The Bible According To Hollywood
Some of the first films made in Hollywood were based on Bible stories. Showman Cecil B DeMille was one of the most spectacular directors using state-of-the-art effects in the parting of the Red Sea in his silent two-part version of The Ten Commandments (1923).
In the 1950s the biblical epic was perfect for the wide-screen and audiences marvelled at Quo Vadis? (1951) and the young Richard Burton in The Robe (1953), directed by Henry Koster. William Wyler's remake of the original Ben Hur won 11 Oscars whilst King of Kings was also remade in 1961, starring Jeffrey Hunter and narrated by Orson Welles.
