Sixteenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

     Once again, it's that time of year when flowers are blooming out all over, spring rains are flooding my yard, and I'm here to talk about The Ten Commandments once again.  This year, I thought I'd do something a little different for my annual post.  There's so many levels to The Ten Commandments that sometimes the more esoteric facets get overlooked.  Like who were some of that cast of thousands whose name did not make the credits?  Here are a few people who were in the movie that you probably weren't aware of.  Might be good trivia to know.

Mike Connors was listed in the credits, but as "Touch" Connors.  You'll probably remember his as Mannix, the rough and tough private eye.  Well, in the movie he played an Amalekite Goat Herder.  You might not recognize him, as he has a full beard.  He's in the scene where Moses passes out by a well where seven sisters are drawing out water for their sheep.

Another actor you might not recognize because he's not dressed as an indian chief.  Frank DeKova, "Abiram" in this movie, an acquaintance of Edward G. Robinson's character, was more famously known as Chief Wild Eagle on the comedy "F-Troop."

This next actor, although you might not recognize his face, you'll surely recognize his voice.  Henry Corden played one of the Sheiks of Sinai.  If you'll listen closely, he sounds a lot like Fred Flintstone.  That's because he did do the voice of that wacky caveman from Bedrook for a lot of years.

Another actor in the movie you might recognize by his horn playing, except that in this role, he didn't play his usual trumpet.  He actually played a drum.  For many years and many hits, Herb Alpert led his group The Tijuana Brass playing his trumpet.  Later, he founded the successful record company A&M Records.  But, in this movie, he's not playing one of those trumpeters who blast out the signal for the children of Israel to start the Exodus.  He appears during the latter moments of the movie when Moses brings down the ten commandments from Mount Sinai and all the people are partying.  He's the one playing the big, loud drum.

Michaell Ansara is not listed in the credits, but you might recognize him as having played a Klingon that fought with Captain Kirk and the crew while trapped on the Enterprise on the episode "Day Of The Dove."

While talking about Star Trek, one of the lesser crewmen on the Enterprise, D'Amato, was played by Arthur Batanides.  Here he played an uncredited Hebrew at the Golden Calf toward the end of the movie.

Robert Vaughn, who played "Napoleon Solo" in The Man From Uncle, also played a Hebrew at the Golden Calf toward the end of the movie.  Then he spied Moses coming and probably had to cry "uncle."

If you've seen some Disney comedy movies from the 1960s or 1970s, you probably saw Joe Flynn in them.  He played a great part in The Love Bug.  In The Ten Commandments, he played an uncredited bit part.

Robert Fuller, who played Dr. Kelly Brackett on "Emergency!" played another uncredited extra.  I'm pretty sure the character he played wasn't in the medical field, though.

Alfred Hitchcock's daughter, Patricia (Pat), played an Egyptian court lady.  No cameo by Alfred, though.

Carl Switzer, better known as "Alfalfa" from the Our Gang shorts, played another one of the multitude of slaves in the movie.  Most of the characters in The Ten Commandments were slaves, in case you didn't catch that.

And also in case you didn't know it, as it went unlisted in the credits of the movie, The voice of God was played by none other than the star of the movie, Charlton Heston.  His son, Fraser, also got in on the act and played the baby Moses.

Here's to another year of The Ten Commandments!  And remember, "Those who shall not live by the law, shall die by law."  One of my favorite lines from the movie - from the scene shown below which I took a picture of last night from the television screen:

Fifteenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

 

 Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments will be back in the theaters for it's 65th anniversary.  It will be showing on Sunday, March 28th, Wednesday, March 31st and Sunday, April 4, 2021.  I remember seeing it in the theaters for it's 10th anniversary re-release, back in 1966.  And of course it became my favorite movie of all time.  I will again be watching it here at home on Easter Sunday night, like I always do.  And I'm looking forward to it once again for yet another year.

