Bye Bye Bobbie

 Hard as it is to pin down a "favorite role" of an actor who spent most of his career in "character" parts, I would have to go with Bull Meechum. You might know him better by the sobriquet The Great Santini. It was from this film that I snagged the phrase, "Hey, sports fans," when referring to innocent bystanders. It was also a starring role for Robert Duvall, who had spent decades showing up as the name just below the title. Or maybe even a little further down than that. 

Lieutenant Colonel Meechum won't probably make the finals for Father of the Year, but that was not the story. It told the story of a dinosaur stomping his way into a world that had passed him by, and the family that loves him in spite of the nasty roars and pointy teeth. This role was obscured for many by the much showier version Duvall played in Apocalypse Now, Lieutenant Colonel "Bill" Kilgore. You might remember him from his "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," speech. Very memorable, but not much of an arc.

Not everyone remembers that Robert Duvall was the original Major Frank Burns in the movie version of M*A*S*H. It seems that he spent a good deal of his career in uniform. As a cop or a military man, Robert Duvall's presence brought instant cred to most any movie in which he appeared. This might be his association with The Godfather and its sequel, which created a pedigree of sorts to which American actors could aspire. Having Bob around your set just added a little class to the production.

All that energy made it possible for Robert Duvall to extend his reach into smaller films, allowing him to win his second acting Oscar for Tender Mercies, the tale of a country music star who has left the big time. That was kind of the godfather, if you'll pardon the pun, of Crazy Heart, the tale of a country music star who has left the big time.  That one ended up winning Jeff Bridges a best actor Oscar. 

Of course, not all the films of Robert Duvall were Oscar Bait. Some were just straight up popcorn buckets, like Days of Thunder and Deep Impact. This would be expected from a career that spanned some sixty years. Mister Duvall lived to be ninety-five years old and his last screen appearance came at the ripe old age of ninety-one. How about that, sports fans?

To say that he stomped on the cinema Terra would be an understatement. There will not soon be another like him. Aloha, Robert Duvall. You will be missed.