Blow-up Over Castro Visit (Robert Duvall blasts Spielberg for his toadying Castro jaunt)

NY Post (print edition only) | 1/7/04 | Michael Starr

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Tough-guy actor Robert Duvall is blasting “presumptuous” Steven Spielberg for meeting with Fidel Castro in Cuba over a year ago.

“Spielberg went down there recently and said, ‘The best seven hours I ever spent was actually with Fidel Castro,’” Duvall tells Charlie Rose on tonight’s “60 Minutes II,” alluding to Spielberg’s November ’02 sojourn to Havana to screen eight of his movies there.

“Now, what I want to ask him – and I know he’s going to get p***ed off – ‘Would you consider building a little annex on the Holocaust museum or at least across the street to honor the dead Cubans that Castro killed?’”

“That’s very presumptuous of him to go there,” Duvall says. Rose then asks Duvall, 73, if he would deliver his message directly to Spielberg – who won an Oscar for directing the Holocaust movie “Schindler’s List” and is heavily involved in SHOAH, a Holocaust remebrance project.

“You bet, I’ll tell him that,” Duvall replies. “I’ll never work for at [Spielberg’s company] Dreamworks again, but I don’t care about working there, anyway.”

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How about that dweeb Charlie Rose asking Duvall, "Would you tell him to his face?" as if Duvall is worried about that little twerp Spielberg, either physically or professionally.

I think Rose is just confused to meet an actor who is neither a dumbass communist, nor a fawning sycophant for those who've made more money in the movie business than they have.

[SwatTeam]

I love Robert Duvall. I think I have seen every one of his movies, even the bad ones.

[Texas_Dawg]

The best seven hours I ever spent was actually with Fidel Castro,

Spielberg now denies he said this. He claims it was reported by a Havana paper but that he never said it. I believe him there, but it doesn't change the fact that he spent a week hanging out with Fidel Castro.

[ActionNewsBill]

I love Robert Duvall. I think I have seen every one of his movies, even the bad ones.

I don't recall any bad movies he has been in.

[sarasota]

Same here. I recently purchased a pvt of The Advocate and I'm looking forward to seeing if I like it as much the second time around. Classic Duvall.

[SwatTeam]

Well, The Apostle wasn't very memorable.

[sarasota]

A Simple Life? Excellent acting but the plot was a bit thin (for me).

[SwatTeam]

I hope you enjoy it. I just couldn't get into it like all his other movies.

[sarasota]

What's your favorite?

[hadaclueonce]

Best line in True Grit, "thats big talk from an one eyed fatman"

[SwatTeam]

I loved Lonesome Dove, all the Godfather movies and The Great Santini is one of my favorites. How about you?

[dead]

I thought The Apostle was brilliant. The best acting of his career.

[SwatTeam]

His acting was great in the movie, like all hes movies, I just didn't care that much for the movie itself.

[ActionNewsBill]

What's your favorite?

I'd have to go with "Network", followed by "Days of Thunder".

[sarasota]

His spiritual love in this film just inspired me, in spite of his "evil ways". I've rarely seen such passion on film.

[TheBigB]

Tender Mercies. Greatest acting performance I've ever seen.

[sarasota]

I just can't choose. Each post reminds me of his brilliance!

[OldFriend]

If Spielberg made the statement immediately upon it's being in the papers I would believe him, but I suspect his outrage at being exploited for propaganda is recent.

After all, we did hear Baba Walters rhapsodizing about how wonderful life is in Cuba....all that free education and free medical care you know.

[Paved Paradise]

No Way. The Apostle was a great movie and so was Tender Mercies.