It's been instructive reading the obituaries of Charlton Heston. I never knew he was a civil rights campaigner marching with Martin Luther King and being pro John Kennedy back in the 1960s.
Of course I knew the film roles. My mum took me and my sister to see Ben Hur at the Streatham Odeon. I think she might have even splashed out and taken us up into the Dress Circle there.
I love cinemas. Especially the ones with a big screen. In fact I'm sitting and watching Ben Hur now on the video and it seems odd looking at it without my mum's running commentary.
I phoned my sister yesterday when I got back in from work and when she answered the phone my first words were: 'He will come."
This was uttered by Tribune Messala after the chariot race.
The famous chariot race. One of the obituaries told how Heston actually learned to ride a chariot.
I've read about a homo erotic sub text to the whole thing. Vehemently denied of course by Heston. But with all the male bonding and vendettas going on it's difficult not to see that side.
But I guess you could say that about any sword and sandals epic.
However Ben Hur is the master of them all.
Monday, 7 April 2008
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