Oscar winner Heston dies
By BOB THOMAS • ASSOCIATED PRESS • April 5, 2008

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.

Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.
Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure."

With his large, muscular build, well-boned face and sonorous voice, Heston proved the ideal star during the period when Hollywood was filling movie screens with panoramas depicting the religious and historical past. "I have a face that belongs in another century," he often remarked.

The actor assumed the role of leader offscreen as well. He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and chairman of the American Film Institute and marched in the civil rights movement of the 1950s. With age, he grew more conservative and campaigned for conservative candidates.

In June 1998, Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association, for which he had posed for ads holding a rifle. He delivered a jab at then-President Clinton, saying, "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns."

Heston stepped down as NRA president in April 2003, telling members his five years in office were "quite a ride. ... I loved every minute of it."

That same year, Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. "The largeness of character that comes across the screen has also been seen throughout his life," President Bush said at the time.

He engaged in a lengthy feud with liberal Ed Asner during the latter's tenure as president of the Screen Actors Guild. His latter-day activism almost overshadowed his achievements as an actor, which were considerable.

I bought a video series of him touring the Holy Land and reading the Bible for my folks. He had such a unique voice!

That's too bad. I recently saw him in Soylent Green. I haven't seen any of his other films.

Ben-Hur? The Ten Commandments? You should at least see those, if not The Planet of the Apes.

Ben-Hur is on my list. My list is very long though

it's gonna keep you busy all summer!

That and school.

I wish Michigan would make up its mind. It was 3-0 and I was going to shut it off for a movie but then they scored 2 goals in 15 seconds. Now I have to wait and see some more.

I've got 3 Hitchcock films to watch in the next couple days (Topaz, Torn Curtain, and Vetigo) along with The Petrified Forest.

One of those 4 is supposed to be VERY good. The other three...not so much.

PF is typical 30s gansta movie...you probably won't like it all that much except that it's Bogie's screen debut.

Has anyone seen Touch of Evil. I was looking up film noirs on IMDb.com and they said it was the 6th best noir of all-time. I noticed it's under $10 at Amazon and I had part of a gift certificate left so I went ahead and bought it.

It's directed by Orson Welles, it can't be that bad or at least you wouldn't think.

Good choice. If it's the one I'm thinking of, in the late 40s, he was just getting started and really started showing some depth.

It's from 1958. It stars Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles, and Marlene Dietrich.

hmm...I think that is the one. He made some in the late 40s as well.