Posted on 04/08/2008 8:56:38 PM PDT by doug from upland
My Friend Charlton Heston, The Political Pariah of Hollywood
When President Reagan made it possible for me to re-invent myself in Hollywood in 1986, I was befriended by one of “Dutch’s” closest political supporters and Hollywood friends, Charlton “Chuck” Heston and his wife Lydia.
Peter Paul Threw a Reception For Lydia Heston’s Photography Debut at Gallery Tatou owned by Paul with his friend Tony Curtis in Beverly Hills
Paul arranged for President and Nancy Regan to Open the Exhibit for the Hestons
(Incredibly, I had to cajole President Reagan into doing this first favor ever asked on behalf of Chuck Heston, who would never personally ask Reagan for any favor, even though Heston made numerous appearances for Reagan’s campaigns)
Over the course of my new careers as President of the California Bicentennial Foundation for the US Constitution, then President of the American Spirit Foundation (founded by Jimmy Stewart and myself) and then as a manager and book-packager responsible for creating the career of Romance Icon Fabio, Chuck helped me with numerous events and activities, including flying to Santa Fe to read the bible at the wedding of a member of the Maloof family as a favor to me. (He was joined by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the band KISS who played the wedding reception, also as a favor.)
We became pretty close friends by the time I discovered in 1991 just how detested Chuck had become with the Hollywood Entertainment Industry elite. I had asked Chuck to serve as Emcee for the Fourth Spirit of America Award Gala I was producing, that also served as the 90th Birthday party for acting legend Helen Hayes. President and Nancy Reagan were presenting Helen with the Spirit of America Award I had created in 1987 for the Governor to present to distinguished citizens.
There was a pre-gala dinner at the house of composer Henry and Ginny Mancini, where all the host committee joined with Helen Hayes for a private celebration on Helen’s first official trip to Hollywood in 20 years. Chuck came without Lydia and as much as I enjoyed the Mancinis and Helen Hayes (who I had taken on a “date” to a private screening of Glory just for the two of us earlier that day) and Jimmy Stewart’s wife Gloria, I was struck by a thunderbolt of universal disdain for Chuck by all in attendance. The informal dinner for 30 was buffet style, with no assigned seats. I was sitting at the head table when I saw Chuck looking for a seat. I asked those seated with me (the names I mentioned)if I could add a chair for Chuck. All of them looked at my like I had uttered a profanity and unanimously rejected the idea. I got up, and Chuck and I sat alone together, when I urged him to run for Governor of California.
Background
After my career as a colorful international lawyer and anti-Castro activist in Miami came crashing to a halt in 1979, I briefly worked with various government agencies to advance government agendas in the Western Hemisphere, a fact I shared with Hillary Clinton over lunch at Spago (on video) before she groomed me to become her top donor to her first political campaign in 2000.
When I was sandbagged by corrupt government operatives and operations in Florida I decided to begin a completely new career in a completely alien environment- Hollywood. The only payoff I received for my efforts to fight Communism after I forfeited my stellar legal and developer careers, was that President Reagan’s campaign manager and subsequent CIA Chief, Bill Casey, repaid the favor of key intelligence I gave Reagan’s 1980 campaign about the facts of illegal conduct by Castro-sympathizer Jimmy Carter and his manager-Chief of OMB, Bert Lance.
Bill Casey detailed a close associate, and Meese Justice Department official, Rear Admiral Robert M Garrick (Ret) (a professional PR man who returned was working for Gen McArthur when he returned to wade ashore on Corregidor ) to become my California based liaison with the Reagan Kitchen Cabinet and entertainment industry friends.
They all were instrumental in enabling me to reinvent myself in Hollywood as the head of a state foundation directed by the Governor to develop California’s role in the three year commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Constitution and Bill of Rights in association with President Reagan’s National Bicentennial Commission chaired by Chief Justice Warren Burger.
Peter Paul and US Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger 1988
For Hollywood AND America-it really is a great loss.
A sad loss. Especially since most of Hollywood is anti-American.
Scandalous treatment of Mr. Heston.. by many you would have thought would have had more grace.. Obviously not.. The 5th column is deep in Hollywood.. Rosy O'Donell is the poster girl of them all..
It was Heston's close relationship with Reagan (and the reaction of the "Reagan Derangement Syndrome" types in Hollywood at the time) that was the root of this; 1991 was years before Chuck became the "face" of the NRA.
I am so, so fortunate to have met him and shaken his hand (at the GOP Convention in New Orleans, 1988).
Peter Paul seems to have mastered the art of being on the periphery - and getting in photographs.
Hollywood has become the sewer of American culture.As with the MSM, the only relevance it has is to itself.
Periphery? I guess you need to get reading.
http://peterfpaul.blogspot.com/
http://picasaweb.google.com/scuzzler/PeterPaul19781998 (on that site, scroll over the photos and you’ll get descriptions...I particulary liked the one about exposing the world’s third most wanted Nazi)
Charlton Heston,(may he rest in peace), was by far one of the best actors ever. The creeps that snub him should be ashamed of themselves and I really look forward to the day the likes of them will be replaced with computer generated characters.
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