Yesterday was a tough day for movie fans, and even after writing a lot about Leslie Nielsen, it’s things like this old (unsuccessful) screen test for Ben-Hur that forces a smile even after devastating news.

Nielsen did a great job here in the role that would go to Stephen Boyd in William Wyler’s classic. He may have not gotten the part, but his career speaks for itself. All we can do is sit back and enjoy this visual aid in imagining what could have been. [Roger Ebert]