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how much did it cost to make the movie the ten commandments

by Dr. Glenda Kunze Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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DeMille topped them all with Paramount's 1956 film The Ten Commandments. Produced for a cost of $13.5 million (nearly $120 million today), the biblical drama was, at the time, the most expensive movie ever made, and its initial release took in $120 million worldwide ($1.06 billion today).Sep 23, 2016

What was the budget for the Ten Commandments?

Apr 28, 2020 · How much did it cost to make the movie The Ten Commandments? 13 million USD. Click to see full answer. Similarly one may ask, how much would it cost to make the Ten Commandments today? Produced for a cost of $13.5 million (nearly $120 million today), the biblical drama was, at the time, the most expensive movie ever made, and its initial release …

What is the name of the movie with 10 Commandments?

Domestic Share: 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) Production Budget: $13,500,000 (worldwide box office is 6.3 times production budget)

How long is ‘the Ten Commandments’?

$65,500,000 International ( –) – Worldwide $65,500,000 Distributor Paramount Pictures See full company information Release Date Oct 5, 1956 Running Time 3 hr 40 min Genres Adventure Drama Family In...

Why did the Ten Commandments win an Oscar for Best Picture?

Apr 06, 2022 · Nonetheless, it is a fascinating historical film — not for what it says about Moses, but for what it says about the cold war. How much did it cost to make the movie Ten Commandments? 13 million USD Who were the Ten Commandments written for?

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Mar 14, 2020 · With a budget of $13 million, The Ten Commandments was, at the time, the most expensive film ever made. It was also one of the most financially successful, grossing approximately $122.7 million,...

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How much would The Ten Commandments cost to make today?

$120 millionDeMille topped them all with Paramount's 1956 film The Ten Commandments. Produced for a cost of $13.5 million (nearly $120 million today), the biblical drama was, at the time, the most expensive movie ever made, and its initial release took in $120 million worldwide ($1.06 billion today).Sep 23, 2016

How long did it take to make the movie The Ten Commandments?

two yearsDeMille was a great director - I worked with him for a whole year on my personal favorite film, The Ten Commandments (1956). That picture took two years to complete.

How much did the movie The Ten Commandments?

$13 millionThe Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic religious drama film produced, directed, and narrated by Cecil B. DeMille, shot in VistaVision (color by Technicolor), and released by Paramount Pictures....The Ten Commandments (1956 film)The Ten CommandmentsLanguageEnglishBudget$13 millionBox office$122.7 million (initial release)15 more rows

Is the 10 Commandments movie historically accurate?

In terms of accuracy about Moses and his time, The Ten Commandments is patchy, regardless of whether you believe the Biblical version or prefer sceptical history. Nonetheless, it is a fascinating historical film — not for what it says about Moses, but for what it says about the cold war.Dec 18, 2008

How did they part the Red Sea in The Ten Commandments?

The illusion of the Red Sea parting was achieved by large "dump tanks" that were flooded, then the film was shown in reverse. Gelatin was added to the tanks to give the water a consistency like sea water.Mar 31, 2018

Is anyone still alive from The Ten Commandments?

Debra Paget, who played Joshua's girlfriend, Lilia, is the only one of the film's main stars who is still alive today.Apr 20, 2019

What was Charlton Heston's net worth when he died?

Charlton Heston Net WorthNet Worth:$40 MillionDate of Birth:Oct 4, 1923 - Apr 5, 2008 (84 years old)Gender:MaleHeight:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)Profession:Actor, Film director, Political activist, Voice Actor1 more row

What is bear false witness in the Bible?

“Thou shalt not bear false witness” forbids: “1. Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbour. 2. Speaking unjustly against our neighbour, to the prejudice of his reputation; and (which involves the guilty of both).

How old is Debra Paget?

88 years (August 19, 1933)Debra Paget / Age

What language did Moses speak?

HebrewLate Egyptian languageMoses/Languages

Who was the narrator in The Ten Commandments?

Cecil B. DeMilleThe Ten Commandments (1956) - Cecil B. DeMille as Narrator - IMDb.

Was Charlton Heston Moses?

