Search - The Greatest Story Ever Told on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1965 DVD Release: 07/06/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 3 hrs 19 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 5 Genres: Epic, Religious Epic, Hagiography See Also: The Greatest Story Ever Told

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. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

George Stevens' epic-scale retelling of the life of Jesus Christ gets a simple but caring release in this edition. The Greatest Story Ever Told, which appears on this DVD in its original 199-minute version, has been given a letterboxed transfer to disc in the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.75:1 and is also enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors. Both the original English-language soundtrack and a dubbed French version have been remixed for playback in Dolby Digital 5.1; an English track in Dolby Digital Stereo is also included. Optional subtitles in French and Spanish also appear. No additional bonus materials appear on this release; a Special Edition disc with extras is also available. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide