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The Ten Commandments (1956), with its biblical storytelling, Ben-Hur (1959), with its iconic chariot race, and Spartacus (1960), with its cinematographic extravagance, all fall into this category. Hoping to replicate their previous box-office successes, the studio released the lavish production Cleopatra (1963). Its production costs, which included a $1 million paycheck to Elizabeth Taylor, the highest to an actress at that time, her extensive wardrobe, and shooting locations, nearly bankrupted