Heston became an icon for playing Moses in the hugely successful biblical epic The Ten Commandments (1956), selected by director Cecil B. DeMille, who thought Heston bore an uncanny resemblance to Michelangelo's statue of Moses. DeMille cast Heston's three-month-old son, Fraser Clarke Heston, as the infant Moses.

How much did the Ten Commandments make in 1956?

The Ten Commandments was the highest-grossing film of 1956 and the second most successful film of the decade. By April 1957, the film had earned an unprecedented $10 million from engagements at just eighty theaters, averaging about $1 million per week, with more than seven million people paying to watch it. During its initial release, it earned theater rentals (the distributor's share of the box office gross) of $31.3 million in North America and $23.9 million from the foreign markets, for a total of $55.2 million (equating to approximately $122.7 million in ticket sales). It was hugely profitable for its era, earning a net profit of $18,500,000, against a production budget of $13.27 million (the most a film had cost up to that point).

How long is the 10 commandments?

The length of the film combined with the necessary advertisement breaks has caused its broadcast window to vary over the years; today, ABC's total run time for The Ten Commandments stands at four hours and forty-four minutes, just above one hour longer than its three-hour and thirty-nine-minute length.

What year was the 10 commandments made?

The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic religious drama film produced, directed, and narrated by Cecil B. DeMille, shot in VistaVision (color by Technicolor ), and released by Paramount Pictures. Based on the 1949 novel Prince of Egypt by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, the 1859 novel Pillar of Fire by J. H.

Who wrote the script for the movie Moses?

The final shooting script was written by Aeneas MacKenzie, Jesse L. Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, and Fredric M. Frank. It also contained material from the books Prince of Egypt by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, Pillar of Fire by Joseph Holt Ingraham, and On Eagle's Wings by Arthur Eustace Southon. Henry Noerdlinger, the film's researcher, consulted ancient historical texts such as the Midrash Rabbah, Philo 's Life of Moses, and the writings of Josephus and Eusebius in order to "fill in" the missing years of Moses' life, and as the film's last opening title card states, "the Holy Scriptures."

Who created the special effects for the Ten Commandments?

The special photographic effects in The Ten Commandments were created by John P. Fulton, A.S.C. (who received an Oscar for his effects in the film), head of the special effects department at Paramount Pictures, assisted by Paul Lerpae, A.S.C. in Optical Photography (blue screen " travelling matte " composites) and Farciot Edouart, A.S.C., in Process Photography ( rear projection effects). Fulton's effects included the building of Sethi's Jubilee treasure city, the Burning Bush, the fiery hail from a cloudless sky, the Angel of Death, the composites of the Exodus, the Pillar of Fire, the giving of the Ten Commandments, and the tour de force, the parting of the Red Sea. The parting of the Red Sea was considered the most difficult special effect ever performed up to that time. This effect took about six months of VistaVision filming, and combined scenes shot on the shores of the Red Sea in Egypt, with scenes filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood of a huge water tank split by a U-shaped trough, into which approximately 360,000 gallons of water were released from the sides, as well as the filming of a giant waterfall also built on the Paramount backlot to create the effect of the walls of the parted sea out of the turbulent backwash. All of the multiple elements of the shot were then combined in Paul Lerpae's optical printer, and matte paintings of rocks by Jan Domela concealed the matte lines between the real elements and the special effects elements. Unlike the technique used by ILM for Raiders of the Lost Ark and Poltergeist of injecting poster paints into a glass tank containing a salt water inversion layer, the cloud effects for The Ten Commandments were formed with white Britt smoke filmed against a translucent sky backing, and colors were added optically. Striking portraits of Charlton Heston as Moses and three women in front of menacing clouds were photographed by Wallace Kelly, A.S.C. in Farciot Edouart's process (rear projection) department, in what are still considered unforgettable scenes. DeMille used these scenes to break up the montage, framing his subjects like a Renaissance master. An abundance of blue screen spillage or "bleeding" can be seen, particularly at the top of the superimposed walls of water, but rather than detracting from the shot, this (unintentionally) gives the scene an eerie yet spectacular appearance. The parting of the Red Sea sequence is considered by many to be one of the greatest special effects of all time.

