RIP Robert Duvall, 95
Duvall was the character actor par excellence. For a while there, it seemed he was in every movie, usually as some sort of tough guy. The list of his works is long, and most people would cite The Godfather as the most prominent. Maybe it was, but not for me; I don’t like the movie and have only seen it once. For me, it was The Great Santini where Duvall was most memorable. Here’s a scene:
I learned a few things from reading Duvall’s Wiki entry just now. He was married four times, the last time to an Argentinian woman about forty years younger than he. He also was adept at the tango. For some reason, that last fact surprise me:
In 2005, Duvall married his fourth wife, Luciana Pedraza, granddaughter of Argentine aviation pioneer Susana Ferrari Billinghurst. He met Pedraza in Argentina, recalling, “The flower shop was closed, so I went to the bakery. If the flower shop had been open, I never would’ve met her.” Both were born on January 5, though Duvall was 41 years older. They had been together since 1997. He produced, directed, and acted with her in Assassination Tango (2002), much of which was filmed in Buenos Aires. Duvall was known as a skilled Argentine tango dancer and maintained tango studios in both Argentina and the United States.
RIP.
[ADDENDUM: Please see this post on my own attempts to learn to tango.]
Thanks for the reminder. Had forgotten about the Great Santini. My favorites are Tender Mercies and The Apostle.
He didn’t have a single line in his first film and didn’t appear until the final reel, but he was a pivotal character. It’s hard to pick a favorite of all the films he appeared in. I know many would single him out for his role in Lonesome Dove. But I keep thinking of his performance in Tender Mercies, a film that I believe was much more beautiful for being understated in its tone, and for not yielding to the temptation to try to milk every tear possible out of its tragic moments.
Most people would cite, not site, The Godfather.
David:
Thanks, fixed.
Haste makes waste once again.
He and his wife danced in the film he starred in, wrote, and directed, Assassination Tango which is worth a look.
When I saw Jared Abrahamson in the series “Travelers” (2016), I thought it was a pity he couldn’t be in a film or series with Robert Duval, because he could have played the Duval character as a young man. The similarities in mannerisms were striking.
I knew about his interest in the tango and tried to watch his movie. Not good.
But I was a huge fan of Duvall; especially in Open Range with Kevin Costner. Maybe the greatest gun fight ever filmed.
Lest anyone forget, though Older and Wheezier didn’t, Duvall’s first major appearance as Boo Radley:
–“To Kill a Mockingbird- Scout Meets Boo Radley (1962)”
https://youtu.be/iRmIef02Ajk?t=56
I agree with those who mentioned Tender Mercies, a quiet heartbreaker of a redemption story. And, of course, he was unforgettable as Gus McCrae in Lonesome Dove.
Heck, I loved Duvall as the gun shop owner in “Jack Reacher” (2012).
It mite have been a sight worse, don’t loose .. ?
It mite have been a sight worse, don’t loose .. 🙂
Edit AWOL again
My favorite was The Apostle. Maybe Lonesome Dove now that I think of it.
In an episode of the series “Frasier” the Daphne character offers to teach Niles how to dance. (for those unfamiliar with the series, Niles was secretly bat sh.t crazy in love with Daphne) When they go to the big dance, Niles does quite well. Then the band leader announces they were playing a Tango which Niles never had learned. Daphne tells Niles that the only thing he needed to remember is that their bodies must always be touching as the Tango had been originated by poor people in the slums of Buenos Aires and it was their escape. I have no idea of how much of this is accurate (Hollywood you know) but the episode was very well done and amusing. I would go so far as to recommend giving it a look.
It’s trite to mention Duvall as Hagen in the Godfathers, but he was so sweet and perfect as the adopted son yearning to prove himself to the Corleone family.
Word is Duvall didn’t come back for Godfather III on account of a salary dispute.