Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925 film) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925 film) Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a 1925 American silent epic adventure-drama film directed by Fred Niblo and written by June Mathis based on the 1880 novel "" by General Lew Wallace. Starring Ramon Novarro as the title character, the film is the first feature-length adaptation of the novel and second overall, following the 1907 short. In 1997, "Ben-Hur" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Ben-Hur is a wealthy young Jewish prince and boyhood
Ramon Novarro Novarro's murder is also briefly referenced in the sixth season "The Sopranos" episode "Cold Stones", following the violent murder of a closeted homosexual character. In late 2005, the Wings Theatre in New York City staged the world premiere of "Through a Naked Lens" by George Barthel. The play combined fact and fiction to depict Ramon Novarro's rise to fame and his relationship with Hollywood journalist Herbert Howe. In 2015, the murder of Ramon Novarro was covered in the television series "Aquarius" in the episode "Cease to Resist". Novarro's relationship with Herbert Howe is discussed in two biographies: Allan R. Ellenberger's