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.”

[skeeter]

Well, The Apostle wasn't very memorable.

The Apostle was one of the best, if underrated, movies of the past ten years, IMO.

And only an actor of Duvall's caliber could've salvaged a movie like Falling Down.

[Texas_Dawg]

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.

I e-mailed the WSJ and got a reply with a link to a letter from his press agent denying the quote. It was a serious response and I believe the guy. The Cuban papers are insane, and Spielberg, as Left as he is, is probably at least smart enough not to have said something so dumb. But it doesn't change the facts of what he does admit to doing and saying on his trip to Cuba which are bad enough for me.

[cousair]

Isn't it nice to know that Duvall is one of the Hollywood types from the old school?? I don't know about his politics, but this statement about Castro and Spielberg is wonderful, and he will remain on my best see list. My don't see list is long and getting longer. I won't watch or buy any pictures from the Blame America First Crowd and haven't for a long time, even before 9/11.

[Hazzardgate]

This is one bad ass Duvall flick!!!

[Guillermo]

Duval's headed to the black-list!

[dead]

The Outfit was great.

Mel Gibson did a movie a few years ago, Payback, that had exactly the same story, though I don't think it was credited as a remake.

[MissAmericanPie]

I have always thought him one of the best actors, not to mention the huge amount of sex appeal he still convey's across the screen.

[Lancey Howard]

Robert Duvall has been one of my favorite actors for decades. Nice to know he also has the guts and class to speak what's on his mind.

[sarasota]

I'll look for it and thanks for the heads up.

[sarasota]

I'm wondering if anyone has been Robert in "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About"? Another brilliant portrayal.

[veronica]

Duval's headed to the black-list!

He's blacklist proof. He's too big and too independent. That's the beauty of this. :)

[NutCrackerBoy]

I just reviewed his filmography in IMDb. For someone whose performances have been uniformly superb for four decades, there are surprisingly few of my personal favorite films. To Kill a Mockingbird and Sling Blade are certainly in that category. Tender Mercies is dear to my heart. I loved the scene in Rambling Rose when Laura Dern makes a pass at him but "Daddy" exhorts her to reclothe her breast.

In special mention category, as a young kid, I was impressed with Lucas' dystopic sci-fi student film THX 1138: Duvall starred in its disappointing feature version.

[Walkingfeather]

"replace that titty ' was the line

[dead]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned "Apocalypse Now" on this thread.

Good lord, he made killing commies and surfing look like fun.

[Your Nightmare]

The greatest movie Robert Duvall was in was his first movie, "To Kill a Mockingbird". It obviously was not his biggest roll or, consequently, his best performance. "Tender Mercies" is his best acting job, IMO.

[Your Nightmare]

"replace that titty" was the line

Actually I think it was "replace that tit."

[Paradox]

Whoo hoo! A bump for Boo Radley!

[js1138]

I was impressed with Lucas' dystopic sci-fi student film THX 1138

So was I, but I don't believe I've seen the student version. It was remade as a feature.

[gunner03]

All. I loved " The Great Santinni" for obvious reasons, "Lonesome Dove" was fantastic, but thought " Secondhand Lions" one of his best. Semper Fi

[Question_Assumptions]

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

Though Sixth Day was a fairly standard action movie, his performance in that movie was fantastic.