'WIDESCREEN WONDERS' SERIES CONTINUES AT THE CLARK WITH FREE SCREENING OF Ben-Hur 

For Immediate Release

January 14, 2013

Williamstown, MA—As part of its ongoing “Widescreen Wonders” film series, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute presents a free screening of Ben-Hur (1959, 217 minutes) on Saturday, January 26 at 2 pm. William Wyler’s epic of the Roman Empire in Palestine stars Charlton Heston and a cast of thousands in a jaw-dropping spectacle that garnered a record-breaking eleven Academy Awards—a feat that was not matched until 1997’s Titanic.

The film, adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, was the most expensive ever made at the time, and its sets were the largest yet built for a film. The legendary nine-minute chariot race, involving seventy-eight Lipizzan and Arabian horses, has become one of the most famous sequences in cinema.

“Widescreen Wonders” is a free series of Saturday afternoon matinees celebrating the biggest and best of popular classic movies, while showcasing the Clark’s HD projection capacity. All the films in the series boast super-widescreen aspect ratios (2.20:1 or more) and numerous Academy Awards, including “Best Picture.” Experience the scope of epic moviemaking in this festival of the big screen.

About the Clark

Set amidst 140 acres in the Berkshires, the Clark is one of the few major art museums that also serves as a leading international center for research and scholarship. The Clark presents public and education programs and organizes groundbreaking exhibitions that advance new scholarship. The Clark’s research and academic programs include an international fellowship program and conferences. Together with Williams College, the Clark sponsors one of the nation’s leading master’s programs in art history. The Clark receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open daily in July and August (open Tuesday through Sunday from September through June), 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $15 June 1 through October 31; free November through May; and free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. For more information, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

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Press contact:
Amanda Powers
[email protected]
413 458 0471

Calendar Listing

Widescreen Wonders at the Clark: Ben-Hur

January 26, 2013
2 pm

As part of its ongoing “Widescreen Wonders” film series, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute presents a free screening of Ben-Hur (1959, 217 minutes) on Saturday, January 26 at 2 pm.