Oscar-nominated producer Albert S. Ruddy, who died at the end of May 2024, was one of only nine producers to earn two or more Best Picture Academy Awards, and he won them within the longest historical interval of 32 years. Ruddy was awarded for his work on The Godfather (1972) as well as Million Dollar Baby (2004).
His experience making The Godfather became subject of the Paramount+ miniseries The Offer, in which Miles Teller portrayed Ruddy and his experience adapting Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel under Francis Ford Coppola’s direction.
Before his big-screen hits, Ruddy co-created Hogan’s Heroes, a sitcom that followed Allied prisoners in a Nazi Pow camp, with Bernie Fein.
Scroll through the photos below for a look at Ruddy’s career from The Godfather to Walker.
His experience making The Godfather became subject of the Paramount+ miniseries The Offer, in which Miles Teller portrayed Ruddy and his experience adapting Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel under Francis Ford Coppola’s direction.
Before his big-screen hits, Ruddy co-created Hogan’s Heroes, a sitcom that followed Allied prisoners in a Nazi Pow camp, with Bernie Fein.
Scroll through the photos below for a look at Ruddy’s career from The Godfather to Walker.
- 5/28/2024
- by Dessi Gomez
- Deadline Film + TV
Albert S Ruddy, the Hollywood film and television producer who earned best picture Academy Awards for both The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby, has died peacefully following a brief illness. He was 94.
Born in Montreal and raised in New York City, Ruddy began his entertainment career as creator, with Bernie Fein, of sixties TV sitcom Hogan’s Heroes. He produced features including Robert Redford drama Little Fauss And Big Halsy before being brought in by Paramount as sole producer of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, for which he won his first Oscar in 1973.
Ruddy later served as executive producer on The Offer,...
Born in Montreal and raised in New York City, Ruddy began his entertainment career as creator, with Bernie Fein, of sixties TV sitcom Hogan’s Heroes. He produced features including Robert Redford drama Little Fauss And Big Halsy before being brought in by Paramount as sole producer of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, for which he won his first Oscar in 1973.
Ruddy later served as executive producer on The Offer,...
- 5/28/2024
- ScreenDaily
Al Ruddy, two-time Oscar winner for producing “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” died May 25 at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Ruddy was also co-creator of “Hogan’s Heroes” and of “Walker, Texas Ranger.” He was 94.
After the success of sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” Ruddy went on to produce “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” and “Making It” before coming on to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
Al Pacino said in a statement, “Al Ruddy was absolutely beautiful to me the whole time on ‘The Godfather’; even when they didn’t want me, he wanted me. He gave me the gift of encouragement when I needed it most and I’ll never forget it.”
After “The Godfather,” he produced his own story treatment for “The Longest Yard.”
Ruddy went on to produce notable films including “The Cannonball Run.” Other features he produced included “Matilda,” “Coonskin,...
After the success of sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” Ruddy went on to produce “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” and “Making It” before coming on to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
Al Pacino said in a statement, “Al Ruddy was absolutely beautiful to me the whole time on ‘The Godfather’; even when they didn’t want me, he wanted me. He gave me the gift of encouragement when I needed it most and I’ll never forget it.”
After “The Godfather,” he produced his own story treatment for “The Longest Yard.”
Ruddy went on to produce notable films including “The Cannonball Run.” Other features he produced included “Matilda,” “Coonskin,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Albert S. Ruddy, who earned two Best Picture Oscars for producing The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby and co-created TV shows including Walker, Texas Ranger and Hogan’s Heroes, died May 25 at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center after a brief illness, a family spokesman said. He was 94.
Ruddy is one of nine producers ever to earn two or more Best Picture Oscars, and has the distinction of winning them with the largest interval in between — 32 years.
He recently was portrayed by Miles Teller in the Paramount+ miniseries The Offer, which chronicles Ruddy’s experience making the 1972 film that Coppola directed and adapted with Mario Puzo from the latter’s bestselling novel.
Related: Peter Bart: ‘The Offer’ Spins A Mafia Tale About ‘The Godfather’ That’s Really More Fiction Than Fact
“Al was truly one of the great Hollywood mavericks,” The Offer director Dexter Fletcher said in a statement. “One of...
Ruddy is one of nine producers ever to earn two or more Best Picture Oscars, and has the distinction of winning them with the largest interval in between — 32 years.
He recently was portrayed by Miles Teller in the Paramount+ miniseries The Offer, which chronicles Ruddy’s experience making the 1972 film that Coppola directed and adapted with Mario Puzo from the latter’s bestselling novel.
Related: Peter Bart: ‘The Offer’ Spins A Mafia Tale About ‘The Godfather’ That’s Really More Fiction Than Fact
“Al was truly one of the great Hollywood mavericks,” The Offer director Dexter Fletcher said in a statement. “One of...
- 5/28/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Al Ruddy, who co-created the famed CBS sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, then captured Academy Awards for producing the best picture winners The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby, has died. He was 94.
Ruddy, also credited as one of the creators of the long-running CBS police drama Walker, Texas Ranger, died Saturday following a brief illness at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, a publicist announced.
On the heels of The Godfather (1972), Ruddy produced another box-office hit with the original The Longest Yard (1974), the prison-set football movie that starred Burt Reynolds. The pair then reteamed for the action road films The Cannonball Run (1981) and its 1984 sequel, both directed by stuntman-turned-helmer Hal Needham.
The personable Ruddy also produced such films as Bad Girls (1994), the first Western with all female leads (Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell and Drew Barrymore); the baseball comedy The Scout (1994), starring Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser; and Matilda (1978), a comedy...
Ruddy, also credited as one of the creators of the long-running CBS police drama Walker, Texas Ranger, died Saturday following a brief illness at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, a publicist announced.
On the heels of The Godfather (1972), Ruddy produced another box-office hit with the original The Longest Yard (1974), the prison-set football movie that starred Burt Reynolds. The pair then reteamed for the action road films The Cannonball Run (1981) and its 1984 sequel, both directed by stuntman-turned-helmer Hal Needham.
The personable Ruddy also produced such films as Bad Girls (1994), the first Western with all female leads (Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell and Drew Barrymore); the baseball comedy The Scout (1994), starring Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser; and Matilda (1978), a comedy...
- 5/28/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The World War II drama series "Masters of the Air," created by John Shiban and John Orloff and currently airing on AppleTV+, takes place in 1943 and follows Usaaf majors as they are transferred to England to aid the Allied war effort. Austin Butler plays Major Gale Cleven and Callum Turner plays Major John Egan, both real-life Usaaf pilots, and the series is based on the biographical book "Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany," written by Donald L. Miller.
"Masters of the Air" was also co-produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who previously oversaw the WWII drama shows "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" after collaborating on the 1998 film "Saving Private Ryan." These two men love harrowing tales of soldiers and seem hellbent on recreating the 1940s soldiers' experience on film as accurately as possible. Hanks also wrote and starred in the WWII thriller "Greyhound,...
"Masters of the Air" was also co-produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who previously oversaw the WWII drama shows "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" after collaborating on the 1998 film "Saving Private Ryan." These two men love harrowing tales of soldiers and seem hellbent on recreating the 1940s soldiers' experience on film as accurately as possible. Hanks also wrote and starred in the WWII thriller "Greyhound,...
