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Sunday, April 06, 2008

R.I.P. Major Dundee

Sad to hear that Charlton 'Chuck' Heston, the legendary American actor has died at the age of 84. It's a pity that Heston moved from being a supporter of progressive causes in the 50s and 60s to becoming a supporter of George W. Bush in his later years, but artists should always be judged on their art, not on their political affiliations.
Heston turned in many memorable performances in films such as Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, 55 Days in Peking, El Cid and last, but certainly not least, Sam Peckinpah's brilliant 1965 western Major Dundee. You can watch a trailer for the film below; if you've never seen it, you're in for a treat.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I was most impressed by his role as Cardinal Richelieu in the Musketeers films. The cardinal is the villain of the piece & much smarter than our heroes but you can see that, unlike most screen villains, he is actually, through his realpolitik, doing something more creative than anybody else in the story. It is a fine part & he does it well, only Oliver Reed acts as well in the film, though I don't think they actually share a scene.