Film Society remembers the late actor in eleven classic performances

 

NEW YORK, August 1, 2008-The Film Society of Lincoln Center revisits eleven
remarkable performances by one of American cinema's most successful leading
men in Cinematic Atlas: The Triumphs of Charlton Heston, at the Walter Reade
Theater, Aug. 29 - Sept. 4. The series brings some of Hollywood's grandest
spectacles back to the big-screen with new and archival prints of "Ben-Hur,"
"The Greatest Show on Earth," "El Cid," "Planet of the Apes," "Earthquake"
and more. It also celebrates the actor's memorable collaborations with some
of the cinema's finest directors.

 

The series opens on Friday, Aug. 29, with two screenings of Orson Welles's
classic film noir "Touch of Evil," starring Heston as Mexican narcotics
agent Mike Vargas. The film is just the first in the series that highlights
Heston's range as a character and genre actor. The lifelong inspiration he
found in the outdoors shines through his solitary war and western heroes in
"Major Dundee"-screening in its restored and extended version-and "Will
Penny," while he made some of his most dynamic onscreen appearances as
futuristic, sci-fi enforcers in "Soylent Green" and as Robert Neville in
"The Omega Man," a role taken over by Will Smith in last year's "I Am
Legend."

 

"[Heston] commanded virtually every scene in which he appeared," says the
Film Society's Josh Strauss, who programmed the series, "developing a
dignity, grace, strength, charisma, courage, cinematic power and ironic
lightness that he accented with his unforgettable style of delivery."

 

Heston made his first major appearance as an actor on Broadway in 1947's "
Antony and Cleopatra." The performance was just the first classical role in
a career filled with heroic parts, including Moses in "The Ten
Commandments," the title Spanish folk hero in Anthony Mann's "El Cid"
(1961), and Heston's Oscar-winning turn as a gladiator in William Wyler's
epic favorite "Ben-Hur" (1959).

 

"With his perfect, lean-hipped, powerful body, Heston is a god-like hero;
built for strength," wrote New Yorker critic Pauline Kael in her review of
"Planet of the Apes" (1968). "He is an archetype of what makes Americans
win. He represents American power-and he has the profile of an eagle."

 

Later in life Heston was as much remembered for his political engagement as
his commanding onscreen presence. He was president of the Screen Actors
Guild from 1965 to '71 and helped create the American Film Institute,
serving as its first chairman and president. He actively championed both the
National Endowment for the Arts and the civil rights movement, participating
in Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 march in Washington D.C. From 1998 to 2003,
he served as president of the National Rifle Association.

 

Born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Ill., in 1923, Heston attended
Northwestern University , where he met and married Lydia Clarke. The couple
stayed together 64 years, with two children, Fraser and Holly. Heston served
in the Army Air Corps during World War II. In August 2002, Heston publicly
announced he was diagnosed with symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's
disease. He died April 5, 2008.

 

Single screening tickets for the series are $11; $7 for Film Society
members, students and children (6-12, accompanied by an adult); and $8 for
seniors (62+). They are available at both the Walter Reade Theater box
office and online at  <http://www.filmlinc.com/> www.filmlinc.com. A series
pass admitting one person to a total of five titles in the series can be
purchased at the Walter Reade Theater box office (cash only) for $40; $30
for Film Society members.

 

The Film Society of Lincoln Center was founded in 1969 to celebrate American
and international cinema, to recognize and support new directors, and to
enhance the awareness, accessibility and understanding of film. Advancing
this mandate today, the Film Society hosts two distinguished festivals. The
New York Film Festival annually premieres films from around the world and
has introduced the likes of François Truffaut, R.W. Fassbinder, Jean-Luc
Godard, Pedro Almodóvar, Martin Scorsese, and Wong Kar-Wai to the United
States . New Directors/New Films, co-presented by the Museum of Modern Art ,
focuses on emerging film talents. Since 1972, when the Film Society honored
Charles Chaplin in person, the annual Gala Tribute celebrates an actor or
filmmaker who has helped distinguish cinema as an art form. Additionally,
the Film Society presents a year-round calendar of programming at its Walter
Reade Theater and offers insightful film writing to a worldwide audience
through Film Comment magazine.

 

Please note: Due to construction work taking place around Lincoln Center ,
access to the Walter Reade Theater is at 165 West 65th Street close to
Amsterdam Avenue . Once there, take the escalator, elevator or stairs to the
upper level

Click to View on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiOx5YV2XDQ

Cinematic Atlas: The Triumphs of Charlton Heston

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Welcome!

Agamemnon Films is a film, television & digital production company, established in 1981 by Fraser Heston and Charlton Heston.

Our mission is to entertain, enlighten, and inform our audience, in that order. We believe that developing and producing quality entertainment without compromising our artistic and ethical standards will reap reward and enrichment both for us and our audience.

Our Team

Fraser C. Heston
Charlton Heston
Co-Founders

Alex Butler
Senior Partner & Producer

Mark McIntire
Director of Philosophy & Digital Resources

Heather Thomas
Executive Assistant

Charlton Heston

1923-2008

For Immediate Release:

(Beverly Hills, CA April 5, 2008) – Legendary actor, civil rights leader and political activist Charlton Heston passed away today, at the age of 84.  He died at his home with Lydia, his wife of 64 years, at his side.  Mr. Heston was loved by his two children, Fraser Clarke Heston and Holly Heston Rochell, and his three grandchildren, Jack Alexander Heston, Ridley Rochell and Charlie Rochell.

The Heston family issued the following statement:

“To his loving friends, colleagues and fans, we appreciate your heartfelt prayers and support.  Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life.  He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played.  Indeed, he committed himself to every role with passion, and pursued every cause with unmatched enthusiasm and integrity.

We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with an infectious sense of humor.  He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity.  He loved deeply, and he was deeply loved.

No one could ask for a fuller life than his.  No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country.  In his own words, “I have lived such a wonderful life!  I’ve lived enough for two people.”

Co-founders