Restored Version of “The Ten Commandments’ Returns to Theaters
Special showings celebrate 70th anniversary of iconic film
A restored version of the classic 1956 movie “The Ten Commandments” will return to theaters from March 31 to April 2 to mark its 70th anniversary.
The movie, based on the book of Exodus, dramatizes the story of the life of Moses, who becomes the deliverer of the enslaved Hebrews and then leads the Exodus to Mount Sinai, where he receives from God the Ten Commandments. The film stars Charlton Heston in the lead role, Yul Brynner as Rameses, Anne Baxter as Nefretiri and Edward G. Robinson as Dathan. Heston’s son, Fraser Heston, played baby Moses.
In 1957, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best picture. Cecil B. DeMille won the Foreign Language Press Film Critics Circle Award for best director; Charlton Heston was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best actor; Yul Brynner won the National Board of Review Award for best actor; and Heston, Baxter, and Yvonne De Carlo won Laurel Awards for best dramatic actor.
It also is one of the most financially successful films ever made, grossing approximately $122.7 million at the box office during its initial release; it was the most successful film of 1956 and the second-highest-grossing film of the decade. According to the “Guinness World Records,’ in terms of theatrical exhibition, it is the eighth-most successful film of all-time when the box office gross is adjusted for inflation.
Theaters such as AMC and Revue Cinema will be showing the film. In Kansas City you can catch it at
- AMC Ward Parkway 14 in Kansas City, Missouri
- AMC Legends 14 in Kansas City, Kansas
- AMC Studio 28 in Olathe, Kansas
“Celebrate 70 years of cinematic greatness with Retro Rewind as this epic returns to the big screen March 31 — April 2,” according to a press release. “Experience the sweeping scale, unforgettable moments and timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be seen — in a theater.”
For those unable to see it in a theater, “The Ten Commandments “will be show on TV on ABC (KMBC-TV in Kansas City) at 6 p.m. on April 4. It also is available to rent on streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango and Google Play.
–Alan Goforth
