Charlton Heston

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Charlton Heston

Heston at the 1963 Civil Rights March
Born John Charles Carter
October 4, 1923(1923-10-04)
No Man's Land (now Evanston), Illinois,
United States
Died April 5, 2008 (aged 84)
Beverly Hills, California, United States
Years active 1941-2003
Spouse(s) Lydia Clarke (1944-2008)

Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008)[1][2] was an American actor of film, theater and television.[3] Heston is known for having played heroic roles, such as Moses in The Ten Commandments, Colonel George Taylor in Planet of the Apes and Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He was one of a handful of Hollywood actors to speak openly against racism and was an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Initially a liberal Democrat, he later supported conservative politics and was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003.

Contents

Early life

Heston was born John Charles Carter in No Man's Land,[4] an unincorporated area between Evanston and Wilmette, Illinois, the son of Lilla (née Charlton) and Russell Whitford Carter, a mill operator.[5] (However, the 1930 Census for Richfield, Michigan (see St. Helen, Michigan),[6] where the family then lived, reports Russell Whitford Carter was a real estate salesman. Heston himself in his autobiography refers only to his father participating in his family's construction business.[7]) Heston was of English and Scottish descent and a member of the Fraser clan.[8]

When he was ten, his parents divorced. Shortly thereafter, his mother married Chester Heston. The new family moved to well-off Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Heston (his new surname) attended New Trier High School.

Acting career

Heston enrolled in New Trier's drama program, playing in the silent 16 mm amateur film adaptation of Peer Gynt by future film activist David Bradley. From the Winnetka Community Theatre in which he was active, he earned a drama scholarship to Northwestern University. Several years later Heston teamed up with Bradley to produce the first sound version of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, in which Heston played Mark Antony.

World War II service

Heston enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1944. He served for two years as a B-25 radio operator and gunner stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands with the Eleventh Air Force, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He married Northwestern student Lydia Marie Clarke in the same year.

Theater and television

After the war, the two lived in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, where they worked as artists' models. Seeking a way to make it in theater, Heston and his wife Lydia decided to manage a playhouse in Asheville, North Carolina in 1947. They went back to New York where Heston was offered a supporting role in a Broadway revival of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra in 1948, starring Katharine Cornell. Heston had success in television, playing a number of roles in CBS's Studio One, one of the most popular anthology dramas of the 1950s. Film producer Hal B. Wallis of Casablanca spotted Heston in a 1950 television production of Wuthering Heights and offered him a contract. When his wife reminded Heston they had decided to pursue theater and television, he replied, "Well, maybe just for one film to see what it's like."

Heston's most frequently played roles on stage include the title role in Macbeth, Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons, and Mark Antony in Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra.

Charlton Heston as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, 1950
Charlton Heston as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, 1950

Hollywood

Heston earned recognition for his appearance in his first professional movie, Dark City, a 1950 film noir. His breakthrough came when Cecil B. DeMille cast him as a circus manager in The Greatest Show on Earth, which was named by the Motion Picture Academy as the best picture of 1952. Heston was Billy Wilder's first choice to play Sefton in Stalag 17 in 1953. However, the role was given to William Holden, who won an Oscar for it. Heston became an icon for portraying Moses in The Ten Commandments, reportedly being chosen by director Cecil B. DeMille because he thought the muscular, 6 ft 3 in, square jawed Heston bore an uncanny resemblance to Michelangelo's statue of Moses.

From the film trailer of Ben-Hur
From the film trailer of Ben-Hur

After Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster and Rock Hudson[9] turned down the title role of Ben-Hur (1959), Heston accepted the role, going on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, one of the unprecedented eleven Oscars the film earned. (In 1995, Heston denied a claim by Ben-Hur screenwriter Gore Vidal that there is a gay subtext to the film. Vidal says he wrote the script with such an implication, but never mentioned the subtext to Heston [though he did so to Stephen Boyd, who played Ben-Hur's friend Messala]. Heston states that after writing one scene, Vidal was dismissed from the project and the homosexuality story is a reworking by Vidal of a well-known and possibly apocryphal story involving Laurence Olivier's portrayal of Iago to an unwitting Ralph Richardson as Othello.)[10][11] After Moses and Ben-Hur, Heston was identified with Biblical epics more than any other actor. He voiced the role of a cartoon version of the Lew Wallace novel in 2003.

