Ben-Hur (1959 film) New York City on November 18, 1959. Present at the premiere were William Wyler, Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet, Martha Scott, Ramon Novarro (who played Judah Ben-Hur in the 1925 silent film version), Spyros Skouras (president of the 20th Century Fox), Barney Balaban (president of Paramount Pictures), Jack L. Warner (president of Warner Bros.), Leonard Goldenson (president of the American Broadcasting Company), Moss Hart (playwright), Robert Kintner (an ABC Television executive), Sidney Kingsley (playwright), and Adolph Zukor (founder of Paramount Pictures). During its initial release the film earned $33.6 million in North American theater rentals (the distributor's share of
Ramon Novarro contemporary, John Gilbert, as a leading man. He was popular as a swashbuckler in action roles and considered one of the great romantic lead actors of his day. Novarro appeared with Norma Shearer in "The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg" (1927) and with Joan Crawford in "Across to Singapore" (1928). He made his first talking film, starring as a singing French soldier, in "Devil-May-Care" (1929). He starred with Dorothy Janis in "The Pagan" (1929), with Greta Garbo in "Mata Hari" (1931), with Myrna Loy in "The Barbarian" (1933) and opposite Lupe Vélez in "Laughing Boy" (1934). When his contract with