Who wrote the score for the Ten Commandments?

The score for The Ten Commandments was composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein. Initially, DeMille hired Bernstein, then a relatively unknown film composer, to write and record only the diegetic music required for the film's dance sequences and other onscreen musical passages, with the intention of employing frequent collaborator Victor Young to write the score proper. However, Young turned down the assignment due to his own failing health, causing DeMille to hire Bernstein to write the underscore as well.

Who was the actor who played Moses in the movie?

Charlton Heston was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) for his role as Moses. Yul Brynner won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor for his role as Rameses and his other roles in Anastasia and The King and I.

Who played Moses in The Ten Commandments?

Fraser Heston as Baby Moses with his father, Charlton, on the set of 'The Ten Commandments.'. “ The Ten Commandments is part of our DNA, and it’s part of my Dad’s story. You can’t think of Charlton Heston without thinking about The Ten Commandments. Still, he didn’t think it was his best performance,” Fraser Heston revealed as we discussed ...

Is the Ten Commandments on Blu-ray?

The Ten Commandments has been re-released on Blu-ray in a set that includes both the fully restored 1956 version of the film as well as DeMille’s original silent version from 1923. Both films remain hugely influential today, especially the Heston-headlined second adaptation.

How much money did the Ten Commandments make?

With a budget of $13 million, The Ten Commandments was, at the time, the most expensive film ever made. It was also one of the most financially successful, grossing approximately $122.7 million, around $1.2 billion in today’s money, at the box office in its initial run alone. Epic money for an epic movie, but that wasn’t something ...

What is the day of Moses?

In trying to instigate trouble for Moses, Prince Ramses tells his father (Pharaoh Sethi) that Moses not only gave the Hebrew slaves extra grain, but one day in seven to rest, a day that the Hebrews now called “the Day of Moses.”.

Where did Moses keep the flock of Jethro?

The biblical text states “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb” (Exodus 3:1).

Who played Moses in The Ten Commandments?

American actor Charlton Heston (1923 - 2008) as Moses in ‘The Ten Commandments’, directed by Cecil B DeMille, 1956. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) Watching Paramount’s The Ten Commandments is, for many, an annual part of the spring holidays. While there have been other film versions of the story of the exodus, ...

Who played Dathan in the movie?

The vile Dathan, played by Edward G. Robinson, is one of the most memorable and unlikable characters in the movie. Dathan and his brother Aviram, who is mostly a silent presence in the movie, appear repeatedly in the Torah as troublemakers. In Egypt, Dathan was an Israelite overseer.

Where did Moses go after fleeing Egypt?

However, there is a Midrash (narrative from the Oral Torah) that details how, after fleeing Egypt, Moses went to Ethiopia and was named king. This occurred before he came to the tent of Jethro, where he married and became a shepherd. 2) The Day of Moses.

Who conquered Ethiopia?

1 ) Moses, Conquerer of Ethiopia. The grown-up Moses is introduced in The Ten Commandments when he returns to Pharoah after bringing Ethiopia into alliance with Egypt. There is no record of Moses conquering Ethiopia on behalf of Pharaoh. However, there is a Midrash (narrative from the Oral Torah) that details how, after fleeing Egypt, ...

Was Korach a Levite?

It is true that Korach was a Levite who wished to be the High Priest and led a rebellion against Moses and Aharon. It is also true that Dathan was one of Korach’s prime supporters in the rebellion. However, the events of Korach’s rebellion are recorded in the Book of Numbers and took place elsewhere.

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Overview

Reception

The Ten Commandments was the highest-grossing film of 1956 and the second most successful film of the decade. By April 1957, the film had earned an unprecedented $10 million from engagements at just eighty theaters, averaging about $1 million per week, with more than seven million people paying to watch it. It played for 70 weeks at the Criterion Theatre in New York, grossing $2.7 million. During its initial release, it earned theater rentals(the distributor's share of …

Plot

After hearing the prophecy of a Hebrew deliverer, Pharaoh Rameses I of Egypt orders the death of all newborn Hebrew males. Yochabel saves her infant son by setting him adrift in a basket on the Nile. Bithiah, the Pharaoh Rameses' recently widowed daughter (and sister of the future Pharaoh Seti I), finds the basket and decides to adopt the boy even though her servant, Memnet, recognizes the child is Hebrew. Bithiah names the baby Moses.

