Comments on: Chuck Heston passes

By: Solomon

Solomon — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:19:36 +0000

I didn’t know Branagh did Hamlet. Just added it to my Blockbuster queue. His Henry V is one of my all-time favorites (in any genre).

They don’t make em like Heston anymore.

By: Ray Zacek

Ray Zacek — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:27:14 +0000

Touch of Evil is one of Heston’s best movies. From what I’ve read Welles was hired as director on Heston’s say-so. Thank you, Roger, for mentioning it. One of my personal faves too.

By: Pat Patterson

Pat Patterson — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:12:59 +0000

And who else could have played over his long career, Andrew Jackson, Cardinal Richelieu and Long John Silver?

And also could effortlessly get a Budweiser at a party simply by opening his hand.

By: Fat Man

Fat Man — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:04:21 +0000

Heston could act. He was devoted to his craft. Kenneth Branagh cast Heston in his 1995 production of Hamlet as the Player King ("the play is the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king." -- A2S2). He was terrific. Branagh had cast a bunch of stars in bit pieces in the movie: e.g. Billy Crystal as a grave digger. Jack Lemmon was a palace guard. Lemmon was embarrassing. Heston was magnificent.

By: ElMondo

ElMondo — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:24:48 +0000

What a great, great man. Farewell, dear sir.

By: Rhod

Rhod — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:17:45 +0000

He visited us at Cu Chi in ‘66 or ‘67. It was about the time he was doing “Khartoum”, because he still had the Chinese Gordon moustache and hair-do.

He towered over everyone but seemed to be one of us at the same time. I’m not sure, but I don’t think that’s easy to fake. It must have been genuine.

By: TerryeL

TerryeL — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:57:23 +0000

Years ago I knew a lady who had been a hostess in a yacht club in California. Lots of movie stars came there. She would tell me stories about people like Charlton Heston. She said you could always tell when he was not working because he let his eye brows grow together. She also said he was a quiet and gracious man, always polite to the staff.

By: Jamie Irons

Jamie Irons — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:38:07 +0000

Roger,

I agree that Touch of Evil is a superb film. I have read film critics that don’t like Heston’s performance in the film, but I found it quite effective. And the Orson Welles character is unforgettable.

“He was some kind of a man.” Indeed. Though the line was directed at Welles’ character, it obviously fits Heston, too.

Jamie Irons

By: Dave_Violence

Dave_Violence — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:08:29 +0000

Folks seem to know all the famous lines, but how about this one from “The Savage”:

I AM NOT A WHITE MAN!

Great, great film.

My favorite actor for all time.

By: Jamie Irons

Jamie Irons — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:00:31 +0000

Scott at Powerline has a nice tribute to Heston today, too, with a funny story about the making of Ben Hur.

Jamie Irons