Your own24/7 LIFEBLOGof Entertainment!
Person
Albert S Ruddy
Producer
1 title
- Date of Birth: 1930-03-28 (Passed away at age 94)
- Nationality:
Canada - Place of birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Awards:
He is best known for producing the Academy Award-winning films The Godfather (1972) and Million Dollar Baby (2004).
Mini Bio
Albert S. Ruddy, born in Montreal, Canada, on March 28, 1930, was a Canadian-American film and television producer and screenwriter. Ruddy also co-created the popular television series Hogan's Heroes (1965–71) and Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001).
Backstage
- Ruddy worked for the Rand Corporation before he worked in films, and then later worked for Ayn Rand attempting to produce Atlas Shrugged as a movie in the seventies.
- After his modest success with Little Fauss and Big Halsy (a film about itinerant motorcycle bums), Ruddy next planned to do a film about female Roller Derby skaters. Then, however, The Godfather came into the world, and the Roller Derby film never got off the ground.
- Father of actress Alexandra Ruddy.
- Burt Reynolds Collaborator: He formed a close, lifelong partnership with actor Burt Reynolds, creating the original story and producing The Longest Yard, as well as producing the massive comedy hits The Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II.
- Mob Warnings: During the pre-production of The Godfather, real-life mobsters shot out the windows of his assistant's car. They left a dashboard note reading, "Shut down the movie or else.".
- Mafia Peace Treaty: To secure filming safety, he personally met with mob boss Joe Colombo. He agreed to remove the terms "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" entirely from the script.
- On-Screen Protagonist: Actor Miles Teller portrayed him as the central character in The Offer, a 2022 biographical miniseries detailing his chaotic, high-stakes experience producing The Godfather.
- Architectural Roots: He studied chemical engineering before graduating with a degree in architecture. He entered Hollywood after a chance meeting with studio mogul Jack L. Warner while working for a New Jersey construction firm.
- Monster Designer: His first ever official film credit was as an art director on the 1955 film The Beast With a Million Eyes, where he designed a movie monster for just $50.
