Long before CGI, 'Ben-Hur' represented the pinnacle of large-scale 'epic' blockbusters. It had the largest budget ($15 million) and the largest sets ever built at the time. The famous 9-minute chariot race took five weeks to film and required 15,000 extras on an 18-acre set. The film used 70mm 'MGM Camera 65' technology to capture the action in ultra-wide detail. 'Ben-Hur' was a massive financial success and set an Academy Award record by winning 11 Oscars, a feat not matched until 'Titanic' 38 years later. It proved that audiences would flock to theaters for massive, high-production-value spectacles that couldn't be replicated on television.