The Charlton Heston memorial post

Charlton Heston is gone. The article didn’t mention cause of death. I have my suspicions that it was a deliberate early exit due to Alzheimer’s, and if so, more power to him. Alzheimer’s a horrible way to die.

But while we’re talking about Heston, what’s your favorite line of his? Or your favorite film?

My all-time favorite is “Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty apes!” from, of course, The Planet of the Apes (the good version).

Yours?

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17 Responses to The Charlton Heston memorial post

  1. Bill Western says:

    Major Dundee

  2. Chris L. says:

    “It’s a madhouse! IT’S A MAAADHOOUUSE!”
    -(from the same movie)

  3. Janelle Goodson says:

    I joined the NRA because of Mr. Heston and will miss his high moral authority and good character as well as great films.

  4. Sabba Hillel says:

    We have a picture of a Rabbi that we hang in our succah that we call Charleton Heston. He made a memorable impression in the Ten Commandments. Actually, in the Pesach Seder it is better not to have seen Cecil B. DeMille’s version.

    I also saw him in “I am Legend” (if my memory is correct – and it may not be) but I preferred the novella.

  5. The Heston version of that story is “The Omega Man.” The Vincent Price version is “The Last Man on Earth.” I’ve seen all but the Will Smith version. That story creeps me out.

  6. Chris says:

    “One should be more careful about what one writes.”
    –as Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers

    Or:

    “This music is supposed to be sensuous, not pornographic.”

    –as the orchestra conductor Lionel Evans, in Counterpoint

  7. Alex Bensky says:

    Well, there’s always “Love cannot drown truth, Nefetiri.”

  8. The Thane of Towson says:

    Favorite Heston line: The one that parallels Rev. Wright’s, to wit–“You did it; you finally did it. Damn you, God damn you all to Hell.” The Taylor character screams this at the broken Statue of Liberty. Who was he damning? This is a mad house–a maaaad house.

  9. Rocket Ray says:

    Soylent Green is ****PEOPLE****!!

  10. Bob says:

    Funny, he doesn’t look Jewish — but nonetheless, to me Charlton Heston is Moses.

    You’d like the Will Smith version.

  11. Rob says:

    Mine is from “Khartoum”, where, in the role as General Gordon, his ADC COL Stewart reproaches him for having allowed himself to be talked into a hopeless quest to save the Egyptians in Khartoum from the armies of the Mahdi:

    “Colonel Stewart, as is well known, I am a Christian, but I belong to no church. I am an able soldier, but I command no army. I could add that I have been introduced to hundreds of women, but I have never married. In other words, Colonel Stewart, no-one has ever talked me into anything.”

    A great actor. We will not see his like gain.

  12. John M. says:

    It’s my sincere hope that it was NOT suicide. My favorite filme of his was, of course, Ben-Hur.

  13. jja says:

    If he did commit suicide, all I can say is “You finally really did it. You maniac!”

  14. Tom Frank says:

    Ben-Hur’s my favorite film of his, but my favorite piece of acting was his soliloquy over the corpse in “Julius Caesar”.

    They really don’t make actors like him any more…and being married to the same woman for 64 years makes him the antithesis of a Hollywood person these days.

    As for COD, at 84 is was well past the end of the (biblical) warranty (3 score and 10 as I recall?). So natural causes are as likely as anything.

  15. Michael Lonie says:

    Chris,
    I like the next line too, as he tears up the letter D’Artagnan has presented to save himself from punishment for killing Richelieu’s agent, Milady.

    “And to whom one gives it.”

    Charleton Heston made an excellent Richelieu.

  16. Stretch says:

    “One should be more careful about what one writes.”
    –as Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers
    May have been a great line but his greatest bit of acting followed with that perfectly dismissive wave of his hand. Nothing wasted. Everything conveyed.

    Check out Heston’s TREASURE ISLAND. Again co-stars with Oliver Reed and Christopher Lee. Heston as Long John Silver. Music by The Chieftains. Life is good. Thank Heaven we have his films to remember him.

  17. Debbie says:

    Loved The greatest show on earth. He was just amazing to watch…striking presence in all of his roles. My prayers will be for Lydia…64 years is a long time to be with someone. Interesting website, I just happened to run across you. I’m a Christian, hope that’s ok…Jews have a role ordained by God from beginning to end in the Bible I read…Blessings to you.

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