Good film. I'd forgotten about that. In my semi-awake state, all I could think of was Planet Of The Apes and The Colbys. But Touch Of Evil, along with Major Dundee, was probably the best film he was involved in.

it reminds me of an extraordinary gent I met once. I was taking photographs in Hampstead Cemetery when this old man started talking to me about my camera, photography and the arts in general. He loved cinema, and he told me his favourite film was 'Citizen Kane'. Then he held up his hand... on his palm was a tattoo of the scene with the sled 'Rosebud' in the snow. He had been so blown away by the movie when he'd seen it upon its release that he went into a tattoo parlour the next day to have it done.

I didn't take a photograph of it... somehow it didn't seem right.

greatest of respect that'll teach him not to put his vest on! Being serious Ben Hur in close run thing with magnificent seven and jason and argonauts, was mine and my brothers favourite good friday fish finger tea and chariot racing fave, in the days before video waiting for the sea battle and the chariot race to come on through the bits with lepers and the roof tile seemed like an age.

The odd thing about Welles is that he never did anything the easy way, and never did anything for real if he could fake it (preferably shoddily).

It's the late Fifties. You're casting a Mexican lead for a noirish thriller. That's a shoo-in for Cesar Romero, right, Orce?

"Wrong. Call Charlton Heston and rub some teabags on his face."

How about the sultry gypsy madame?

"Hmm. A gypsy, huh. Marlene Dietrich in a black wig will do nicely."

That leaves the ugly, corrupt cop.

"Hmm. Suppose I'll have to do that myself with a lump of plasticine on my nose."

The result, of course, was a masterpiece.

..that tomorrow sees the release of a 3 CD retrospective from Stump. Including, of course, the wonderful and long deleted "And Charlton Heston Put His Vest On..."

I smell a conspiracy.

A great film. Heston's make-up and accent weren't quite convincing, but it doesn't really ditract too much. Aside from the butchered The Magnificent Ambersons, most stuff involving Welles has aged incredibly well.

Heston got a lot of stick for the NRA stuff (I wasn't convinced by his pro-gun argument), but he was also involved in good human rights causes in the past.

Perhaps he just wanted a little too much freedom in the later days...

Longest ever tracking shot? Surely that's Russian Ark (one uninterrupted 90 minute take)...

...anyway, Touch Of Evil - great film, and wouldn't have been directed by Welles if Heston hadn't insisted on it.

P.S. I saw Stump once. Supported by Happy Mondays!

Now that his hands are cold and dead I might try and nick his rifle off him.

a story a few years ago about when he was playing King Lear in London. The director wanted him bald, so Heston insisted on wearing a bald wig over his own everyday wig!!