TOD:
I agree with what other dear readers have written about C. Heston. (TO DR Druxy: I have some of the Pyramid books series, but not the one you mentioned unfortunately.)
For me, Mr. Heston had a booming voice and looked important, but was not a subtle actor. When I was younger I liked him a lot more than I do now. I think his skill was in conveying the idea of someone in charge. To wit, one of his earliest roles was the circus manager in "The Greatest Show on Earth" and which was duplicated time and again in his lead parts. I remember reading that one of his female co-stars (sorry, I forgot who, but she paraphrased Dorothy Parker) said that he had a range from A to B. Back in the 1980s, a friend of mine who lived in the Middle East at the time "The Awakening" was being made, met Heston and found him to be a stuffed shirt.
As far as his movies go, I will second what others have said. I believe Heston was the perfect choice for the 1968 "Planet of the Apes" because I have the feeling that he wasn't acting, but actually playing himself. But there was far too much of his bare skin for my taste as I don't think he was ever that attractive, so I would have to side with Dr. Zira that he was "damned ugly".
I also think he was cast in "Touch of Evil" to play someone not unlike himself in temperament and self-importance. My hunch is that Orson Welles would have been very amused by that as it would have been a very in-joke, as Heston would have been the most limited actor of the cast. Dennis Weaver's few moments as the motel manager runs rings around ol' Chuck. Sorry for my diatribe and thanks for reading.
