The much-acclaimed cinematic marvel “Ben-Hur” began as a novel by the same name written by Lew Wallace in 1880. Lewis Wallace was born in Indiana and led an amazing life achieving extraordinary things. One of the last being his famous book that 75 years later was made into a major motion picture. For decades families gathered in front of the television set to watch this epic 1959 movie that is best remembered for its monumental chariot race arguably cinema’s most iconic action sequence.