate style that made him a name actor in the next decade, (he was nominated for an Oscar). Jean Simmons is very good and the smaller parts are well cast, particularly Richard Boone as Pontius Pilate, who in once scene leave much more of an impression than Frank Thring or Telly Savalas, who do the same role in BEN-HUR and TGSET, respectively.

But BEN-HUR is clearly the pick of the litter. This is true epic, full of glorious action scenes including the justly famous chariot race. But, as directed by William Wyler, it's also a very thoughtful film. Charlton Heston is excellent as the passionate and idealistic hero. Stephen Boyd is my all-time favorite movie villain. He's the one who should have won the supporting actor Oscar, not Hugh Griffith for his Arab businessman. But it's Wyler who carries the day. Noted primarily as a director of actors, (and especially actresses), he was by this stage in his carrier looking for challenges. He'd never directed an epic before. By bringing to the mix his sense for dialog and characterization, eh give this a depth you can't find in something direct by DeMille, for example, who was more a director of pageants than movies. His use of water as constant symbolism for cleaning the body and spirit is brilliant and memorable.

Joseph Mankiewicz was also known for making more intimate films than CLEOPATRA, (which is not quite biblical but close enough). Like Wyler, he brings to the project something a normal director of epics would not have and CLEOPATRA is a much more intimate film than I remembered. Sure there is the absurdly overdone entrance into Rome and the Battle of Actium. But most of the scenes take place in doors and looked like a filmed record of a stage play. Both Burton and Rex Harrison are excellent in their roles and Liz Taylor is fine, (and fine looking), as well, although I agree with suggestions that Sophia Loren would have been a better choice being more obviously Mediterranean. Like Martin Landau and others interviewed, I would like to see some effort to restore, as best as possible, the two missing hours of this film and its presentation in the two parts Mankiewicz intended, perhaps on one of the movie channels. Even in its present form, the film is better than I remembered.

TGSET may be the greatest story every told but this is surely not the greatest telling of it. The film is long, s..l..o..w and mournful. It's like sitting through a three hour wake. The only scenes where anybody shows any joy are the resurrection scenes of Lazarus and Christ at the end. One scene is accompanied by the disciples singing the same mournful hymn over and over again. I don't think I would want to hang out with these guys for very long. The scenes in THE ROBE where Burton talks to the people who were touched by their relationship with Jesus and in BEN-HUR where he offers the hero water and where he is given it in return, are much more moving that Max Von Sydow's grim sermons in TGSET. We never see the results of living the way eh suggests. And the miracle of resurrections seems an almost pointless substitute. If Jesus's soul has gone to join his father in Heaven, what difference does it make that his grave no longer holds his physical body?

TGSET is filmed not in the Holy Land but in the deserts of Arizona and Utah, (Christ's visit to Utah must have pleased the Mormons.) The place looks totally desolate, such that no one would ever want to live there. Indeed, the area was flooded by a damn project shortly after film was completed. Too bad they weren't doing NOAH'S ARK or the TEN COMMANDMENTS. The actors are totally dwarfed by the surrounding scenery. It makes them and their story look temporary, not everlasting. The eclectic cast with its all-star cameos was considered something of a joke in it's time. At the Last Supper, TV Land viewers can see Illya Kuryakin, Baretta and Klinger! And it's fun to see Ingmar Bergman's knight from `THE SEVENTH SEAL doing scenes with Ed Wynn, Vaudeville's `Perfect Fool'. George Stevens is quoted as saying that someday, people viewing this film will not know who the actors were and will just see the characters. He's right. They all blend in together today. The performances are all very good, except for John Wayne's gargling of `Truly, this man was the Son of God', which, as I recall, produced audible laughter in the theater in 1965 and still seems wildly inappropriate today. I remember feeling that Charlton Heston walked away with the film as John the Baptist and he still does four decades later. The acting isn't the problem with the film. It's the pace and the setting.