1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: It's spring of nineteen sixty four. Mario Puzo walks into 2 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: the Plaza Hotel, sweating in an overcoat, with slick black 3 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: hair and a copy of his best selling novel tucked 4 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: under his arm. He's feeling skeptical. A producer from Paramount 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: wants to turn his four hundred and forty eight page 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: novel into a movie, and they want him, a novelist 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: who's never written a screenplay, to write the script. It's 8 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: been a year since The Godfather came out. Mario assumed 9 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: Paramount wasn't interested in the option anymore. He wasn't so 10 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: old either. For the first time in his life, Mario 11 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: Puzo is not broke. Adapting his novel into a screenplay 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: sounds like work. He sits down with a thin man 13 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: named Al Ruddy and Ruddy's wife, Francoise. Ruddy cuts to 14 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: the chase and tells him he's out on a limb 15 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: for Mario. No one in Hollywood trusts authors to adapt 16 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: their own books. Worried Mario will be too precious with 17 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: the novel, Mario is ready to walk away. It's just 18 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: not worth it. Just then, Francoise opens her purse and 19 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 1: pulls out a miniature poodle who lets out a little yip. 20 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: Mario is enchanted. Suddenly he wants the job. He throws 21 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: his copy of The Godfather onto the carpeted floor and 22 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: says to Ruddy, you have my word of honor. I'll 23 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: never look at that book again. Ruddy extends his hand 24 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 1: and says, Mario, you just got the job. I'm Mark 25 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: Seal and I'm Nathan King. This is leave the gun, 26 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: take the canoli. 27 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 2: In this episode will chronicle the rise of The Godfather 28 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: stalwart producer Al Ruddy. 29 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: And check in on our lovable author Mario Puzzo and 30 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: see how he's adjusting to his new life in Hollywood. 31 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 2: So, Mark, if Mario Puzzo was an unlikely screenwriter and 32 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 2: Al Ruddy was an even more unlikely producer. 33 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, very much so. When Al Ruddy got the job 34 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,959 Speaker 1: to produce The Godfather, he was known as the guy 35 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: to get things done, but his path the Hollywood was 36 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: extremely round about. 37 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. Like so many other characters in this story, Al 38 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 2: Ruddy was an immigrant as well. 39 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: Yes, he was from Canada, and he immigrated with his 40 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: mom and two siblings when he was seven. And I 41 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: was lucky enough to speak with him on the phone 42 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: and in person a few times over the course of 43 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: my reporting, and he told me many stories, including their 44 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: immigration story. 45 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 3: She came to the United States. My mother took three kids. 46 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 3: She stuck over the border. She had it with my father, 47 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 3: who was an alcoholic and abused you because he threw us. 48 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 3: We drove over the border one night, ed up in 49 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 3: New York and that's where we sat. Oh, my mother 50 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 3: told us, remember, he's a way to being deported. They 51 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 3: asked you what you were boring? Say, you don't know. 52 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: So what was Ruddy's upbringing like in New York? 53 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: Well, he went to Brooklyn Technical High School and then 54 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: worked his way through school at USC as an architecture 55 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: major of all things. 56 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: So very applicable to the movie business. 57 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't think show business was even on his 58 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: radar yet. But after college he ended up in a 59 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: job that would be surprisingly relevant to his later career. 60 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: He moves back east and gets a job supervising construction 61 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: crews on a housing development in New Jersey. 62 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: That's a great connection. He's orchestrating all these huge groups 63 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 2: of people and dealing with unions, trying to stay on 64 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: a budget. The housing development is pretty much like a movie. 65 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, but not nearly as glamorous. 66 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: Right did he know at this point he wanted to 67 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 2: be a producer. 68 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: I don't think so at this point, but he didn't 69 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: know what he wanted. But he didn't know what he 70 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: didn't want. He told me that when he went to quit, 71 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: his boss tried to offer him more money, but he 72 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: just wasn't having it. 73 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 3: Let's just see if you get it. I'm not leaving 74 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 3: because of the money. I just didn't want to grow. 75 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 4: Up to be here. 76 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 3: One day and Budd boots twenty years from him, looking 77 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 3: at another suite, New Jersey. 