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Indiana Libraries 28 trhompson Indiana Libraries Lew Wallace, Indiana author of Ben-Hur on the steps of his Crawfordsville study. Volume 7, Number 1 (1988) Thompson/ 29 Lew Wallace and Ben-Hur Donald E. Thompson Head Librarian, Retired Wabash College, Crawfordsville Since its publication in 1880, Lew the subject would admit of any number of Wallace's Ben-Hur was a best seller, illustrations, and might be acceptable to was produced as a play, and was made one of the magazines. into a mini-movie and two full-length So I wrote, commencing with the motion pictures. Probably no other meeting in the desert, numbering and single product from Crawfordsville has naming the three upon the authority of the created so much interest and publicity, dear old tradition-monger, Father Bede, and been so lucrative monetarily. and ending with the birth of the Child in How did a11 of this start? Here is what the cave by Bethlehem. W a11ace said: At that time, speaking candidly, I was How did I come to write Ben-Hur? The not in the least influenced by religious very beginning of the book lies in a sentiment. I had no convictions about God quotation from St. Matthew: or Christ. I neither believed nor disbe­ lieved in them. 'Now when Jesus was born in Bethle­ hem of Judea, in the days of Herod the The preacher had made no impression King, behold, there came wise men from upon me. My reading covered nearly every the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He other subject. Indifference is the word that is born King of the Jews? For we most perfectly desc1;ptive of my feelings have seen His star in the east, and are respecting the To-morrow of Death, as a come to worship Him.' French scientist has happily termed the succession oflife. Yet when the work was Far back as my memory goes of things fairly begun, I found myself \V1;ting rever­ read by or to me, those lines took a entially, and frequently with awe. hold on my imagination beyond every other passage of Scripture. How simple This was purely natural; for it is with they are! But analyze them, and behold me, presumably, as with every writer who creates as he goes. My characters are the points of wonder! essentially living persons. They arise and W a11ace describes the seen e in some sit, look, talk, and behave like themselves. detail and then goes on: In dealing with them I see them; when they speak I hear them. I know them by In 1875-the date is given from best recollection-when I was getting over the their features. They answer my ca11. restlessness due to years of service in the Some of them I detest. Such as I most affect become my familiars. In turn they War of Rebe11ion, it occurred to me to write ca11 me, and I recognize their voices. Such the conceptions which I had long carried in being the case, think of the society to my mind of the Wise Men. A serial upon which the serial directly admitted me! 30 trhompson Indiana Libraries With this idea in mind, Wallace ent American editions and was trans­ visited the Library of Congress and lated into many languages. In 1944 read a great deal about the Jews. Harper's estimated that more than Returning to Crawfordsville, he 2,500,000 ~opies had been sold. It still brought back many books and maps ranks among the top best sellers by and from much research the story American authors. In connection with developed. He first thought about the release of the 1959 motion picture, preparing a serial for Harper's several different editions were issued Monthly so he wrote a 20,000 word including deluxe, abridged for teen­ story, but this later became the first agers, children's classic, four paper­ part of the book. Most of the writing backs, comic book, coloring book, giant was done in Crawfordsville, but the fun-time book, and motion picture novel was completed in Santa Fe while souvenir book. he was serving as territorial governor. After publication in 1880 the book When the novel of two hundred was received with mixed reactions by thousand words was completed in literary critics and the public. Paul March, 1880, Wallace took it to Hamilton Hayne, a well known south­ Harper Brothers in New York City ern writer, wrote to Wallace: "It is .. and it was published on November 12, a noble and very powerful prose poem 1880, at a dollar and a half. In the ... of course, in the ordinary sense of first seven months only 2,800 copies the term, Ben-Hur is not likely to were sold, but by 1886 sales were become popular, but by scholars and 4,500 copies per month. By 1911 sales thinkers of every conceivable grade had passed the million mark and in this singularly