By Lee Pfeiffer
Charlton Heston gave one of his best performances as the aging cowboy in the 1968 film Will Penny. In a vintage b&w promotional featurette, Heston takes us on a tour of Paramount Studio's "arsenal" featuring all sorts of historic handguns used by major stars in other films. The inventory includes Richard Widmark's unique, multi-barrel rifle from The Alamo. Heston's passion for weaponry defined the latter part of his life, when he became President of the National Rifle Association. This put him front-and-center in a political maelstrom with one of the most controversial issues in America. His eloquence as a spokesperson is credited with rescuing the organization from being defined by its fringe elements, but that very effectiveness caused resentment among his opponents who often found it difficult to separate his achievements as an actor from his new role as an activist. This vintage short is certainly not controversial but it does provide interesting insights into Heston's interest in guns. To view click here