Titanic (1997 film) on December 19, 1997, "Titanic" achieved critical and commercial success. Nominated for 14 Academy Awards, it tied "All About Eve" (1950) for the most Oscar nominations, and won 11, including the awards for Best Picture and Best Director, tying "Ben-Hur" (1959) for the most Oscars won by a single film. With an initial worldwide gross of over $1.84 billion, "Titanic" was the first film to reach the billion-dollar mark. It remained the highest-grossing film of all time until Cameron's "Avatar" surpassed it in 2010. A 3D version of "Titanic," released on April 4, 2012, to commemorate the centennial of the
Messala (Ben-Hur) Balthasar) murders him upon learning the true nature of the Romans. In the 1899 Broadway play. Messala was portrayed by William S. Hart who went on to greater fame starring in western movies. In the Messala was portrayed by Francis X. Bushman as an ambitious and ruthless Roman who ceased to care for Ben-Hur long before being reunited with him. In the 1959 film Messala was portrayed by Stephen Boyd. In contrast with the book, there is a confrontation between Ben-Hur and Messala when Messala asks him to identify rebels. Messala dies in the chariot race - when his attempt