My family watched it every Easter when it was broadcast on ABC television and we always had ham for that holiday.  I am keeping that tradition alive and will have ham again while I watch the movie.  It's an exciting time for me because I've done it for so many years.  So, grab yourself some pork and be sure to watch it, too!

Here is a multiple-exposure picture I took of the television screen when I watched it back on Sunday, April 6th, 1980:

 

Ninth Annual Ten Commandments Post

The ABC television  network has been showing The Ten Commandments for as long as I can remember; at least back until the 1970's.  Until lately, they had always shown it on the night of Easter.  It seems like the last couple years, they took to showing it on the week before Easter.  Well, I'm glad to say that I tuned in last night, at 6 p.m. on Easter night and there was the opening credits for The Ten Commandments starting once again.  They always started showing it at 6 p.m. because it was so long.  It's nice to have it back where it belongs!  For my ninth annual post, I decided to show a screen capture, really a picture I took of the tv screen, from their broadcast in 1984, which I had videotaped.  It uses the above scene and ABC used it when going to a commercial break:

This year's post is a day late because we had a huge thunderstorm hit us Thursday night and it knocked out my internet until just this Monday afternoon.  I had intended to post it Friday or Saturday, but here it is at last.  I hope you enjoyed the movie last night, I know I sure did!

The Ten Commandments Time Of Year

One thing that always puts a demarcation point squarely at the end of Winter and heralds a new beginning with the arrival of Spring is the annual showing of The Ten Commandments on ABC-TV. With the world changing literally every day, I'm thankful that they still show this classic film every year without fail for all of it's fan. And I would have to consider myself as one of the most staunchest of fans for this movie. Regular readers of this blog will note how I've always listed The Ten Commandments as my favorite film. That hasn't changed over the years. One thing that has changed, however, especially since last year's showing, was the death of the beloved leading actor in the movie, Charlton Heston. He will be sorely missed for his abilities and the characters he brought to life and will be fondly remembered for all the great films he made. And to think that one of his most memorable roles happened toward the beginning of his career instead of later on. Well, I won't go on and on with things I've probably said before. I'll just remind you not to miss the annual showing and to enjoy the film like I always do. It's an event around my house. I'll plan out a special meal and have it ready for the movie's start. Below is a screen capture from my new DVD version of the film just to get you started. You really should pick up the DVD for your own collection - it's a must have!

One more image before I go. Below is some of the gorgeous location photography that Cecil B. DeMille created especially for the movie. It is what I consider to be an iconic scene and one I remember well from having watched it so many times throughout the years. I've even edited it for use as the wallpaper on my computer monitor. It's up right now! So, pop some popcorn, kick back and put your feet up and get ready to watch the greatest motion picture ever made. You know I'll be watching it!

The Ten Commandments 50th Anniversary Edition

Well, as you can see by the above picture, I finally have gotten my copy of the 50th Anniversary Collection version of The Ten Commandments! I had procrastinated for long enough. This special edition also has the 1923 silent film version of The Ten Commandments, so I'm sure it will contain some more blog fodder. (Even if Charlton Heston isn't in it!) But, his version is my favorite, mind you. The above scene is just after the part where Yul Brynner has tried to insinuate that Heston's character of Moses has been treasonous to the Pharaoh. Heston encounters with his classic line, "The strong make many.... the starving make few.... the dead make none." Case closed! That line is just too cool. And something else that has stayed with me since I first saw it in 1966, that evil-looking mountain Paramount uses for this movie alone to show their logo over the top of. That's one bad mountain! Stay tuned because there will be more posts about Charlton Heston and The Ten Commandments, my favorite move. Have no fear on that score! You have to have this movie in your collection.

