Charlton Heston Dead

[Winslow Leach]

Actor Charlton Heston has died at the age of 84. A family spokesperson wouldn't reveal what Heston died of, but the actor had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years.

Heston won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Ben-Hur (1959). He was Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956), and appeared in sci-fi films such as Planet of the Apes, The Omega Man and Soylent Green. Other films included Antony and Cleopatra, Earthquake, El Cid, The Agony and the Ecstasy (in which he played Michelangelo) and The Greatest Show on Earth.

Heston was president of the Screen Actors Guild, a champion for civil rights, and president of the National Rifle Association, which won him many detractors.

Heston won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003.

[Katzi428]

Awwwww.....:( He was a good actor. My sympathiy to his family & friends.:sympathy:

[MrsPepper]

Oh, that's sad. Even though he was an NRA advocate, which I personally don't agree with, he was a classic actor (which is what he should be remembered for) and it's always sad to hear when someone of that generation dies.
I know how rough it is to have family members who are suffering with Alzheimer's disease, so my sympathies to his family. I'm sure they will find peace in the fact that he is no longer suffering.

[Skye]

I just read about this, too, and was so surprised to hear about it. May he RIP.

[Ilikemuppets]

Oh wow! That feels like a huge blow! So sorry to hear that. What terrible news! What a great actor man and gift to this earth that's now gone...:(

[Winslow Leach]

I may as well post my favorite Charlton Heston movies...

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Touch of Evil (1958) - classic film noir, directed by and starring Orson Welles as a corrupt cop; Heston, who plays a Mexican cop, was instrumental in getting Welles, who by '58 was considered a has-been, to direct. In fact, box office star Heston refused to do the film if the studio forbade Welles from directing.

Ben-Hur (1959)

El Cid (1961)

Major Dundee (1965) - underrated Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch) Civil War epic that was butchered by the studio upon its original release; recently, some footage was put back into the film, but a lot of it is now unfortunately lost, and Peckinpah's original vision will remain incomplete.

The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Julius Caesar (1970)

The Omega Man (1971)

Soylent Green (1973)

The Three Musketeers (1974)

Midway (1976)

Hamlet (1996) - in Kenneth Branagh's epic, all-star "Hamlet," Heston portrays the First Player/Player King.

[Son of Enik]

RIP Mr. Heston...he is STILL my all-time favorite actor.

[dwayne1115]

RIP to me he will always be Moses

[heralde]

Definitely a huge part of the Hollywood legend, and I love that he managed to transition from classic, conventional Hollywood epics to unusual Sci Fi epics (not an easy thing to do!).

For the record, I think Michael Moore was cruel to him in that Columbine movie. (Don't want to debate the point, this isn't the place for that. Just wanted to say. ;) ).

[Winslow Leach]

Some facts about Heston...

Was born in Evanston, Illinois as John Charles Carter. Heston was the name of his stepfather.

He appeared as Mark Antony in the first sound version of Julius Caesar in 1949; this was actually an amateur student film, but is of obvious historical importance.

Made his professional film debut in 1950's Dark City.

Worked twice for legendary filmmaker/showman Cecil B. DeMille: in 1952's The Greatest Show on Earth, and 1956's The Ten Commandments.

In 1958, Heston was cast as a Mexican narcotics officer in the film noir Touch of Evil. His co-star was Orson Welles, who by the late 1950s, had somewhat fallen on hard times. Heston demanded that Welles, director of Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons, helm the movie. If his request was turned down, Heston said he would walk. Welles was approved as director, and today Touch of Evil stands as one of the auteur's greatest works.

Won the Academy Award for Best Actor in the epic Ben-Hur (1959), a remake of the 1925 silent film, which in turn was based on General Lew Wallace's novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The story tells the tale of the fictional Ben-Hur, whose own story runs parallel to that of Christ's: from the Nativity to the Crucifixion. The film won a record 11 Academy Awards, and its chariot race sequence (in which Heston did many of his own stunts) is still regarded as one of the best action sequences to this day.

Participated in the civil rights march in Washington, D.C. in 1963, alongside Martin Luther King, and celebrities such as Marlon Brando and Harry Belafonte.

Was President of the Screen Actors Guild between 1966 and 1971.

Made his directorial debut with Antony and Cleopatra, a poorly-received version of the Shakespeare play. The film previewed so badly, it never had a general release.

Son Fraser is a filmmaker; he directed his father in a TV adaptation of Treasure Island, and brought the Stephen King novel Needful Things to the screen.

Had a cameo in Tim Burton's 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, this time as a chimp.