graphic performance 1913 Sears Roebuck ordered a million must be cherished." John Hay said copies at thirty-nine cents each. The Ben-Hur was one of "the finest novels book was published in several differ- of our time." A San Francisco newspa- Wallace in his study at Crawfordsville. Volume 7, Number 1 (1988) Thompson/ 31 32 fl'hompson Indiana Libraries perman suggested that "Governor Lew said to the producers: "Boys, I'm Wallace is a 'Literary Feller,' chiefly afraid you're up against it; the Ameri­ given to writing novels of an uncertain can people will never stand for Christ sort. He is following up The Fair God and a horse race in the same show." with Ben-Hur, a Story of the Christ. I His remark rates as one of the bad protest, as a friend of Christ, that He guesses in theatrical history. Not only has been crucified enough already, did Americans like the combination, without having a territorial governor they loved it. Twenty million people after him." For the religious press, .saw the play which was performed The Baptist Quarterly Review said "In more than 6,000 times, and ran for all respects we gladly commend the twenty-one years and paid upwards of book" and The Catholic World found it ten million dollars for the privilege. It "a most pleasing story." Other literary was produced in hundreds of Ameri­ critics also had kind things to say but, can cities and abroad. The religious whatever the critics attitude, the and moral tone made the stage easier public liked the book as the sal~s to accept by many people who gener­ figures show. Selections of the book ally thought little good about the were included in anthologies and it Theatre. William Jennings Bryan inspired a large number of novels. said, "I have enjoyed Ben-Hur as the greatest play on stage when measured Soon after its publication, several by its religious and moral effect," and attempts were made to dramatize Ben Billy Sunday exclaimed, "I wish a -Hur. Leonard Barrett requested hundred million people could see the permission in 1882 but Wallace play." Stuart Holbrook, historian, refused because he thought the theme stated that "Ben-Hur rode that gilded was too sacred and the outdoor scenes chariot right through the front door to too large for a stage. Others tried enter the hornes of hard-shell Baptists without success but pantomime and and Methodists and other non-novel­ tableaux were permitted. Finally, in reading sects, and to an eager wel­ 1899, Abraham Erlanger and Marc come." There were many other re­ Klaw contracted with Wallace to marks and reviews, pro and con, with produce a play with William H. these as two examples: "The chief Farnum and William S. Hart. The value was a pictorial and spectacular first performance was held on Novem­ one. The producers were mistaken as ber 29, 1899. to the true function of the stage" and One of the real technical problems "the horses, camels, and dromedary was how to run the race .on the stage. involved enacted their roles with This was solved with the use of credit." treadmills which made such a noise The story was first filmed in 1907 in that the actors could not be heard. one reel and sixteen scenes and The New York World reported that advertised as "positively the most "wilder enthusiasm has seldom superb moving picture spectacle ever manifested itself in a theatre." When made in America." The producers Wallace saw the treadmills and other forgot to obtain permission so the elaborate scenery he exlaimed in publisher (Harper) and the Wallace amazement; "My God! Did I set all estate sued and were awarded $25,000 this in motion?" in damages. Years later the publisher Charles Frohman, a theatrical and the Wallace estate sold the rights impresario, spent three and one-half to a syndicate for $600,000, the hours at the dress rehearsal and then biggest deal of its kind of the time. The Syndicate in turn sold it to the Volume 7, Number 1 (1988) Thompson/ 33 Goldwyn Picture Corporation for fifty appear in the movie. Members of the percent of future earnings which aristocracy from Italy, Spain, Austria, eventually amounted to several Hungry, and Russia were included. A million dollars. special restaurant on the set could feed five thousand extras in twenty In 1926 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer minutes. Much of the film was made spent four million dollars and three at studios near Rome. More than yeas in Rome and Hollywood making three hundred sets were built from the first full-length motion picture of fifteen thousand sketches on one Ben-Hur, starring Ramon Navarro, hundred and forty-eight acres.
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