 Robert Duvall (I) (qv) was originally offered the role of Haven  Hamilton and agreed to play it on the condition that he would be  allowed to write his own songs. Altman refused his request, and  Duvall backed out, to be replaced by Henry Gibson (I) (qv). Duvall  later went on to perform his own compositions in  _Tender Mercies (1983)_ (qv) as part of his Oscar