- 2/3/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When you hang out backstage in the press room at the Emmy Awards as I did Monday night, you hear a lot of things between all of the winner interviews. Generally, it’s about how good (or bad) a job the host is doing, or whether or not the bits involving the presenters are clicking. Sometimes, it’s even about who won and lost. This is, after all, an awards show, and you have to figure rooting interests have to come into play at some point. For instance, I was pulling for “The Bear” in Best Comedy Series, even though it’s not nearly as funny as were other shows in the category like “Abbott Elementary” or “Jury Duty.” I mean, heck, I’ve seen funnier shows about the Holocaust than “The Bear.” Or have we forgotten about “Hogan’s Heroes”?
In the press room and over my Facebook feed, the...
In the press room and over my Facebook feed, the...
- 1/17/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Robert Butler, a television director for the pilot shows for Star Trek, Batman, Hill Street Blues, and Moonlighting, has died. He was 95.
Butler’s family announced that the Emmy award-winning director died on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles.
Graduating from UCLA where he majored in English, Butler started his career in entertainment as an usher at CBS. His first credit as a director would come in 1959 when he directed an episode for the military comedy-drama Hennesey which starred Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton.
Over the years, Butler was sought out to direct pilots for shows like Hogan’s Heroes (1965), the original Star Trek (1966), Batman (1966), the first mini-series on television The Blue Knight (1973), Hill Street Blues (1978), Moonlighting (1985), Sisters (1991) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993).
Butler won two Emmy Awards, the first one for The Blue Knight pilot in 1973 and the second one in 1981 for Hill Street Blues. In 2015 he was...
Butler’s family announced that the Emmy award-winning director died on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles.
Graduating from UCLA where he majored in English, Butler started his career in entertainment as an usher at CBS. His first credit as a director would come in 1959 when he directed an episode for the military comedy-drama Hennesey which starred Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton.
Over the years, Butler was sought out to direct pilots for shows like Hogan’s Heroes (1965), the original Star Trek (1966), Batman (1966), the first mini-series on television The Blue Knight (1973), Hill Street Blues (1978), Moonlighting (1985), Sisters (1991) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993).
Butler won two Emmy Awards, the first one for The Blue Knight pilot in 1973 and the second one in 1981 for Hill Street Blues. In 2015 he was...
- 11/11/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Robert Butler, the co-creator of “Remington Steele” and a veteran television director who worked on such series as “Hill Street Blues,” “Star Trek” and “Batman,” died Nov. 3 in Los Angeles. He was 95.
Butler’s career spanned nearly five decades, during which he directed many notable series, including “Hennesey,” “Star Trek,” “Batman,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Bonanza,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Gunsmoke,” “Hawaii Five-o” and more. He won three Primetime Emmy Awards: two for “The Blue Knight” in 1974 and the other for “Hill Street Blues” in 1981. He also received Emmy nominations for episodes of “Moonlighting,” “Sirens” and “Lois & Clark The Adventures of Superman.”
Butler and Michael Gleason co-created “Remington Steele,” starring Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist, which ran from 1982 to 1987 on NBC. Butler directed five episodes of the detective procedural series between 1982 and 1983, including the pilot.
He also directed several feature films and TV movies, including “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t,...
Butler’s career spanned nearly five decades, during which he directed many notable series, including “Hennesey,” “Star Trek,” “Batman,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Bonanza,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Gunsmoke,” “Hawaii Five-o” and more. He won three Primetime Emmy Awards: two for “The Blue Knight” in 1974 and the other for “Hill Street Blues” in 1981. He also received Emmy nominations for episodes of “Moonlighting,” “Sirens” and “Lois & Clark The Adventures of Superman.”
Butler and Michael Gleason co-created “Remington Steele,” starring Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist, which ran from 1982 to 1987 on NBC. Butler directed five episodes of the detective procedural series between 1982 and 1983, including the pilot.
He also directed several feature films and TV movies, including “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Robert Butler, who directed the pilots for a number of classic TV series including “Batman,” “Star Trek” and “Hill Street Blues,” has died at the age of 95.
Butler died on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles, his family announced via an obituary on the L.A. Times’ Legacy.com on Saturday.
The director was the cocreator of Pierce Brosnan series “Remington Steele” and directed its pilot. His credits also included work on “The Blue Knight,” “Hawaii Five-o,” “The Waltons” and more.
Butler and his friend screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr. were responsible for bringing “Batman” to the small screen and making it a 1960s camp sensation. The pair had been good friends since childhood, and when producer William Dozier tapped them for the comic-to-tv series, they were both ready to work together.
In the 2016 book “Batman: A Celebration of the Classic TV Series,” Butler said, “Dozier knew me when he was a CBS boss,...
Butler died on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles, his family announced via an obituary on the L.A. Times’ Legacy.com on Saturday.
The director was the cocreator of Pierce Brosnan series “Remington Steele” and directed its pilot. His credits also included work on “The Blue Knight,” “Hawaii Five-o,” “The Waltons” and more.
Butler and his friend screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr. were responsible for bringing “Batman” to the small screen and making it a 1960s camp sensation. The pair had been good friends since childhood, and when producer William Dozier tapped them for the comic-to-tv series, they were both ready to work together.
In the 2016 book “Batman: A Celebration of the Classic TV Series,” Butler said, “Dozier knew me when he was a CBS boss,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Robert Butler, the Emmy-winning, go-to pilot director who helmed the first episodes of such acclaimed shows as Batman, Star Trek, Hill Street Blues and Moonlighting, died Nov. 3 in Los Angeles, his family announced. He was 95.
Butler also co-created the Pierce Brosnan-starring Remington Steele (and helmed its pilot, of course), directed the first episode of Hogan’s Heroes in 1965, and called the first shots and set the tone for, Glenn Gordon Caron’s Moonlighting, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sisters and The Division.
In 1973, he directed the William Holden-starring The Blue Knight — the first four-hour television miniseries — at NBC and then got the CBS series adaptation of the Joseph Wambaugh novel that starred George Kennedy off on the right foot.
Butler also helmed two episodes of The Twilight Zone (the fifth-season installments “Caesar and Me,” starring his old friend, Jackie Cooper, and “The Encounter”) and worked on The Dick Van Dyke Show,...
Butler also co-created the Pierce Brosnan-starring Remington Steele (and helmed its pilot, of course), directed the first episode of Hogan’s Heroes in 1965, and called the first shots and set the tone for, Glenn Gordon Caron’s Moonlighting, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sisters and The Division.
In 1973, he directed the William Holden-starring The Blue Knight — the first four-hour television miniseries — at NBC and then got the CBS series adaptation of the Joseph Wambaugh novel that starred George Kennedy off on the right foot.
Butler also helmed two episodes of The Twilight Zone (the fifth-season installments “Caesar and Me,” starring his old friend, Jackie Cooper, and “The Encounter”) and worked on The Dick Van Dyke Show,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Were one to go into “All the Light We Cannot See” totally cold — drawn to the four-part limited series, say, purely by its placement atop Netflix’s home page — it would be impossible to discern that it was based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel celebrated for its lyricism and profundity.
The dialogue here is pedestrian. The lead character, blind French teenager Marie-Laure LeBlanc (screen newcomer Aria Mia Loberti), escapes the German invasion of Paris in World War II with her father, Daniel (Mark Ruffalo). They seek refuge in the French port city of Saint-Malo. Yet throughout the journey, and the limited series, our Gallic heroine and Papa LeBlanc speak English with British accents.
The series’ wartime visuals are dark and obviously CG-enhanced. More practical effects include perfectly contained fires placed in strategic spots to indicate — along with James Newton Howard’s overwrought score — that a neighborhood has been bombed.
This lack of realism,...
The dialogue here is pedestrian. The lead character, blind French teenager Marie-Laure LeBlanc (screen newcomer Aria Mia Loberti), escapes the German invasion of Paris in World War II with her father, Daniel (Mark Ruffalo). They seek refuge in the French port city of Saint-Malo. Yet throughout the journey, and the limited series, our Gallic heroine and Papa LeBlanc speak English with British accents.