78 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 2: So he moves back to California, and this is when 79 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 2: he starts working at the Ranch Corporation. It was a 80 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 2: military think tank, which seems a little bit strange to me. 81 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is a bit strange, but being already he 82 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: promptly rose through the ranks, just as he did wherever 83 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: you went. He got an assistant and started bailing on 84 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: work so he could, as he put it, have his 85 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: adventures in Hollywood as a jack. 86 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 3: I may not be in this office all the time, 87 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 3: twenty four hours a day, but what something urgent comes 88 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 3: through for me and cover for me, it's right, absolutely, 89 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 3: don't worry about Well, once Jack Kack just started, I 90 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 3: had time to roam around Hollywood. 91 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 2: What kind of adventures are we talking? 92 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: So at this point he knew he wanted to work 93 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: and show business, but he had no idea about how 94 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: to break in. Naturally, he buys a Jaguar x K 95 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: one twenty and starts roaming around town. 96 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 2: Now he's sounding like a movie producer. But what did 97 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 2: he expect just to drive a fancy car around town 98 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 2: and someone would point him out and invite him to 99 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 2: come work in the movies. 100 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: Well that's what almost happened being Al Ruddy. One day 101 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: on his way to work in his new Jaguar, something 102 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: amazing happens. 103 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 3: I was driving to work one day and there was 104 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 3: a big juice. So I shout at the lifeless asier 105 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 3: the window and said, keV watah, maybe we get a 106 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 3: part time job there? Pay by Carl offense going there, 107 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 3: and the guy sees me, I said, hey, I sell 108 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 3: you a sign on the window. I'd love to hear 109 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 3: a jobbing a part time I don't want to part 110 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 3: time guys, now I needed both times, I said, listen, 111 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 3: I could sell more fucking shoes part time than any 112 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 3: guy you got selling shoes both times? Oh really? 113 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,679 Speaker 1: And according to Ruddy, a woman walks in who needs 114 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: some shoes, and he sells their fourteen pairs of shoes immediately, 115 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: And of course the owner of the shop says, you 116 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: got the job part time. 117 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 2: How's working in a shoe store going to get him 118 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 2: a Hollywood producer job. That seems like a pretty big leap. 119 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 1: Well, it's all about who you know, Nathan, and that 120 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,919 Speaker 1: store would prove to be the perfect place to meet people. 121 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: One day, a friend of Alice, an agent named Elliott Cassner, 122 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: comes into the store with his buddy Brian Hutting. 123 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 3: Elli and Kanson brings Brian Hutting around to my shoe 124 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 3: store on Saturday to meet me, and he thinks I'd 125 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 3: be a great for He goes there, and. 126 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: Brian'll be a great direct Brian was an actor who 127 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: had secured the rights to a hit Broadway play called 128 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: The Connection, and he wanted to stage it in California. 129 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: So Brian and Elliott convince Al that he should produce 130 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: the play, and of course they needed help with financing, 131 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: so al says, there's only one person he can think of, 132 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: who has any money. A young woman he went to 133 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 1: school with, who has output it had always had the 134 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: hots for him. He convinced her to invest fifteen grand 135 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: in the production, and just like that, Al Ruddy is 136 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: a producer. 137 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 2: God, this guy can talk his way into anything. 138 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: Nathan, you have no idea. So after that play, Alan 139 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: Bryan Hunting go on to produce a script for Marlon 140 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: Brando's studio and Universal puts it out. And then Al 141 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: Ruddy meets an actor named Bernie Fine, and the two 142 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: are commiserating about the business and all suggests they team 143 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: up to write a half hour comedy pilot together. 144 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 3: I'm half to know how to be a writer. 145 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: To do a half hours with The two decided to 146 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: rent a crappy office for fifty dollars a month, and 147 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: these two guys who have never written anything in their 148 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: lives sit down and write the pilot for Get Ready 149 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: for this Hogan's Heroes. Oh my god, you know it's 150 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: a familiar story. It happens over and over and over again. 