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Thou Shalt Not...Charlton Heston Dead at 83
I grew up mostly attending Department of Defense schools around the world and the U.S. -- and The Ten Commandments seemed like it aired on our TV's at least once a month -- but certainly at Easter and Christmas. I loved watching it -- have to admit.
Charlton Heston, a scion of Hollywood's small but strident right wing, has passed away at 84.
When I lived in Los Angeles, I ran into Charlton Heston now and then but have nothing significant to report -- except one really interesting phone encounter.
When Richard Nixon died, I was working with the Richard Nixon Library in organizing a sister organization, the Nixon Center.
There were so many phone calls into the library on the news of the former president's death, that no one there could do much dependable phone logistics work. All the lines were essentially down.
Library Foundation Director John Taylor asked me to help contact all of the VIP contacts of Nixon and the Library's to help figure out who should get a limo pass and seat at the Yorba Linda funeral, and I worked with former Senator Howard Baker to figure out the most important names -- and then proceeded to call 500 people from my West Hollywood apartment.
One of them was Charlton Heston who lived in Beverly Hills.
When I asked Mr. Heston if he would like to attend President Nixon's funeral, his response was: "In what capacity?"
I wasn't sure what he meant, so I repeated the question of whether he'd like to attend and whether he would need a limo/town car pass -- and told him that I'd make arrangements for him in the family section.
He said, "I thank you for all that -- but will I have a role?"
I said I couldn't really arrange that. After all, we already had a program that featured Billy Graham, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Henry Kissinger, California Governor Pete Wilson, and others.
And then he said, "No, I can't attend. Thank you for the offer."
But on the phone, Heston was giving me the Ben Hur/Moses voice the whole time. Richard Nixon's funeral was one of the most interesting political gatherings I have ever been a part of -- and now that I think of it, having Heston there in semi-Moses mode is about the only thing that might have made it more dramatic than it already was.
-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note
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What I find amazing is this. Charlton Heston fought for civil rights, all his life. Just because one of those civil rights, is the right to bear arms, some of you hate him for it? I guess it is easier to live among the sheep, than to live as a sheep dog. Rest In Peace, Mr. Heston, you will be missed.
Mr. Heston believed in rights. After supporting the first amendment, he supported the second. One right wing bloviator mentioned all the hateful things posted about this man on this site and I admit I am underwhemed by the negative reaction. With one slightly off color exception everyone seems pretty cool I am impressed and further unimpressed with Faux. Goes to show some true understanding of what the man was. Peace.
I guess now we can pry his gun from his cold dead hand.
You stay up all night dreaming that up?
Sounds like a little bit of the Alzheimers had already kicked in. Sad. R.I.P., Mr. Heston. Loved your work.
Too bad he disproved the old saying" a man who lives by the gun , dies by the gun."
He didn't live by the gun; he just played guys who did.
"He said, "I thank you for all that -- but will I have a role?"
I said I couldn't really arrange that. After all, we already had a program that featured Billy Graham, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Henry Kissinger, California Governor Pete Wilson, and others.
And then he said, "No, I can't attend. Thank you for the offer.""
Now, THAT'S SHOW BIZ......"show me da money and my place on the marquee"
Sing it, Ethel~
http://youtube.com/watch?v=icr71H1nb3Q
Soylent green is people!
re: " looks like he doesn't have Alzheimer's anymore, "I guess you can pry the gun out of his hands now.".
I sadly saw Heston become an eventual right winger, despite having started off a civil rights activist and a liberal.
Still, he was a great Hollywood icon, perhaps the last of them .
He may not have been a great actor, in the strict sense of the word, but he had a genuine love of the craft, as his actors journals and on the set sketches indicated.
He certainly made mistakes, as we all do and has died, as we all must and comments like those above, which show not an iota of sympathy or respect, despite differences, indicates how much we have degenerated into a nasty, post Jerry Springer trailer trash mentality.
This old Vet watched a lot of Charltons movies, but then I started to believe in Evolution. He did a flip, flop going conservative and then becoming a gun fanatic. I was watching either CNN or one of the commentators, who said " He had the voice of GOD" Holy shit !!!!! perhaps he can prove it? Then this holy guy Heston holds up a weapon threatening anyone to take it away from hie hands, I wonder if he will be buried with a AK47 ?
Well I liked him in "Omega Man" and even more so after I saw "I am Legend". But as a life long gun owner I must say he continued a long string of disappointments and embarrassments at the NRA.
So long Mr. Heston and thanks for the good memories.
He was 83, (born in October, 1924).
I knew I was gay when I saw charlton heston in the ten commandments.
Dead and that is a relief. I can't think of anything he did that advanced the good of the world.
Two things are obvious: you didn't read my earlier post and you know very little about the Civil Rights Movement or about Heston's political activism in the 1950s and 1960s. And why you would be relieved that anyone had died I simply can't fathom -- unless, of course, you were referring to Heston no longer having to deal with the effects of advanced stage Alzheimer's Disease (which I doubt).
How much do you know of Heston's social accomplishments and deeds?
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So your'e saying that you disapprove of his activism in the Civil Rights Movement?
But was against affirmative action.
Moses. Ben Hur. George Taylor ('Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!'). RIP, Chuck.
Maybe now Mr Heston can answer Michael Moore;s question asked at the end of his documentary "Bowling for Columbine" - directly to those murdered in that tragedy.
I was sorry to hear of Heston's passing and of his health problems in recent years as well. While I disagreed with his gun politics, the man was a great actor and he was an early supporter of civil rights, having marched with and appeared with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as picketing against segregation. He was also outspoken against McCarthyism. He was a supporter of Adlai Stevenson, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. He even publicly supported the Gun Control Act of 1968. I know there will be many who will try to demonize him in death because of the politics of his later years. I certainly don't understand the change in his thinking on some issues myself. But, on balance, Heston not only brought a lot of enjoyment to moviegoers, but did a lot of good in advancing civil rights and other social issues. I would hope that people would try to remember the good he did and not dwell on those things with which they might have disagreed with him so strongly.
Well put.
It would be interesting to find out why he became so rabid on the subject of guns.
But if you remember Ronald Raygun was a Democrat before he joined the dark side.
After all those school shootings why could he say the things he said?
Turning from liberal to Conservative as both Heston and Reagan did, may be an early sign of Alzheimers.
How "rabid" was he exactly?
Do you know of the NRA's programs of gun education and gun abuse prevention?
Great actor? He came from the same school that brought us John Wayne and Jack Webb. He was more wood then some trees I know.
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