The series’ wartime visuals are dark and obviously CG-enhanced. More practical effects include perfectly contained fires placed in strategic spots to indicate — along with James Newton Howard’s overwrought score — that a neighborhood has been bombed.
This lack of realism,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Carla Meyer
- The Wrap
If you saw "The Fabelmans" — and judging from the film's underwhelming box office, you probably didn't — you might think you know exactly how Steven Spielberg broke into show business. Snap Wexley hired him to work on the hit TV sitcom "Hogan's Heroes," he got great advice from an ornery John Ford, and the rest was history.
Except Steven Spielberg didn't really work on "Hogan's Heroes," and he didn't get advice from John Ford when he was actually starting out in the industry. Instead, he met the legendary director of "How Green Was My Valley" and "The Searchers" when he was only 15 years old. It turns out that Steven Spielberg isn't really above smudging the truth a bit in his movies, if he thinks the truth gets in the way of a good story.
And like all good stories, "The Fabelmans" had to end somewhere. It didn't take "Sammy Fabelman" into his actual,...
Except Steven Spielberg didn't really work on "Hogan's Heroes," and he didn't get advice from John Ford when he was actually starting out in the industry. Instead, he met the legendary director of "How Green Was My Valley" and "The Searchers" when he was only 15 years old. It turns out that Steven Spielberg isn't really above smudging the truth a bit in his movies, if he thinks the truth gets in the way of a good story.
And like all good stories, "The Fabelmans" had to end somewhere. It didn't take "Sammy Fabelman" into his actual,...
- 10/7/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
Werner Klemperer was an award-winning actor best known for his depiction of Colonel Wilhelm Klink on the CBS television sitcom Hogan’s Heroes. The role earned him six Emmy Award nominations, two of which he won. It also solidified his place as an actor to watch. Before his role on Hogan’s Heroes, Klemperer made his television debut playing various roles on Goodyear Television Playhouse. He also made guest appearances on shows such as Studio 57, Climax!, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Alaskans, and My Three Sons to mention a few. Known for his receding hairline, Werner Klemperer was versatile in his career...
- 9/17/2023
- by Banks Onuoha
- TVovermind.com
It's easy to take the television version of "M*A*S*H" for granted. Based on Robert Altman's raucous New Hollywood comedy, the series gracefully sanded down the film's problematic edges and presented a more bracingly humanistic view of combat medical personnel struggling to maintain their sanity while watching one young man after another die on their operating tables. But once the show became a Nielsen ratings juggernaut and entered syndication, it was unavoidably consumed as couch potato comfort food just like every other hit sitcom. It was a first-rate homework diversion. College kids devised drinking games around it.
And yet while most episodes of "M*A*S*H" were strictly laugh riots, the writers, led at the outset by the great Larry Gelbart (who departed the series after Season 4), never lost sight of the war in which the show was set (nor the ongoing war it was often commenting on). This wasn't "Hogan's Heroes.
And yet while most episodes of "M*A*S*H" were strictly laugh riots, the writers, led at the outset by the great Larry Gelbart (who departed the series after Season 4), never lost sight of the war in which the show was set (nor the ongoing war it was often commenting on). This wasn't "Hogan's Heroes.
- 9/11/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Along with rival NBC, CBS found success in radio before adding on the new medium of television in the 1940s. With the creation of ABC a few years later, the “Big Three” networks dominated the small screen for half a century before receiving competition from Fox network, cable stations and, later, streaming services. In the earliest days of TV, CBS and NBC vied for top spots in the ratings; by the mid-1950s, CBS commanded the lead with pioneering and groundbreaking programs across multiple genres — a trend that would continue for decades.
Like NBC, CBS transitioned radio programs over to television. One successful radio series they wanted to convert was “My Favorite Husband,” but the star refused to commit unless her real-life husband was allowed to be her lead. However, her husband was from Cuba, and CBS executives didn’t think Americans would believe an American woman would marry a hispanic.
Like NBC, CBS transitioned radio programs over to television. One successful radio series they wanted to convert was “My Favorite Husband,” but the star refused to commit unless her real-life husband was allowed to be her lead. However, her husband was from Cuba, and CBS executives didn’t think Americans would believe an American woman would marry a hispanic.
- 6/14/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Along with rival NBC, CBS found success in radio before adding on the new medium of television in the 1940s. With the creation of ABC a few years later, the “Big Three” networks dominated the small screen for half a century before receiving competition from Fox network, cable stations and, later, streaming services. In the earliest days of TV, CBS and NBC vied for top spots in the ratings; by the mid-1950s, CBS commanded the lead with pioneering and groundbreaking programs across multiple genres — a trend that would continue for decades.
Like NBC, CBS transitioned radio programs over to television. One successful radio series they wanted to convert was “My Favorite Husband,” but the star refused to commit unless her real-life husband was allowed to be her lead. However, her husband was from Cuba, and CBS executives didn’t think Americans would believe an American woman would marry a hispanic.
Like NBC, CBS transitioned radio programs over to television. One successful radio series they wanted to convert was “My Favorite Husband,” but the star refused to commit unless her real-life husband was allowed to be her lead. However, her husband was from Cuba, and CBS executives didn’t think Americans would believe an American woman would marry a hispanic.
- 6/13/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
The very first episode of The Monkees, “Royal Flush,” won the series‘ director an Emmy Award in 1967. The Monkees‘ creators, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider won their own golden statuettes in the Best Comedy Series category that same legendary evening.
Davy Jones is seated on the sand in front of fellow ‘The Monkees’ co-stars Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz in ‘Royal Flush’ | Keystone Features/Getty Images The first episode of ‘The Monkees’ was ‘Royal Flush’
The Monkees episodes may not have been the first to feature slapstick on television. However, the series was one of the first to include music shorts within each 30-minute episode.
Viewers were treated to a new music montage each week, driving The Monkees‘ record sales to number one on the Billboard Charts. However, the series also found a home with viewers who enjoyed its light humor.
In the series very first episode, “Royal Flush,...
Davy Jones is seated on the sand in front of fellow ‘The Monkees’ co-stars Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz in ‘Royal Flush’ | Keystone Features/Getty Images The first episode of ‘The Monkees’ was ‘Royal Flush’
The Monkees episodes may not have been the first to feature slapstick on television. However, the series was one of the first to include music shorts within each 30-minute episode.
Viewers were treated to a new music montage each week, driving The Monkees‘ record sales to number one on the Billboard Charts. However, the series also found a home with viewers who enjoyed its light humor.
In the series very first episode, “Royal Flush,...
- 6/9/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
I laugh when I hear people talk about how “Succession” is a sure thing winner for Best Drama Series and that it’s such a lock nothing whatsoever can derail it. Ha! Ha I say! Oh, it’s naturally going to be nominated and will likely remain the overwhelming frontrunner clear through Emmy season and up to Emmy night, all right. In the Gold Derby combined Emmy odds, it’s running away with this race, with “The White Lotus” Sicily” a very distant second. But if Emmy history has taught us anything, it’s that upsets happen, even giant ones. So you can absolutely never say never.
What upsets are we talking about? Well, let’s flash back and check out 15 of them, shall we?
See‘Succession’ way out front to win Best Drama Series Emmy 1952: “The Red Skelton Hour” beats “I Love Lucy” for “Best Comedy Show” – “Lucy...
What upsets are we talking about? Well, let’s flash back and check out 15 of them, shall we?
