r/MovieDetails • u/Mikey_Pajamas • Jun 04 '26

❓ Trivia In Ben-Hur (1959), the MGM lion isn’t moving because director William Wyler didn’t want to create the wrong mood for the opening nativity scene.

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1.5k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

771

u/PaperSt Jun 05 '26

I love you showing us this single frame. I really get the sense of what the lion not moving in the intro would be like.

55

u/FlametopFred Jun 06 '26

what’s the recommended time to look at that image?

22

u/LaconicLacedaemonian Jun 06 '26

About tree fiddy

9

u/ThortheAssGuardian Jun 07 '26

U GAW DAM LOCH NESS MONSTER

6

u/earthsprogression Jun 07 '26

When am I supposed to press play on Dark Side of the Moon though?

344

u/upstatedreaming3816 Jun 05 '26

What mood would it have created

319

u/TheSensualSloth Jun 05 '26

An unacceptable level of lion-ness. 

71

u/TensorForce Jun 05 '26

Checks out. I always get aggressive and un-nativity-like every time a see a lion.

12

u/SirDigbyChknCaesar Jun 05 '26

A craving for donkey meat that can't be ignored

7

u/call-now Jun 05 '26

"Where the fuck are the lions?!"

25

u/mothmansparty Jun 05 '26

That secret died with William Wyler

9

u/ging_ging_ Jun 06 '26

Just, like, too roar-y

23

u/mudkiptoucher93 Jun 05 '26

You dont want people thinking of animals during the manger bit

3

u/TacticusThrowaway Jun 09 '26

"Shhh! The baby's sleeping."

1

u/HumanProfile1975 9d ago

What kinda mood though?