151 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 1: How many men and women are sitting in rooms in 152 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: Hollywood trying to come up with something and hear Al 153 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: Ruddy and Bernie Fine, who have never written anything, start 154 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: batting around ideas, what about this, what about that? And 155 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: they come up with the idea of a prisoner of 156 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: war camp and finally it was set in the US 157 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: in the beginning. And that's when Bernie Fine took the 158 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: trip on a plane and he saw someone reading Von Ryan's. 159 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 2: Express, the book about the German pow camp. 160 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: Exactly when he came back, they said, hey, what about 161 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: setting it in a German prisoner of war camp during 162 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: World War Two? And bingo, that's it. The idea for 163 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: Hogan's Heroes is born. 164 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 2: I think what's funny about this story is that not 165 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 2: only had they never written anything before, they didn't even 166 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 2: have an idea. So they were manufacturing an idea out 167 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 2: of thin air. And then they spun it into the script. 168 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, they spun it into a script. And then they 169 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: wanted to take it to an agent. And I think 170 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: one of them knew a friend of a friend of 171 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: a friend of a friend baby and he said, Hey, 172 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: I like this, I'll take you to CBS. Meet me there. 173 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: And it turns out they're going to meet with William S. Paley, 174 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: the head of CBS, who was in town from New 175 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 1: York and had decided to take a meeting from them. 176 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,079 Speaker 2: So they end up not only getting a meeting, but 177 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,079 Speaker 2: getting a meeting with one of the biggest people in 178 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 2: the business. 179 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 1: Yes, as Al Ruddy told me, it's like meety god, 180 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:27,559 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, here's william S. Paley, the head 181 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: of the network. And so they go into the studio 182 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: and there's Paley and his executive team. Paley says, I 183 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: didn't call you here to tell you what a great 184 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: script you'd written, but to admonish you because a Nazi 185 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: prisoner of warkapp is not funny. 186 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 2: I mean that's not really surprising, not at all. 187 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: But Al Ruddy doesn't care, and he proceeds to act 188 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: out the entire pilot by himself, jumping up and down, 189 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: using a fake machine gun, the whole thing, and Bill 190 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: Paley starts to laugh, to laugh, obviously, the whole. 191 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 3: Room start to laugh. Right. He said, I don't think 192 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 3: I defind that show, but that's the funniest thing I've 193 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 3: heart this year. That's a negatives to Bailey. 194 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 2: And two weeks later, Ruddy gets the call that they've 195 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 2: decided to do the show. So, all of a sudden, 196 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 2: he's a wildly successful television writer and what comes next. 197 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: So he still wants to be a movie producer, and 198 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 1: now he actually knows people in Hollywood and is considered 199 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 1: to be some kind of a genius. He gets immediate 200 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: paramount and he sits down with our friends Robert Evans 201 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: and Peter bart And what do they think of him? 202 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: They love him. I think Evans related to him a 203 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: bit well. 204 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:39,479 Speaker 2: They both had unlikely backstories. 205 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: Evans came from the ladies pants business and Ruddy worked 206 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 1: in a shoe store. 207 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 3: Bob Evans told me, he said, you know what, everyone 208 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 3: laughed at me when I got this job. I was 209 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 3: an addressed business and no one because they didn't have 210 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 3: any back web. I think the same thing about you, Ruddy. 211 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 3: I got a good feeling from it. 212 00:10:57,360 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 1: You have no back web I might give. 213 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 2: So they give him a job yep, and an office 214 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 2: on the Paramount lot. 215 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 3: And so they gave me an office. So now city 216 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 3: on the lot. They gave me other spot right trying 217 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 3: to be what the fuck to do? 218 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:15,959 Speaker 2: So what does Ruddy do? 219 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 3: Well? 220 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 1: He produces a movie, a motorcycle movie called Little Files 221 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: and Big Halsey. It stars Robert Redford and it stays 222 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: under budget and grosses two million dollars. Ernie Ruddy a 223 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: reputation as a producer and get movies made on the cheap. 224 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:35,719 Speaker 2: I'm sure Evans loved that. 225 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: Yes, of course, and it wasn't long before Evans and 226 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: Peter Bart were considering Ruddy to produce The Godfather. 