Perhaps the ultimate accolade one can bestow upon Patton is to repeat the fact that the film was widely regarded in many circles as being a paean to the anti-war, anti-establishment mindset-and at the same time, it was Richard Nixon's favorite picture! As General George Patton, George C. Scott may have been decked out with a phony nose, but this is the only false element in his flawless performance. After an unforgettable impressionistic opening monologue, we are transported to North Africa in 1943, as Patton assumes command of (and instills some much-needed discipline in) the American forces. Engaged in battle against Germany's Field Marshal Rommel (Karl Michael Vogler), Patton drives back "The Desert Fox" by using the German's own tactics ("Rommel, you magnificent bastard! I read your book!"). Promoted to Lieutenant General, Patton is sent to Sicily, where he engages in a personal war of egos with British Field Marshal Montgomery (Michael Bates). Performing brilliantly in Italy, Patton seriously jeopardizes his future with a single slap. While touring an Army hospital, the General comes across a GI (Tim Considine) suffering from nervous fatigue. Incensed by what someone he considers to be a slacker, Patton smacks the poor soldier and orders him to get well in a hurry. This incident results in his losing his command-and, by extension, missing out on D-Day (Forced into a public apology, Patton mutters "If I knew all this was going to happen, I'd have kissed the sonofabitch"). In his final campaign, Patton leads the US 3rd Army through Europe. Unabashedly flamboyant, Patton remains a valuable resource, but ultimately proves too much of a "loose cannon" in comparison to the more level-headed tactics of his old friend Omar Bradley (Karl Malden). The Academy Awards accrued by Patton included Best Actor (George C. Scott, who, as we all know, refused the honor) and to the categories of Best Director (Franklin Schaffner), Best Story & Screenplay (Francis Ford Coppola, Edmund H. North), Best Art Direction (Urie McCleary, Gil Parrondo), Best Set Decoration (Antonio Mateos, Pierre-Louis Thevenet), Best Sound (Douglas Williams, Don Bassman), and Best Editing (Hugh S. Fowler). George C. Scott would repeat his "Old Blood 'n' Guts" characterization in the made-for-TV The Last Days of Patton (1986).