Heston went on to leading roles in a number of fictional and historical epics— El Cid (1961), 55 Days at Peking (1963), as Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965), and Khartoum (1966).

Heston became president of the Screen Actors Guild in 1965. He remained in the position until 1971, the second longest tenure to date in that office.[12]

He starred in the hugely successful Planet of the Apes in 1968. Heston portrayed Mark Antony again in a Technicolor film version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in 1970. His co-stars in the nearly all-star cast included Jason Robards as Brutus, Richard Chamberlain as Octavius, Robert Vaughn as Casca, and English actors Richard Johnson as Cassius, John Gielgud as Caesar, and Diana Rigg as Portia. He starred in the science fiction film, The Omega Man in 1971. Although critically panned, the film is now considered a classic of apocalyptic horror. Heston made his directorial debut, and starred, as Mark Antony in an adaptation of the William Shakespeare play he performed earlier in his theater career, Antony and Cleopatra in 1972. Hildegarde Neil was Cleopatra, and English actor Eric Porter was Enobarbus. After receiving scathing reviews, the film never went to theaters, and rarely turns up on television. It has not been released on DVD. He subsequently starred in successful films such as Soylent Green (1973), and Earthquake (1974).

Beginning with playing Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers in 1973, Heston was seen in an increasing number of supporting roles, cameos and theater. He starred in his only prime-time stint on series television with the soap, The Colbys from 1985 to 1987. With his son Fraser, he produced and starred in several TV movies, including remakes of Treasure Island and A Man For All Seasons. Heston appeared in a short series of videos on the A&E cable network reading passages from the King James Version of the Bible, called Charlton Heston Presents the Bible in 1992. It was filmed in the Middle East and received excellent reviews, achieving great success on video and DVD. He appeared in a cameo role in Wayne's World 2 in 1993 (in a scene wherein main character Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) requests that a small role be filled by a better actor). That same year, he hosted Saturday Night Live. He had cameos in the films Hamlet, Tombstone and True Lies. He especially worked at the Los Angeles Music Center where he appeared in such plays as Detective Story, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and as Sherlock Holmes in The Crucifer of Blood opposite Jeremy Brett as Dr. Watson, later winning acclaim for his interpretation of the famous detective in a television version. Heston made a cameo appearance as an elderly, dying chimpanzee in Tim Burton's remake of Planet of the Apes in 2001. Heston's last film role was as the infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele in My Father, Rua Alguem 5555, which had limited release (mainly to festivals) in 2003.[13]

Heston played the title role in Mister Roberts three times and cited it as one of his favorite roles. He tried unsuccessfully to revive and direct the show with Tom Selleck in the title role in the early 90s.[14]

Political activism

Charlton Heston (left) with Marlon Brando, James Baldwin, and Harry Belafonte at Civil Rights March 1963.
Charlton Heston (left) with Marlon Brando, James Baldwin, and Harry Belafonte at Civil Rights March 1963.
Heston with United States President Ronald Reagan during a meeting for the Presidential Task Force on the Arts and Humanities in the White House Cabinet Room, 1981.
Heston with United States President Ronald Reagan during a meeting for the Presidential Task Force on the Arts and Humanities in the White House Cabinet Room, 1981.