See‘Succession’ way out front to win Best Drama Series Emmy 1952: “The Red Skelton Hour” beats “I Love Lucy” for “Best Comedy Show” – “Lucy...
- 4/24/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Presidents of the United States (both sitting and former) have won. So have former Beatles. And a First Lady. And a lot of other unlikely movie types. The truth is, with so many Primetime Emmy Awards handed out – well over 100 annually – it’s easy for some intriguing victors in both the deeper past and more recently to slip through the cracks.
So as a public service, here are a few dozen-plus Emmy winners you may have missed.
Barack Obama – Yes, our 44th President took home an Emmy trophy in 2022 as best narrator for an episode of the doc series “Our Great National Parks.” He thus became the second President to be so honored. To find out the first, see below. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – It may have escaped your gaze, but the former Beatles won an Emmy last year for top documentary/nonfiction series (shared with Peter Jackson and...
So as a public service, here are a few dozen-plus Emmy winners you may have missed.
Barack Obama – Yes, our 44th President took home an Emmy trophy in 2022 as best narrator for an episode of the doc series “Our Great National Parks.” He thus became the second President to be so honored. To find out the first, see below. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – It may have escaped your gaze, but the former Beatles won an Emmy last year for top documentary/nonfiction series (shared with Peter Jackson and...
- 4/5/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
In “Spinning Gold,” a sketchy but adoring if not outright devotional biopic about Neil Bogart, the upstart ’70s music-industry mogul who founded Casablanca Records, there’s a pivotal moment that spins around the story of how Bogart, at a party he was throwing, played the 3-minute-and-20-second single version of Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby.” He played it over and over again because his guests kept asking for it. That’s when the lightbulb went on. Bogart realized that the song needed to be longer, much longer — long enough to have sex to. (It ended up being 16 minutes and 50 seconds.) This is a rather famous anecdote. So we assume that we’re going to see Bogart meet with Giorgio Moroder, the song’s composer and producer, and change music history.
It happens that way…sort of. Bogart tells Moroder that he wants a longer version of the song.
It happens that way…sort of. Bogart tells Moroder that he wants a longer version of the song.
- 4/3/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Bob Crane was best known for his starring role in the TV sitcom Hogan’s Heroes. But although the show was remarkable for its time, as a comedy depicting Nazis as bumbling fools, it didn’t turn out to be the most surprising event in Crane’s story.
Bob Crane as Col. Robert E. Hogan (dressed as Col. Klink) in ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ | CBS via Getty Images
Just seven years after the show went off the air, Crane was brutally killed at home. The murder has never been solved, but investigators and fans of true crime have a good idea of what they believe happened.
Bob Crane’s unusual career
Crane’s career reflected an eclectic mix of talents. According to IMDb, he was a percussionist with the Connecticut Symphony Orchestra after high school, but that only lasted a year before he was cut because he wasn’t “serious enough.”
From there,...
Bob Crane as Col. Robert E. Hogan (dressed as Col. Klink) in ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ | CBS via Getty Images
Just seven years after the show went off the air, Crane was brutally killed at home. The murder has never been solved, but investigators and fans of true crime have a good idea of what they believe happened.
Bob Crane’s unusual career
Crane’s career reflected an eclectic mix of talents. According to IMDb, he was a percussionist with the Connecticut Symphony Orchestra after high school, but that only lasted a year before he was cut because he wasn’t “serious enough.”
From there,...
- 3/5/2023
- by Kira Martin
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, who starred in TV series such as Hogan’s Heroes and Due South, has died. He was 92. According to Deadline, Pinsent passed away in his sleep on Saturday, February 25. His family later confirmed the news in a statement written by the Pinsent’s son-in-law, actor Peter Keleghan, which read, “Gordon Pinsent’s daughters Leah and Beverly, and his son Barry, would like to announce the passing of their father peacefully in sleep today with his family at his side.” “Gordon passionately loved this country and its people, purpose, and culture to his last breath,” the statement continued. Born on July 12, 1930, in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, Pinsent began acting at the age of 17, first on stage in the 1940s before moving on to radio dramas on the CBC and later film and television. His career spanned eight decades, though he took a break from acting in the early 1950s to join the Canadian Army,...
- 2/27/2023
- TV Insider
Alicia Allain, a producer and actress who started in the business as a hair stylist, has died according to a social media post by her husband, John Schneider. She was 53.
“This is a time of unimaginable sorrow for me,” former Dukes of Hazzard star Schneider wrote after his wife’s passing. “Grief is much too small a word. I’ve heard it said that ‘with great love comes great sorrow.’ I had no idea what that meant until now. Alicia was the fuel that ran my biggest dreams. The inspiration behind every creative thought. The very fabric of my soul. The glue that held me together. I miss her more than any words could possibly describe.”
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Denise Richards & John Schneider Join Teenage Cyber-Bully Faith Based Pic 'Switched' Related Story 'Diligence' Drama From Sheldon Turner & Jennifer Klein In Works At AMC
Schneider also asked,...
“This is a time of unimaginable sorrow for me,” former Dukes of Hazzard star Schneider wrote after his wife’s passing. “Grief is much too small a word. I’ve heard it said that ‘with great love comes great sorrow.’ I had no idea what that meant until now. Alicia was the fuel that ran my biggest dreams. The inspiration behind every creative thought. The very fabric of my soul. The glue that held me together. I miss her more than any words could possibly describe.”
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Denise Richards & John Schneider Join Teenage Cyber-Bully Faith Based Pic 'Switched' Related Story 'Diligence' Drama From Sheldon Turner & Jennifer Klein In Works At AMC
Schneider also asked,...
- 2/23/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Lily Tomlin is one of the most beloved and respected comedic actors of all time. However, she recently revealed that fellow comedian Lucille Ball was not exactly a fan. What’s worse, Ball’s harsh words almost had Tomlin in tears.
Lily Tomlin has conquered TV and movies in her lengthy career Lily Tomlin attends the premiere of “80 For Brady” I Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Tomlin began acting in college. After graduation, she also started doing stand-up comedy, which led to her television appearances. Tomlin appeared on variety shows like Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and The Carol Burnett Show, which led to movie roles in Nashville, 9 to 5, and Orange County.
She has continued acting on TV as well, most notably voicing Ms. Frizzle in The Magic School Bus and starring alongside longtime friend Jane Fonda in Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. She also voiced Aunt May in the 2018 blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Lily Tomlin has conquered TV and movies in her lengthy career Lily Tomlin attends the premiere of “80 For Brady” I Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Tomlin began acting in college. After graduation, she also started doing stand-up comedy, which led to her television appearances. Tomlin appeared on variety shows like Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and The Carol Burnett Show, which led to movie roles in Nashville, 9 to 5, and Orange County.
She has continued acting on TV as well, most notably voicing Ms. Frizzle in The Magic School Bus and starring alongside longtime friend Jane Fonda in Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. She also voiced Aunt May in the 2018 blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
- 2/22/2023
- by India McCarty
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Bill Lawrence isn't all about feel-good television. The creator, known for "Cougar Town," "Scrubs," and "Ted Lasso," doesn't shy away from uncomfortable feelings in his comfort shows. Take, for instance, his new Apple series "Shrinking," which is a comedy that deals death and grief. As Lawrence told us in a recent interview, that wouldn't have been an easy pitch a few years ago.
Lawrence co-created the show with his "Ted Lasso" collaborator Brett Goldstein and actor Jason Segel. "Shrinking" is about therapists helping their patients as they try to put their own lives together, as well. It's not all laughs and doesn't result in triumphant endings, but it's also silly and funny in the way audiences expect from Lawrence shows. In the lead-up to the series premiere, the writer told us about how he strikes the balance between the sweet and the sour in his comedies.
