Dean Cain Goes to Bat for James Caan ... Defends Morgan Freeman

We got the former Superman actor out at the National Mall in D.C. on Memorial Day and asked about Caan's comments to us last week ... Dean tells us he sees where James is coming from, and dismisses a video tape many feel shows Freeman acting inappropriately to a reporter as "ridiculous."

Cain goes on to explain hitting on the opposite sex is fine if it doesn't go too far -- and he's seen that happen on both sides -- but the current culture's not going to stop him from talking to a beautiful woman.