Heston campaigned for Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson in 1956 and John F. Kennedy in 1960.[15] Reportedly when an Oklahoma movie theater premiering his movie El Cid was segregated, he joined a picket line outside in 1961.[16] Heston makes no reference to this in his autobiography, but describes traveling to Oklahoma City to picket segregated restaurants, much to the chagrin of Allied Artists, the producers of El Cid.[17] During the civil rights march held in Washington, D.C. in 1963, he accompanied Martin Luther King Jr. In later speeches, Heston said he helped the civil rights cause, "long before Hollywood found it fashionable."[18]

Following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, Heston and actors Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas and James Stewart issued a statement calling for support of President Johnson's Gun Control Act of 1968.[19][20] He opposed the Vietnam War and in 1969 was approached by the Democratic party to run for the U.S. Senate. He agonized over the decision and ultimately determined he could never give up acting.[21] He is reported to have voted for Richard Nixon in 1972, though Nixon is unmentioned in his autobiography.[22]

By the 1980s, Heston opposed affirmative action, supported gun rights and changed his political affiliation from Democratic to Republican.[23] He campaigned for Republicans and Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan,[24] George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.[25]

Heston resigned from Actors Equity, claiming the union's refusal to allow a white actor to play a Eurasian role in "Miss Saigon" was "obscenely racist."[9] He said CNN's telecasts from Baghdad were "sowing doubts" about the allied effort in the 1990-91 Gulf War.[9]

At a Time Warner stockholders meeting, he castigated the company for releasing an Ice-T album which included the song "Cop Killer", which depicted the killing of police officers.[26]

While filming The Savage, he was initiated by blood into the Miniconjou Sioux tribe but claimed no natural American Indian heritage. He claimed to be "native American" to reclaim the term from exclusion to American Indians.[27]

In a 1997 speech, he rhetorically deplored a culture war he said was being conducted by a generation of media, educators, entertainers, and politicians against:

"...the God fearing, law-abiding, Caucasian, middle- class Protestant-or even worse, evangelical Christian, Midwestern or Southern- or even worse, rural, apparently straight-or even worse, admitted heterosexuals, gun-owning-or even worse, NRA-card-carrying, average working stiff-or even worse, male working stiff-because, not only don’t you count, you are a down-right obstacle to social progress. Your voice deserves a lower decibel level, your opinion is less enlightened, your media access is insignificant, and frankly, mister, you need to wake up, wise up, and learn a little something from your new-America and until you do, would you mind shutting up?"[28]

In an address to students at Harvard Law School entitled Winning the Cultural War, Heston said, "If Americans believed in political correctness, we'd still be King George's boys - subjects bound to the British crown."[29] He went on:

"The Constitution was handed down to guide us by a bunch of wise old dead white guys who invented our country! Now some flinch when I say that. Why! Its true-they were white guys! So were most of the guys that died in Lincoln’s name opposing slavery in the 1860s. So why should I be ashamed of white guys? Why is “Hispanic Pride” or “Black Pride” a good thing, while “White Pride” conjures shaven heads and white hoods? Why was the Million Man March on Washington celebrated by many as progress, while the Promise Keepers March on Washington was greeted with suspicion and ridicule? I’ll tell you why, Cultural warfare!"

He later stated, "Political correctness is tyranny with manners."[30]

Heston accepting a presentation rifle at 2000 NRA convention with the now well-known exclamation "From my cold, dead hands!"
Heston accepting a presentation rifle at 2000 NRA convention with the now well-known exclamation "From my cold, dead hands!"

In a speech to the National Press Club in 1997, Heston said, "Now, I doubt any of you would prefer a rolled up newspaper as a weapon against a dictator or a criminal intruder." [31]

Heston was the president and spokesman of the NRA from 1998 until he resigned in 2003. At the 2000 NRA convention, he raised a rifle over his head and declared that a potential Al Gore administration would take away his Second Amendment rights "from my cold, dead hands."[32] In announcing his resignation in 2003, he again raised a rifle over his head, repeating the five famous words of his 2000 speech.[33] He was an honorary life member.[33]

