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The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

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Average Rating: 4.8/10
Reviews Counted: 19
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 12

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 1

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Movie Info

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

G, 3 hr. 16 min.

Drama, Faith & Spirituality, Classics

Directed By: George Stevens , David Lean

Written By: George Stevens, James Lee Barrett

In Theaters: Feb 15, 1965 Wide

On DVD: Mar 6, 2001

MGM Home Entertainment

The Greatest Story Ever Told Trailer & Photos

Cast

Max von Sydow
Jesus Christ
Dorothy McGuire
Virgin Mary
Robert Loggia
Joseph
Claude Rains
King Herod
Jos� Ferrer
Herod Antipas
Marian Seldes
Herodias
Charlton Heston
John the Baptist
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 Jr.
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
Marc Cavell
Bad Thief on Cross
Cyril Delevanti
Melchior
Daniel Jenkins
Philip
Russell Johnson
Scribe
Celia Lovsky
Woman behind railings
John M. Pickard
Peter's 2nd accuser
Mickey Simpson
Rabble rouser
Renata Vanni
Weeping woman
Richard Bakalyan
Good Thief on Cross
Robert Blake
Simon the Zealot

Critic Reviews for The Greatest Story Ever Told

All Critics (19) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (15) | DVD (11)

The prophets should speak with respect of this $20 million Biblical epic.

November 13, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

By reputation, the results are so dull and so consistently undercut by a succession of star cameos that no one seems to mind the various shorter versions released since them, one of them less than half as long.

November 13, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Mr. Stevens has done it in a generous and often stunning style. And the quality of his reverence should captivate the piously devout.

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Top Critic

Hammy performances by Charlton Heston as John the Baptist, Telly Savalas as Pilate, and, in the most notorious bit of casting, John Wayne(!) as a Roman soldier overseeing the crucifixion ("Truly, this man was the son of God," drawls the Duke).

April 22, 2011 Full Review Source: Creative Loafing

| Comment

Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

Tends to degenerate into a series of increasingly bizarre walk-ons.

November 13, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

Wile it's not quite as bad as the critics claimed upon its release, it's not particularly good either.

November 13, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

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TV Guide's Movie Guide

Interminable and intolerably reverential.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Time Out

Despite some rousing scenes, may be the most boring movie ever made ...

April 7, 2006 Comment

Carol Cling

Las Vegas Review-Journal

If this is the greatest story ever told I can imagine how horrid is the worst story ever told.

March 4, 2006 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Yes, the celebrity cameos distract, but the film focuses more on Jesus' message than the overated King of Kings If you've never seen it in widescreen, you are missing a revelation.

February 17, 2005 Comment

Jeffrey Westhoff

Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

The New Testament meets "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in this unintentionally funny all-star Biblical epic.

June 29, 2004 Full Review Source: Film Threat

| Comment

Phil Hall

Film Threat

So call me a blasphemer and a heretic. Producer/director/writer George Stevens' ultimate project simply isn't a very good film.

April 13, 2003 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews

| Comment

John A. Nesbit

Old School Reviews Source: Old School Reviews

One of the most boring movies ever made; if Jesus was a wooden in life as he is in this movie, he would not have attracted one disciple.

December 25, 2002 Comment

Bob Bloom

Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Greatest Story Ever Told

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Ponderous epic that moves at a snail's pace.

August 23, 2007

jay nixon

Super Reviewer

An overly long version of Christ's story. Von Sydow is great as Jesus, but hearing the Duke's voice as the Centurion pissed me off for some reason.

April 13, 2009

Red Lats

Super Reviewer

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