Charlton Heston: 1924-2008

Get ya hands off me you damn dirty Grim Reaper!!!

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080405/clsa013.html?.v=11

I just posted on another thread that I had heard this but couldn't confirm.

I will remember Heston mostly for two great roles:

1. I remember as a kid seeing the Ten Commandments at the drive-in movie with my entire family. Then when it played on tv I'd watch it again nearly every year.

2. In Planet Of The Apes, he was great as Taylor. The quote you posted Ronnie was very popular and still is. I remember the ending was just awesome at the time. The entire movie was so new and different. Btw, do you remember the character name of the girl that helped Taylor??? It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember it.

Edit: I forgot to add Ben Hur with the great chariot race.

RIP to Charlton Heston

TIS

He was great as Moses in The Ten Commandments. RIP Charlton. Sad sad news.

I was never a fan of his (although I enjoyed him very much in three films - "The 10 Commandments", "The Bucaneer" and "Planet of the Apes").

Years ago I worked for a law firm that represented the NRA (National Rifle Assn) and Heston was the president of it then. There was a trial in Pennsylvania and a few of the secretaries were there helping out my firm's representation. One of them had to deliver some papers to Heston for his signature and went up to his hotel room. He answered the door in a ratty old bathrobe and his toupee was only half on. Hearing this description of him somehow ruined the vision of him parting the Red Sea for me forever.

Heston wore a toupee???? Call me an hour late and a day short, but I never knew that??? A bald moses?? Yea, that would ruin the image. I don't know much at all about Heston's personal life at all.


TIS

Well TIS The Pharoh was bald.

Not for nothin', but does this really count?

"...he made his theatrical debut as Santa Claus in a school play at age 5..."

Theatrical debut? in a school play?? Time to write my IMDb bio! brb

Charllton Heston is great in the Ten Commandments and Ben Hur. rip

Let's correct that "edit" and add Ben Hur as an entire film, not simply for that great chariot race.

It took an exceptional actor to carry an epic like this (Best Picture 1959) and still have it come across as the story of one man and his incredible journey. Thanks to Heston and the directorial skill of William Wyler (Best Actor & Best Director 1959) that is exactly what happened. For those of you who have not yet seen it, you're in for a treat. Look for Heston's facial expression while climbing the stairs at the very end of the film...just spectacular.

Another enjoyable Heston role although in this one he was not yet a huge star and received (I believe) third billing under Betty Hutton and Jimmy Stewart - 'The Greatest Show On Earth'.

Apple

ps - oh, and it was pretty much common knowledge that he wore a toupee for at least the past 15 years, maybe longer. I remember SC telling that story once before on the BB, about the hotel room & bathrobe, etc.

Yes, even movie stars are human beings and hence, sometime slobs in the privacy of their own homes (or hotel rooms).

Wyler's Ben-Hur is impressively assembled, but jejune now. Epic to the point of strained emotion. Its homo-erotic undertones are endearing, though, considering its success and critical acclaim over the years.

Unlike Apple (I assume), I'll remember Heston mostly for his interview in Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. Basically, all of the US's gun problems are pinned to him, poor guy. Hilarity!!!

He will always be Moses to me. He led a moral, upstanding life that I envy in contrast with so much of the Hollywood trash that's around today. He was wrong (as so many are) about he 2nd amendment, but none of us can throw the first stone. His acting was non-pareil.

Then why did you just throw it?

Of course it's all a matter of opinion...but he was absolutely right (as so many are) about the 2nd amendment.

Apple

All I know is, sometime after Heston released the public knowledge that he was suffering from alzheimers, I finally saw BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, and seeing Heston through that centerpiece interview with Moore*...reminded me of President Reagan, another alzheimers patient, stumbling at times during his 2nd term in office.

A better Heston historical epic is EL CID methinks, but BEN HUR is historically important because not just the known 50s version, but its original silent version*, were pretty popular epics for their time.

*=Great in itself as well.

Explain.

Explain.

I had forgotten about El Cid. It was prime Heston material and he did it so well.

I forgot about El Cid, with Sophia Loren right? I think I only saw that once, when it was first released.

Another maybe not quite on the same scale as his most famous, but still quite good at the time, Soylent Green. Anyone remember that one?

