In which 1959 film did an opera singer called Claude Heater play Jesus Christ, but was not creedited as his face was never shown ?
Claude Heater in the Dramatic/Wagnerian tenor repertoire at major theatres internationally. After retiring from the stage in the 1970s, he devoted his time to develop dramatic voices. He is also known for portraying the role of Jesus Christ (uncredited in the titles) in the 1959 classic film "Ben-Hur". Born in Oakland, California, Heater grew up in a Mormon family. When Heater was nineteen years old, he served as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the Eastern United States of America. He returned to Europe in 1956 to sing in Basel, Switzerland, with Montserrat Caballé
Production of Ben-Hur (1959 film) was cast as the comical Sheik Ilderim. Finlay Currie had worked with Zimbalist before on "Quo Vadis", playing St. Peter, was cast as Balthasar. Out of respect for the divinity of Christ, and consistent with Lew Wallace's stated preference, Wyler decided before the production began that the face of Jesus would not be shown. The role of Jesus was played by Claude Heater, who was uncredited for the role. Heater was an American opera singer performing with the Vienna State Opera in Rome when he was asked to do a screen test for the film. In casting, Wyler placed heavy