BEN-HUR was the biggest and most complex undertaking of William Wyler's career. Once it came time for the Academy Awards, the film led the pack with twelve nominations. It eventually won eleven Oscars from its twelve nominations, losing the screenplay category. | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

Ben-Hur set a new Oscar record by winning 11 Academy Awards. Ben-Hur also won Academy Awards for Best Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith), Color Art Direction-Set Decoration (William A. Horning, Edward Carfagno, and Hugh Hunt), Color Cinematography (Robert L. Surtees), Color Costume Design (Elizabeth Haffenden), Directing (William Wyler), Film Editing (Ralph E. Winters and John D. Dunning), Music – Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Miklos Rozsa), Sound (Metr

The iconic chariot race in William Wyler's BEN-HUR ('59) took 10 weeks to shoot and was coordinated by Yakima Canutt. It has influenced filmmakers to this day including George Lucas who said this scene inspired the pod race sequence in THE PHANTOM MENACE ('99). #31DaysofOscar | Turner Classic Movies: TCM