Heston was in some great movies, though I never thought of him as a great actor. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease, and I'm sorry he suffered from it.Charlton Heston, Epic Film Star and Voice of N.R.A., Dies at 83 - New York Times: "Charlton Heston, who appeared in some 100 films in his 60-year acting career but who is remembered chiefly for his monumental, jut-jawed portrayals of Moses, Ben-Hur and Michelangelo, died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was 83."
7 comments:
"Oh Moses, Moses, you stubborn, splendid adorable fool!"
That's my favorite classic line from a Charlton Heston movie.
As a kid in particular, I loved Ben Hur.
I even bought the book and read it after seeing the movie.
Jeff M.
There are so many verging-on-great movies to Heston's credit (El Cid, Major Dundee, Touch of Evil, The Agony and the Ecstasy, The Ten Commandments, the Musketeer duo), so many enjoyable ones (Soylent Green, Planet of the Apes, Khartoum, Greatest Show on Earth, Will Penny), and one that to my mind touches greatness, even if most critics probably would disagree -- Ben Hur. The obits have also mentioned his support for Dr King. He's credited with stepping in to support Sam Peckinpah at a critical time when the studio was about to pull the plug on Major Dundee. It's too bad that, as today's NY Times obit headline reflects, he's likely to be remembered as much for his cranky fronting of the NRA as for his movie career.
I watched Khartoum the other day when it was on Turner. Not a great movie, but Heston was impressive as always. I was amused to learn that "Chinese Gordon" was only 5'5" tall; Heston was 6'3" -- but no more untrue-to-life, I suppose, than Olivier as an Arab. 55 Days at Peking is one of my top Guilty Pleasure movies.
Art Scott
I've seen and enjoyed many of those movies. WILL PENNY is one of his best, I think. Did anybody mention THE BIG COUNTRY? That's another good one.
I share Art's fondness for 55 Days at Peking, and I also liked Major Dundee, El Cid, and the one where he plays a Lord of the Manor who won't give a woman back to her husband after he partakes of his Right of First Night. Oh yeah, The War Lord. Good action scenes.
Will Penny was definitely a good one.
Jeff
I think more than anything his type of acting just went out of style. I have heard more than one person say WILL PENNY was his best role. I never saw that movie, but he was great alongside Gary Cooper in the creepy WRECK OF THE MARY DEARE.
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