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The extensive filming involved a staggering 100,000 costumes, 300 sets, and an array of over 2,500 animals, including 200 camels and horses. One notable sequence, the famed Chariot race, was filmed at a circus set in Rome that covered 18 acres, cost a million dollars, and required a year of construction. Filming the exhilarating 99-minute race itself took three months and an additional million dollars.
Unfortunately, the intense pressure of such an undertaking took its toll. Production manager Henry Henon faced a severe heart attack, while producer Sam Zimbalist tragically passed away during filming, highlighting the project's heavy burden.