Ben-Hur (1959 film) the second highest-grossing film in history at the time after "Gone with the Wind". It won a record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Wyler), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Heston), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Griffith), and Best Cinematography – Color (Surtees). "Ben-Hur" also won three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Stephen Boyd. Today, "Ben-Hur" is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, and in 1998 the American Film Institute ranked it the 72nd best American film
The Big Day (1959 film) The Big Day (1959 film) The Big Day is an Australian television film, or rather a live television play, which aired in 1959. The fifth episode of the "Shell Presents" presentations of standalone television dramas, it originally aired 11 July 1959 on Melbourne station GTV-9, a video-tape was made of the broadcast and shown on Sydney station ATN-7 on 25 July 1959 (this was prior to the formation of the Nine Network and Seven Network). "Shell Presents" was a monthly series presenting locally produced television dramas and comedies. Most of these were adaptations of overseas dramas such as "Johnny Belinda"