Charlton Heston

[macwilkin]

When you're in a hole...stop digging.

Maybe pass-off to another mod?

Truly, the mods need the patience of Job.

Kilted men have strong opinions pro or con about...everything.

It's hard to stop digging when people keep throwing it in on top of you, Larry.

Let's have this message be the last on the subject, please, and keep this thread only to a tribute to Mr. Heston.

Regards,

Todd

[Galician]

Again. The world has lost a great actor. We will always have his images on film, video, DVD, HD, Blue-Ray or what ever comes next. The man once said...."I've played three presidents, three saints and two geniuses - and that's probably enough for any man."

Three saints? That would be maybe Moses and.....?

[Dhuni]

Back about 35 years ago Heston and his wife and kids were hanging out on a fairly regular basis with our local band of Clan Fraser http://www.fraserclan-cal.net/calfraser.html.
His mother was a Fraser and his son(who bought us beer a couple times) is named Fraser as well.
They came to a New Years Eve party held at my cousin's ranch one year.
I vividly remember Heston's broad shoulders and bird legs (he was kilted).
I think my mom still has a bunch of pictures from the party.
He drank like a fish, swore like a sailor and was friendly and easy to talk to.

RIP Chuck

[Bob C]

I guess I'm in the minority. I thought he was an awful, melodramatic over-actor who made a bunch of truly bad movies.

Nonetheless, I would not wish Alzheimer's and death on anyone.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I guess I'm in the minority. I thought he was an awful, melodramatic over-actor who made a bunch of truly bad movies.

Believe it or not, actors have to key their performance to the requirements of the director. A good director gets really good performances, a so-so director will often get duff performances out of great actors. Acting styles also change with the passing of time. As scripts become more complex, or deal with previously taboo subjects, acting styles adapt. John Barrymore's performance in SVENGALI would be laughable today, just as Keanu Reeves performance in THE MATRIX would leave Heston's audiences baffled in the 1950s. Heston's career has to be judged in it's time, and by the standards of that time.

In my personal opinion Heston's prowess as an actor is best displayed in two films: A TOUCH OF EVIL, and BEN HUR. BEN HUR won 11 Academy Awards-- a record at the time. It would have probably won a 12th Oscar, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences doesn't hand out statues for The Most Boring Picture of the Year, which BEN HUR certainly was. However, Heston's performance is superb (as is his laconic portrayal of "Chinese" Gordon in the film Khartoum).

Quite often viewers ascribe "bad acting" to a picture they either dislike (and I don't like BEN HUR) or don't understand-- well, all actors have the occasional bad day, but 9 times out of 10 it's the director who is at fault if the actor delivers a sub-par performance.

Mr. Heston was a consummate actor, always prepared and always on the set ready to work. Unfortunately, not every director was up to his standards.

[northernsky]

I recently showed Ben Hur to my Grade 8 Social Studies class and they thought it was a stinker. I had to agree. Melodramatic over acting. I am afraid the grand epics of the 50's and 60's haven't with stood the test of time very well. That is not say that Heston couldn't act. I have to agree with Rathdown above, however the style of acting Heston represents is I believe very far from modern standards

[Panache]

I recently showed Ben Hur to my Grade 8 Social Studies class and they thought it was a stinker. I had to agree. Melodramatic over acting. I am afraid the grand epics of the 50's and 60's haven't with stood the test of time very well. That is not say that Heston couldn't act. I have to agree with Rathdown above, however the style of acting Heston represents is I believe very far from modern standards

Ben Hur has a certain dated quality to it (though the chariot race is still a classic that puts the audience on the edge of their seats). I found Heston's scenes with Messala (Stephen Boyd) to be riveting.

Cheers

Jamie

[Ozman1944]

[SFCRick]

a great Actor, Omega man, Planet of the Apes, Ben Hur, Ten Comandments, Hawaii, Diamond Head- all geat movies

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

If you want to see Heston at his "non-spectacular" best (no chariots, no pyramids, no peg-legged pirates) check out WILL PENNY. The guy could act.