FashionState.Com salutes...

All-American Action Man

CHARLTON HESTON

1923-2008

"I don't seem to have a 20th century face." - Charlton Heston

"That guy Heston has to watch it. If he's not careful, he'll get actors a good name." - Frank Sinatra

The star of several of the best-known and highest-lauded films in Hollywood's long-standing industry was born John Charles Carter in Illinois to a working-class couple who divorced before he was ten. To make up for the pain of the split, the man who took the maiden name of his mother and the last name of his stepfather to become "Charlton Heston" remained married to his dedicated wife for over sixty years.

By 1950, he was already a Northwestern University scholarship recipient, a husband, a military veteran, and theater and television actor parlaying his experience and his drive onto the big screen. Tall and ruggedly handsome with an impressive physique and distinctive voice, he was a natural for an upward climb in 1950s Hollywood for grittier post-war drama and action films, yet he became a superstar as leading man in the newer big-screen genres advancing during that decade as well as the 1960s - those of the religious and historical epic. Heston became an international screen idol following his appearance as Moses in "The Ten Commandments", and the promise of his larger-than-life passion and dramatic scene-chewing brought his legion of fans to other spectacles such as "The Buccaneer", "El Cid", "The Greatest Story Ever Told", "The Agony and the Ecstasy", and "The War Lord".

And before CGI graphics depicting a sinking ship and massive ensemble casts supporting pretty stars in a passable love story were considered the best ingredients for multiple Oscars, there was "Ben-Hur", Cecil B. DeMille's 1959 remake of his 1920s silent film. A gripping story of revenge and redemption set in the time of Christ, this Hollywood classic featured intense character studies, still-amazing special effects including a chariot race scene embedded in the annals of filmdom's history, and an emotional and spectacular performance by Charlton Heston that made him a Best Actor Academy Award winner at the age of 36 - although Chuck never seemed to take himself as seriously as his roles did. "If you need a ceiling painted, a chariot race run, a city besieged, or the Red Sea parted," he quipped, "you think of me."

The prolific actor was not too proud, either, to perform in the then-critically disparaged genre of 1960s and 1970s science-fiction, and Hollywood's biggest epic hero became a cult movie idol by bringing his raw physicality, cynical grittiness, and of course that voice, to films like "Soylent Green", "The Omega Man", and the original Rod Serling-penned blockbuster, 1968's "Planet of the Apes". (Mr. Heston, always true to form as far as being a good sport, also had a small, uncredited role in the Tim Burton remake later in his career.)

After his showing in the annals of sci-fi film history (as well as a couple of highly-hyped disaster films), Chuck seemed content with rarer ventures into the role of leading man, although even in his smaller roles there was no missing his well-known presence and his commanding vocal quality when narratives and animated features needed his talents. And his professionalism brought him acclaim not only from fans, but from peers and the powerful who heaped him with acclaim in the form of honors and responsibilities.

As well as being the possessor of many impressive titles as veteran patron and leader of the artistic community, he also committed his life to political causes. In a town where ideological barriers now have surpassed racial or gender restrictions, Chuck's reputation and history as a Hollywood heavyweight afforded him the luxury of outspokenness on a variety of politically-incorrect causes most notably involving racial equality - a daring position to take at times in the pre-civil rights era - as well as Constitutional rights, paving the way for other actors to express other than what the city of dreams views as conventional wisdom. Whether one agreed or disagreed with his views, Mr. Heston undoubtedly stood and stands as an icon of individualism and originality - commodities that are sadly lacking in the actors and ideas of 21st century Hollywood.

After publicized battles with alcoholism and cancer, Heston announced that he had Alzheimer's Disease in August 2002, yet refused to outright retire. The courageous actor brought this drawback, too, to the audience with whom he'd shared so much of his life and career, stating, "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."

