Talk:Robert Duvall

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Robert Duvall's father is a descendant of French Huguenot settlers, hence the name Duvall. Robert's mother is a descendant of General Robert E. Lee. Lee's family originates in Shropshire, England, thus Duvall's mother is of English ancestry. As such, Duvall qualifies as both a French-American and English-American. Also note: these catagories remained part of Duvall's page for the duration of it's existence until Jack O'Lantern turned up and removed them. He has done this (and continues to do so) with numerous individuals even when no less than a dozen others believe it should stay.

Find me a source that calls Duval either a French-American or an English-American. Having a French great-great-great-etc. grandfather does not a French American make. And if you can name every one of these "dozen others", I'll give you a million dollars. Please read Wikipedia's Wikipedia:Verifiability, Wikipedia:No Original Research and Wikipedia:Reliable sources policies. Mad Jack 04:42, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

First paragraph of the article itself reads:

Duvall was born in San Diego, California. His father, William Howard Duvall, was a former US Navy admiral with French Huguenot roots; his mother was an amateur actress and a descendant of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee. His father was a Methodist and his mother was a Christian Scientist; he was raised in the Christian Science religion, which he claims to follow today despite many years living a decidedly un-Christian lifestyle (as he states in a 2006 article in Vanity Fair).

Thus, Duvall's paternal line of descent traces directly to France, and irregardless of any other possible ethnicity, he qualifies as a French-American, and the category stays.

I don't care. That's your opinion. Being 1/128th French or whatever does not make one a French-American - that's my opinion. And we can't use either my or your opinion. Find a source that describes him as a French American or English AMerican and you can put the category in. Not anything that in your opinion makes him that Mad Jack 04:47, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

I believe that the term "French-American" should stay; Duvall is a French name and numerous sources (I just don't have the motivation to get them) affirm that his ancestors were French Huguenots. As for English-American, we do not know the extent of his English blood so I'll agree that it should be taken out. Manticore

• Are you seriously telling me Duvall should be categoried as a French-American because he had a French ancestor 300 years ago? Honestly, people, we're not dealing with the one drop rule here. If you want to describe Duvall as a French American, find a source that describes him as such! Anything else is a violation of WP:NOR. Mad Jack 17:08, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

I think it does classify him as a French-American, even if it's very, very little blood in him that is French. I'm American, Irish, Scottish, German, and (like most Americans) Cherokee Indian, but I barely have any blood in me that's not pure American. But things like great, great, great, great grandparents and so forth being a certain ethnicity generally passes it down to you (my Grandfather being German, and my great grandfather being Irish, and his wife Scottish, so on, and so on.) Just because it's very little of an ethnicity doesn't mean you're not that ethnicity even in a partial amount. Mattfish 18:25, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Contents 1 Christian Science 2 Robert E LEE & Robert DUVALL 3 Service number? 4 Robert Duvall's movies 5 nothing about his acting

[edit] Christian Science

There is a category on here detailing his supposed Christian Science adherence. I can only say that this has been disputed as a dubious category. Not much is known about Duvall's religious views. I hope we can find a source. Aaрон Кинни (t) 04:37, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

There's a difference between being raised in a religion and actually practicing it. Duvall was raised as a Christian Scientist, and attended the Christian Science college, and narrated a film about Mary Baker Eddy, and the script for The Apostle has some elements of Christian Science theology (note how he silently prays for the injured woman in the car) but -- as a number of other performers I could name, but won't -- it's highly unlikely he actually practices his religion. No sincere Christian Scientist would live with a woman out of wedlock. WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 16:35, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Robert E LEE & Robert DUVALL

Robert E Lee has a relative handful of descendants set out in the family tree for him at the museum for his former home.

for those descendants - see this link http://www.stratfordhall.org/reltree.html

NONE* of those few descents go to actor Robert S Duvall who claims his mom descends from Gen Robert E Lee which is clearly & plainly NOT* TRUE.

• (Both my expert review of all such possible connections

AND the opinion of the research person at that Lee website.)

s expert

Did Robert E Lee not have brothers/sisters/cousins then? I'm related, however far reaching, to my great aunts cousins aunts brothers wife - even if I share no direct blood tie to her. For that same reason Duvall may be related to Lee; descended from is a different matter however - which does he claim?--Koncorde 19:06, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Service number?

How in the world is someone's service number encyclopedic? It may be a matter of public record (whether it should be if it is could spark another discussion), but why is it encyclopedic? To prove service? There are many other easier and better ways to do that. Wikipedia is supposed to be an encyclopedia, not a celebrity magazine which might print something like that. (By the time of my service your service number was your social security number, which would hardly belong in the biography of any living person.) Rlquall 15:00, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

Do we want characters Hagen, Radley, etc. bolded? KConWiki 00:59, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

After seeing the old April Fools live action simpson cast, i can honestly say, this guy looks like Burns!

[edit] Robert Duvall's movies

Robert Duvall was also in the movie Seven Percent Solution, which I don't see listed among his movies.

KevinGilmartin@SBCGlobal.net —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.131.192.21 (talk) 04:32, 21 April 2007 (UTC).

[edit] nothing about his acting

This article is notably silent on Robert Duvall's acting ability. I realize this material has to be imported from outside "respected sources", but it really needs to be done. Robert Duvall is one of the all-time-great actors, and it needs to be acknowledged.

I have never seen a better actor than Robert Duvall, and precious few as good. He has the uncommon ability to disappear into the role; you are rarely aware that it's him. If you have never seen him in the Twilight Zone episode "Miniature", do so. He isn't afraid to play the part as wholly unsympathetic, and the performance is of a quality you'd expect form a first-rate theatrical film, quite unusual for that era of TV.

I don't know if the article's writer wants to change the entry, but the full name of the character Duval plays in Open Range is Bluebonnet "Boss" Spearman. (Really. I suspect the writer stole the basic joke from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.)

WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 16:52, 11 February 2008 (UTC)