The Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 film about the life of Jesus, directed by George Stevens and David Lean. Max von Sydow stars as Christ, and it features a number of other top Hollywood stars, some in quite minor roles, such as Charlton Heston as John the Baptist and Telly Savalas as Pontius Pilate. Perhaps the most famous (and most parodied) scene from the entire movie is the one line uttered by a Roman centurion (played by John Wayne) who, upon witnessing the crucifixion and resurrection: "Truly, that man was the Son of God." The disciples are played by Roddy McDowall, Gary Raymond , David McCallum (as Judas Iscariot), Robert Blake, Sidney Poitier and others. The music was written by Alfred Newman (same man who wrote the music for "How the West was Won" and the 20th Century Fox theme), and perfected with the Hallelujah chorus . The film was nominated for five Academy Awards: best musical score, best cinematography (color), Art Direction (color), Costume Design (color), and special visual effects.

See also: Dramatic portrayals of Jesus