Chuck spent the twilight of his years with his family and his last moments with his loving Lydia, and his passing was prominently noted in the media all over the world. Few actors attaining his status at the box office and stature amongst his peers have made an equally great impact in the discussion of issues addressing liberties as well as culture. Certainly this is some form of testament to his eloquence, humility, and class which for the most part remained unshakeable in the face of outright hostility and ill-will directed toward him by his less poised and less persuasive critics.

Yet politics being what they may (and are) cannot besmirch the grand legacy left to Charlton Heston's fans and admirers through his amazing catalog of film, television, and recording work, as evidenced by a healthy clutch of Internet fansites honoring one of Tinsel Town's roughest, toughest, most outspoken kings among Hollywood's classic macho men!

PRIME CHUCK
The Best of the Best:
A Top Triumvirate
from among Mad Molly's
VERY FAVORITE MOVIES!

"THE TEN COMMANDMENTS"
"BEN-HUR"
"PLANET OF THE APES"

ALL CHUCK, NO JIVE!
A photo gallery honoring
Charlton Heston as well as
some of Mr. Heston's
best-known work!

CHUCK MEANS ACTION & ADVENTURE!
CHUCK MEANS DIE-HARD DRAMA!
CHUCK MEANS EXCEPTIONAL EPIC!
CHUCK MEANS JOURNEYS INTO HISTORY!
CHUCK MEANS MASTER OF DISASTER!
CHUCK MEANS RAW ROMANCE!
CHUCK MEANS SUPER SCI-FI!
CHUCK MEANS PRIME PORTRAITS & PUBLICITY!
CHUCK MEANS ALL-AMERICAN STAR!

SITE LINKS
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AFI Establishes Charlton Heston Award
Originally from AFI.com in .pdf format, this is a reprint of the announcement of the establishment of the American Film Institute's new award named in honor of the great actor.

Agamemnon Films
Official site of the independent film company established by Charlton Heston and his son, Fraser.

CNN.com - August 9, 2002
Charlton Heston announces he has symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease with his characteristic courage and grit. Read the transcript of his taped statement here.

E! Online: Charlton Heston Stories
Links galore to entertainment news reports about Hollywood icon Charlton Heston.

Gateway to Charlton Heston on the Worldwide Web
Scads of newslinks that feature Chuck's speeches and activities as reported in the news.

Genealogy.Com: Ancestry of Charlton Heston
The biggest site of family trees on the Internet features Chuck's bloodlines among the thousands! Download suggested plug-ins for optimum results.

He's Not Moses, but He's Something Else: My Tribute to Charlton Heston
Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss pays homage to one of his Hollywood idols.

Kennedy Center: Biographical information for Charlton Heston
A feature on the life and career of the 1997 Kennedy Center honoree!

Medal of Freedom
A page dedicated to Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Charlton Heston. Many links!

NRA Winning Team: Charlton Heston
One of the biggest political organizations in America has a special bio page with links set aside for its most famous President and champion.

Screen Actors Guild: Charlton Heston
Chuck's bio regarding his tenure as President of the world's most famous star-studded union!

Sworn to Secrecy: Secrets of War
This site is the Internet home of the top-rated documentary series, with every single info- and action-packed episode narrated by none other than Charlton Heston. It even has a link to the broadband version so you can watch it all on-line!

FANSITES
Note: It is considered proper on-line protocol
to ask the site owners for permission
to copy and / or distribute photos from their sites.
Be sure to set your browsers to accept Javascript, etc., and
block pop-ups, just in case!

Celebopedia: Charlton Heston
The site formerly known as the Charlton Heston Online Shrine features photos, sound clips, a store, plus info to appeal to discriminating fans.

Charlton Heston World
Webmistress Mona K has the honor of being your hostess at the OFFICIAL fansite for Mr. Charlton Heston, Academy Award-winning actor and man of activism. Chuck's fans will NOT be disappointed - they will spend hours browsing links chockful of pix, info, and goodies too numerous to mention here, with links as well to the American Cancer Society and Alzheimer's Association. You can even get a message of support to Chuck via Mona!

