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
Santa Claus (1959 film) Eastmancolor with a monaural soundtrack. The film was considered to be a financial success over several holiday-season theatrical releases in the 1960s and 1970s. Broadcast of the film also became a holiday tradition at several U.S. television stations. The film garnered at least one award, winning the Golden Gate Award for Best International Family Film at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1959. The film was featured in the fifth season of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (episode #521), which first aired on Christmas Eve 1993. The devil Pitch became a recurring character on "MST3K", played by writer Paul Chaplin.