[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Charlton Heston

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Charlton Heston
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1207536101.shtml


   There's really nothing to be sad about in today's news of the passing
   of Charlton Heston other than perhaps how his end came. Even that he
   did with quiet dignity. He had a great and interesting life, and made
   it to age 84.
   I've always felt that Hollywood never really understood Heston. They
   knew his movies would sell tickets and yet they tried many times to
   duplicate those winning formulas without Heston and failed hugely.
   People went to see Charlton Heston as Ben-Hur, not Ben-Hur itself.
   Casting is a mysterious art. My favorite example was the casting of
   the late Jerry Orbach as Det. Briscoe on Law and Order. Who knew? So
   it was with Heston. I'm not sure who Mitch was quoting but I agree
   that "... films like Ben Hur were conceived because Heston was there
   to make them."