The Greatest Story Ever Told

Max von Sydow Director: George Stevens George Stevens

Overview

Filmmaker George Stevens chose Monument Valley, Utah for his exterior sequences in The Greatest Story Ever Told, this ($20 million) adaptation of Fulton Oursler's best-selling book. The "Greatest Story" is, of course, the life of Jesus Christ, played herein by Max Von Sydow. The large supporting cast includes Dorothy McGuire as Mary, Claude Rains as Herod the Great, Jose Ferrer as Herod Antipas, Charlton Heston as John the Baptist, Donald Pleasence as Satan (identified only as "The Dark Hermit"), David McCallum as Judas Iscariot, Sidney Poitier as Simon of Cyrene, Telly Savalas as Pontius Pilate and Martin Landau as Caiaphas. Even Robert Blake as Simon the Zealot, Jamie Farr as Thaddaeus, and motorcyle-flick veteran Richard Bakalyan as Dismas, the repentant thief, are well-suited to their roles. Originally roadshown at 260 minutes, Greatest Story Ever Told was later available in a 195-minute version.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/29/2011
UPC:	0883904232278
Original Release:	1965
Rating:	G
Source:	Mgm (Video & Dvd)
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound]
Time:	3:19:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Max von Sydow	Jesus Christ
Dorothy McGuire	Virgin Mary
Robert Loggia	Joseph
Claude Rains	King Herod
José Ferrer	Herod Antipas
Charlton Heston	John the Baptist
Marian Seldes	Herodias
John Abbott	Aben
Rodopho (Rudy) Acosta	Captain of Lancers
Philip Coolidge	Chuza
Michael Ansara	Herod's commander
Donald Pleasence	The Dark Hermit
David McCallum	Judas Iscariot
Roddy McDowall	Matthew
Michael Anderson	James the Younger
David Sheiner	James the Elder
Gary Raymond	Peter
Burt Brinckerhoff	Andrew
John Considine	John
Jamie Farr	Thaddaeus
David Hedison	Philip
Peter Mann	Nathaniel
Tom Reese	Thomas
Telly Savalas	Pontius Pilate
Angela Lansbury	Claudia
Johnny Seven	Pilate's aide
Paul Stewart	Questor
Harold J. Stone	Gen. Varus
Mark Lenard	Balthazar
Frank Silvera	Caspar
Joanna Dunham	Mary Magdalene
Janet Margolin	Mary of Bethany
Michael Tolan	Lazarus
Carroll Baker	Veronica
Pat Boone	Young Man at the Tomb
Sal Mineo	Uriah
Van Heflin	Bar Armand
Ed Wynn	Old Aram
Shelley Winters	Woman of No Name
Chet Stratton	Theophilius
Ron Whelan	Annas
John Lupton	Speaker of Capernaum
Abraham Sofaer	Joseph of Arimathaea
Martin Landau	Caiaphas
Nehemiah Persoff	Shemiah
Joseph Schildkraut	Nicodemus
Victor Buono	Sorak
Robert Busch	Emissary
John Crawford	Alexander
John Wayne	The Centurion
Sidney Poitier	Simon of Cyrene
Richard Conte	Barabbas
Frank de Kova	The Tormentor
Joseph Sirola	Dumah
Robert Blake	Simon the Zealot
Russell Johnson	Scribe
Dal Jenkins	Philip
Cyril Delevanti	Melchior
John M. Pickard	Peter's 2nd accuser
Celia Lovsky	Woman behind railings
Mickey Simpson	Rabble rouser
Richard Bakalyan	Good Thief on Cross
Marc Cavell	Bad Thief on Cross
Renata Vanni	Weeping woman

Technical Credits

George Stevens

James Lee Barrett

George Stevens	Director,Associate Producer,Screenwriter
James Lee Barrett	Screenwriter
Marjorie Best	Costumes/Costume Designer
William J. Creber	Production Designer
Richard Day	Production Designer
Arnold A. Gillespie	Special Effects
Loyal Griggs	Cinematographer
David Hall	Art Director,Production Designer,Set Decoration/Design
Jack Hayes	Musical Arrangement
J. McMillan Johnson	Special Effects
Harold Kress	Editor
Fred MacLean	Production Designer
William C. Mellor	Cinematographer
Ray Moyer	Production Designer
Argyle Nelson	Editor
Alfred Newman	Score Composer
Vittorio Nino Novarese	Costumes/Costume Designer
Frank O'Neill	Editor
Norman Rockett	Production Designer
Clarence Slifer	Special Effects