Note: This interview has...
Lawrence co-created the show with his "Ted Lasso" collaborator Brett Goldstein and actor Jason Segel. "Shrinking" is about therapists helping their patients as they try to put their own lives together, as well. It's not all laughs and doesn't result in triumphant endings, but it's also silly and funny in the way audiences expect from Lawrence shows. In the lead-up to the series premiere, the writer told us about how he strikes the balance between the sweet and the sour in his comedies.
Note: This interview has...
- 1/27/2023
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
This article contains The Fabelmans spoilers.
Do you want to meet the greatest film director who ever lived? That would be a loaded question in any context, but it has extra weight in Steven Spielberg’s new release, The Fabelmans. With the film being a semi-autobiographical portrait of the legendary filmmaker’s own adolescent years, the picture feels in many ways like a rare window into meeting the real Spielberg—or at least the Spielberg as imagined in the director’s own head.
While the film has a thin layer of artistic license, anyone can see it’s a rumination by an auteur of a certain age in his early halcyon days. And for many audience members, Spielberg is the greatest film director who ever lived. Jaws, E.T. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park—to name but a few—are considered...
Do you want to meet the greatest film director who ever lived? That would be a loaded question in any context, but it has extra weight in Steven Spielberg’s new release, The Fabelmans. With the film being a semi-autobiographical portrait of the legendary filmmaker’s own adolescent years, the picture feels in many ways like a rare window into meeting the real Spielberg—or at least the Spielberg as imagined in the director’s own head.
While the film has a thin layer of artistic license, anyone can see it’s a rumination by an auteur of a certain age in his early halcyon days. And for many audience members, Spielberg is the greatest film director who ever lived. Jaws, E.T. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park—to name but a few—are considered...
- 11/24/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Patrick Duffy is returning to The Bold and the Beautiful for a meet-the-girlfriend family reunion.
Beginning with the CBS soap’s Nov. 23 episode, Duffy will reprise his role as Logan family patriarch Stephen Logan, which he played from 2006-2011. Dad will pay a surprise visit to his daughters Brooke, Donna and Katie when he introduces them to his new girlfriend Lucy (portrayed by Duffy’s real-life-love, The Office alumna Linda Purl). “Stephen soon learns of Brooke and Ridge’s marital issues and offers his support,” per the official synopsis.
More from TVLineWhere Was La Brea Security? Did Andor Make You B2Emotional?...
Beginning with the CBS soap’s Nov. 23 episode, Duffy will reprise his role as Logan family patriarch Stephen Logan, which he played from 2006-2011. Dad will pay a surprise visit to his daughters Brooke, Donna and Katie when he introduces them to his new girlfriend Lucy (portrayed by Duffy’s real-life-love, The Office alumna Linda Purl). “Stephen soon learns of Brooke and Ridge’s marital issues and offers his support,” per the official synopsis.
More from TVLineWhere Was La Brea Security? Did Andor Make You B2Emotional?...
- 11/18/2022
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Robert Clary, who played Corporal LeBeau on the long-running World War II comedy Hogan’s Heroes, has died. He was 96.
The news was confirmed by Deadline’s sister publication The Hollywood Reporter, which cited his granddaughter Kim Wright.
Clary was seen by generations on the CBS show, which was set in a German prisoner of war camp during World War II. His Corporal LeBeau was a French Pow and a member of an Allied sabotage unit operating inside the camp. Not only did Hogan’s Heroes have a long run from 1965-1971, but it played endlessly thereafter in syndication.
Clary was one of the last two surviving members of the show’s principal cast, the other being Kenneth Washington, who played Sergeant Richard Baker in the show’s final season.
He was also a survivor of the Holocaust. Born in Paris in 1926 as the youngest of 14 children in a Jewish family, he...
The news was confirmed by Deadline’s sister publication The Hollywood Reporter, which cited his granddaughter Kim Wright.
Clary was seen by generations on the CBS show, which was set in a German prisoner of war camp during World War II. His Corporal LeBeau was a French Pow and a member of an Allied sabotage unit operating inside the camp. Not only did Hogan’s Heroes have a long run from 1965-1971, but it played endlessly thereafter in syndication.
Clary was one of the last two surviving members of the show’s principal cast, the other being Kenneth Washington, who played Sergeant Richard Baker in the show’s final season.
He was also a survivor of the Holocaust. Born in Paris in 1926 as the youngest of 14 children in a Jewish family, he...
- 11/17/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Robert Clary, best known for playing Corporal Louis LeBeau on the beloved CBS sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, has died. He was 96. Clary’s granddaughter Kim Wright confirmed the death to The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that he passed away Wednesday (November 16) morning at his home in Los Angeles, California. Born on March 1, 1926, in Paris, France, Clary was deported to a Nazi concentration camp as a teenager during World War II because he was Jewish. He survived, though, which he later credited to his ability to dance and sing, which kept the German troops entertained. “Singing, entertaining, and being in kind of good health at my age, that’s why I survived,” Clary told the THR in 2015. “I was very immature and young and not really fully realizing what situation I was involved with … I don’t know if I would have survived if I really knew that.” After the war, Clary continued to record music,...
- 11/17/2022
- TV Insider
Robert Clary, who played beret-clad French chef Corporal Louis LeBeau on the CBS sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, has died at the age of 96, his granddaughter confirms to The Hollywood Reporter.
Born in France, Clary was actually sent to a Nazi concentration camp as a teenager during World War II because he was Jewish. He survived, though, which he credited to his ability to entertain the German troops by singing and dancing. After the war, he recorded music and appeared on Broadway before landing the role of LeBeau on Hogan’s Heroes, which debuted on CBS in 1965.
More from TVLineA Hogan's Heroes Sequel...
Born in France, Clary was actually sent to a Nazi concentration camp as a teenager during World War II because he was Jewish. He survived, though, which he credited to his ability to entertain the German troops by singing and dancing. After the war, he recorded music and appeared on Broadway before landing the role of LeBeau on Hogan’s Heroes, which debuted on CBS in 1965.
More from TVLineA Hogan's Heroes Sequel...
- 11/17/2022
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Longtime French actor, singer and Holocaust survivor Robert Clary, known for his lead role in “Hogan’s Heroes,” has died at age 96.
Clary died Wednesday morning in his Los Angeles home, his granddaughter, Kim Wright, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Clary — named Robert Max Widerman at birth — was born March 1, 1926, in France and forced into internment in a Nazi concentration camp as a child. At age 27, he moved to United States to pursue his career.
Clary is most notable for his role as Corporal Louis LeBeau on the World War II-centered sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes.” Before his death, Clary was the last living cast member from the series’ original principal cast.
Also Read:
Kymberly Herrin, Dream Ghost in ‘Ghostbusters,’ Dies at 65
In 1949, he appeared on “The Ed Wynn Show” and performed a French language comedy skit while still learning English. He later took his role in “Hogan’s Heroes” in 1965. He also appeared in several film roles,...
Clary died Wednesday morning in his Los Angeles home, his granddaughter, Kim Wright, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Clary — named Robert Max Widerman at birth — was born March 1, 1926, in France and forced into internment in a Nazi concentration camp as a child. At age 27, he moved to United States to pursue his career.
Clary is most notable for his role as Corporal Louis LeBeau on the World War II-centered sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes.” Before his death, Clary was the last living cast member from the series’ original principal cast.
Also Read:
Kymberly Herrin, Dream Ghost in ‘Ghostbusters,’ Dies at 65
In 1949, he appeared on “The Ed Wynn Show” and performed a French language comedy skit while still learning English. He later took his role in “Hogan’s Heroes” in 1965. He also appeared in several film roles,...
