HF We lost another Gods and Generals actor

[RedRover]

Sorry I said after the filming, I meant during the filming. Caine must have had a good voice coach. Notice how he sounds "Texan" instead of British.

Mssrs. Duvall and Caine appeared together in a scene in "The Eagle Has Landed" (1977)...

Full film presently free online at Youtube.

 

[gary]

Meet Boo Radley. Gregory Peck thought it was fine silent acting.

 

[JonnyReb_In_MI]

Some actors have one or a handful of roles that define them, but I honestly don't know of an actor who played more characters that I loved in more films that I loved than Robert Duvall.

Of course, for the purposes of this board, we remember him for his portrayal of Gen. Robert E. Lee in 'Gods and Generals' - which i personally consider the finest portrayal of Lee on film, and infinitely superior to Sheen's in 'Gettysburg.'

WARNING: Violence and Profanity

Sure glad somebody else here likes that movie too!

Great movie, and of course I'm biased cause Duvall was one of my favorite actors.

Having been born in 1983, Duvall already had some great work in the can before I got to watching such films. The first role played by Robert Duvall that I remember causing me to take notice was that of Rev. Euliss F. "Sonny" Dewey, later known in the film as 'The Apostle E.F.,' in the 1997 Southern Gothic drama titled 'The Apostle.' I probably saw it first around 1998-99.

Having grown up in & connected to Southern-style churches, his portrayal of a flawed Southern preacher really captivated me. I knew preachers & church leaders who behaved similarly and/or had some of the same struggles (though they never murdered anyone ), and he really nailed the role in a way that was believable and made me feel something.

The scene that really resonates and sticks with me is when he's wrestling with God late at night, hollering at the Lord as he earnestly seeks answers for why he's going through such hard times. Finally he yells up...
"What should I do?! You tell me! I've always called You Jesus; You've always called me Sonny! What should I do, Jesus?! This is Sonny talking now!"

Since then I have seen many movies that he made before & after, but that was the first and my favorite.

 

[Patrick H]

I enjoyed his lesser known roles, too. For example, Assassination Tango, Secondhand Lions, and Let's Get Harry. There were so many. He brought as much professionalism to these rolls as he did to the major films.

 

[RedRover]

The scene that really resonates and sticks with me is when he's wrestling with God late at night, hollering at the Lord as he earnestly seeks answers for why he's going through such hard times. Finally he yells up...
"What should I do?! You tell me! I've always called You Jesus; You've always called me Sonny! What should I do, Jesus?! This is Sonny talking now!"

Since then I have seen many movies that he made before & after, but that was the first and my favorite.

Mr. Duvall starred in numerous "Southerns." Besides Boo Radley from "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962) adapted to the screen by Horton Foote, he did a trilogy of Horton Foote written pictures, including "Tommorrow" (1972) as Mississippi farmer Jackson Fentry...

"Convicts" (1991) as curmudgeonly Confederate veteran Soll Gautier managing a prison farm in Texas...

And "Tender Mercies" (1983) for which he was awarded an Academy Award, portraying Texas country crooner Mac Sledge...

Besides working with Billy Bob Thornton in the "Apostle" (1997), Mr. D. also appeared with him in "The Stars Fell on Henrietta" (1995), and in a couple of Thornton written films of southern themes, viz. "A Family Thing" (1996) and "Sling Blade" (1996).

Mr. Duvall was slated to portray General Lee in Ron Maxwell's "Gettysburg" in 1992...

When I saw the early press for the movie which mentioned Duvall in the role, I was thought that was going to be awesome!
But that didn't work out.

And of course as mentioned he did get the part in the "prequel..."

 

[JonnyReb_In_MI]

Mr. Duvall starred in numerous "Southerns." Besides Boo Radley from "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962) adapted to the screen by Horton Foote, he did a trilogy of Horton Foote written pictures, including "Tommorrow" (1972) as Mississippi farmer Jackson Fentry...

View attachment 575230

"Convicts" (1991) as curmudgeonly Confederate veteran Soll Gautier managing a prison farm in Texas...

View attachment 575231

And "Tender Mercies" (1983) for which he was awarded an Academy Award, portraying Texas country crooner Mac Sledge...

View attachment 575232


Besides working with Billy Bob Thornton in the "Apostle" (1997), Mr. D. also appeared with him in "The Stars Fell on Henrietta" (1995), and in a couple of Thornton written films of southern themes, viz. "A Family Thing" (1996) and "Sling Blade" (1996).

Mr. Duvall was slated to portray General Lee in Ron Maxwell's "Gettysburg" in 1992...

View attachment 575237

When I saw the early press for the movie which mentioned Duvall in the role, I was thought that was going to be awesome!
But that didn't work out.

View attachment 575236

And of course as mentioned he did get the part in the "prequel..."

I am in the process now of watching his films that I hadn't seen before. Two of them that I watched last week, "Get Low" (2009) & "Jayne Mansfield's Car" (2012) also have him playing Southern roles; the latter also has Billy Bob

I did not know he'd been in line to play Lee in "Gettysburg," but I am not surprised.

 

[wtexas]

Truly one of, if not the, last great Hollywood western actors.

 

[Patrick H]

There are so many great moments in Open Range when he seems not to act, but to literally inhabit his character. One such (and one of my favorites) is when Charlie persuades him to reveal his given name. First, I'm amazed to hear him say "Bluebonnet" and then amused to see him force Charlie to swear an oath never to repeat it to anyone! That's great writing that might not have gone anywhere if someone other than Duvall has simply recited the words. The same could be said of almost any role he ever portrayed.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

A true actor's actor.

 

[Blockaderunner]

The original Major Frank Burns.

 

[Library Lady]

Am I the only Sherlock Holmes fan here? Robert Duvall played an intelligent Dr. Watson to Nicol Williamson's strung out Sherlock Holmes in Nicholas Meyer's The Seven Percent Solution.

 

[Desert Kid]

Another movie I remember Robert Duvall in from when I was a kid, a half serious-goofy Touchstone movie called Phenomenon. That also starred John Travolta.

 

[huskerblitz]

Another movie I remember Robert Duvall in from when I was a kid, a half serious-goofy Touchstone movie called Phenomenon. That also starred John Travolta.

I actually really like that movie.

 

[RedRover]

Another movie I remember Robert Duvall in from when I was a kid, a half serious-goofy Touchstone movie called Phenomenon. That also starred John Travolta.

As a crumb cruncher I recall Mr. D. as police officer in a couple flicks. From 1973, "Badge 373"

You saw that right! Mr. D. did the cop-over the hood slide...

.... a decade before T.J. Hooker!


Then in '86 he was the streetwise L.A. beat cop in "Colors"...

And rounding out a trilogy, with 1993's "Falling Down" as a retiring detective facing the biggest case of his career on his last day on the job!

 

[AlexPensFan86]

While the historical accuracy may be iffy, one Duvall film I loved growing up in the 90s was "Geronimo, An American Legend." It helped that it included the great Gene Hackman as George Crook, Wes Studi as Geronimo, and a young Matt Damon in one of his earliest roles.

 

[Pollaco]

I only saw part of this movie several years ago and cannot find the title. He played the owner of a old rundown plantation in East Texas. Probably 20-30 years after the war. I recall there were about 3 black men in the picture and Duvall carrying a Colt 1851 Navy in the film. Anyone got any ideas what this film could be?

 

[Nathan Stuart]

I only saw part of this movie several years ago and cannot find the title. He played the owner of a old rundown plantation in East Texas. Probably 20-30 years after the war. I recall there were about 3 black men in the picture and Duvall carrying a Colt 1851 Navy in the film. Anyone got any ideas what this film could be?

That film might have been 'Convicts' (1991), where Duvall played Soll Gautier, an old sugar cane planter and CW veteran in 1902 Texas. (See https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-20-ca-406-story.html ).

 

[gjpratt]

This has been a bittersweet trip down memory lane for me. I have not seen any mention of The Great Santini which is one of my favorites. This sleeper film was powerful with great supporting acting. Interesting to me, his Bull Meechum was portrayed with military swagger as was his LTC Kilgore in Apocalypse Now. Yet both personas were portrayed distinctively.

I also just realized that I remember LTC Kilgore as the face of Apocalypse Now rather than Marlon Brando.

 

[Pollaco]

That film might have been 'Convicts' (1991), where Duvall played Soll Gautier, an old sugar cane planter and CW veteran in 1902 Texas. (See https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-20-ca-406-story.html ).

The scenario sounds about right, thanks.I'll look it up.