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Charlton Heston on Film
6 photos
Apr 07, 2008 1:38 PM
1/6
Zuma Press
Ben-Hur
, Done That
Everything Charlton Heston did seemed larger than life, nothing more so than his epic, Oscar-winning role in
Ben-Hur
(1959). Heston plays an enslaved Jewish prince who breaks from his shackles to challenge Rome in a legendary, widescreen, whip-cracking chariot race. (See our news section for a
full obituary
.)
2/6
AP Photo
Hitting the Heights
With over 100 films to his credit, including many of the biggest and most lavish adventure films in Hollywood history, Heston was the biggest box-office star of the '50s and early '60s. Always up for a role in biblical movies, Heston also played El Cid, Marc Antony, Michelangelo, Cardinal Richelieu and many more.
3/6
Zuma Press
A Perfect 10
In
The 10 Commandments
(1956), Heston had both gravitas and special-effects gusto on his side as he played Moses parting the Red Sea and leading the Israelites through their trials and tribulations. Cecil B. DeMille's widescreen epic was touted as the greatest movie ever made, and for once you could believe the hype. And Heston held it all together
4/6
Zuma Press
Serious Monkey Business
Heston wasn't just the grand master of historical epics: In
Planet of the Apes
(1968) he fast-forwarded into a dystopian future where his grit and pluck proved just as essential. If the flick looks campy in retrospect, Heston always played his melodrama as straight as possible.
5/6
Zuma Press
Cannibal Cool
Even when slumming, Heston's talent shone like a beacon. The cheesy sci-fi flick
Soylent Green
(1973) is a case in point, as Heston elevates this B-movie about futuristic cannibal consumerism by sheer effort of will. Who can forget the chilling line: "Soylent Green is people, people!"
6/6
Zuma Press
Larger Than Life
Heston always made a big splash in pictures. In this case, he did so literally, playing John the Baptist in
The Greatest Story Ever Told
(1965).
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