Michael Moore interviewed Heston in his home for his documentary film Bowling for Columbine in 2002, asking him about an NRA meeting held shortly after the Columbine high school massacre, in Denver, Colorado in April 1999. Moore criticized Heston for the perceived thoughtlessness in the timing and location of the meeting. Heston, on-camera, excused himself and walked out. Moore was later criticized for his perceived ambush.[34][35][36]

Actor George Clooney joked about Heston's failing health at a 2003 National Board of Review award ceremony, saying that Heston "announced again today that he is suffering from Alzheimer's." When questioned, Clooney said Heston deserved whatever was said about him for his involvement with the NRA.[37] Heston responded by saying Clooney lacked class, and said he felt sorry for Clooney, as Clooney had as much of a chance of developing Alzheimer's as anyone else.[38]

Heston opposed abortion and gave the introduction to a 1987 pro-life documentary by Bernard Nathanson called Eclipse of Reason which focuses on late-term abortions. Heston served on the Advisory Board of Accuracy in Media, a conservative media watchdog group founded by Reed Irvine.[39]

Illness and death

Shortly after he was elected President of the National Rifle Association in 1998, Heston had a hip replacement. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer later that year. Following a course of radiation treatment, the cancer went into remission. Heston publicly announced he was diagnosed with symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease in August 2002.[40] He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House from President George W. Bush in July 2003. In March 2005, various newspapers reported that family and friends were shocked by the progression of his illness, and that he was sometimes unable to get out of bed. A rumor circulated in August 2005 that Heston was hospitalized at a Los Angeles hospital with pneumonia, but this was never confirmed. Various news sources reported in April 2006 that Heston's illness was at an advanced stage and his family was worried he might not survive the year.

Heston died at his home in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday, April 5, 2008, with Lydia, his wife of 64 years, by his side. He is survived by his son, Fraser Clarke Heston, and an adopted daughter, Holly Ann Heston. The cause of death was pneumonia.[41][42][43] Heston's family released a statement, reading, "Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiselled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played. No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession and to his country."[44] Early tributes came in from leading figures; President George W. Bush called Heston "man of character and integrity, with a big heart," adding, "He served his country during World War II, marched in the civil rights movement, led a labor union and vigorously defended Americans’ Second Amendment rights [to bear arms]."[44] Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, wife of former President Ronald Reagan (who died in 2004 from complications of Alzheimer's disease) said that she was "heartbroken" over Heston's death and released a statement, reading, "I will never forget Chuck as a hero on the big screen in the roles he played, but more importantly I considered him a hero in life for the many times that he stepped up to support Ronnie in whatever he was doing."[44]

Heston's funeral was held a week later on April 12, 2008 in a ceremony which was attended by 250 people including Nancy Reagan and Hollywood stars such as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Olivia de Havilland, Keith Carradine, Pat Boone, Tom Selleck, Oliver Stone and Rob Reiner.[45][46]

The handprints of Charlton Heston in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
The handprints of Charlton Heston in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.

Filmography

For a complete filmography, see Charlton Heston filmography

Bibliography

Heston's books include autobiographies and religious books:

