Duvall loves smell of napalm, likes Giuliani for president

(File)

Robert Duvall made famous the role of a gung-ho air cavalry commander in "Apocalypse Now."

By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff

Hollywood endorsements are a dime a dozen, but former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has bagged one that seems particularly suited to fit his hard-edged campaign for president.

Academy Award-winning actor Robert Duvall has starred in vivid roles as grizzled cowboys, a mad preacher, an overbearing Marine pilot, and consiglieri to a Mafia don. The most memorable, however, may be Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, the wild surf-loving air cavalry commander in "Apocalypse Now," Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 masterpiece set in the Vietnam War.

"Rudy has consistently proven he's ready to confront tough challenges," Duvall said in a statement issued today by the Giuliani campaign. "I don't normally get involved in politics, but I think the stakes are too high this election."

He and his wife, Luciana, will host a fundraiser for Giuliani later this month at their home in Virginia, the campaign said.

"As a fan and an admirer of Mr. Duvall's work for some time, I am honored to have Robert and his wife Luciana's support and help on our campaign," Giuliani said in the campaign press release.

Maybe Giuliani, who loves to imitate Marlon Brando's rendering of Vito Corleone, the don in another Coppola classic, "The Godfather," will add some memorable Duvall lines to his repertoire on the stump.

The most famous from "Apocalypse Now:" "You smell that? Do you smell that? Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning."