TCM’s Easter Classics Lineup: ‘Ten Commandments’ ‘Ben-Hur’ ‘Easter Parade’ & More
Whether your Easter celebrations involve a trip to church or a trip to scoop up some discount candy eggs, TCM has you covered this Easter Sunday, when the holiday film festivities start bright and early at 6 am and then continue on and off throughout the day, spotlighting Easter-related films both sacred and secular.
All times EST.
6am: Ben-Hur (1959)
Everett Collection
The day starts with Best Director Oscar winner William Wyler‘s Best Picture-winning religious epic, led by Best Actor winner Charlton Heston in the title role. Yes, the movie, which follows the struggles of a Jewish prince betrayed by a friend and sold into slavery in ancient Rome, won a whopping 11 of the 12 Oscars for which it was nominated, a feat only matched by Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. All that and it boasts an iconic chariot race that ranks as one of the greatest action sequences ever filmed.
12pm: The Silver Chalice (1954)
Paul Newman made his film debut in this tale of the artisan who engraved Jesus’s cup for the Last Supper. Throughout his lifetime, Newman often decried it as one of the worst films of all time, and was known to host showings of it at home where he encouraged his to guests throw food at the screen. Is it actually that bad? If you have some free time at mid-day, you be the judge!
2:30 pm: Barabbas (1961)
Anthony Quinn starred in this film about the criminal Barrabas, who is pardoned by Pontius Pilate while Jesus is still condemned to death. In a moment of freaky natural serendipity, the crucifixion scene was actually shot during an actual solar eclipse.
5pm: King of Kings (1961)
Everett Collection
The Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause)-directed King of Kings tells the story of the life of Jesus Christ, four years before the similarly-themed The Greatest Story Ever Told. In fact, the producers of The Greatest Story Ever Told at one point tried to buy the rights to King of Kings to keep the film out of production, but failed. The film stars Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus Christ; Grace Kelly was asked to play Mary, but passed. Rip Torn gave one of his first high-profile performances as Judas Iscariot.
8pm: Easter Parade (1948)
Judy Garland and Fred Astaire pair up in this lavish musical about a star dancer who loses his partner, but vows that he can turn any woman into a dance superstar (think My Fair Lady, but with dancing shoes). Gene Kelly was supposedly originally sought out for the title role, but unfortunately broke his ankle and had to drop out.
10pm: Harvey (1950)
Everett Collection
Grab a chocolate bunny and end the night with this the charming comedy, led by Best Actor nominee James Stewart. Harvey has come to be considered an Easter classic in recent decades, despite not taking place on or mentioning the holiday; instead, it’s considered an Easter classic because it stars a giant rabbit (or does it?).
Remind
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