My friend, who is currently sitting next to me in our PIT classroom, believes that several hundred or thereabouts horses were killed in the filming of this movie. Can someone please confirm or deny this to ease her mind. I have also posted this in the Ben Hur 1959 discussion board in the event it is this one.
sharehi!
during the crash in the chariot race of ben hur (1925) some horses getting hurt and they have to shot them. it´s awful, I know, but the movie is great. but it was no intention of the director, it was an accident.
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the charriot race was first attempted at a location near rome. during the rehearsal there was an accident and yes, they didn't bother with a vet and just shot the horses.
later it was determined that the lighting wasn't right or something like that, and went to california and what made it to print was done there, without further need of shooting horses.
but i wouldn't be surprised if there were horses at least injured during the final filming as well.
about 12 horses were either injured or killed during the filming of the chariot race sequence that appears in the final film
shareRich MGM80 it's a pity someone hasn't put you out of your misery.
shareI think MGM80 was merely stating that a lot of horses were killed, not that their deaths made the chariot race better than the '59 version. The chariot race is superior despite those accidents.
Were you this upset by the reports (apparently unfounded) that three stunt men died during the Battle at Sea sequence?
Yes, they killed horses for making a stupid battle scene.
Some people have the indecency of saying "yeah, poor animals, I'm sad they died, but this movie is still great". If you actually cared about animals, you wouldn't watch and praise these movies. Boycott the 1925 Ben Hur. I think the remakes don't have any animal abuse in them, watch them instead.
Boycott movies that involve real animal violence! (and their directors too)
Aren't there real problems to care about? Who cares about horses?
shareWho cares about horses?