Though he`s still casting his picture, director Robert Redford began principal photography Wednesday on ”The Milagro Beanfield War” in Truchas, N.M., due north of Santa Fe.
The part of Joe, hero of the 1976 John Nichols cult novel of the same name, is set. But it won`t be played by Cheech Marin (of Cheech and Chong), as widely reported.
”Bob Redford thought Joe should be played by someone in his early 30s. And Cheech, whom Bob had hoped to cast, was just a little too mature,”
reports the film`s publicist, Reid Rosefelt. Marin, who turned 40 on July 13, lost the part to 30ish Chick Vennera, who played an Italian-American soldier in ”Yanks” (1979).
He`ll be joined by sultry Brazilian Sonia Braga, who`ll play Ruby, and salsa singer and Panamanian political hopeful Ruben Blades, as the sheriff. Like ”The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982), ”Milagro” will be a movie in which Hispanic actors play Hispanic characters.
Redford, who still needs a grandmotherly type to play a stone-throwing eccentric, is on the trail of what could be the greatest discovery since Lana Turner was spied at a soda fountain.
On a street in Santa Fe he saw the perfect woman talking with a man. But before the director could get to her, she`d hopped into her pickup and peeled out, burning rubber. Unrecognized, Redford asked the man she left behind,
”Can she throw?” The man recoiled, did a double-take, and enthusiastically replied, ”She can do anything!” The search is on for the road-running granny.
