The Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 Biblical epic film about the life of Jesus Christ. The last of a series of big-budget Biblical films, such as Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments, the film was a commercial flop despite being nominated for five Academy Awards.
Fast Facts:
- Release Date: February 15, 1965
- Written By: George Stevens and James Lee Barrett
- Directed By: George Stevens
- Produced By: George Stevens, Frank I. Davis, George Stevens Jr. and Antonio Vellani
- Music By: Alfred Newman
- Distributed By: United Artists
- Original Runtime: 225 min
- Edited Runtime: 141 min
- The film was nominated for five Academy Awards
Brief Background
The Greatest Story Ever Told, like subsequent films, The Last Temptation of Christ and The Passion of the Christ, attempts to tell the story of Christ's journey from growing prophet to crucified God. Swedish actor Max von Sydow plays Christ, and a star-studded cast appears as the other characters in the well-known New Testament narrative. Charlton Heston plays John the Baptist, Telly Savalas plays Pontius Pilate, and Donald Pleasance plays Satan. Other actors appearing in the production were Angela Lansbury, Robert Loggia, John Wayne, Roddy McDowall, Sal Mineo, Sidney Poitier, Claude Rains, Martin Landau, Shelley Winters, and Robert Blake.
