Farewell to Robert Duvall

For many Texans, Robert Duvall never felt like a distant movie star. Through his role as Augustus “Gus” McCrae in Lonesome Dove, he felt more like family. For me, losing Gus at the end of that story was painful enough, and now with Duvall’s passing, it feels like losing him all over again.

Duvall also left a small piece of his legacy right here in Albany. In the early 1990s, he was in town filming The Stars Fell on Henrietta, with scenes shot in the Marshall R. Young Camp area during the production about the early oil boom. He spent a great deal of time in Albany over the years, making many friends across this area.

While here, he often visited the Beehive Restaurant and became a regular. It is rumored he loved the place so much that he later built a replica of the Beehive bar room inside his own home.

He may have been known to the world for iconic roles in The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and many other films, but around here, he will always be Gus.

For many of us, Duvall will always feel like one of our own. Rest easy, Robert, you inspired generations of Texans and lovers of the western story. -DHW

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