Ben-Hur Chariot Race Quiz: The 1959 Epic's Famous Scene

This Ben-Hur chariot race quiz takes a seat in the vast arena built for William Wyler's 1959 epic. Play 10 interactive questions on Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd, Judah and Messala, the Cinecitta set, weeks of filming, stunt expert Yakima Canutt, the bladed wheels, eleven Oscars and Lew Wallace's novel.

Start Ben-Hur Chariot Race Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Director
Who directed the 1959 Ben-Hur?
Star
Who played Judah Ben-Hur?
Rival
Who is Judah's rival in the race?
Studio
Where was the arena built?
Time
Roughly how long did the race take to film?
Stunts
Which stunt legend helped stage the race?
Blades
What did Messala's chariot have on its wheels?
Oscars
How many Oscars did Ben-Hur win?
Novel
Who wrote the novel Ben-Hur?
Earlier
Which earlier version also had a famous chariot race?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Who directed the 1959 Ben-Hur?
Answer: William Wyler
He won Best Director.
Q2: Who played Judah Ben-Hur?
Answer: Charlton Heston
He won Best Actor.
Q3: Who is Judah's rival in the race?
Answer: Messala
Stephen Boyd played him.
Q4: Where was the arena built?
Answer: Cinecitta Studios in Rome
It covered a huge area.
Q5: Roughly how long did the race take to film?
Answer: About five weeks
The scene lasts about nine minutes.
Q6: Which stunt legend helped stage the race?
Answer: Yakima Canutt
His son did a famous flip.
Q7: What did Messala's chariot have on its wheels?
Answer: Spiked blades
They shred Judah's wheel.
Q8: How many Oscars did Ben-Hur win?
Answer: Eleven
It set a record later tied.
Q9: Who wrote the novel Ben-Hur?
Answer: Lew Wallace
It was published in 1880.
Q10: Which earlier version also had a famous chariot race?
Answer: The 1925 silent film
It was a huge production too.

Ben-Hur Chariot Race Quiz – The 1959 Epic's Famous Scene

William Wyler's Ben-Hur, released in 1959, stars Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur and Stephen Boyd as his former friend Messala. Their rivalry explodes in a chariot race in a giant arena.

The arena was built at Cinecitta Studios in Rome, and the nine-minute race took about five weeks to film. Stunt legend Yakima Canutt helped stage it, and Messala's chariot carries spiked blades on its wheels.

The film won eleven Oscars, a record later tied. It was based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel, which had already inspired a 1925 silent film with its own famous race.

What This Quiz Teaches

Classic movie fans will enjoy these questions.

Who made the film
Who races in it
Where it was filmed
How the stunts worked
Which awards it won

Did You Know?

Heston trained to drive a chariot himself.
Thousands of extras filled the stands.
The race used teams of four horses.
The film runs about three and a half hours.
Titanic and The Return of the King later tied its Oscar record.