When and Where To Watch 'The Ten Commandments' in 2024

Scene from The Ten Commandments movie

Just in time for Easter! Director Cecil B. DeMille’s epic The Ten Commandments, which celebrates its 68th anniversary in 2024, will air just before Easter this year. Read on for 20 facts about the iconic movie, including details on when to watch The Ten Commandments on TV in 2024.

When is The Ten Commandments movie on TV in 2024?

The Ten Commandments traditionally airs the Saturday before Easter. This year ABC will broadcast the movie on Saturday, March 30 at 7 p.m. ET. Check your local listings for more details. The Ten Commandments is also available for rent on Apple TV, Prime Video and iTunes.

Is The Ten Commandments movie on streaming?

The Ten Commandments is not available on Netflix, HBO Max or Paramount+, but it available for rent on Apple TV, Prime Video and iTunes.

When was the movie The Ten Commandments made?

It will include his original 1923 silent version plus the fully restored, iconic 1956 “remake” about how Moses (Charlton Heston) turned his back on a life of privilege in the land of Pharaoh (Yul Brynner) to set his Hebrew people free. Here are some fun facts about the Bible-based blockbuster, which received an Oscar for its jaw-dropping special effects.

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How long is The Ten Commandments movie?

1. To make the film, it took 1,200 storyboards, a 308-page script and 70 speaking roles and was five years in the making.

2. The uninterrupted viewing length of Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 version is 3 hours and 39 minutes.

3. DeMille had a heart attack during filming; but three days later, he was back at work, against his doctor's orders, to complete the movie.

Where was the movie The Ten Commandments filmed?

4. The Ten Commandments was actually shot in Egypt for 10 weeks, finishing up on the Paramount lot for eight months.

Related: 100 Fun Movie Trivia Questions (With Answers) to Stump All Your Film-Loving Friends

Who played baby Moses in The Ten Commandments movie?

5. Fraser Heston (Charlton Heston’s then-3-month-old son) played baby Moses.

Who played Joshua in The Ten Commandments movie?

6. John Derek, born Derek Delevan Harris, played Joshua in The Ten Commandments.

7. Charlton Heston landed the role after DeMille saw Michelangelo’s statue of Moses, which he thought resembled the actor. Heston also voiced God for the burning bush scene.

8. Jewelry worn by Anne Baxter (Queen Nefretiri), among others, was based on authentic designs from the time of Ramses I.

9. For the movie’s opening credits, Paramount’s signature mountain, the Matterhorn, was re-colorized red to represent Mount Sinai.

10. Sandstorm effects were created by strapped-down jet plane engines provided by the Egyptian air force.

11. DeMille was 75 when he filmed The Ten Commandments, Hollywood’s oldest working director at that time. It was his final film.

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12. Edward G. Robinson (Dathan) was almost blacklisted in Hollywood for his left-wing politics and claimed this role saved his career.

13. Yul Brynner was an avid photographer and loved taking photos of the production.

14. DeMille made a silent version of the film in 1923 with both an ancient and modern storyline.

15. A wax figure of Pharaoh’s son was made for the death scene to lay on the altar.

16. The illusion of the Red Sea parting was achieved by filming large tanks flooded with 350,000 gallons of water (with gelatin added to thicken it) and wind machines, then showing the footage in reverse.

17. The parting of the Red Sea was saved until last because the chariots were destroyed.

18. The chariots were built in the U.S., shipped to Egypt, and then returned to the U.S.

19. Elmer Bernstein was hired to do the music when DeMille’s first choice, Victor Young, got ill.

20. The Ten Commandments traditionally airs the Saturday before Easter, but this year it's airing a week early. The Charlton Heston classic will air at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 9, 2022 on ABC.

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