Cast

In the film's title sequence, the cast is credited in the following order:
• Charlton Heston as Moses (and the voice of God at the Burning Bush)
• Yul Brynner as Rameses II
• Anne Baxter as Nefretiri

Production

The final shooting script was written by Aeneas MacKenzie, Jesse L. Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, and Fredric M. Frank. It also contained material from the books Prince of Egypt by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, Pillar of Fire by Joseph Holt Ingraham, and On Eagle's Wings by Arthur Eustace Southon. Henry Noerdlinger, the film's researcher, consulted ancient historical texts such as the Midrash Rabbah, Philo's …

Popularity

Critics have argued that considerable liberties were taken with the biblical story of Exodus, compromising the film's claim to authenticity, but neither this nor its nearly four-hour length has had any effect on its popularity. In fact, many of the supposed inaccuracies were actually adopted by DeMille from extra-biblical ancient sources, such as Josephus, the Sepher ha-Yashar, and the Chronicle of Moses. Moses's career in Ethiopia, for instance, is based on ancient midrashim. For …

Home media

The Ten Commandments has been released on DVD in the United States on four occasions: the first edition (Widescreen Collection) was released on March 30, 1999, as a two-disc set, the second edition (Special Collector's Edition) was released on March 9, 2004, as a two-disc set with commentary by Katherine Orrison, the third edition (50th Anniversary Collection) was released on March 21, 2006, as a three-disc set with the 1923 version and special features, and the fourth ed…

Television broadcast

The Ten Commandments was first broadcast on the ABC network on February 18, 1973, and has aired annually on the network since then, with the exception of 1999, traditionally during the Passover and Easter holidays. Since 2006 the network has typically aired The Ten Commandments on the Saturday night prior to Easter, with the broadcast starting at 7 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific Time Zones and 6 p.m. Central/Mountain/Alaska/Hawaii. (An exception was in 2020 when the fil…

1.The Ten Commandments (1956) - Financial Information

Url:https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Ten-Commandments-The-(1956)

24 hours ago Apr 28, 2020 · How much did it cost to make the movie The Ten Commandments? 13 million USD. Click to see full answer. Similarly one may ask, how much would it cost to make the Ten Commandments today? Produced for a cost of $13.5 million (nearly $120 million today), the biblical drama was, at the time, the most expensive movie ever made, and its initial release …

2.The Ten Commandments (1956 film) - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ten_Commandments_(1956_film)

34 hours ago Domestic Share: 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) Production Budget: $13,500,000 (worldwide box office is 6.3 times production budget)

3.The Ten Commandments - Box Office Mojo

Url:https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3681912321/

8 hours ago $65,500,000 International ( –) – Worldwide $65,500,000 Distributor Paramount Pictures See full company information Release Date Oct 5, 1956 Running Time 3 hr 40 min Genres Adventure Drama Family In...

4.What year was the Ten Commandments movie made? - …

Url:https://smithharris.org/what-year-was-the-ten-commandments-movie-made/

19 hours ago Apr 06, 2022 · Nonetheless, it is a fascinating historical film — not for what it says about Moses, but for what it says about the cold war. How much did it cost to make the movie Ten Commandments? 13 million USD Who were the Ten Commandments written for?

5.Inside ‘The Ten Commandments’ With Charlton Heston’s …

Url:https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthompson/2020/03/14/inside-the-ten-commandments-with-charlton-hestons-son-fraser/

31 hours ago Mar 14, 2020 · With a budget of $13 million, The Ten Commandments was, at the time, the most expensive film ever made. It was also one of the most financially successful, grossing approximately $122.7 million,...

6.10 Fascinating Facts About The Ten Commandments …

Url:https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-ten-commandments-movie_b_5169884

22 hours ago Of all the biblical laws and commandments, the Ten Commandments alone are said to have been "written with the finger of God" (Exodus 31:18). The stone tablets were placed in the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:21, Deuteronomy 10:2,5).

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