227 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:45,559 Speaker 3: I get a call one time, do I want to 228 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 3: produce The Godfather? I thought it was a joke. Well, yes, 229 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 3: of course, that's my favorite book. I never read. It's 230 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 3: what he had in New York. 231 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 4: To be Charlie Bluehorn, he. 232 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 3: Has to approved the director. 233 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: So he runs down, he said to Barnes, and no, well, 234 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:02,599 Speaker 1: buys a copy of the book and reads it on 235 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: the plane to meet Charlie Blue dorm. 236 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 3: When it comes to Charlie Blue Door, Oh, Charlie Blue 237 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 3: the next line, the next line forget? How would you playing? 238 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 3: Are you okay? The next time? What do you want 239 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,199 Speaker 3: to do with this movie? I looked at him, and 240 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,719 Speaker 3: I looked at the book. I want to do it? 241 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,719 Speaker 3: Ice Blue terrified movie? So people you love? 242 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 2: What did he mean by that? The people you love? 243 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 3: Well? 244 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: I think he was inferring that, you know the movie 245 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: was about organized crime figures, and maybe figure Charlie had 246 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: known one or two of them in his lifetime in business. 247 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 2: Well, in any case, Charlie was thoroughly convinced and gave 248 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 2: him the job. 249 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: Charlie figured he was the right man for the job. 250 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: And also I believe Charlie knew that, you know, Ruddy 251 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 1: could bring it in on a budget. And also I 252 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:57,319 Speaker 1: think he respected Ruddy's toughness and honesty and directness. 253 00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 2: Isn't there a story about him putting his foot in 254 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 2: his on his way out the door? 255 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, So on his way out Ruddy wants to make 256 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:06,719 Speaker 1: a clean escape after getting the job, you know. He 257 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: says he wants to get into the elevator and get 258 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: out of there. 259 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 3: And Charlie Bluter comes walking down the hallway with a 260 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 3: guy in tow. He points to me, this. 261 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 4: Man the genius. 262 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 3: He puts his arm around me now and restles me 263 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 3: down the hallway. 264 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: But before he does, he notices a poster of the Adventurers, 265 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: which was like the steamy thriller starring Candas Bergen. 266 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:29,839 Speaker 3: Hi press Van, I just want to get out. I 267 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 3: got the job. I didn't want to. 268 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,439 Speaker 1: Talk anymore, right, Oh, Charlie, I like that post so 269 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: that he. 270 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 3: I said, Charlie, I think the lesson you have to 271 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 3: worry about. As the poster, Yeah, you met the bestment. 272 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 3: So in the movie this week, I said, I did Charlie, 273 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 3: and we break handed. I was but the only guy 274 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 3: I left in the theater after the intermission. I did 275 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 3: know one thing, Hodie. I am personally cut. 276 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 4: Twenty minutes out of that movie. 277 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 3: Just at the elevator door opens. Charlie cutting twenty minutes 278 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 3: of that movie. 279 00:13:57,960 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: It's like Dinah Cantor trimming your toe. 280 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 3: He looked at me. 281 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 4: I swear to God Mark. The door closed, and I 282 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 4: was out. 283 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: The elevator. Doris close, boom. Al Ruddy makes it to 284 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: the street. He still has the job. 285 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 2: Wow, that's a lot different than today's Hollywood. People really 286 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 2: didn't mince their words back then. Okay, So, against all odds, 287 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 2: Al Ruddy's the new producer of The Godfather. 288 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: Yes, and his first task is to find a screenwriter, 289 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: which leads him to the Plaza Hotel in New York 290 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: to meet with our very own Mario Puzo. 291 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 2: And Ruddy was the one pushing for Pusa to write 292 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 2: the script. That's right, okay, So al Ruddy knew that 293 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 2: you didn't necessarily need screenwriting experience to be a screenwriter. 294 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess Hogan's heroes had taught him that. But Puso, 295 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: of course made a very compelling argument when he threw 296 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: his book on the floor at the Plaza Hotel. 297 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 4: He chakes the book and he throws it on the floor. 298 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 3: I don't never have to look at this book again. 299 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 4: I want to work at the screenplay with you. 300 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: He offers him a salary, an office on the Paramount lot, 301 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: and puts him up in the Beverly Hills Hotel. 302 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 2: Well, that sounds like saying Mario Puzo could get used. 303 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: To, Yes, But the first thing already had to do 304 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: was convinced the only person who had veto power over 305 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: Poso's life his wife, Erica. 