[Xerus]

I will always remember and miss Charlton Heston. :cry:

[Speed Tracer]

While I heavily disagreed with his politics, I admire his vocalism and passion for what he believed in. He was one of the finest actors of his time... and I'll always personally hold him in high gratitude, as seeing him as the Player King in Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet" was what inspired me to want to act. Specifically, to act Shakespeare.

Rest in peace, good sir.

[redBoobergurl]

Ok, it's lame, but one of my favorite Heston appearances is on an episode of Friends, when Joey is playing a bit part in one of his movies and ends up using the shower in Heston's dressing room because he overslept after a fishing trip and claimed to "stink" and then Heston gives him this long speech about actors who think they stink, finishing up with reprimanding him for using his dressing room. It was funny. He was a class act, shame that he's gone.

[frogboy4]

Heston will be remembered for his fine performances in many perennial works that have left an indelible mark on film and culture from "The Ten Commandments" to "Planet of the Apes". Many talented people have attempted to recreate these same film successes but none have come close to his classics.

In recent years Heston came under scrutiny for his involvement with the National Rifle Association. Some criticisms were well founded while others like Moore's were underhanded and mean. I disagree with Heston's politics and views as I do many other great creative people. Yes, that will be a heavily asterisked footnote in the man's life, but his work speaks for itself and much louder than any controversy.

Heston's support of Orson Welles in "Touch of Evil" is one of the things I admire most about Heston. It's one my favorite films and I encourage anyone who hasn't seen it to check it out. Charlton Heston's work will always be in rotation. He will be missed. :sympathy:

[travellingpat]

This is horrible, he was a great actor, but at least hes in a better place now, the last few years of his life were tough with his terrible disease...

RIP Mr Heston

[heralde]

I wanted to point out as well that Charlton Heston publicly supported and marched with Martin Luther King back in the end. That was extremely risky at the time. Not everyone in Hollywood would do that. And he knew full well that Planet of the Apes was about the injustice of racism.

Is that strange? No, it just shows people aren't black and white, they are complicated. And I think that's the best way to be. :)

Ape: Why are all apes created equal?

Taylor:...Some apes it seems are more equal than others...

You tell them, Mr. Heston!

[Son of Enik]

Staying along the "Apes" lines, I loved how Tim Burton included Heston in the 2001 "Planet of The Apes" as the dying father of Tim Roth's character (An ape, no less!) and he utters that famous line, "**** them...**** them all to ****...".
Funny how he was referencing the human race BOTH times!
We'll miss you Chuck!

[Winslow Leach]

Staying along the "Apes" lines, I loved how Tim Burton included Heston in the 2001 "Planet of The Apes" as the dying father of Tim Roth's character (An ape, no less!) and he utters that famous line, "**** them...**** them all to ****...".
Funny how he was referencing the human race BOTH times!
We'll miss you Chuck!

And Michael Clarke Duncan uttered another one of Chuck's famous lines, albiet slightly changed:

"Get your stinking hands off me, you **** dirty human!"

[Son of Enik]

And Michael Clarke Duncan uttered another one of Chuck's famous lines, albiet slightly changed:

"Get your stinking hands off me, you **** dirty human!"
Oh yeah! LOL

[Winslow Leach]

My current siggy is from an episode of The Simpsons, entitled "A Fish Called Selma." Washed-up actor Troy McClure makes a big comeback in a splashy musical, Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want To Get Off. McClure plays the Heston role.

MacArthur Parker (Troy's agent): Ever hear of "Planet of the Apes"?
Troy: The movie, or the planet?
Parker: The brand new, multimillion dollar musical. And you're starring...as the human!
Troy: It's the role I was born to play!

Then there's the big production number, "Dr. Zaius," a takeoff on Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus."

Ape: Help! The human's escaped!

Troy: Get your paws off me, you dirty ape!

Ape: He can talk!

Ape #2: He can talk!

Ape #3: He can talk!

Ape #4: He can talk!

Troy: I can siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

Ape Nurse: Help me, Dr. Zaius!

Apes (singing):

Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius
Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius
Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius
Oh, Dr. Zaius!
Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius!

Troy (singing): What's wrong with me?

Zaius (singing): I think you're crazy.

Troy: I want a second opinion.

Zaius: You're also lazy!

Apes:

Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius
Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius
Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius

Troy: Can I play the piano anymore?

Zaius: Of course you can.

Troy: Well I couldn't before!

(Troy plays piano)

This ep. also shows a clip from Troy's 1977 classic, The Muppets Go Medieval.

Lisa: Dad, what's a Muppet?

Homer: Well...it's not quite a mop, and it's not quite a puppet, but man, heh heh heh! So to answer your question, I don't know.

[Ilikemuppets]

I ove that episode so much! It's awesome!