Charlton Heston: Hollywood's Last Icon

The movie stars, along with other celebrities whose livelihood is predicated on physical attributes, are not my usual figures of admiration. A biography or a memoir of personality, especially a film star, with an ostentatious narrative of “Rag-To-Riches” or “Angst-to Enlightenment,” is not a read I delve into, nor a mental pacifier to appease revolting boredom. In consideration of those mentioned above, it is a deviation from my staple reading sustenance that I read this biography of Charlton Heston by Marc Eliot to my liking and that I resolved to write about it to my surprise. After all, who would have resisted reading the elevated version of the Vanity Fair offering insightful glimpses into a story of the epochal screen face in the backstage?Charlton Heston (1923-2008) was an American actor whose impressive performances as Moses in “The Ten Commandments” and “Ben-Hur” conferred upon him armigerous status in the show business. But do not let the screen persona cloud his real-life persona as the author, a close confidante of the Hestons skillfully and fluidly relates in the book. Heston was a smart businessman, as well as a controversial figure whose political stance shifted from democratic liberalism to republican conservatism as he rode along the crest of tidal waves of time. It was Heston’s modus vivendi in adhering to his set of values and principles in the ethos of times that he believed would keep him alive and purposeful until his sense and faculty of mind would permit him. He had a reasonable degree of the screen star paranoid, which dictated the livelihood and selfhood.In addition to the life of the Hollywood titan, the intelligence about the movie business, the cast, and behind-the-curtain tidbits related to the films Heston starred is a bonus gem of the book. For example, the reason that the west coast became the capital of the movie industry was that Thomas Alba Edison, President of Motion Picture Patents Company, expelled the prurient nickelodeon movies produced mainly by the Jewish moguls from New Jersey and New York. There is more to it. Orson Wells’s chronic bouts of erratic behaviors; Sophia Lauren’s general tardiness on sets; and Richard Harris’s perspective on Heston as being irrevocably stuck-up are amusing introspection on the personas of actors and actresses that do not seem too surprising. I believe that they played off the gleam of their real personalities in the guise of the fictional characters on screen.This book is a comprehensive, well-written book that tells about the star of the silver screen whose roles in the movies are so monumentally remarkable that his tale of life is worthier than any of Hollywood scandals or paparazzi pictures showing celebs in lousy appearance. The contained passion from the phosphorescence of his blue eyes, the arduousness of his forward chin, and the powerful torso made Heston as the perfect Pygmalion that even the most stubborn director cannot oversee or denigrate. He was one of the few actors whose laconic flatness worked up internal aspects of the characters through voice and a minimum of gestures that did not come across as a flamboyant flair of or a lack of method acting. For this reason alone, this book is worth reading.

This is an excellent comprehensive biography of a true icon, from his early boyhood in the woods of Michigan to his last sad days as a victim of Alzheimer's. Eliot gives full weight to Heston's acting career beginning with his adolescent experiences in school plays, through the early days in New York and his eventual stardom and lastly his later years on the "gray list" because of has political activities. The more fascinating aspects in the discussion of the great, and not so great, movies he made are the details about just how movies are made. It's grueling and often tedious work. In the end, Heston may have not been a great actor but he was competent and committed. He worked on the stage, screen, television, DVDs, and always strived to do his best. Eliot also covers the important work Heston did in his work as president of the Screen Actors' Guild, as one of the founders of the American Film Institute, as a board member of the NEA during which he helped save it from the chopping block of Ronald Reagan (t would be nice to have someone of his stature working today against the aims of the current President re the NEA). Some details are given about his public feud with Ed Asner regarding political and labor decisions of the SAG. The last chapters describe Heston's commitment to the NRA and the effect that had on his standing in the movie business. Eliot makes the ironic point that the children of those who had been blacklisted during the McCarthy-HUAC days were the ones who carried out the gray listing of Heston because of his outspoken views. Eliot mentions that the beginning of Heston's decline in Hollywood can be dated from 1973 when, as President of SAG, he invited Nixon to a ceremony. Whatever one thinks of the NRA, it is true that Heston may have gone overboard in his avid support and proselytizing for the organization culminating in the famous, or infamous, "my cold dead hands" speech. One friend surmises that his overly emotional actions during those last sad years might have been the result of the early onset of Alzheimer's. Whatever the cause or whatever one's opinion about the NRA, it was despicable of the AFI Board to deny him the award he so richly deserved for his contributions to the organization and to grant him an unpublicized compensatory one instead. The family was angry and Heston was aware enough to realize the insult and to be hurt. He did receive recognition from both Clinton (Kennedy Center Honors) and Bush (the Presidential Freedom Medal) which he richly deserved. Eliot has written an excellent biography of an important actor who did far more than just act. He truly was an icon and gave pleasure to so many. Fans will remember him as Moses, or Ben Hur, or the Omega Man. For me, he will always be El Cid riding off on his horse into the sun.

My first reaction to this fine biography is that it was a completely enjoyable reading experience. It is somewhat lengthy and I like that. I purchased the audiobook and the Kindle and read and listened, sometimes simultaneously. The narration was well read at an easy pace and I could easily listen and digest the information while taking a walk or commuting. I have only read a few Hollywood Star Biographies, setting aside Ronald Reagan who I studied for historical reasons. My point is when I was finished with this biography I felt this was my favorite strictly Hollywood biography that I had read. Five Stars....After the fact, I am reading reviews by other reviewers. There apparently are some serious inaccuracies that are more obvious to others than to me. I always do parallel reading and study when I read a work such as this. I was aware of some discrepancies but felt they were minimal. Some of the discrepancies reported in these reviews escaped my notice and may matter more to other readers than to me. However I am generally a stickler for detail and is is why I give this fine biography four stars instead of five stars. I have NOT verified some of the inaccuracies reported by other reviewers. Finally, I wish to re emphasize that some discrepancies mentioned may be more important to others than to me. The overall story is accurate.In summary I completely enjoyed this biography. The author clearly had access to the family of Mister Heston and this meant a lot to me as far as his personal biography. I learned a great deal about Mister Heston and remain very satisfied with this book. Thank You...

We think we know our film stars, our heroes, but actually all we "know" are what we read in newspapers, magazines, film reviews, and yes - sometimes we do read their autobiographies which are fascinating in themselves. When film stars pen the latter, we know that we are favoured by words "from the horse's mouth" and as such we understand so much more about the person, their fellow actors, the stunts and the stuntmen, and of course the actors' family. However, books such as this particular publication go further. The author had direct contact with Charlton Heston's family and friends, and we learn more of the man, his life, his loves, his need to get the best out of whatever he did. No, it didn't always turn out as planned, but - as in many of his films - he stuck with what he believed to be right and you can't argue with that. Marc Eliot has achieved something special here and brought more of Heston's life to the reader. we shall never see another Judah Ben-Hur, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, Chrysagon de la Creux or Will Penny. Ten years after Mr. Heston's death he still remains the essential hero.

Amazon delivery driver must have played ‘knock a door run’. Delivery on order says handed to customer - but there was nobody in. Driver actually left on floor outside door. I left blue recycle bin next to door as ‘safe place but driver didn’t not use it. Putting it on floor on a rainy day meant the packaging was soaking wet - and parts off book. Fortunately ok - just.

A good read at a good price.

I FOUND THIS BOOK VERY INFORMAYIVE .ite was well written

Another great book by Marc Eliot