King of Kings is an American motion picture epic made by Samuel Bronston Productions and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it is a retelling of the story of Jesus from his birth to his crucifixion and Resurrection. In 63 BC, Pompey conquers Jerusalem and the city is sacked. The conqueror goes to the Temple to seize the treasure of Solomon and massacres the priests there. He discovers that the treasure is nothing but a collection of scrolls of the Torah. These he holds over a fire until an old priest reaches for them imploringly. Pompey relents and hands them to... the old man. Many years later, a series of rebellions break out against the authority of Rome, so the Romans crucify many of the leaders and place Herod the Great on the throne of Judea. At the end of the century, a carpenter named Joseph and his wife Mary, who is about to give birth, arrive in Bethlehem for the census. Not having found accommodation for the night, they take refuge in a stable, where the child, Jesus, is born. The shepherds, who have followed the Magi from the East, gather to worship him.
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| Release date: | October 30, 1961 |
| Directed by: | Nicholas Ray, Samuel Bronston, Ray Bradbury |
| Runtime: | 168 Minutes |
| Producer: | Samuel Bronston |
| Editor: | Renée Lichtig, Harold F. Kress |
| Music by: | Miklós Rózsa |
| Cinematography: | Manuel Berenguer, Milton R. Krasner, Franz Planer |
| Screenplay by: | Philip Yordan, Ray Bradbury |
| Adapted from: | Bible |
| Genre: | Biography |