- 11/16/2022
- by Raquel "Rocky" Harris
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Robert Clary, the French actor, singer and Holocaust survivor who portrayed Corporal LeBeau on the World War II-set sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, has died. He was 96.
Clary, who was mentored by famed entertainer Eddie Cantor and married one of his five daughters, died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles, his granddaughter Kim Wright told The Hollywood Reporter.
CBS’ Hogan’s Heroes, which aired over six seasons from September 1965 to April 1971, starred Bob Crane as Colonel Robert E. Hogan, an American who led an international group of Allied prisoners of war in a convert operation to defeat the Nazis from inside the Luft Stalag 13 camp.
As the patriotic Cpl. Louis LeBeau, the 5-foot-1 Clary hid in small spaces, dreamed about girls, got along great with the guard dogs and used his expert culinary skills to help the befuddled Nazi Colonel Wilhelm Klink (Werner Klemperer...
Robert Clary, the French actor, singer and Holocaust survivor who portrayed Corporal LeBeau on the World War II-set sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, has died. He was 96.
Clary, who was mentored by famed entertainer Eddie Cantor and married one of his five daughters, died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles, his granddaughter Kim Wright told The Hollywood Reporter.
CBS’ Hogan’s Heroes, which aired over six seasons from September 1965 to April 1971, starred Bob Crane as Colonel Robert E. Hogan, an American who led an international group of Allied prisoners of war in a convert operation to defeat the Nazis from inside the Luft Stalag 13 camp.
As the patriotic Cpl. Louis LeBeau, the 5-foot-1 Clary hid in small spaces, dreamed about girls, got along great with the guard dogs and used his expert culinary skills to help the befuddled Nazi Colonel Wilhelm Klink (Werner Klemperer...
- 11/16/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 2019, after having worked as a writer on the 44th season of “Saturday Night Live,” Bowen Yang changed roles and became a featured member of the show’s cast. Two years later, he made history as the first featured “SNL” performer to be nominated for an acting Emmy, specifically in the category of Best Comedy Supporting Actor. Now that the recently-promoted repertory player is up for the same award again this year, he stands with Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Bill Hader, Alec Baldwin and Kenan Thompson as the sixth man (discounting guest stars) to receive multiple acting Emmy notices for the NBC sketch series.
Yang has submitted “Host: Rami Malek,” the third installment of the 47th “SNL” season, for Emmy consideration this year. This is the episode in which he went viral for his performance of a proud, gay Oompa Loompa at the Weekend Update desk. He also plays a...
Yang has submitted “Host: Rami Malek,” the third installment of the 47th “SNL” season, for Emmy consideration this year. This is the episode in which he went viral for his performance of a proud, gay Oompa Loompa at the Weekend Update desk. He also plays a...
- 8/30/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Click here to read the full article.
Joe E. Tata, who portrayed the endearing Peach Pit diner owner Nat Bussichio on all 10 seasons of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, has died. He was 85.
Tata died Wednesday night, his daughter, Kelly Katharine Tata, announced on a GoFundMe page. Earlier, she wrote that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018 and that he had been moved in April to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.
In what has to be some kind of record, Tata played henchmen to three supervillains — Frank Gorshin’s the Riddler, Burgess Meredith’s the Penguin and Victor Buono’s King Tut — on the 1966-68 ABC series Batman.
He also appeared in the ’60s on a trio of Irwin Allen-produced sci-fi shows — ABC’s The Time Tunnel (once as Napoleon) and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and CBS’ Lost in Space...
Joe E. Tata, who portrayed the endearing Peach Pit diner owner Nat Bussichio on all 10 seasons of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, has died. He was 85.
Tata died Wednesday night, his daughter, Kelly Katharine Tata, announced on a GoFundMe page. Earlier, she wrote that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018 and that he had been moved in April to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.
In what has to be some kind of record, Tata played henchmen to three supervillains — Frank Gorshin’s the Riddler, Burgess Meredith’s the Penguin and Victor Buono’s King Tut — on the 1966-68 ABC series Batman.
He also appeared in the ’60s on a trio of Irwin Allen-produced sci-fi shows — ABC’s The Time Tunnel (once as Napoleon) and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and CBS’ Lost in Space...
- 8/25/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Beverly Hills, 90210 family has lost another beloved cast member. Joe E. Tata, who played Peach Pit owner Nat Bussichio, has died at the age of 85.
“In the last few months we’ve lost Jessica Klein, one of 90210‘s most prolific writers and producers, Denise Dowse, who played Mrs. Teasley, and now I’m very sad to say Joe E. Tata has passed away,” Ian Ziering wrote on Instagram. “Joey was truly an Og. I remember seeing him on The Rockford Files with James Garner years before we worked together on 90210. He was often one of the...
“In the last few months we’ve lost Jessica Klein, one of 90210‘s most prolific writers and producers, Denise Dowse, who played Mrs. Teasley, and now I’m very sad to say Joe E. Tata has passed away,” Ian Ziering wrote on Instagram. “Joey was truly an Og. I remember seeing him on The Rockford Files with James Garner years before we worked together on 90210. He was often one of the...
- 8/25/2022
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
They almost certainly won’t win. They aren’t even on too many Emmys short lists to be nominated. But there are two shows eligible for Outstanding Comedy Series this year that — at least in this humble TV watcher’s opinion — really do deserve some sort of prize.
A James Beard Award for one of them, perhaps? And maybe the Order of Lenin for the other?
The first is “Julia,” HBO Max’s delicious comedy-drama following the life and career of cooking icon Julia Child, the grand dame of PBS who for 10 years, from 1963 to 1973, taught America how to sauté. Child has been played by some heavyweights in the past — Meryl Streep in 2009’s “Julia and Julia” and, of course, Dan Aykroyd in his famous 1978 “SNL” skit — but never before with the heart and soul, not to mention vocal alacrity, that veteran English actress Sarah Lancashire brings to the role.
A James Beard Award for one of them, perhaps? And maybe the Order of Lenin for the other?
The first is “Julia,” HBO Max’s delicious comedy-drama following the life and career of cooking icon Julia Child, the grand dame of PBS who for 10 years, from 1963 to 1973, taught America how to sauté. Child has been played by some heavyweights in the past — Meryl Streep in 2009’s “Julia and Julia” and, of course, Dan Aykroyd in his famous 1978 “SNL” skit — but never before with the heart and soul, not to mention vocal alacrity, that veteran English actress Sarah Lancashire brings to the role.
- 6/15/2022
- by Benjamin Svetkey
- The Wrap
“There are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each differently.”—Robert Evans, The Kid Stays in the Picture
~[to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies]~
Come and listen to a story of a man named Bob
Runnin’ Par-a-mount Studios, that was his job
Needed a producer for a hot prop-er-ty
So he called up a guy by the name of Al Rud-dyyyyy…
This, unfortunately, is not the theme to The Offer. The creators behind the Paramount+ limited series about the...
~[to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies]~
Come and listen to a story of a man named Bob
Runnin’ Par-a-mount Studios, that was his job
Needed a producer for a hot prop-er-ty
So he called up a guy by the name of Al Rud-dyyyyy…
This, unfortunately, is not the theme to The Offer. The creators behind the Paramount+ limited series about the...
- 4/28/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Early in Paramount Plus’ new limited series “The Offer,” movie mogul Robert Evans is delivering a soliloquy about the moment he discovered his destiny. “It was magic,” he declares. “Real magic. I knew right then and there this was my calling. That darkened movie theater became my church.”