306 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 2: And how did that go well? 307 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: At this point, Mario and his family are living on 308 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: Long Island and Mario has diabetes. His wife, Erica is 309 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: really worried about his diet and doesn't want him to 310 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: eat himself to death in California, so Ruddy drives out 311 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: there to talk to her. 312 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 3: I said, missus Pusso, I will pick Mario a pussa 313 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 3: up every morning and keep it with me all day, 314 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 3: including dinner at Knight until we. 315 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 4: Do the screenplay. 316 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 2: And that was that she trusted him. 317 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: That was that Mario flew first class to Hollywood, where 318 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: already was waiting to lead him into another world. 319 00:15:57,760 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 2: And how was Puso feeling? 320 00:15:59,360 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: Was he excited? 321 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 2: Nervous? 322 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: I think a little bit of both. I'll read you 323 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: something he wrote years later, Apparently this is what he 324 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: was thinking while on the plane. To quote the Godfather, 325 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: was their picture not mine? I would be cool. I 326 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: would never get my feelings hurt. I would never get 327 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: proprietary or paranoid. I was an employee. 328 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 2: He had no idea what he was getting into, did 329 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 2: he I don't think so. So he lanced in Hollywood 330 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 2: and then what straight to work? 331 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: Well, straight to the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Pink Palace itself. 332 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 2: And it could be argued that between the pool and 333 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 2: the Polo Lounge, the Beverly Hills Hotel is one of 334 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 2: the most popular off campus places to conduct business in Hollywood. 335 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: Yet they're both storied places. But of course, Mario Puzo 336 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: found his real home, not in his suite, which was 337 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: pretty great, but on the tennis court. 338 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 2: Mario was a big lover of tennis, wasn't he Yes, 339 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 2: he felt like that was his exercise. 340 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: I don't know exactly how great of a tennis player was, 341 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: but he loved the and that's what he concentrated on 342 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: as much as screenwriting when he was in Los Angeles. 343 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 2: So Paramount puts him up at the Beverly Hills Hotel. 344 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 1: They also gave him an office on the Paramount lot 345 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: and hired him an assistant. 346 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 2: The one and only Janet Snow who you spoke to 347 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:18,160 Speaker 2: for the book and the podcast. 348 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 4: It's so nice to see you, Mark. I always enjoy 349 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 4: talking about this. It was one of the most exciting 350 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 4: times of my whole life. 351 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:30,920 Speaker 2: Mark. Why don't we start with how Janet came to 352 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,639 Speaker 2: work for Mario, because as much as this was a 353 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 2: life changing time for Mario, it was also a life 354 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 2: changing time for Janet. 355 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: Of course. So Janet was a young woman living in 356 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, and like so many LA success stories, her 357 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: story starts at a party. 358 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 4: A dear friend of mine invited me to watch the 359 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 4: Oscars at a friend of his home in Holmby Hills, 360 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 4: which is our most exclusive area in Los Angeles. 361 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 1: And who does she meet standing at the buffet but 362 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: Gray Frederickson The Godfather's newly minted associate producer, and Gray 363 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 1: only has one qualification in mind for Mario's new assistant. 364 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 4: And he said, way, any chance, do you happen to 365 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 4: play tennis? And I said, I do play tennis, and 366 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 4: he said, oh my gosh, well, I have just been 367 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 4: hired to be the associate producer on The Godfather and 368 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 4: Mario Puso, the writer, just came into town and we 369 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 4: need to find an assistant for him. Would you be 370 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 4: interested in coming to Paramount Pictures tomorrow and meeting already 371 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 4: the producer and Mario Puso. And I said, sure, that 372 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 4: would be wonderful. I'm just reading the book now. I 373 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 4: love this book, and I'd love to meet Mario. 374 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:57,880 Speaker 2: What are the chances? 375 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: Well, Janet's luck is seeing unending. They set the date 376 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: for the meeting at nine thirty. The next morning, Janet 377 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: goes out to the famous nightclub called Pips with her 378 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: friends and sort of forgets about the meeting. 379 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 4: And the next morning I woke up it was late 380 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 4: and I remembered the meeting with Gray, and I looked 381 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 4: at my clock and I went, oh my god, it's 382 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:26,440 Speaker 4: nine thirty. And I called him because I wasn't sure 383 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 4: that he really meant it. And I called him and 384 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 4: I said, great, Hi, this is Shanna. And he said, 385 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 4: where are you the heads of the studio. We're here, 386 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 4: Mario's here. Oh my god, you were supposed to be 387 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 4: here at nine thirty. And I said, oh my gosh, 388 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 4: you're serious. I'll be there. I'll be there. I'll be 389 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 4: right there. 390 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: So she gets ready to go, and remember it's one thing, 391 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:50,880 Speaker 1: she doesn't have a car. 392 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 4: So in desperation, Out of desperation, I went upstairs and 393 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 4: knocked on the door of the building's owner and I said, 394 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,400 Speaker 4: I have a very important job interview, and I don't 395 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 4: have a car. I don't have a way of getting there. 396 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 4: And he said, not a problem. Come with me. I 397 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 4: have a car that you can use. And we went 398 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 4: down into this big subterranean parking facility garage and he said, here, 399 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 4: how about this one. He opens the door to a 400 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 4: beautiful new white link and Continental with red leather interior, 401 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:30,880 Speaker 4: and I just went, oh my god, thank you so much. 402 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: She drafts the Paramount, parks her fancy borrowed car at 403 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: the director's building and walks into Already's office. 404 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 4: It was a huge office and the shutters were closed 405 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:50,920 Speaker 4: and the lights were dim and there were about six 406 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 4: men in the room, and they all started shooting questions 407 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 4: at me, and I was just kind of answering the questions, 408 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 4: just off the cub, and all of a sudden I 409 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 4: started to hear, Oh my god, she's perfect, and I went, 410 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 4: oh my god, I have to sit down. 411 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: So just like that, she gets the job, not before 412 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 1: Mario Puzo does her. The first of many favors. 413 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 4: I saw this very heavy man sitting on a leather 414 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 4: sofa with his feet up on the coffee table, and 415 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 4: I went and sat down next to him, and already 416 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 4: was sitting behind an enormous desk, and he was telling 417 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 4: me about the project and telling me about the Godfather 418 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,719 Speaker 4: and that Mario Puzso had just arrived and that they 419 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 4: needed an assistant for Mario and would I be interested 420 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 4: in and I said I would be very interested. And 421 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 4: so all of a sudden, the heavy said man next 422 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,479 Speaker 4: to me started pushing on my leg and saying something, 423 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 4: but I couldn't hear him. He was whispering. And then 424 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 4: I finally just turned to him and said what he 425 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 4: said the money? Asked about the money, and then I 426 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 4: already said what seems to be the problem, And I 427 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 4: looked toward Mario and I said, well, he said the money. 428 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 2: I feel like that's so indicative of the relationship that 429 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 2: Mario and Janet had. He was looking out for her 430 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:17,719 Speaker 2: from the beginning. 431 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: Yes, the two made quite a pair because in so 432 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 1: many ways they were both unqualified for the jobs they had. 433 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 1: Mario had never written a screenplay and Janet had never 434 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 1: worked as an assistant. In fact, she couldn't even type. 435 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: So what did they do all day? Well, Janet talks 436 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,919 Speaker 1: to the Money with Al Ruddy, gets hired, and her 437 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: and Mario go gets settled in Mario's new office, but 438 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 1: neither one of them has any idea of what to do. 439 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 4: So Mario came out and he said, I don't know 440 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 4: what the heck I'm supposed to be doing in here. 441 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 4: And I said, well, I don't know what I was 442 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 4: supposed to be doing here either, And he said, well, 443 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 4: I'm going to give you your first assignment. I want 444 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 4: you to call me a cab and have it take 445 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 4: me to my hotel. 446 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: And so she says, I don't have to call you 447 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: a cab. I have a car, And so she takes 448 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: him down to the director's building lot and he sees 449 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: all these wonderful cars there of the Director's, Ferrari's probably, 450 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 1: and Cadillacs, and who knows what else, and sees a 451 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,479 Speaker 1: beat up old Volkswagen and he assumes that's Janet's. 452 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 4: Car and Mario I noticed Mario's starting to try to 453 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 4: open the door of the Volkswagen. I go, Mario, what 454 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 4: are you doing? 