Charlton Heston – From Damn Dirty Apes to Omega Man Zombies

When Charlton Heston at died at 84 years of age in 2008, I was saddened to find that many young people had no idea who he was. Charlton was a hero to many people and not just for the roles he portrayed in various movies, including some timeless epics.

Charlton had one thing in common with my father. They both died at the age of 84. Their lives and causes of death (pneumonia vs. multiple myeloma, of course, were completely different. Their age similarity, while both were living however, is probably what drew me to look at Charlton as a kind of father figure.

The Movies

Although Charlton didn't win an Oscar for his performance as Moses in "The Ten Commandments" of 1956, he went on to win as the "Best Actor in a Leading Role" in for his portrayal of Judah Ben-Hur in 1959's "Ben-Hur". Those are just two of the religious epics he was involved in. He later lent his talents, and sometimes only his voice, to other religiously-themed movies and specials. He even portrayed God himself (uncredited) in 1990's "Almost an Angel".

Perhaps Charlton Heston is best remembered for a famous quote that's been used and abused over the years. In 1968's "Planet of the Apes", he said "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!" Variations of that line have been used (including the 2001 non-remake where it was changed to "Get your stinking hands off me, you damn dirty human!") and sometimes unintentionally, like using "get" instead of "take". You know it's a famous quote when it gets referenced in other places and unrelated movies, like 1999's "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" where Austin referred to the 1990s as being ruled by "damn dirty apes".

In 1971, Charlton played Robert Neville in "The Omega Man". It was based on the novel "I Am Legend", as were several other movies. Although the special effects weren't unique, I thought the story was done better than the movie "I Am Legend" of 2007. Having seen the different movies based on the novel, I have come to learn one thing: If your name is Robert Neville, a living zombie is going to take you out before the credits roll.

Political Activism

I don't know the full story, but Charlton was one of a few actors that were involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and he participated in the march of 1963. He was an American rights proponent in all facets of his life.

In his later years, he served several terms as the president of the National Rifle Association. He used the slogan "from my cold, dead hands" several times in recorded speeches.

Charlton Heston portrayed political figures so well that people even tried to get him to run for President of the US at one time. There's no doubt in my mind that he would have won had he tried.

His Legacy

Richard Corliss wrote in Time magazine, "From start to finish, Heston was a grand, ornery anachronism, the sinewy symbol of a time when Hollywood took itself seriously, when heroes came from history books, not comic books. Epics like Ben-Hur or El Cid simply couldn't be made today, in part because popular culture has changed as much as political fashion. But mainly because there's no one remotely like Charlton Heston to infuse the form with his stature, fire and guts."

His cinematic legacy was the subject of "Cinematic Atlas: The Triumphs of Charlton Heston", an eleven-film retrospective by the Film Society of the Lincoln Center that was shown at the Walter Reade Theater from August 29 to September 4, 2008.

There is so much that Charlton contributed to the arts and society during his lifespan that to list it all would take hours or even days.

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