Heston played hero pilot in Flight 232 movie
By Bruce R. Miller, Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, April 07, 2008
Actor Charlton Heston -- who died Saturday at 84 -- called Siouxland home during the fall of 1991.
He was here to play Al Haynes, pilot of the United Airlines Flight 232 airliner that crashed at the Sioux City airport in 1989. The made-for-TV movie, "Crash Landing," was one of his last leading roles and a real showcase for his talents as a larger-than-life screen hero.
"Of all the places we could have made the picture, I thank God it was here," Heston told the Journal during filming. "As actors, you're searching for real emotions. A real location can help create that for you."
Heston said it was extremely helpful to appear in scenes with people who were actually on duty when the crash occurred. "It gives you insight into how it was," he said. "You're always trying to say, 'How was it?' 'What was it like?'"
Haynes was the first biographical figure Heston played who was still alive. The two corresponded before the film started shooting, then compared notes when Heston did the cockpit scenes.
The two attended a screening of the film in February of 1992 at the Riviera Theatre. Haynes said he was surprised Heston was chosen to play him. Friends told him Conrad Bain, a star of TV's "Diff'rent Strokes," would have been a more appropriate choice.
Still, Heston championed the film -- one of few actually shot in Siouxland -- and was a big advocate of its original title, "A Thousand Heroes."
"Obviously, beyond question, the clear point of the film is what its original title emphasizes," he said at the screening. Earlier, he told reporters it was about "so much more than a crash. I still like the original title an awful lot."
Heston didn't desert the area, either. He later returned to Sioux City for the opening of his wife Lydia's photography exhibit at the Sioux City Art Center, calling Siouxland a place he would always hold dear. "It's like coming home," he said at the time. I still feel the compassion that was part of that miraculous rescue."
While Moses and Ben-Hur may be more recognizable names in his biography, Al Haynes was an important role, he said. "What happened here exemplifies what is supposed to be true in this country."
He was here to play Al Haynes, pilot of the United Airlines Flight 232 airliner that crashed at the Sioux City airport in 1989. The made-for-TV movie, "Crash Landing," was one of his last leading roles and a real showcase for his talents as a larger-than-life screen hero.
"Of all the places we could have made the picture, I thank God it was here," Heston told the Journal during filming. "As actors, you're searching for real emotions. A real location can help create that for you."
Heston said it was extremely helpful to appear in scenes with people who were actually on duty when the crash occurred. "It gives you insight into how it was," he said. "You're always trying to say, 'How was it?' 'What was it like?'"
Haynes was the first biographical figure Heston played who was still alive. The two corresponded before the film started shooting, then compared notes when Heston did the cockpit scenes.
The two attended a screening of the film in February of 1992 at the Riviera Theatre. Haynes said he was surprised Heston was chosen to play him. Friends told him Conrad Bain, a star of TV's "Diff'rent Strokes," would have been a more appropriate choice.
Still, Heston championed the film -- one of few actually shot in Siouxland -- and was a big advocate of its original title, "A Thousand Heroes."
"Obviously, beyond question, the clear point of the film is what its original title emphasizes," he said at the screening. Earlier, he told reporters it was about "so much more than a crash. I still like the original title an awful lot."
Heston didn't desert the area, either. He later returned to Sioux City for the opening of his wife Lydia's photography exhibit at the Sioux City Art Center, calling Siouxland a place he would always hold dear. "It's like coming home," he said at the time. I still feel the compassion that was part of that miraculous rescue."
While Moses and Ben-Hur may be more recognizable names in his biography, Al Haynes was an important role, he said. "What happened here exemplifies what is supposed to be true in this country."
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Mark S wrote on Apr 7, 2008 7:14 PM: