Bravo, David.

And Terry -- what an excellent post. I loved it, and I thank you for that.

I'd like to tell about the first time I met Mr. Heston. It's a fanboy story, but here goes:

It was in 1990 and I heard he was going to be on a New York morning TV show. I took the train into the city while it was still dark out very early that morning, hoping to get to see him live at the studio. I don't know why I'd even bothered to call the station the day before to ask if he would be live or taped, because they never will tell you the truth anyway... and they'd told me it was pre-taped. But, not trusting them, I went anyway.

There's an elevator where the guests go in and out, and I didn't want to become a nuisance so I made sure I didn't loiter too close to the doors. I sort of sat in a chair around the bend, on the left side out of sight of the elevators. I couldn't see the doors from this point; I could only rely on if a guest walked around to my area.

After waiting an hour or so, I figured I'd been defeated and that the show had been taped. So, I walked across the elevators and over to the opposite right side of the doors. Just as I did this, the doors opened, and there came Charlton Heston, having finished his interview and he was now leaving. The irony of this was that he was exiting out the other direction from where I'd been sitting earlier... So had I remained in my seat one moment longer, I would have been totally oblivious that he was exiting the other direction.

When I saw him, you can imagine the thrill... the "larger than life" feel of seeing the man for real. I said hello and he stuck his hand out to shake mine. Being a fan of PLANET OF THE APES, I had a photo with me from BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES, and I asked if he would autograph it for me. He was so gracious and kind, and said he would. I mumbled something in an attempt to be humorous, about "I'm sorry that it's from BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES, one of your least favorite movies!" to which he assured me with a smile, "Ummm... not my least..." and I was really impressed when he asked me what my name was, and he made the photo out to me. I thanked him, he said "you're welcome" and as he walked away, he looked backward at me and raised his big arm with a "goodbye" wave like Moses commanding the Red Sea.

As a coincidental side note, right after this my wife and I were near St. Patrick's Cathedral, so we stopped inside. I then got goosebumps as I thought of the irony of this church (or the remnants of it) being the backdrop of BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES, where Chuck Heston and James Franciscus took on the apes and mutants!

One another time I saw him again at another studio, and I recall there was quite a mob present. Everyone wanted an autograph, and Heston obliged. A woman asked if he could personalize it for her, and he asked almost apologetically: "Would you mind just my name, dear, because I would like to get everyone?"