Judah Ben-Hur has left the building
Charlton Heston died last night at age 83. He was born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois on Oct. 4, 1923, and derived his acting name from his mother's maiden name and his stepfather's last name.
He won an acting scholarship to Northwestern University in 1941 and that started him on his road to fame. The 6-feet-2 actor didn't have a particularly fast start but a DeMille remake of the 1923 silent film The Ten Commandments, proved to be just what Heston needed to propel him to lasting success. Interestingly enough, Heston's son, Fraser Clarke Heston, played the role of the infant Moses in the film.
This began a series of several films in which Heston portrayed Jews of the biblical era. The aforementioned Moses, Judah Ben-Hur (for which he won the 1959 Oscar for leading actor), and John the Baptist.
Ben-Hur was one of the first films that I remember watching on television. That was probably around 1965, 6 years after it was made. Movies didn't transition to television quickly in those days. Another of his films, Planet of the Apes, is the first film I remember seeing at a drive-in. That would have been when I was 7 years old. As I recall, there were several scenes that scared the bejesus out of me. I must admit I can't see how he ever got an Oscar but he certainly did have a memorable quality to his acting. Dare I say, overacting?
Heston, like Ronald Reagan, another actor of limited skills, was quite liberal in his younger years, marching in the civil rights movement of the 1950s as well as campaigning for Adlai Stevenson. However, like Reagan, Heston became quite conservative as he grew older. Eventually his politics, particularly his involvement with the NRA, nearly overshadowed his acting career.
It makes you wonder how far Heston would have gone had he ever tossed his hat into national politics instead of just campaigning for various conservative pols. He was a better actor than Reagan, cut an impressive figure, and had a great voice for orating. Since I tend towards the left, I'm glad Heston never went further in politics than his presidency of the Screen Actors Guild. I have a feeling Heston would have been able to achieve anything he wanted in politics.
He won an acting scholarship to Northwestern University in 1941 and that started him on his road to fame. The 6-feet-2 actor didn't have a particularly fast start but a DeMille remake of the 1923 silent film The Ten Commandments, proved to be just what Heston needed to propel him to lasting success. Interestingly enough, Heston's son, Fraser Clarke Heston, played the role of the infant Moses in the film.
This began a series of several films in which Heston portrayed Jews of the biblical era. The aforementioned Moses, Judah Ben-Hur (for which he won the 1959 Oscar for leading actor), and John the Baptist.
Ben-Hur was one of the first films that I remember watching on television. That was probably around 1965, 6 years after it was made. Movies didn't transition to television quickly in those days. Another of his films, Planet of the Apes, is the first film I remember seeing at a drive-in. That would have been when I was 7 years old. As I recall, there were several scenes that scared the bejesus out of me. I must admit I can't see how he ever got an Oscar but he certainly did have a memorable quality to his acting. Dare I say, overacting?Heston, like Ronald Reagan, another actor of limited skills, was quite liberal in his younger years, marching in the civil rights movement of the 1950s as well as campaigning for Adlai Stevenson. However, like Reagan, Heston became quite conservative as he grew older. Eventually his politics, particularly his involvement with the NRA, nearly overshadowed his acting career.
It makes you wonder how far Heston would have gone had he ever tossed his hat into national politics instead of just campaigning for various conservative pols. He was a better actor than Reagan, cut an impressive figure, and had a great voice for orating. Since I tend towards the left, I'm glad Heston never went further in politics than his presidency of the Screen Actors Guild. I have a feeling Heston would have been able to achieve anything he wanted in politics.
Comments
Michele sent me.
He took an early and proactive position against racism but I'm less sure of the way he promoted free use of guns as chair of the NRA.
Certainly larger than life and I'm sure will get a good Hollywood send-off.
rashbre
I disagree with you regarding Heston's political greatness though. He would have become just another politico and his greatness would have been diminished. Politics is all about compromise and concensus and every time you compromise, you yourself are compromised. He was much better (as are most) in a role where he could stand up for what he believed without having to deal with the whole. Maybe I'm a cynic....
50''s---maybe in the 60's, but I could be wrong....)
He was a particularly 'wooden'
actor, to my way of thinking....His involvement in these Blockbuster Bible Films was always Amazing to me, since his acting was nor exactly memorable.
I'm sorry to be so negative about him. And I certainly am sad that he died....
Here via michele.... long time no see!
Kinda sad, really, but there's no such thing as a perfect life anyway, even among so-called legends. We've all got warts.