References

  1. ^ MSNBC. Charlson Heston dead at 84.
  2. ^ http://www.ancestry.com Date confirmed through 1930 US Census
  3. ^ "Charlton Heston, Epic Film Star and Voice of N.R.A., Dies at 84.", The New York Times, April 6, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-06. "Charlton Heston, who appeared in some 100 films in his 60-year acting career but who is remembered chiefly for his monumental, jut-jawed portrayals of Moses, Ben-Hur and Michelangelo, died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was 84." 
  4. ^ Heston, Charlton: In The Arena, Simon & Schuster, 1995. ISBN 0-684-80394-1
  5. ^ Film Reference Biography.
  6. ^ My Bay City article, February 52006.
  7. ^ Heston, Charlton: In The Arena, Simon & Schuster, 1995. ISBN 0-684-80394-1
  8. ^ "Hollywood legend Charlton Heston was proud of Scots roots", Daily Record, 2008-04-07. 
  9. ^ a b c Thomas, Bob. "Film Legend Charlton Heston Dead at 84", Associated Press, April 06, 2008. 
  10. ^ Vidal, Gore. Palimpsest-A Memoir. 1995. pp.303-307
  11. ^ Heston, Charlton: In The Arena, Simon & Schuster, 1995, p.187. ISBN 0-684-80394-1
  12. ^ SAG Presidents, Screen Actors Guild
  13. ^ Variety, 12 February 2004
  14. ^ Heston, Charlton: In The Arena, Simon & Schuster, 1995, p. 479. ISBN 0-684-80394-1
  15. ^ Mathews, Jay. "Charlton Heston, Statesman On the Set; For the 'Colbys' Star, Acting Is Only Part of the Job", The Washington Post, May 2 1986, pp. D1. (English) 
  16. ^ Taylor, Quintard (1998). In Search of the Racial Frontier: African Americans in the American West. W. W. Norton & Company, 285. 
  17. ^ Heston, Charlton: In The Arena, Simon & Schuster, 1995, p. 261. ISBN 0-684-80394-1
  18. ^ Goodrich, Terry Lee. "Heston decries political correctness at fund-raiser", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 13, 2000, pp. 5. 
  19. ^ David Plotz; Slate. NRA President Charlton Heston.
  20. ^ Slate. Charlton Heston, Gun-Controller!
  21. ^ Heston, Charlton: In The Arena, Simon & Schuster, 1995, p. 433. ISBN 0-684-80394-1
  22. ^ Pulera, Dominic J. (2006). Sharing the Dream: White Males in Multicultural America. Continuum International Publishing Group, 254. 
  23. ^ Raymond, Emilie (2006). From My Cold, Dead Hands Charlton Heston and American Politics. University Press of Kentucky, 6. 
  24. ^ McDowell, Charles. "Charlton Heston, the Gun Lobbyist", Richmond Times Dispatch (Virginia), September 14 1997, pp. B1. (English) 
  25. ^ Raymond, p.276
  26. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080406/ap_on_en_mo/obit_heston
  27. ^ Heston, Charlton: In The Arena, Simon & Schuster, 1995. ISBN 0-684-80394-1
  28. ^ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fighting_the_Culture_War_in_America
  29. ^ Heston, Charlton. Winning the Cultural War. 16 February 1999.
  30. ^ Internet Movie Database
  31. ^ GOLD, Dudley Susan. Open For Debate Gun Control. Benchmark Books. January 2004.
  32. ^ Variety, June 13, 2000: "Gore fires back after Heston tirade"
  33. ^ a b Johnson, Jeff. "Heston to Step down as NRA President", The Nation, April 25, 2003. 
  34. ^ Russo, Tom. "Opposites Attract (Bowling for Columbine review)", Boston Globe, August 24, 2003. 
  35. ^ Ebert, Roger. "'9/11': Just the facts?", Chicago Sun-Times, June 18, 2004, p. 55. (English) "In some cases, [Moore] was guilty of making a good story better, but in other cases (such as his ambush of Charlton Heston) he was unfair..."
  36. ^ Whitty, Stephen (2008-04-06). The best action hero. The Star-Ledger.
  37. ^ What's up with George Clooney? WorldNetDaily.com. 20 January 2003.
  38. ^ Heston Slams Clooney For Alzheimer's Joke. TheBostonChannel.com. 23 January 2003. "
  39. ^ FAQ. Accuracy in Media. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
  40. ^ Charlton Heston has Alzheimer's symptoms. CNN News. 9 August 2002.
  41. ^ Actor Charlton Heston dead at 84. MSNBC.com. 5 April 2008. Accessed 6 April 2008.
  42. ^ Welkos, Robert W. and Susan King. Charlton Heston, 84; actor played epic figures. Los Angeles Times. April 5, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
  43. ^ Charlton Heston Dies at Beverly Hills Home. FoxNews.com. 5 April 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  44. ^ a b c Ayres, Chris. "Charlton Heston, a star who defied the Hollywood liberals, dies at 83", The Times Online, April 7, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-07. 
  45. ^ Politicians, actors and relatives gather for funeral of Hollywood icon Charlton Heston, International Herald Tribune, retrieved April 12, 2008
  46. ^ "Stars attend Heston's LA funeral" - BBC News - Page last updated at 11:39 GMT, Sunday, 13 April 2008 12:39 UK

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Awards
Preceded by
John Wayne		 Cecil B. DeMille Award
1967		 Succeeded by
Kirk Douglas
Preceded by
Gregory Peck		 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
1971		 Succeeded by
Frank Sinatra
Preceded by
Jules C. Stein		 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
1977
 Succeeded by
Leo Jaffe
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
Marion P. Hammer		 President of the National Rifle Association
1998 – 2003		 Succeeded by
Kayne Robinson
v • d • e
Academy Award for Best Actor

Gary Cooper (1941) · James Cagney (1942) · Paul Lukas (1943) · Bing Crosby (1944) · Ray Milland (1945) · Fredric March (1946) · Ronald Colman (1947) · Laurence Olivier (1948) · Broderick Crawford (1949) · José Ferrer (1950) · Humphrey Bogart (1951) · Gary Cooper (1952) · William Holden (1953) · Marlon Brando (1954) · Ernest Borgnine (1955) · Yul Brynner (1956) · Alec Guinness (1957) · David Niven (1958) · Charlton Heston (1959) · Burt Lancaster (1960)

Complete List · (1928–1940) · (1941–1960) · (1961–1980) · (1981–2000) · (2001–present)
v • d • e
Hosts of the Academy Awards ceremonies

Bob Hope (1961) · Bob Hope (1962) · Frank Sinatra (1963) · Jack Lemmon (1964) · Bob Hope (1965) · Bob Hope (1966) · Bob Hope (1967) · Bob Hope (1968) · Helen Hayes / Alan King / Sammy Davis, Jr. / Jack Lemmon (1972) · Carol Burnett / Michael Caine / Charlton Heston / Rock Hudson (1973) · John Huston / Burt Reynolds / David Niven / Diana Ross (1974) · Sammy Davis, Jr. / Bob Hope / Shirley MacLaine / Frank Sinatra (1975) · Goldie Hawn / Gene Kelly / Walter Matthau / George Segal / Robert Shaw (1976) · Warren Beatty / Ellen Burstyn / Jane Fonda / Richard Pryor (1977) · Bob Hope (1978) · Johnny Carson (1979) · Johnny Carson (1980)
v • d • e
Presidents of the Screen Actors Guild

Ralph Morgan (1933) · Eddie Cantor (1933) · Robert Montgomery (1935) · Ralph Morgan (1938) · Edward Arnold (1940) · James Cagney (1942) · George Murphy (1944) · Robert Montgomery (1946) · Ronald Reagan (1947) · Walter Pidgeon (1952) · Leon Ames (1957) · Howard Keel (1958) · Ronald Reagan (1959) · George Chandler (1960) · Dana Andrews (1963) · Charlton Heston (1965) · John Gavin (1971) · Dennis Weaver (1973) · Kathleen Nolan (1975) · William Schallert (1979) · Edward Asner (1981) · Patty Duke (1985) · Barry Gordon (1988) · Richard Masur (1995) · William Daniels (1999) · Melissa Gilbert (2001) · Alan Rosenberg (2005)
Persondata
NAME Heston, Charlton
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Carter, John Charles
SHORT DESCRIPTION American actor
DATE OF BIRTH October 4, 1923
PLACE OF BIRTH Evanston, Illinois, United States
DATE OF DEATH April 5, 2008
PLACE OF DEATH Beverly Hills, California, United States