King of Kings 1961
7 / 10
King of Kings
Who is Jesus, and why does he impact all he meets? He is respected and reviled, emulated and accused, beloved, betrayed, and finally crucified. Yet that terrible fate would not be the end of the story.
Who is Jesus, and why does he impact all he meets? He is respected and reviled, emulated and accused, beloved, betrayed, and finally crucified. Yet that terrible fate would not be the end of the story.
Videos & Photos
All 1 Videos & 12 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Jesus
... Mary
... Pontius Pilate
... Lucius
... Claudia
... Herodias
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
The best of the Christ story epics. King Of Kings is a good film, and certainly one that is better than its reputation suggests. It's for sure better than the poorly put together The Robe from 1953 and the gargantuan excess that would be The Greatest Story Ever Told four years post this MGM piece. Produced by legendary Samuel Bronston and directed with assurance and imagination by Nicholas Ray, the film tells of the 33 years of Jesus Christ's life. From his birth in Bethlehem to his Crucifixion, to the Resurrection and finally the Ascension. A familiar story that is nicely spread to a movie under three hours long, takes in the Apostles selection, John The Baptist, 40 days in the desert, the miracles (though we are short changed here), Sermom on the Mount, Judas' betrayal and of course The Last Supper. The film contains a narration by Orson Welles, which was written by Ray Bradbury. It's a wise move for it helps the narrative immensely, while lets face it here, Orson had a great voice, perfectly biblical and it lends a touch of class to the material. Of the cast, Jeffrey Hunter has the glory role of Christ. A relative unknown (this helps I feel), Hunter is effective with his steely blue eyes, while Robert Ryan is first rate as the doomed John The Baptist. Also turning in good performances are Harry Guardino (Barabbas), Viveca Lindfors (Claudia), Royal Dano (Peter) and Rip Torn (Judas). Though not hurting the movie, Hurd Hatfield as Pontius Pilate is a touch too animated, while Frank Thring as Herod Antipas takes the woe is me mantra a step too far. Naturally with a budget of $8 million the film has considerable scope. Thousands of extras are a given of course, all captured among the Spanish locations in 70mm Technicolor (Cinematography by Manuel Berenguer, Milton R. Krasner & Franz Planer). While the sets (almost 400 used) are very pleasing on the eye and Miklós Rózsa provides a suitably effective score. The writing from Philip Yordan is lean, there's no heavy filler and for a film of this type it's a pleasant surprise to see such restraint. Ultimately it's just real good story telling given a good technical work out. The appearance of Judas for the first time still sends a shiver down the old spine and the Crucifixtion instills a sadness that is hard to shake off once the credits have rolled. Job done really. 8/10
Release Date:
Oct 11, 1961 (United States)
Run Time:
2hr 51`
MMPA Rating:
PG-13
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
King of Kings
The best of the Christ story epics. King Of Kings is a good film, and certainly one that is better than its reputation suggests. It's for sure better than the poorly put together The Robe from 1953 and the gargantuan excess that would be The Greatest Story Ever Told four years post this MGM piece. Produced by legendary Samuel Bronston and directed with assurance and imagination by Nicholas Ray, the film tells of the 33 years of Jesus Christ's life. From his birth in Bethlehem to his Crucifixion, to the Resurrection and finally the Ascension. A familiar story that is nicely spread to a movie under three hours long, takes in the Apostles selection, John The Baptist, 40 days in the desert, the miracles (though we are short changed here), Sermom on the Mount, Judas' betrayal and of course The Last Supper. The film contains a narration by Orson Welles, which was written by Ray Bradbury. It's a wise move for it helps the narrative immensely, while lets face it here, Orson had a great voice, perfectly biblical and it lends a touch of class to the material. Of the cast, Jeffrey Hunter has the