What was Charlton Heston’s actual quote concerning his right to bear arms? Googling produces several different versions of his infamous “cold dead fingers” spiel. Which one is accurate?
Huh. All he said was “from my cold dead hands.” The rest is implied. Never knew that—thanks.
The phrase didn’t originate with Heston.
Yeah, that was going to be my next question, thanks. The line is just too ambiguous standing alone; I suspected that it must have been known to the audience in some prior context.
Edited title for clarity.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
I wasn’t aware of any prior context, but Heston’s intent was clear. He pantomimed holding a rifle over his head as he said it, iirc.
If by “pantomimed holding a rifle over his head,” you mean “actually held a rifle over his head,” then yes, you recall correctly. 
(You can see the whole thing in the video astro linked.)
On it’s use prior to Heston, one of the bumper stickers appeared in Red Dawn in 1989. Milius clearly intended this to specifically register with the audience since the shot continues with one of the Cuban invaders bending down to remove a revolver from the dead hand of someone who had presumably been the car’s owner.
It’s not a subtle moment.
I remember the quote from a bumper sticker I saw in the Winter of 1973, so it predates the congressional hearings.
I can find the “original” in print from March of 1972–a letter to the editor which said
Assuming the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms originated this, it had to be formulated just before that year, as the Committee was formed in 1971.
There may have been several versions of it floating around since the early seventies, but nothing quite got the general public’s attention like Charleton Heston’s gesture and delivery of the line. He’s what made it memorable.
And yet probably the most subtle moment in that movie.
True dat. I also remember a line where a Soviet officer says they’ll check the local gun registry to know where to go to confiscate everyone’s weapons. One movie reviewer noted that they’d do far better checking the NRA’s own mailing list.
The NRA probably doesn’t keep it mailing list in small Wyoming mountain communities. But every gun store keeps on file BATF Form 4473 for every firearm transaction through that store, which will include such things as make & model of firearm, and the buyer’s name and address.
Just the sort of thing an occupying force would want to know.
I don’t oppose gun ownership but a bunch of individuals who happen to own guns would not pose any serious threat to a well-organized state-sponsored military occupying force.
Iraq?
Yeah, I love that disconnect.
CookingWithGas: it wasn’t clear from my post, but I was making that commentary within the context of the movie Red Dawn, by way of explaining the motivations of the commanding officer of the occupying forces.
The Iraqi opposition was already organized before the US invaded. It wasn’t like they were just a bunch of guys who happened to have hunting rifles.