As played by Matthew Goode, Evans is a real fake — a glottal-voiced fellow who convinces himself, first, of the pabulum he pitches others. And his declaration of movie madness, the first but hardly the last such speech he’ll give over the run of “The Offer,” sits oddly against the show’s ambitions. This program insists that movies are important, and does so by pulping perhaps the most celebrated film of the second half of the twentieth century and using it as fuel for a diverting but hardly cinematic streaming series.
Streaming-age Paramount Plus is looking back to New Hollywood Paramount Original Formula.
As played by Matthew Goode, Evans is a real fake — a glottal-voiced fellow who convinces himself, first, of the pabulum he pitches others. And his declaration of movie madness, the first but hardly the last such speech he’ll give over the run of “The Offer,” sits oddly against the show’s ambitions. This program insists that movies are important, and does so by pulping perhaps the most celebrated film of the second half of the twentieth century and using it as fuel for a diverting but hardly cinematic streaming series.
Streaming-age Paramount Plus is looking back to New Hollywood Paramount Original Formula.
- 4/27/2022
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
From the day Nicole Clemens took the reins of Paramount Television Studios in 2018, she fielded calls about whether “The Godfather” was available for development as a TV series.
The answer was always no. “The Godfather” — Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece that begat 1974’s “The Godfather: Part II” and 1990’s “The Godfather: Part III” — is among the most valuable assets in the Paramount Pictures vault.
Clemens couldn’t help thinking about all of those inquiries a year later when she took a general meeting with nonagenarian producer Albert S. Ruddy, whose quirky résumé ranges from “The Godfather” to “Hogan’s Heroes” to “Walker, Texas Ranger.” As he regaled her with tales of his transformation in the late 1960s from a computer programmer for Rand Corp. to Hollywood producer, she began to think that Ruddy’s story of breaking in as an outsider could be the Pov for a series about the making of “The Godfather.
The answer was always no. “The Godfather” — Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece that begat 1974’s “The Godfather: Part II” and 1990’s “The Godfather: Part III” — is among the most valuable assets in the Paramount Pictures vault.
Clemens couldn’t help thinking about all of those inquiries a year later when she took a general meeting with nonagenarian producer Albert S. Ruddy, whose quirky résumé ranges from “The Godfather” to “Hogan’s Heroes” to “Walker, Texas Ranger.” As he regaled her with tales of his transformation in the late 1960s from a computer programmer for Rand Corp. to Hollywood producer, she began to think that Ruddy’s story of breaking in as an outsider could be the Pov for a series about the making of “The Godfather.
- 4/27/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Why is The Offer recommended viewing?
Matthew Goode.
He's so good as longtime producer and Paramount Studios head Robert Evans that you cannot take your eyes off of him, and anything that doesn't work about The Offer is swept under the rug.
Goode's performance is brilliant as he transforms from the actor we've known from The Crown, A Discovery of Witches, Downton Abbey, and The Good Wife into Evans so entirely that it seems as if The Offer was always intended to be his vehicle.
Miles Teller might disagree, as he portrays The Godfather's sole producer, Al Ruddy, and the man from whose book The Offer is adapted.
And to be fair, Teller does a decent job with the material. He makes quite the show of Ruddy's unlikely tale about the mob being as entrenched in The Godfather's production as Mario Puzo (Patrick Gallo) and Francis Ford Coppola (Dan Fogler...
Matthew Goode.
He's so good as longtime producer and Paramount Studios head Robert Evans that you cannot take your eyes off of him, and anything that doesn't work about The Offer is swept under the rug.
Goode's performance is brilliant as he transforms from the actor we've known from The Crown, A Discovery of Witches, Downton Abbey, and The Good Wife into Evans so entirely that it seems as if The Offer was always intended to be his vehicle.
Miles Teller might disagree, as he portrays The Godfather's sole producer, Al Ruddy, and the man from whose book The Offer is adapted.
And to be fair, Teller does a decent job with the material. He makes quite the show of Ruddy's unlikely tale about the mob being as entrenched in The Godfather's production as Mario Puzo (Patrick Gallo) and Francis Ford Coppola (Dan Fogler...
- 4/25/2022
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
What makes the art of storytelling so crucial to society? What turns movies and TV shows into experiences? Experiences worth devoting hours upon hours, days upon days, years upon years of our precious lives to appreciating? Robert Evans in “The Offer,” played with vigorous charisma by Matthew Goode, has the answer. Speaking to a board of investors, the Paramount Pictures vice president pleads for a stay of execution, despite his company’s struggles, by emphasizing the difference between what he does and what these “titans of industry” do for work.
“You have to feed their souls,” he says, walking around the boardroom in his big, black, block glasses and tan, crisp, California suit. “How do you do that? Well, that’s hard. Right now, the soul of America is broken. […] People don’t trust politics or big business, so what can Americans look up to? Well, I’ll tell you: Paramount.
“You have to feed their souls,” he says, walking around the boardroom in his big, black, block glasses and tan, crisp, California suit. “How do you do that? Well, that’s hard. Right now, the soul of America is broken. […] People don’t trust politics or big business, so what can Americans look up to? Well, I’ll tell you: Paramount.
- 4/21/2022
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Created and directed by Brit comic Catherine Tate, who plays multiple comedic characters, "Hard Cell" is the new TV series, noted as the "Hogan's Heroes" of prison comedies, now streaming on Netflix:
"Events planner-turned-women’s prison governor 'Laura Willis' documents life behind bars...
"...following the staff and inmates of 'Hmp Woldsley'...
"...capturing the penal system at its worse ..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"Events planner-turned-women’s prison governor 'Laura Willis' documents life behind bars...
"...following the staff and inmates of 'Hmp Woldsley'...
"...capturing the penal system at its worse ..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 4/16/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
After subtly but unmistakably transforming himself into legendary Hollywood producer Al Ruddy for The Offer, chronicling the myriad and fraught battles to make the revered classic film The Godfather, Miles Teller says he and real-world role will be “connected forever.”
Appearing onstage at Deadline’s Contenders TV event with the Paramount+ series’ executive producer/showrunner Nikki Toscano and co-star Giovani Ribisi, Teller explained how his in-person meetings with Ruddy — long celebrated for his seemingly unflappable confidence and persuasive deal-making abilities — added that much more nuance to his performance.
“I met with Al at his house before I had officially [joined the cast]. I mean, I knew I was going to do the project, but I hadn’t officially signed on,” recalled Teller, who like Ruddy also serves as an executive producer on the series. “Al, the producer that is, he wanted to make sure that he got some face time with me because...
Appearing onstage at Deadline’s Contenders TV event with the Paramount+ series’ executive producer/showrunner Nikki Toscano and co-star Giovani Ribisi, Teller explained how his in-person meetings with Ruddy — long celebrated for his seemingly unflappable confidence and persuasive deal-making abilities — added that much more nuance to his performance.
“I met with Al at his house before I had officially [joined the cast]. I mean, I knew I was going to do the project, but I hadn’t officially signed on,” recalled Teller, who like Ruddy also serves as an executive producer on the series. “Al, the producer that is, he wanted to make sure that he got some face time with me because...
- 4/9/2022
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
Are you ready to witness the struggle to get The Godfather movies made?
Paramount+ today revealed the official trailer and key art for its original limited event series The Offer, based on Oscar®-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy’s extraordinary, never-before-seen experiences of making The Godfather.
The highly-anticipated series will premiere on Thursday, April 28, exclusively for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S.
The first three episodes of the 10-episode-long series will be available to stream at launch.
Following the premiere, the remaining seven episodes will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays.
