Ben-Hur (1959 film) scope and grand spectacle, "Ben-Hur" still ranks among Hollywood's finest examples of pure entertainment." "Ben-Hur" was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won an unprecedented 11. , only "Titanic" in 1998 and "" in 2004 have matched the film's wins. The lone category where "Ben-Hur" did not win was for Best Adapted Screenplay (losing to "Room at the Top"), and most observers attributed this to the controversy over the writing credit. MGM and Panavision shared a special technical Oscar in March 1960 for developing the Camera 65 photographic process. "Ben-Hur" also won three Golden Globe Awards – Best Motion Picture
Ben-Hur (1959 film) late 1950s, the consent decree of 1948 forcing film studios to divest themselves of theater chains and the competitive pressure of television had caused significant financial distress at MGM. In a gamble to save the studio, and inspired by the success of Paramount Pictures' 1956 Biblical epic "The Ten Commandments", studio head Joseph Vogel announced in 1957 that MGM would again move forward on a remake of "Ben-Hur". Filming started in May 1958 and wrapped in January 1959, and post-production took six months. Although the budget for "Ben-Hur" was initially $7 million, it was reported to be $10 million by