Charlton Heston, Part Two

By way of my own special tribute the legendary actor Charlton Heston, I have become one of the characters he portrayed. I guess that needs to be explained a little better.
My sister recently bought a game system called the Wii. If you haven't heard about it, it's the one that has special controllers where, when you swing them, it mimics your actual movements for such games as tennis, golf or bowling. Needless to say, the favorite game at her house seems to be bowling. Whenever I visit her lately, we always seem to end up having heated bowling tournaments. If your front room has started to look like this recently, then you know what I'm talking about:

Yes, the above picture was the "Holiday Bowling Classic," held on this past Easter Sunday. Below you can see what the game looks like as you're playing it:

Well, to finish the story, everyone up at my sister's house has created their own avatar to use when they play. She kept asking me if I wanted to create my own, but I always just used one of the generic characters provided. When Charlton Heston passed away a few weeks ago, it inspired me to finally create my own character. But, where most everybody else tried to recreate, in digital form, an image of themselves more or less; I had to be me and create a true character. One that wasn't myself. My immediate thoughts went to that classic character, one which I had played before on Hallowe'en, Moses - as portrayed by Charlton Heston. While at her house, I pulled up a quick picture of Heston, as Moses, (courtesy of an earlier blog of mine), and used it to recreate as best I could, the face of Heston's Moses for my avatar in Wii bowling. The results I managed to achieve are pictured below:



And, wouldn't you know it? When my Moses character begin playing his first matches, he beat every contender! It also didn't hurt that I had a slew of ready-made phrases for him to use to describe each shot - such as "the parting of the red pins," "Moses found favor in the eyes of the Lord (to play a good game)," "Who is on the Lord's side?", "I shall smite thee in the name of the Lord," "Let my pins go," etc. You get the idea. I think I made a good choice in making this character my avatar. And, not only that, I get to honor the man I always liked as an actor - Charlton Heston. Let me know if you have any similar experiences with the Wii Entertainment Center.

Oh, and if you're inspired to purchase your own Wii game system, please try to find a place to buy it other than at Wal-Mart. You know why.

Charlton Heston, 1923-2008

Charlton Heston was the quintessential American actor who played in films, the theater and on television. I'm not ashamed to admit that he was my favorite actor of all time. Regular readers of this blog know how I feel about his portrayal of Moses in The Ten Commandments. He was born John Charles Carter, here in my homestate of Illinois, on October 4th, 1923. He passed away last week, April 5th, 2008, of an Alzheimer's related illness. His family released this statement: "Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiselled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played. No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession and to his country." I think this pretty much sums up my personal feeling about the man.

Heston in Ben Hur, for which he won an Oscar

Several of his movie roles which I like are:
Dark City (1950)
The Naked Jungle (1954)
Secret Of The Incas (1954)
The Private War Of Major Benson (1955)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Touch Of Evil (1958)
Ben Hur (1959)
El Cid (1961 )
The Pigeon That Took Rome (1962)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
The Agony And The Ecstasy (1965)
Will Penny (1968)
Planet Of The Apes (1968)
Number One (1969)
Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970)
The Omega Man (1971)
Skyjacked (1972)
Soylent Green (1973)
Airport 1975 (1974)
Earthquake (1974)
Midway (1976)
Gray Lady Down (1978)
Alaska (1996)

This is far from being his total filmography, but it gives you a good idea just how popular of an actor he was.
One of his earliest television roles was that of the great American patriot James Otis, which he portrayed on the series Studio One, on November 12th, 1951. You can download and watch this performance for free at the Internet Archive. I highly recommend it!

I know it's just not going to seem right next Easter when I watch The Ten Commandments now that Charlton Heston is gone. I'm sure going to miss him. And remember, if you go to buy some of his classic performances on video or DVD, be sure to shop at a place other than Wal-Mart.

So Let It Be Watched

I just had to post this quick update. As you are probably aware, Easter was yesterday and it was the time of the annual viewing of my all-time favorite movie - The Ten Commandments.

I have to relate two of my favorite lines from it. One is when the Pharaoh Sethi, played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke is playing hounds and jackals with Nefretiri, portrayed by Anne Baxter, and his Priest Jannes, the great character actor Douglass Dummbrille, is petitioning him about Moses. Jannes comments that Moses is stealing the grain from the temple granaries and Sethi pats him on the stomach and says "You don't look any leaner." This is too funny!

