GODFATHER SQUAD
THE OFFER
THE SHOWS THAT ARE GOING BIG ON THE SMALL SCREEN THIS YEAR…
When The Godfather producer Albert S. Ruddy jumped on stage to accept the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1973, it was the end of a night of cinematic controversy. Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic crime movie started the evening with 10 nominations and went on to win three gold statuettes, including an Oscar for Marlon Brando’s performance as mob boss Vito Corleone. Brando, however, boycotted the ceremony and declined the trophy as an act of protest against “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry”, sending actress and activist Sacheen Little-feather (aka Marie Louise Cruz) to speak on his behalf.
Ruddy made no mention of the hullabaloo in his Best Picture acceptance speech, which was watched by 85 million people. When the excited producer was handed his Oscar by Clint Eastwood, he congratulated a couple of colleagues and then spoke about
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