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April 05, 2008
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston in El Cid, 1961
And now, a moment of silence for one of the great stars of motion pictures, Charlton Heston 1923-2008.
I will be writing about this great star in the future, but for now I want to to tell you that of his films two of my absolute favorites are Major Dundee1965, and Touch of Evil, 1958, probably the last American noir movie.
Major Dundee was a troubled production with director Sam Peckinpah over budget and over schedule. The studio was going to fire Peckinpah but Heston stepped in and surrendered his salary in a deal to keep Peckinpah on board. Heston's performance as an Ahab-like Union officer pursuing murderous Apaches into Mexico with a band of Confederate POW's and drunken mercenaries is towering.
Charlton Heston as Major Dundee, 1965
Touch of Evil was directed by Orson Welles. In this brilliant film—with the greatest one-take opening sequence in film history—Heston plays a Mexican cop. It's a steely, modulated performance very different than the larger than life characters he was known for in biblical epics such as The Ten Commandments 1956, and Ben Hur, 1959
Orson Welles and Charlton Heston in Touch of Evil, 1958
Heston is the last of the great Hollywood male stars.
Our friends at Libertas have some beautiful posts about Heston.
Libertas posts an address delivered by Heston at Harvard in 1999.
Here's the opening sequence from Touch of Evil. It was shot with a Chapman Crane. It took all night to get this extremely complicated shot. The difficulties in getting everyone to hit their marks at precisely the right moments cannot be over emphasized. Originally, the studio ran the opening credits over this stunning sequence which absolutely ruined the effect that Welles was creating. Now, in a restored DVD the credits have been removed and the scene runs as originally intended. The actress playing Charlton Heston's wife is the wonderful Janet Leigh.
“I can part the Red Sea, but I can't part with you [the audience], which is why I won't exclude you from this stage in my life. For now, I'm not changing anything. I'll insist on work when I can; the doctors will insist on rest when I must. If you see a little less spring to my step, if your name fails to leap to my lips, you'll know why. And if I tell you a funny story for the second time, please laugh anyway.”
— Charlton Heston on his diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, 2002
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at April 5, 2008 10:50 PM
Comments
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Heston was one of my favorites....
Robert, as you pointed out....Charlton Heston was an extremely gifted actor.
They just don't come as talented as Heston anymore. :(
Posted by: Lance at April 6, 2008 03:21 PM
Heston was a dear friend of my Uncle Allen and the two of them remained close for over 60 years. They grew up near each other in Illinois and were at Northwestern at the sam time, (my uncle in the law school and Heston in the drama program). They often swapped apartments when they were in Chicago or in New York during Heston's days in the theater. My uncle even has the exact same voice as Heston's... it's weird.
So obviously, we're all pretty sad today in the family. My uncle has been blessed with my better health, so he sort of lost Heston as a close friend a few years ago when his illness became more severe.
Needless to say, Heston was a friend to the Jewish community and Israel.
Posted by: Jake at April 6, 2008 03:37 PM
sorry for the typos... writing with baby Yael on my lap
Posted by: Jake Novak at April 6, 2008 04:12 PM
Am I crazy or did I notice that the timer gets set for exactly the right amount of time before the explosion?
Posted by: Alice at April 6, 2008 05:18 PM
I don't think I've ever seen Major Dundee. Interesting premise. Thanks for the heads up!
Posted by: a. acacia at April 6, 2008 07:11 PM
wow, that shot was amazing...I guess Scorcese learned a thing or two from Welles.
Posted by: cruisin-mom at April 6, 2008 08:16 PM
Lance:
Heston is the last of the great Hollywood movie stars. We shall not see his like ever again.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 6, 2008 10:57 PM
Jake:
Thanks so much for the information about your connection through family to Heston. Yes, Heston was a great friend to Israel, he was a pioneer in the civil rights movement, and a president of the NRA.
In the Daily Kos today, there are some of the most vile posts about Heston imaginable. These are, ahem, progressives, who actively support Obama.
G-d save us from such degraded creatures.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 6, 2008 11:03 PM
Alice:
No, you are not crazy. The timer for the bomb is set for real time. A bit over 4 minutes.
Mazal Tov, you're an official film geek!
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 6, 2008 11:06 PM
Acacia:
You must see “Major Dundee.” It's a flawed but very great film. Great performances from Richard Harris, James Coburn, Jim Hutton, and Senta Berger, er, looks great.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 6, 2008 11:11 PM
Cruisin'Mom:
Scorsese, De Palma, Spielberg, Coppola, Bogdanovich, they have all learned and stolen from Welles.
And Welles learned his extended camera moves from F.W Murnau's classic silent film "Sunrise," 1927, and from the great long-take director Max Ophuls, especially his masterpiece, “Lola Montes,” 1955.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 6, 2008 11:19 PM
RIP, Mr. Heston. You will be missed.
Favorite role? Ben Hur
Did you see on TCM that they're releasing an extended version of "Major Dundee"? Sadly timely in light of his death.
Posted by: Sal at April 7, 2008 02:08 PM
Sorry, I meant my favorite of his roles.
HuffPo had to close their comments on his obit notice, lest their vile underbelly be too exposed.
Posted by: Sal at April 7, 2008 02:10 PM
Sal:
Heston is wonderful in Ben Hur. It's a testament to Heston's skill as an actor that even in the sand and sandal epics, which can be quite wooden, Heston imbues his characters with absolute truth. There's nothing wooden about his performances—ever.
I have my DVR set for "Major Dundee."
Huffpo commenters and their hateful comments about Heston, because of his support for the NRA, are beneath contempt.
And of course they will be voting for, who else, Obama.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at April 7, 2008 03:19 PM
Ben Hur was a great film until the last 10 minutes or so.
What a cop-out. When I first saw it I just couldn't believe it.
The chariot race was cool though.
Posted by: Ephraim at April 8, 2008 11:16 AM