TIS

I do. I believe it was Edgar G. Robinson's last picture. I enjoyed it. It was one of the first futuristic movies that I remember. Of course, afterseeing it I always wondered what was really in those Doritos and potato chips.

Heston was a better actor than you'd have guessed if you only saw the epics (though no one did epics better than he). He was damn good in Soylant (though Robinson stole the film).

Robinson always does.

One of Heston's pictures that gets little attention is The Big Country with Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, and Burl Ives (who gave a great performance too). I love that movie.

He was also very good in "A Touch of Evil," against Orson Welles.

Was that the one where he played a Mexican policeman?

1963 March

Active in Civil Rights along with other Hollywood Luminaries

Sorry, I'm a bit confused w/ your longass signature. But does that asterisk next to Moore mean "bomb" like it should?

I don't own too many DVD, but the Ten Commandments is one. This time every year (Easter/Passover) commercial TV shows this film. I just pop in the DVD. Hearing about his death, I started watching it last night. It's one of my favs. For it's time a real spectacle. He was the perfect choice for Moses, but the rest of the cast is great too; Yul Bryner, Anne Baxter, Vincent Price, and Eddie G.

Of course he was great in Planet of the Apes, Ben Hur, El Cid, etc. Screen presence.

He also had a brief role as John The Baptist in another biblical movie. Was it "The Greatest Story Ever Told?"

TIS

Yea MC, I also liked Yul as the Pharoh and Yvonne DeCarlo as Moses' wife Sephora.

Yul Bryner was the epitome of a king or pharoah. He and Heston were a superb combo.

How could I forget Sephora! She was hot. There were many borderline corny lines of dialog in the film....and the way they were delivered. Moses had a few good ones with Sephora....all of a sudden he blurts out, "I will dwell in this land". And another blurt-out, "That light...on the mountain."

Good actor. Horrible idealist.

But none the less, RIP.

I wonder how many guns he'll be burried with?

And will there be a gun-salute at the funeral?

Opps. That "*" was meant to be a side-smark at Moore, but then I forgot to include the bitchslap itself. Oh well.

Yup...and I know someone who saw that months back, and claims to me that it was surprisingly pretty good, if just too long.

EDIT - Off topic, but I just found out that one of EL CID's fans, ole Marty Scorsese, was one of the people that was able to get that sucker out on DVD. That's awesome.

Whenit comes to Bible character portrayals, Heston could have portrayed the donkey that Jesus rode on into Jerusalem and it would have been a superb portrayal.

Another film of his that wasn't mentioned is Earthquake, which I saw as a kid and thought was the most amazing movie ever made.

That's right, I forgot about that one. Also wasn't there another disaster flick (airplane disaster) he was in.......Midway???? (there was also a airplane movie with Dean Martin as the pilot I think, and I get the two mixed up.) Or, maybe I'm just mixed up.

TIS

The Ten Commandments was required viewing every year for CCD class when I was young. It was so ingrained that at the first CCD class one year when I was in fourth grade, the nun asked the class who parted the Red Sea, and Albie Rosar with a straight face answered, "Charlton Heston."

Weren't we supposed to be able to "feel" the earthquake through our seats? I don't remember what the technology was called, but I know that you were supposed to be able to feel the tremors through your seat.

SB,

Now that you mention it yea. I think they had the new sound (Dolby??) and I don't know that we felt shaking, but we heard the thunderous roar. Ha ha!!! I forgot about that. Cool at the time though.

(edit: I was inspired to check and found this)


Earthquake

TIS

I went to Catholic school and the nuns arranged field trips for us to see it in downtown Pittsburgh at the Warner Theater. I'll never forget the experience.

How can you ever forget the commercial?

"EARTHQUAKE......IN SENSAROUND!"

Thanks, TIS and DC. I do remember that well, now that you've refreshed my aging memory. It was pretty cool and the "must see" movie of that year.

"Ten Commandments" is required viewing on network TV every April.

Arizona is a "Second Amendment state." Pro-gun bumper stickers are all over cars and pickup trucks here. One I spotted south of Tucson last year: "Charlton Heston is my President."

Maybe because some people already considered him to be an ass.

Be easy, SC.

yes. It is, without question and by far, the best film his name was ever attached to.