RIP Charlton Heston

The icon of blockbuster movies, Charlton Heston, has died after battling with Alzheimers' Disease.

Heston lent his strong presence to some of the most acclaimed and successful films of the midcentury. "Ben-Hur" won 11 Academy Awards, tying it for the record with the more recent "Titanic" (1997) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003). Heston's other hits include: "The Ten Commandments," "El Cid," "55 Days at Peking," "Planet of the Apes" and "Earthquake."

He liked to the cite the number of historical figures he had portrayed:

Andrew Jackson ("The President's Lady," "The Buccaneer"), Moses ("The Ten Commandments"), title role of "El Cid," John the Baptist ("The Greatest Story Ever Told"), Michelangelo ("The Agony and the Ecstasy"), General Gordon ("Khartoum"), Marc Antony ("Julius Caesar," "Antony and Cleopatra"), Cardinal Richelieu ("The Three Musketeers"), Henry VIII ("The Prince and the Pauper").

Of course, those anti-gun, anti-NRA mouth frothers will jump on this. Expect numerous plays on the "pry this gun from my cold dead hand" line...

Well - that took about 10 seconds...

Surprisingly the Daily Kooks are as respecful as one could expect but it is early yet. HuffPo has yet to have any comments on the news thread. Wonder if fat-ass Michael Moore will mention it - especially since he ambushed Mr. Heston who was in the early throes of Alzheimers to make his fact impaired Bowling for Columbine.

Charlton Heston was much more than an actor or a NRA supporter. Before people start popping off their one-liners, they should be required to do some research.