In the Arena: An Autobiography
by Charlton Heston
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"Looking back over a career that has spanned half a century and a lifetime devoted to being the best possible, both as an actor and as a man, Charlton Heston writes of what it was like to live In the Arena." "Heston began his career as an actor in New York shortly after he returned from service in World War II. Television was a fledgling industry then, and there were many opportunities for young performers in this new medium. Broadway was thriving as well, and Heston found work there too. It show more was not long, however, before Hollywood took note of his talents and his commanding presence. Soon he was embarked on a series of films that were both memorable and hugely successful." "He was Moses in The Ten Commandments; he played the title character in Ben-Hur (for which he won an Academy Award); he was Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy; he played the title character in El Cid; he has played presidents, generals, and statesmen." "In recent years, Heston has continued to appear in films, on stage, and on television, but at the same time, he has devoted a great amount of his energy to causes in which he has strong and outspoken beliefs. An active supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the early days of the struggle for civil rights in America, he continues to this day to lobby hard for the rights of all men to live family and equally in a country that he loves dearly."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved show lessTags
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In his autobiography, In the Arena, Charlton Heston gives an interesting, behind-the-scenes look at a life and career that spanned the post WWII years, the era of live television, and the vast changes in the movie industry through the last half of the 20th century. For anyone interested in films and film-making, Heston includes many fascinating ancedotes about his work on the great epic films–The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, and El-Cid–as well as working with the great actors and directors of the time, among them Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier, Cecil B. DeMille, and William Wyler.
Personally, Heston was always one of my favorite actors. While familiar with most of his films, I never knew about his many roles in live television when it show more was a brand new medium. Also that his first love was the stage, and especially Shakespeare. Throughout his career he acted in and directed many great plays including A Man for All Seasons, The Caine Mutiny (including a stage production in China in the 1980s!) as well as Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Heston's personal favorite, Antony and Cleopatra.
The book left me with a deeper appreciation of Heston as the consummate actor and family man. Highly recommended for Heston fans and movie buffs. show less
Personally, Heston was always one of my favorite actors. While familiar with most of his films, I never knew about his many roles in live television when it show more was a brand new medium. Also that his first love was the stage, and especially Shakespeare. Throughout his career he acted in and directed many great plays including A Man for All Seasons, The Caine Mutiny (including a stage production in China in the 1980s!) as well as Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Heston's personal favorite, Antony and Cleopatra.
The book left me with a deeper appreciation of Heston as the consummate actor and family man. Highly recommended for Heston fans and movie buffs. show less
Heston deserves to be remembered most for two things, being a great actor, and being on the forefront of the civil rights movement. He picketed restaurants in Oklahoma that refused to serve black people. They ended up changing their policy as a result. He was one of the few folks that spoke to the public from the same stage with Martin Luther King Jr. when he gave his "I have a dream speech".
In his autobiography he goes back to his childhood, his college days, meeting his wife, he married and stayed with her all his life, his WWII military service, his acting career on stage and in film. He goes thru what it was like to film most of his greatest films. Along the way he tells it like it was on set.
He relates some of his off screen show more efforts on behalf of actors taking a leading role in union efforts and dealing with the studios. He also talks about some of his other political efforts and thoughts on our culture. However, very little about anything with the NRA. This book touches on civil rights and politics but focuses on films. show less
In his autobiography he goes back to his childhood, his college days, meeting his wife, he married and stayed with her all his life, his WWII military service, his acting career on stage and in film. He goes thru what it was like to film most of his greatest films. Along the way he tells it like it was on set.
He relates some of his off screen show more efforts on behalf of actors taking a leading role in union efforts and dealing with the studios. He also talks about some of his other political efforts and thoughts on our culture. However, very little about anything with the NRA. This book touches on civil rights and politics but focuses on films. show less
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Actor Charlton Heston was born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois on October 4, 1924. He attended Northwestern University and served in the United States Army Air Force for two years starting in 1944. He acted in the theater, on television, and in the movies. His films include The Greatest Show on Earth, The Ten Commandments, Planet of the show more Apes, and El Cid. He won the 1959 Academy Award for best actor for the movie Ben-Hur. He spoke out openly against racism and was an active supporter of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1965-1971. He served as president of the National Rifle Association from 1998-2003. In 2002, he announced he had Alzheimer's disease and in 2003, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush. He died on April 5, 2008. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Charlton Heston
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- Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 791.43 — Arts & recreation Recreation, sports, and performing arts Public performances Motion pictures, radio, television, podcasting Motion pictures
- LCC
- PN2287 .H47 .A3 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Drama Dramatic representation. The theater Special regions or countries
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- Reviews
- 3
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- Languages
- English, Spanish
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- Paper
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
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