The Colbys
Stian's fanpage on the series that made Chuck a TV idol on top of all of his other accomplishments! Character bios, pix, and an episode guide.

Entertainment Weekly's Guilty Pleasures: Charlton Heston
Meaty scene-chewing by Charlton Heston earns him a salute!

HESTFest: A Marcus Guide to the Planet of the Heston
The site is suspended, but there are still some great info to be had at this site. Click the links and have a look around!

HomeGame.Org: Charlton Heston
If you're not too uptight to giggle at your heroes, this tongue-in-cheek tribute to the great actor WILL get a laugh out of you!

In The Arena: A Charlton Heston Fan Club / Group
Yahoo! has a message board for fans of Chuck who want to discuss what every Chuck fan has in common...love of the man's movies!

Meredy's Charlton Heston Trivia Mania Page
Classic movie and TV buff Meredy throws the gauntlet down in friendly challenge to all Heston superfans!

Mr. Heston: The Charlton Heston Fanlisting
You can visit the homepages of other fans of Charlton Heston and even list your own! Request your membership, get codes for a designer link to the fanlist and join this small but enthusiastic community!

Reel Classics: Charlton Heston
An exceptional tribute site featuring many links, movie photos, sound clips, information, a bibliography, and a very SPECIAL section on "Ben-Hur"!

A Tribute to Charlton Heston
Top-ranked ClassicMovies.Org's special feature on Chuck.

Ultimate Dynasty: The Colbys
For those of us who remember the blockbuster phenomenon of night-time soap operas of the 80s, here's a site saluting one of the best of the spin-offs - "The Colbys", which starred Chuck as oil family patriarch Jason Colby. Good reading for those who want insight into the involved history of the Colbys and the Carringtons!

Visions of Charlton Heston
Hostess Candyblue has created an on-line, unofficial fan club for those who want to read about her encounters with her favorite star and sign her guestbook.

FOREIGN SITES OF INTEREST!
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to ask the site owners for permission
to copy and / or distribute photos from their sites.
Be sure to set your browsers to accept Javascript, etc., and
block pop-ups, just in case!

Charlton Heston
Writer and Chuck fan Fernando Alonso's mini-tribute to Chuck, whom he calls an "exceptional man".

Charlton Heston (in French)
Movie info about Chuck's roles in many films! Includes synopses and some pix!

Christiane's Charlton Heston
A French language homage to Chuck features photos, a guestbook, several links and lots of love!

Chucks Homepage
Marguerite is a German lady who just loves Chuck, and her contribution rounds out the foreign fansite listings presented here! If you read German, check out her charming tributes! And if you have a talent for writing in German, be sure to sign her guestbook!

Cinemalia 1997 - Charlton Heston
French language site about Beauvais Film Festival honorary award recipient Charlton Heston!

Clase B Home Page - Charlton Heston
Another international fanpage for Chuck, this one based in Argentina!

Culturalia: Charlton Heston
Spanish-language bio of Chuck features some classic movie photos, too!

Prisma Online: Charlton Heston
This German-language TV program guide features a detailed bio on Chuck!

BOOKS ON AND BY CHUCK

"Charlton Heston: The Epic Presence" - Bruce Crowther (1986)
"The Actor's Life: Journals 1956-1976" - Charlton Heston (1978)
"Beijing Diary: 1990" - Charlton Heston (1990)
"In the Arena: An Autobiography" - Charlton Heston (1997)
"To Be A Man: Letters To My Grandson" - Charlton Heston (1997)
"Charlton Heston Presents the Bible"
"The Courage To Be Free" - Charlton Heston (2000)
"Charlton Heston's Hollywood: 50 Years in American Film" - Charlton Heston and Jean-Pierre Isbouts (1998)
"Charlton Heston: A Biography" - Michael Munn (1986)
"The Films of Charlton Heston" - Jeff Rovin (1980)

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