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From Newsmax.com

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006 4:28 p.m. EST
Latest on Charlton Heston

For those of us who have watched Charlton Heston in "Will Penny� a dozen times, the recent occasion of the Hollywood icon�s 83rd birthday on Oct. 4 brought back those sharp memories of the laconic aging cowboy soon headed to his last round-up.


Despite intense interest in the star�s condition � he was diagnosed with Alzheimer�s disease in 2002 � his publicist and family are not responding to requests about his health.


Indeed, the last reliable update on Charlton Heston�s battle with the illness came in April of 2006 when his son Fraser Heston told Entertainment Tonight, "He�s doing as well as can be expected. It�s an insidious disease.�



At that time, Fraser added that his then-82-year-old father was under excellent care and would remain at home most likely for the rest of his life. He also revealed that his father was in relatively good health, good spirits, and exhibiting a kind of courage Fraser had never seen before.




Charlton and Lydia had recently celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary. Fraser said, "He�s with his first and only love � my mother. She�s doing really well � very brave. She will endure.�

Heston�s son not only discussed his famous father�s health but talked about the animated full-length version of "The Ten Commandments" for television he was producing � one of the final projects the senior Heston helped develop. "It marks the end of an era,� Fraser noted.



The welcome update on Charlton came, perhaps intentionally, on the heels of various uncorroborated and apparently sensationalized tabloid reports that family and friends of Heston were shocked by the rapid progression of his illness, that Heston had been hospitalized with pneumonia at a Los Angeles hospital, and that Heston�s illness was at an advanced stage and his family are worried he may not live out the year.



Since the ET comments by Fraser, the family has not volunteered any more information or answered any questions about the state of health of the actor.



Tony Makris of Alexandria, Va.�s Mercury Group public relations firm, a longtime friend and handler of the NRA public relations account, told NewsMax that only a very small group interacted with Heston these days.


Heston served as president of the National Rifle Association from 1998-2003.


"The family basically at this point has no comment on his condition. And there are plenty of requests,� Makris said.


Charton Heston announced he had Alzheimer's disease in 2002. It was a dramatic moment when he disclosed, "For an actor there is no greater loss than the loss of his audience. I can part the Red Sea, but I can�t part with you . . .�

My father had Alzheimer's. It was a blessing when he passed away. He was gone well before his body quit. My prayers that Charleton Heston finds peace soon for himself and his family.

A M E N BT DT

My father is in stage 6 of Alzheimers as I write this. He often doesn't know my Mother who he has been married to for over 60 years. Talking with him is like chatting with someone that is totally drunk, nothing makes sense and I can no longer even figure out what he is reffering to. It is a terrible thing to see a man that was so incredably intelligent sound like a moron. Many years ago, he worked at Kodak which did "some" of the work on the Atomic bomb. I am sure my father worked on some small sub assembly and never "knew" what he was working on anyways. Later in life he did figure it out. His mind today is that he "made" the bomb and that he in fact dropped both of them in China. In fact, when he was going to drop the 3rd bomb, the President called him personally on the planes radio and told him to turn around. It must be the history books are wrong, but if I try to tell him Japan, he gets angry and says I don't know anything. This is just one small example of what this disease has done to a great mind.

My father also died of Alzheimers complications (alzheimers is not fatal). I could not bear to see him the last year of his life.

....Heartbreaking,just heartbreaking! Where will this modern world ever find men like Reagan and Heston? G-D blessed us to have them in such prominence amoung us..

IMO Heston's portrayal of Will Penny was his best work.

I watch it every time it shows up.

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Along with with Will Penny I especially enjoyed Heston in "The Mother Lode". A film he starred in, as two brother's, and directed I believe.

It's near impossible to find a copy on VHS but if you can I recommend it 100%. Chilling performances as the crazed scotsman and his brother-"Stay out of my mine, laddie". Sure wish that it would come out on DVD.

Check out the reviews-http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Lode-Charlton-Heston/dp/B00000FCYX

I'll always remember Charlton Heston as one of the very few Hollywood actors who had the sack to publicly stand for what he believed in, ie NRA. ( add Tom Seleck too)

Alzheimer�s aint pretty. I've seen others with it. Mental cancer...