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Giancarlo RinaldiSouth Scotland reporter
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Duvall played a Scottish football manager in the film A Shot at Glory
It was one of the most improbable match-ups in movie history.
Robert Duvall - star of The Godfather - fell in love with Scottish football and wanted to make a film about it.
It resulted in the Hollywood legend, who died this week, popping up at football grounds across the country from Hampden Park in Glasgow, to Palmerston Park in Dumfries.
The resulting film - A Shot at Glory - is not considered one of his finest works, but it is still recalled fondly by Scottish fans who turned out in their thousands to watch it being filmed.
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The film starred Ally McCoist and Robert Duvall
I was working as a reporter with the Dumfries and Galloway Standard in 1998 when I got one of the most memorable calls of my career.
"If you want to interview Robert Duvall, get yourself to the Gracefield Arts Centre car park in five minutes," my contact told me.
Sure enough, the man who played the Consigliere in The Godfather pulled up in a car with blacked out windows and shared a few minutes with me.
He was in Dumfries to have a look at Palmerston Park to see if it would fit the bill for a film project he had in the pipeline and told me a bit about it.
Then, he was whisked off and I was left wondering if the encounter had really happened.
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Duvall became a familiar face in crowds at Scottish games as he prepared for his role
He would be back, however, the following year when thousands turned out to watch him film at the grounds of Queen of the South.
They were spectators to the story of fictional team Kilnockie FC and its run to the Scottish Cup final.
Among the other stars was Ally McCoist, and we were treated to take after take of attempted overhead kicks on a long but entertaining afternoon.
It was one of the busiest days the old ground had witnessed in a long time.
It was also probably the only time an Oscar-winner has paced the touchline at Palmerston Park.
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The film is not remembered as one of Duvall's greatest works
The film was also shot at Hampden Park, Dumbarton's old ground Boghead, and in the village of Crail in Fife.
It told the story of a football manager trying to take his little team to cup glory against a problematic background.
His star player - McCoist - is not easy to manage and is married to his daughter, played by Kirsty Mitchell.
Meanwhile, the owner of the club, played by Michael Keaton, has threatened to move the team to Ireland.
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As well as being filmed, Duvall popped up at football games across the country in a bid to soak up the atmosphere.
He even appeared as a pundit ahead of the Scottish Cup final in 1999 and told Dougie Donnelly about his film plans.
"It is about a smaller team that plays in the cup and almost beats a bigger team," he said.
McCoist, who was also on the panel, added: "It's the chance of a lifetime."
The film would be premiered in 2000 and released after that to mixed reviews - including for the actor's Scottish accent.
However, it will be remembered with affection by the thousands of extras, like myself, who turned out to watch Scotland become the backdrop for one of the finest actors of his generation.
