Farwell to a Great American

Charlton Heston, 1923-2008

I meant to post this earlier...

LOS ANGELES - Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84.

The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said.

"Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played,"

He is one of my favorite actors and conservative 'activists' (see National Rifle Association). He also participated in the big Civil Rights march in 1963. My top Heston movies:

1) Ben-Hur (1959). 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor. 'Nuff Said!

2) Planet of the Apes (1968). Loosely based on the novel La planète des singes by Pierre Boulle.
An excellent SCI-FI movie with one of the most memorable lines of all time: George Taylor (Heston)- 'Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!' Check out the Forbidden Zone for more Apes stuff. By-the-by, Charles Heston makes a cameo in the 2001 Tim Burton re-make.

3) Khartoum (1966). Heston as General Charles 'Chinese' Gordon taking on the Mahdi (Lawrence Olivier) and his army during the Battle or Siege of Khartoum (March 1884 - January 1885) in the Sudan.

Other notables: The Ten Commandments, The Omega Man, El Cid.

Heston's family said in a statement. "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."