There aren't many true "Hollywood legends" still with us, and now another one is gone, as Charlton Heston died Saturday at his Beverly Hills home after a six-year battle with Alzheimer's. CNN reports that his wife, Lydia -- to whom he had been married for an astonishing 64 years -- was at his side. The timing of his death was oddly appropriate in several ways. Given that some of his most famous roles were religious in nature -- Moses, John the Baptist, Judah Ben-Hur -- it seems fitting that he should die exactly between the Easter and Passover holidays. His death also occurred one day after the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, and Heston was an ardent supporter of King's. He marched with King, and stood on the platform with him when he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.
Heston won the only Oscar he was ever nominated for (for Ben-Hur), as well as the Academy's humanitarian award. He had some Golden Globe nods, some Emmy nominations, and (ahem) a Razzie. Though few would claim he was a particularly skilled or nuanced actor, he was immensely popular, and he worked hard. Who can picture a widescreen epic from the 1950s or '60s without imagining Heston front and center?
Look at all the films he appeared in over the course of his 60-year career: The Greatest Show on Earth, The Ten Commandments, Touch of Evil, Ben-Hur, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Planet of the Apes, The Omega Man, Soylent Green ... and that's just the particularly famous ones. He continued to pop up here and there into the 2000s.
He was president of the National Rifle Association and had plenty of other interests and passions outside of the movie business. But since this is a movie website, let's talk about his film roles. What are your favorites? How will you remember him? What was it that you liked about him?
Insert Caption: Indiana Jones DVDs_thumbnail.jpg)
Cinematical Seven: When an Animated Series Goes Live Action ... and Gets it Right_thumbnail.jpg)
Full 'G.I. Joe' Cast Photos!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-06-2008 @ 11:47AM
Judah Ben Hur said...
A letter of condolence to the family of Charlton Heston, 4/5/2008
On behalf of the American people and others from other countries, we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the family, of Charlton (Chuck) Heston for their loss. Chuck will be missed by so many of us. He was a loving father, a loyal friend, a statesman and a authentic actor. Heaven now has what we lost, and may God bless the family, especially his loving wife for so many wonderful years of love.
America has given another one of its "Crown Jewels" to God and his name is Charlton Heston!
NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM
Judah Ben-Hur
Ambassador
The American Republic
Diplomatic Mission: North America
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 12:21PM
pete thomson said...
he was a right wing bigot whose offensive opinions were given legitemacy by the equally offensive NRA - at least now we can grab his arsenal out of his cold dead hands!!! Praise the lord
4-06-2008 @ 11:55AM
William Baker said...
So sad. I hear the offices of the NRA will be closed tomorrow.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 12:47PM
John said...
My Favorite Heston movie is "El Cid" but, of course, I also have to include "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments". I also have to add, "The Naked Jungle". That was a cool and creepy "natural" monster movie.
In regards to the hateful comments that have been appearing about him: Apparently some people have never understood that Heston believed in the Bill of Rights, all rights. From those of minorities to the right to bear arms. Ironically the same Hollywood that disliked his defense of the second Amendment, is constantly putting out movies in which more shots are fired in violence than Heston fired over his entire lifetime oin the pursuit of sports shooting.
Then, of course, there was that Moore interview , in which he cornered an old man suffering from Alzheimer's and tried to make look like a racist when the old man was having a hard time explaining that homogeneous societies tend to have less strife than heterogeneous ones.
To those who demonstrate their ignorance and hatred by their malicious posting; Charlton Heston is remembered as a great Man who achieved so very much while you are just ankle biters.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 1:31PM
pete thomson said...
slightly sanctimonious there dont you think? Try maintaining that grandiose viewpoint if it was your child that died in a pointless school shooting, which hopefully it wouldnt be but that IS the point, people are trying to make. He was a dinosaur of an actor from a bygone age, just an actor but all that attention went to his head. Not many people mourning his loss.
4-07-2008 @ 7:23AM
Joel M. said...
I love Heston. He was a great actor and personality, and he seemed like a really cool guy. I will only disagree on the Michael Moore interview, because after seeing the movie, hearing the rebuttals, and finally reading the transcript of the Heston speech in question, I realized that Heston had openly lied to Michael Moore to make the NRA's actions seem less crass. The NRA has every right to defend itself, and Heston should have just told the truth. All that means is that Heston was not perfect, but who is?
R.I.P. Chuck.
4-06-2008 @ 1:35PM
William Goss said...
He was 84.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 1:37PM
William Goss said...
Never mind. I've seen several other websites report that he was 84, but since his birthday was in October, that is inaccurate. My bad.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 3:25PM
Sam said...
He was a great actor, but not necessarily a great man.
