Stars & Players · Biography

Charlton Heston

1923–2008 · Actor

Biography

Charlton Heston (October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor of film, theater, and television. He is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Planet of the Apes, and Ben-Hur, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Heston was also known for his political activism. In the 1950s and 1960s he was one of a handful of Hollywood actors to speak openly against racism and was an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. Initially a moderate Democrat, he later supported conservative Republican policies and was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003.

Notable Noir Roles

Dark City

1950Dir. William Dieterle · Danny Haley

Gamblers who "took" an out-of-town sucker in a crooked poker game feel shadowy vengeance closing in on them.

Touch of Evil

1958Dir. Orson Welles · Ramon Miguel Vargas

A border-town bombing draws Mexican investigator Miguel Vargas into a corruption-ridden police investigation led by crooked captain Hank Quinlan, setting off a deadly struggle over power, justice, and…

The Wreck of the Mary Deare

1959Dir. Michael Anderson · John Sands

A disgraced merchant marine officer elects to stay aboard his sinking cargo ship in order to prove the vessel was deliberately scuttled and, as a result, vindicate his good name.

Full Noir Filmography

3 films · 1950–1959