The next great line happens right after this in the motion picture. Rameses, played by Yul Brynner, comes in and tells Sethi that Moses is trying to raise an army against him, using the Hebrew slaves and the Ethiopians. Sethi goes to see why Moses didn't obey his command to come to court and finds Moses, who is perfectly characterized by Charlton Heston, hard at work raising an obelisk. After it's safely in place, Rameses does the whole weight thing on the scales as an analogy for all the things Moses has done wrong. Moses picks up one brick and says "The strong make many.... the starving make few.... the dead make none. So much for accusations." And then he places the brick on the scales and it outweighs the other side completely. This particular line is one that has stayed with me ever since I saw it in the theaters on it's intial rerelease in 1966.

This is just a perfect example of the brilliance of everyone involved with the movie - the director, Cecil B. DeMille, the writers and Charlton Heston's acting abilities, along with the rest of the cast. Is there any wonder why this wouldn't be my favorite movie? Now, if only they would release an authentic soundtrack album for it.

And one final picture before I go. Here's me dressed as Moses one year for Hallowe'en which I photoshopped and added in the desert background. I really like this movie!

So Let It Be Written

Well, it’s Easter and you know what that means. Yes.... the time of year when Christians celebrate Christ rising from the grave, but that’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m celebrating is the annual watching of The Ten Commandments on TV. I do it every year about this time and have been doing so since the 1970’s. That makes it around 50 times that I’ve seen it.

Now, regular viewers of my blog will know the significance of this movie – it’s my all-time favorite flick. I’ve seen it so many times, I practically know the lines by heart. "So let it be written, so let it be done." "The dead make none." "Let my people go." "Moses, Moses, Moses." "His God is God." You get the idea. So many classic lines. I’m telling you, I really like this movie! In fact, one year for Hallowe’en, I went dressed as Moses. See the picture below.

A couple stories about the picture. First off, everyone that sees it always asks how come I only have 5 commandments in my hand, e.g. – only one tablet. My response is this: I hadn’t received them yet. Second humorous story surrounding my dressing up as Moses on Hallowe’en. At that time, I played in a rock and roll band, (still do, as a matter of fact), and we had a gig on Hallowe’en night. Once I got to the bar, in full costume, of course, I had to get a drink before we started playing. So, I strolled up to the bar and when pulling up my robe, I reached into my pocket to pay for it. I had shorts on underneath the robe, but the waitress must have thought perhaps I didn’t have anything on and gasped. I assured her that it was all right. Moses wasn’t about to become a flasher after all this time. True story.
Now, my love of The Ten Commandments goes back even farther than the ‘70’s. It must have been around 1967, when I was 6 years old, I actually got to see this motion picture at the theater. This was from the 1966 rerelease. It was still making the rounds up until the 1970’s, I suppose, when it began it’s annual appearance on television. And, that’s when I started watching it every year.
I purchased my first VCR in 1984, just in time for it’s Easter showing on ABC-TV, and recorded it. Since that time, about 5 or 6 years ago, I rerecorded it from my sister’s store-bought videotape. It had been restored and was back to it’s full 3 hour and 39 minute length. Since that time, I have heard it’s been released on DVD, more than once, in fact.

One version of it on DVD includes the original 1923 silent version, also directed by Cecille B. DeMille. It was shown on television about 15 years ago, once, and I recorded that version. But, I’m thinking about breaking down and purchasing the deluxe DVD set that includes both movies and a whole lot of extra features. Since it is my most favorite movie, the clarity that DVD discs offer is just something I’ve got to have. Maybe I’ll have found a copy and acquired it before next Easter. If so, you can be sure that I’ll post that fact in my blog.
But, just in case my regular readers can’t find a copy of their own or wait another year for me to talk about it, here is a link so you can hear some of the magnificent music heard in the movie. Play it and it will be almost like you’re watching it right now! (Written on April 8th, 2007.)

Click here to download the Main Title theme of The Ten Commandments.