The series stars Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans, Juno Temple as Bettye McCartt, Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo, Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola, Burn Gorman as Charles Bluhdorn, Colin Hanks as Barry Lapidus, and Patrick Gallo as Mario Puzo.
The trailer certainly showcases the hurdles faced to get one of the...
Paramount+ today revealed the official trailer and key art for its original limited event series The Offer, based on Oscar®-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy’s extraordinary, never-before-seen experiences of making The Godfather.
The highly-anticipated series will premiere on Thursday, April 28, exclusively for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S.
The first three episodes of the 10-episode-long series will be available to stream at launch.
Following the premiere, the remaining seven episodes will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays.
The series stars Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans, Juno Temple as Bettye McCartt, Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo, Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola, Burn Gorman as Charles Bluhdorn, Colin Hanks as Barry Lapidus, and Patrick Gallo as Mario Puzo.
The trailer certainly showcases the hurdles faced to get one of the...
- 3/23/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Paramount+ is trying to make an “Offer” no one can refuse.
The 10-episode limited series, “The Offer,” about the true story behind making the “The Godfather,” arrives just in time for the half-century anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award-winning epic. The show debuts April 28.
Dan Fogler plays then-studio-newcomer director Coppola (hot off indie “The Rain People”), who is tasked with bringing Mario Puzo’s novel to life for Paramount Pictures. The studio wanted “someone who understands Italians” to direct the feature, and while Coppola’s Italian roots made him a prime choice to helm the feature, it was clear that traditional gangster movies were “dead” by the early 1970s. A big-budget gamble was a high risk for Paramount at the time.
But it was up to Coppola and his Italian-American vision to save the picture. From including scenes that focus on family and heritage instead of mafia members,...
The 10-episode limited series, “The Offer,” about the true story behind making the “The Godfather,” arrives just in time for the half-century anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award-winning epic. The show debuts April 28.
Dan Fogler plays then-studio-newcomer director Coppola (hot off indie “The Rain People”), who is tasked with bringing Mario Puzo’s novel to life for Paramount Pictures. The studio wanted “someone who understands Italians” to direct the feature, and while Coppola’s Italian roots made him a prime choice to helm the feature, it was clear that traditional gangster movies were “dead” by the early 1970s. A big-budget gamble was a high risk for Paramount at the time.
But it was up to Coppola and his Italian-American vision to save the picture. From including scenes that focus on family and heritage instead of mafia members,...
- 3/23/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
It’s the 1970s in Los Angeles and some shady studio guys are trying to get a movie made. But some dangerous criminals are rather put off by the concept and would like it not to happen. Will they manage to work things out? That’s question posed by the trailer for the upcoming Paramount+ miniseries “The Offer,” which you can watch now.
Of course, by now you know the movie in question was “The Godfather” and that this show is based on things that actually happened, so of course they managed to work it out. The how of that is the focus of the 10-episode event, however. Expect to see a lot of 1970s Los Angeles sleaze, 1970s New York grime, and plenty of that Hollywood magic, baby. Also, since Robert Evans is a character, probably lots of cocaine.
“The Offer” stars Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans,...
Of course, by now you know the movie in question was “The Godfather” and that this show is based on things that actually happened, so of course they managed to work it out. The how of that is the focus of the 10-episode event, however. Expect to see a lot of 1970s Los Angeles sleaze, 1970s New York grime, and plenty of that Hollywood magic, baby. Also, since Robert Evans is a character, probably lots of cocaine.
“The Offer” stars Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans,...
- 3/23/2022
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Have you ever wanted to delve into the making of The Godfather?
Paramount+ today revealed the teaser trailer for its original limited event series The Offer.
The teaser trailer was revealed by executive producer and showrunner Nikki Toscano during Paramount+’s virtual Television Critics Association (TCA) presentation.
The series will premiere on Thursday, April 28, exclusively for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S.
The first three episodes of the 10-episode-long series will be available to stream at launch. Following the premiere, the remaining seven episodes will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays.
From Paramount Television Studios, The Offer is based on Oscar®-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy’s extraordinary, never-before-seen experiences of making The Godfather.
The series stars Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans, Juno Temple as Bettye McCartt, Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo, Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola, Burn Gorman as Charles Bluhdorn,...
Paramount+ today revealed the teaser trailer for its original limited event series The Offer.
The teaser trailer was revealed by executive producer and showrunner Nikki Toscano during Paramount+’s virtual Television Critics Association (TCA) presentation.
The series will premiere on Thursday, April 28, exclusively for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S.
The first three episodes of the 10-episode-long series will be available to stream at launch. Following the premiere, the remaining seven episodes will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays.
From Paramount Television Studios, The Offer is based on Oscar®-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy’s extraordinary, never-before-seen experiences of making The Godfather.
The series stars Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans, Juno Temple as Bettye McCartt, Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo, Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola, Burn Gorman as Charles Bluhdorn,...
- 2/1/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Throughout 2021, we have been updating our “In Memoriam” photo gallery (view above). Scroll through to remember 33 entertainers from film, television, theater and music. Many were winners at the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and/or Tonys. Here is a closer look at just a few of those we celebrate in our gallery:
Legendary composer Stephen Sondheim died on November 26 at age 91. He was a seven-time Tony Award winner for “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods” and “Passion.” He received a lifetime achievement Tony in 2008. He was an Oscar winner for “Dick Tracy” and a seven-time Grammy winner. Other well-known shows were “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Pacific Overtures,” Merrily We Roll Along,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Assassins” plus “West Side Story” and “Gypsy” as a lyricist. He was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Kennedy Center Honors.
Legendary composer Stephen Sondheim died on November 26 at age 91. He was a seven-time Tony Award winner for “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods” and “Passion.” He received a lifetime achievement Tony in 2008. He was an Oscar winner for “Dick Tracy” and a seven-time Grammy winner. Other well-known shows were “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Pacific Overtures,” Merrily We Roll Along,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Assassins” plus “West Side Story” and “Gypsy” as a lyricist. He was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Kennedy Center Honors.
- 12/29/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Actress Jean Hale Coleman, who had over 60 appearances in films and on TV staples of the ’60s and ’70s, passed away on August 3 in Santa Monica, according to family. She was 82.
For decades, Hale worked steadily on some of network TV’s biggest series including Bonanza, Hawaii Five-o, McHale’s Navy, My Favorite Martian, The Perry Mason Show, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Hogan’s Heroes, Cannon, The Wild Wild West and many others.
She also memorably played the Mad Hatter’s fetching paramour Polly, the hatcheck girl, in two episodes of the ABC’s iconic Batman series starring Adam West.
Hale was born December 27, 1938 in Salt Lake City to Doris Norrell and Stanton G. Hale. Her father was a major corporate leader of Mormon heritage and her great grandfather, Soloman Hale, owned a ranch with Brigham Young. She was raised in Darien, Connecticut.
Hale was educated...
For decades, Hale worked steadily on some of network TV’s biggest series including Bonanza, Hawaii Five-o, McHale’s Navy, My Favorite Martian, The Perry Mason Show, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Hogan’s Heroes, Cannon, The Wild Wild West and many others.
She also memorably played the Mad Hatter’s fetching paramour Polly, the hatcheck girl, in two episodes of the ABC’s iconic Batman series starring Adam West.
Hale was born December 27, 1938 in Salt Lake City to Doris Norrell and Stanton G. Hale. Her father was a major corporate leader of Mormon heritage and her great grandfather, Soloman Hale, owned a ranch with Brigham Young. She was raised in Darien, Connecticut.
Hale was educated...
- 9/27/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
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