A Bit About Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston passed away on Saturday. He was 84.

Late in his life, of course, he’d become known for assuming the presidency of the NRA and supporting conservative causes. I’m a liberal, and not a huge gun fan, and so it’s safe to say that his causes in later life were usually not my causes.

Yet in the wake of his passing, I should note that by a great many accounts, Heston was an honorable guy – conservative, sure, and as such many liberals (including me) often shook our heads in disagreement – but by many accounts he was a man who had integrity.

And politics aside, who else can you see playing Ben Hur and El Cid better than he did? Few others could say, in that great baritone voice, the immortally cheesy lines from Planet of the Apes (the original, 1968 version) and Soylent Green with, simultaneously, such utter conviction and a knowing, hammy wink, and actually sell them. If your memory fails here, try watching Apes again – it’s better than you might remember. So was Heston.

Manohla Dargis and Richard Corliss recently published appreciations in The New York Times and Time Magazine, respectively. Both critics seem appreciative of Heston’s acting, though Corliss casts a more critical eye on Heston’s later politics. You'll find the link to Dargis' piece here, and Corliss' piece here.

Below, you'll find footage from two of Heston's films.

Planet of the Apes Footage (Warning: Spoilers)


Ben-Hur: The Chariot Race