The Public Face of Charlton Heston

Brian Steel Wills, Running the Race: the “Public Face” of Charlton Heston (Savas Beatie, 2022)

I’m not gonna lie. I am a Charlton Heston fan. Always have been. Being a history guy since my pre-teens naturally directed me toward any iteration of the sweep of history, particularly the film medium. Heston’s mega hits like The Ten Commandments (1956) and Ben Hur (1959) captured my imagination along with other Hollywood epics like Spartacus (1960) starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier and Cleopatra (1963) starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. These films helped catapult my interests and inspired me to think more deeply about the writing of history, and thus my turn to literature. So, in a way, I am indebted to Carlton Heston et al and the “epic film” genre of the mid-twentieth century.

Wills covers Heston’s long and storied acting career, noting the numerous parts of historical interest (along with the action/adventure/drama/sci-fi roles - the guy was multi-deminsional, what can I say…) such as his portrayal of Andrew Jackson in The President’s Lady (1953) and The Buccaneer (1958) and Thomas Jefferson in The Patriots (1963). Wills is especially clear in revealing Heston’s unmatched professionalism - which of course included getting to know his characters through the available literature. Yes indeed friends, Heston had a pretty decent library and he apparently pored over materials while preparing for parts in historical dramas.

What’s most compelling about this book Wills’s attention to Heston’s public persona. Heston, well aware of his “presence” in popular culture, used his voice in support of various causes - from championing Civil Rights to his support of the Second Amendment.

Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and Charlton Heston at the 1963 March on Washington (image credit)

Students of political history should take Heston seriously. He was not one likely to engage in performative or partisan media stunts…he meant what he said and put his cajones on the line, so to speak. Heston lent his voice to social causes, testified before Congress, and offered his services in leadership roles. Unflinchingly patriotic, and fairly conservative when compared to his colleagues, which has not always been the most popular position among Hollywood a-listers, Heston was committed to the founding principles of individual liberty, equality before the law, and Constitutionalism. Much like his Hollywood contemporary, Ronald Reagan, Heston would become highly critical of a Democratic Party with which he had once aligned, but saw drifting away from its stance against Communism toward a more progressive orientation defined by entitlements and an intrusive central government. And, it turns out, he was not alone - think John Wayne, James Stewart, and Ginger Rogers, all of whom shared his political values.

By my estimation, and I think that Wills would agree, Heston’s political voice was not one of reactionary atavism. Rather, his politics were rooted in an intellectual tradition founded on human dignity and accountability. The so-called “whining” of the progressive left in the late 1960s and onward just rubbed him the wrong way, and he felt distanced from the radicalism infusing the cultural conflicts of the time. His work in support of the NRA, for example, regularly emphasized this. I think people like documentary filmmaker Michael Moore have tried to lampoon Heston, painting him as a right-wing nut job, which is entirely unfair and a misrepresentation of the actor’s lifelong commitment to personal character and integrity. Those of you who have seen Bowling for Columbine (2003) will remember Moore’s distasteful questioning that left Heston flustered as he was dealing with Alzheimers Disease. Heston was far more complex than Moore’s portrayal. If we are to analysis his career, it’s perfectly fine to be critical…but we owe the man a fair shake, at the very least.

Wills’s book will be of service in my course on the History of Los Angeles (created especially for second semester high school seniors) when we discuss Hollywood celebrities in politics. I am especially looking forward to my students’ reactions to a political voice that often ran counter to the popular political disposition in his field. I am interested in your thoughts too - so please…buy the book, read it, and offer your comments. Happy to discuss :)

With compliments,

Keith