glory role of Christ. A relative unknown (this helps I feel), Hunter is effective with his steely blue eyes, while Robert Ryan is first rate as the doomed John The Baptist. Also turning in good performances are Harry Guardino (Barabbas), Viveca Lindfors (Claudia), Royal Dano (Peter) and Rip Torn (Judas). Though not hurting the movie, Hurd Hatfield as Pontius Pilate is a touch too animated, while Frank Thring as Herod Antipas takes the woe is me mantra a step too far. Naturally with a budget of $8 million the film has considerable scope. Thousands of extras are a given of course, all captured among the Spanish locations in 70mm Technicolor (Cinematography by Manuel Berenguer, Milton R. Krasner & Franz Planer). While the sets (almost 400 used) are very pleasing on the eye and Miklós Rózsa provides a suitably effective score. The writing from Philip Yordan is lean, there's no heavy filler and for a film of this type it's a pleasant surprise to see such restraint. Ultimately it's just real good story telling given a good technical work out. The appearance of Judas for the first time still sends a shiver down the old spine and the Crucifixtion instills a sadness that is hard to shake off once the credits have rolled. Job done really. 8/10
Cast & Crew of
King of Kings
Directors & Credit Writers
Cast
... Jesus
... Mary
... Pontius Pilate
... Lucius
... Claudia
... Herodias
... Mary Magdalene
... Salome
... Barabbas
... Judas
... Herod Antipas
... Caiaphas
... Peter
... John the Baptist
... Balthazar
... Nicodemus
... Herod
... Camel Driver
... General Pompey
... Joseph
Produced By
Related Movies To
King of Kings
House of Ga'a (2024)
0 /10
At the height of the Oyo Empire, the ferocious Bashorun Ga'a became more powerful than the kings he enthroned, only to be undone by his own blood.
Run Time: 2hr . MMPA: R . Release: 26 Jul 2024
Director: Bolanle Austen-Peters
Producer: Bolanle Austen-Peters
Stars: Femi Branch , Mike Afolarin , Funke Akindele , Toyin Abraham , Ibrahim Chatta , Femi Adebayo
Ice Road: Vengeance (2025)
0 /10
Big rig ice road driver Mike McCann travels to Nepal to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mt. Everest. While on a packed tour bus traversing the deadly 12,000 ft. terrain of the infamous Road to the Sky, McCann and his mountain guide encounter a group of mercenaries and must fight to save themselves, the busload of innocent travelers, and the local villagers’ homeland.
Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: R . Release: 27 Jun 2025
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Producer: Eugene Musso , Connor Flanagan , David Buelow
Stars: Liam Neeson , Fan Bingbing , Mahesh Jadu , Marcus Thomas , Bernard Curry , Michala Banas
Karate Kid: Legends (2025)
0 /10
After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren't enough. Li's kung fu teacher Mr. Han enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.
Run Time: 1hr 34` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 08 May 2025
Director: Richard Graves , Shanna Roberts Salée , Jonathan Entwistle
Producer: Jenny Hinkey , Ralph Macchio , Karen Rosenfelt
Stars: Jackie Chan , Ralph Macchio , Ben Wang , Joshua Jackson , Sadie Stanley , Ming-Na Wen
Man with No Past (2025)
0 /10
Waking up in an unfamiliar city, a man with no memory must confront the mysteries of his own identity. However, his desperate search to uncover the past pits him against a powerful enemy, leading to a showdown that ultimately reveals the truth.
Run Time: 1hr 43` . MMPA: R . Release: 13 Jan 2025
Director: James Bamford
Producer: Scott Karol , Fern Champion , Steven Paul
Stars: Tim Fellingham , Jon Voight , Philip Winchester , Marton Csokas , Nathan Cooper , Charlotte Vega
F1 (2025)
0 /10
Racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.
Run Time: 2hr 36` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 25 Jun 2025
Director: Donald E G Bentley , Gary Powell , Monika Petrillo
Producer: Chad Oman , Andrea Pugini , Lucy Bevan
Stars: Brad Pitt , Damson Idris , Kerry Condon , Tobias Menzies , Lewis Hamilton , Javier Bardem
STRAW (2025)
0 /10
What will be her last straw? A devastatingly bad day pushes a hardworking single mother to the breaking point — and into a shocking act of desperation.
Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: R . Release: 05 Jun 2025
Director: Derrick Doose , Marcus Wiley , Felix Jordan
Producer: Tony Strickland , Andy Norman , Nadia Brown
Stars: Taraji P. Henson , Sherri Shepherd , Teyana Taylor , Sinbad , Rockmond Dunbar , Ashley Versher
Materialists (2025)
0 /10
A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
Run Time: 1hr 56` . MMPA: R . Release: 12 Jun 2025
Director: Nick Stergiopoulos , Mauricio Calderón , Ben Kahn
Producer: Pamela Koffler , Matthew Glasner , Maggie Ambrose
Stars: Dakota Johnson , Jodie Comer , Jeremy Allen White , Pedro Pascal , Chris Evans , Zoe Winters
Life After Fighting (2024)
0 /10
Retired martial arts world champion Alex Faulkner has settled into a simple life, when the disappearance of two of his students leads to an unthinkable discovery close to home. Just when all hope of finding the children is lost, he locates the imprisoned girls and unsurfaces an international child trafficking operation, which draws him back into the fight of his life against those behind it.
Run Time: 2hr 6` . MMPA: . Release: 07 Jun 2024
Director: Bren Foster
Producer: Navid Bahadori , Chelsea Jean Foster , Bren Foster
Stars: Bren Foster , Cassie Howarth , Luke Ford , Annabelle Stephenson , Anthony Nassif , Arielle Jean Foster
The Ritual (2025)
0 /10
Two priests, one in crisis with his faith and the other confronting a turbulent past, must overcome their differences to perform a risky exorcism.
Run Time: 1hr 38` . MMPA: NR . Release: 18 Apr 2025
Director: Ruben Mazzoleni , Savannah Belcher , David Midell
Producer: Mitchell Welch , Meadow Williams , Jordan Wagner
Stars: Al Pacino , Dan Stevens , Ashley Greene , Abigail Cowen , Patricia Heaton , Patrick Fabian
The Life of Chuck (2025)
0 /10
In this extraordinary story of an ordinary man, Charles 'Chuck' Krantz experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
Run Time: 1hr 51` . MMPA: R . Release: 05 Jun 2025
Director: Morgan Beggs , Richard Graves , Brandon Folsom
Producer: Mike Flanagan , Noah Maddox , Shannon Wass
Stars: Tom Hiddleston , Mark Hamill , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Karen Gillan , Jacob Tremblay , Matthew Lillard
The Secret Path (1999)
7.5 /10
14-year-old Jo Ann Foley lives in squalor in a rural Southern community during World War II. Abused by her bootlegging grandfather Hank, Jo Ann has, like her mother Marie, been forced into a life of prostitution. Periodically escaping her miserable existence, Jo Ann finds comfort, security, and genuine love with a poor but proud African American couple: Honey and Too Tall.
Run Time: 1hr 38` . MMPA: . Release: 02 Apr 1999
Director: Patricia Joyes , Bruce Pittman
Producer: Robert Greenwald , Kimberly Rubin , Philip K. Kleinbart
Stars: Della Reese , Ossie Davis , Crystal Bernard , Madeline Zima , Yvonne Zima , Ron White
The Twisters (2024)
0 /10
A deadly patchwork of destructive cyclones is on an apocalyptic path of convergence at a populated Midwest city center. There, the twisters will merge into one mega tornado that threatens to obliterate the cities for hundreds of miles around.
Run Time: 1hr 27` . MMPA: . Release: 28 Jun 2024
Director: Michael Su
Producer: Ryan Ebert , James Mahoney , Brendan Petrizzo
Stars: Kayla Fields , Mark Justice , Paul Logan , Curtis Strong , Tiffany , Sofia Riba