JL;DR SUMMARY "Ben-Hur" is an iconic tale that has transcended various forms of media throughout history, originating in a novel by General Lew Wallace in 1880 and achieving remarkable success in a stage play, a silent film, and finally the acclaimed 1959 MGM movie that won 11 Academy Awards. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.