I'd rather remember the man I saw in Planet of the Apes and The Ten Commandments, and not the man I saw yelling "from my cold, head hands" at an NRA convention.
While I don't respect his stance on guns AT ALL, I respect his decision to put his reputation on the line for a cause he felt strongly about.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 3:27PM
Gina said...
What I liked about him -- married 64 years (astonishing indeed!), a legacy of good, solid films, and a record of standing up for human rights regardless of whether they happened to be fashionable at the time (civil rights AND gun rights).
R.I.P.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 4:10PM
xdonniex said...
Condolences to family and friends. While they might not have been on the top of his resume, my first exposure to Mr. Heston was Omega Man, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, and Earthquake (all seen in the theatre during their original run). Throw Skyjacked in there too, though I only saw it on TV. My point is I loved these movies and to me, this is what I will remember Mr. Heston for. RIP.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 6:20PM
Alisha said...
Farewell to a great man, actor, and legend. The Ten Commandments is one of the finest movies ever made. Then, to lay on top of it triumphs like Ben Hur, Touch of Evil, Omega Man, El Cid, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Planet of the Apes, and even Soylent Green. It's an amazing body of work, and why he is such a beloved actor.
On a less inspiring note, Kevin Smith loathes the "cyber-snipers" and I agree. The spiteful bile of drive-by posters is more of an indictment of themselves, than they shall ever understand.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 6:43PM
Mr. R said...
I love how people still think the bill of rights is no different from the ten commandments. Societies change and they need to adapt and evolve, how can anyone still have a mind set based on a rule that was established before the invention of the light bulb? We are not the same society. As an actor, he was over acted and stiff, always had a pole up his ass. Only thing I love is his Moses, reminds me of Mel Brooks.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 7:33PM
Jimmy said...
I didn't like some of Charlton Heston's craxy politics, but I've never been one of those people who gets wrapped in the political viewpoints of the actors I enjoy watching. They're Americans just like you and me, so they have the same constitutional right to free speech as we all do.
That being said, Heston was in some of Hollywood's greatest films. To this day, his two great Biblical epics, The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur, are some of my favorite movies of all time. Considering when it was made, the chariot race in Ben-Hur is still a spectable to watch. As a sci fi buff I loved him in Planet of the Apes and Soylent Green. Charlton Heston may not have been the greatest actor of his generation, but he still appeared in some of the best motion pictures Hollywood ever produced. may he rest in peach.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 9:50PM
zowee said...
As a reviewer on another site noted, I'm sorry, but I'm all out of love for those of his ilk.
He went far afield of his early civil rights efforts, and turned into a not very admirable person, sad but true.
http://www.vpc.org/nrainfo/statements.html
Julian Bond, Board Chairman, NAACP
Charlton Heston's civil rights credentials are seriously sullied by his bigoted and homophobic remarks and his attacks on racial minorities. The endorsement by white supremacist David Duke further threatens to erode the considerable respect many Americans felt toward Heston for his years-ago commitment to human rights.
That Charlton Heston seems to have been consumed by another—an angry man contemptuous of America's diversity and scornful of the tolerance which has made our nation great.
The NAACP condemns such expressions of hatred and calls on Mr. Heston to repudiate the support of extremists and those who call for "war" against peaceful citizens.
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 6:18PM
Cincinnati Mike said...
So wait, that's "cut"...and then "paste!" Awesome work!
4-06-2008 @ 9:54PM
zowee said...
yes, it is cut/paste - as any idiot can see, with my own comment at the top. i was using the quotes from that site to make a point. do you have some problem with that, cincimike?
Reply
4-06-2008 @ 10:23PM
Lindsey said...
I loved the Ten Commandments! I watch it every year at Easter. That and the Greatest Show on Earth which isn't the best movie, but there's something about it.
Reply
4-07-2008 @ 1:09AM
Guillermo Cain said...
He was always an entertaining and arresting presence on screen. I enjoyed some of his lesser known roles: the early "The Naked Jungle" and "Secret of the Incas." "The Warlord" was an early favorite and is worth restoring on DVD. He was great as Cardinal Richelieu in the Richard Lester "Musketeer" movies. And of course, El Cid, Ben Hur, Gordon of Khartoum, Long John Silver.
As for his political views, cut the guy some slack. Guns are legal in America. He never molested or killed anyone and in a community that honors the likes of all sorts of folks from Elia Kazan to Roman Polanski, the deceased deserves a little respect.
Reply
4-07-2008 @ 1:47PM
SpillReviews said...
Although I may not have agreed with everything he said, he was an incredible actor and will be deeply missed. He starred in some of my favorite movies of all time, so I'm sure his legacy will live on much longer. I have an animated webcam tribute for him here: http://www.spill.com/docs/feature/default.asp?id=947994:Video:207982
Reply