Silent Films at The Strand: Ben Hur: A Tale Of The Christ (1925)

From the venue:

ABOUT BEN HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST: A Jewish prince seeks to find his family and revenge himself upon his childhood friend who had him wrongly imprisoned. "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" premiered in 1926. One of the most expensive motion pictures ever made which critics have stated is better than the 1956 version. It tells of the conversion of Ben Hur to a follower of Jesus Christ and his rise to becoming the most famous chariot driver in Rome. The chariot race used 26 cameras, many embedded in the chariot course itself.

ABOUT THE LEAD ORGANIST: Ron Carter is a sought-after theatre organ concert and silent film accompanist playing in theaters throughout the southeast. He is the theatre organ consultant for Allen Organ Studios of Atlanta, and the House Organist for the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta, Ga. He has been a member of the Strand Theatre Board of Trustees since its inception in 2003 and served as Board Secretary for 13 of those years. He is past Chairman of the Board for Marietta's Pops Orchestra, Symphony on the Square. Ron is also the former President of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society and a recipient of its 2009 Life Time Achievement Award, the American Theatre Organ Society’s 2009 Honorary Member award, and was recognized by the Cobb County Ga. Cultural Arts Board as Cobb's 2010 Outstanding Instrumentalist. Recently Ron was honored by the Mayor of Marietta as he proclaimed February 12, 2023, as Ron Carter Day in the City of Marietta for his contributions to the Strand Theatre and the Marietta community. Ron has served five churches in a part-time capacity as organist/Choir Director for over 50 years and is currently part of a team of organists who play for worship services at Marietta First Baptist Church. He is a retired Commander of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation after serving 38 years in public law enforcement. Ron and his lovely wife of 55 years, Donna, live in Marietta, Georgia and have one son, John, daughter-in-law Julie and two precious grandchildren, Abby and Jake!