455 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 5: And he said, well, isn't this your car? And I said, no, no, 456 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,679 Speaker 5: this is my car. And he looks at this white 457 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 5: Lincoln Continental. So we get in the car and we 458 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 5: drive out of Paramount and I. 459 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 4: Put the top down and we're driving along Melrose and 460 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,199 Speaker 4: he's got his arm out the window holding a cigar, 461 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 4: leaning on the door, and he just screams wow. And 462 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 4: then he looks down. He saw the phone and he 463 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 4: said what's that And I said, well, god's a telephone. 464 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 4: And he said, who can you call on that phone? 465 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 4: And I said, well, you can call anybody in the 466 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 4: world on that phone, and he said, oh my god, 467 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 4: get me already. I said sure, and I called the 468 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 4: mobile operator and got already picks up the phone and 469 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 4: he just again screams wow. 470 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 2: So Mario's got a suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel 471 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 2: in office and an assistant who can't type. What could 472 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 2: possibly go wrong? 473 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: Well, he's supposed to be writing the screamplay, but he's 474 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: totally bewildered. He has no idea what to do, so 475 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: Already tells him to get every plot point typed out 476 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 1: on an index card. 477 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 2: But Janet can't type. 478 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: No, she cannot, but the two of them figure away 479 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: around that. 480 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 4: So Mario came into my office and he saw me 481 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 4: struggling as much as he was struggling in his office, 482 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,360 Speaker 4: and he said, what are we doing? You're more valuable 483 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 4: on the tennis court than you are at that typewriter, 484 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 4: and I don't want to be sitting here on this 485 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 4: beautiful day. So let's find a typing service and we 486 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 4: can have them type the book on three by five 487 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 4: cards and we can go off and play tennis, of 488 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 4: which we did. 489 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: They outsourced it, yes, and Janet wanted to show the 490 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 1: completed notes to Already on Monday, but Mario taught us 491 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: something about the fine art of procrastination. 492 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 4: We went to the studio and I said, I'm going 493 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 4: to take this box of three by five cards down 494 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 4: to al and he said, don't be a dope, Ganet. 495 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 4: We can run this thing out. Nobody could type the 496 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 4: book over the weekend on three by five cards you 497 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 4: out to hand in just a little bit each day. 498 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 4: And I went, oh, my gosh, Mario, thanks for guiding me. 499 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 2: I just never would have. 500 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 4: Thought of that. 501 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 2: So he's found a way to put off writing the script. 502 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 2: What's he doing in the meantime, Well, he's having a 503 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 2: great time. 504 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: He and Jatted are playing tennis. He's going to restaurants, 505 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: and of course the social invitation start rolling in. 506 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 4: The word got out that Mario was in Los Angeles, 507 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 4: and the phone started ringing. There were lunch invitations, dinner invitations. 508 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 4: He was very shy, and he liked me being there. 509 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 4: And I enjoyed being there because the people were fascinating 510 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 4: and it was fun. 511 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 2: And a big feature of his time in Hollywood is 512 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 2: that Puzzo gets to meet some of his idols. 513 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 1: Yes, and there's a story that I just love about. 514 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 1: One day in the Beverly Hills Hotel, his phone rings 515 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: with yet another social invitation. 516 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 4: I picked up the phone and this incredible voice said, 517 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,440 Speaker 4: there's Mario Puzo there. I said, who's calling? And he 518 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 4: said Orson Wells and I said, well, moment please. I 519 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 4: went the other room and I said, Mario, somebody by 520 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 4: the name of Orson Wells. And he goes Orson Wells 521 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,199 Speaker 4: and I said yes, And he went and picked up 522 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 4: the phone and he said hello, and he started talking 523 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 4: with him and he said, oh, my goodness, I love 524 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 4: to Yes, absolutely, of course, and then he hung the 525 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 4: phone up and he turned to me and he goes, Janet, 526 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 4: that was Orson Wells, one of the most talented people ever. 527 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 4: And he's taken a bungalow at the hotel and he's 528 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 4: invited us to come over. And so we get to 529 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 4: this beautiful bungalow and the door opens and this very 530 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 4: large man, Alita Cigar, welcomes us and we sat down 531 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 4: and Mario and Orson well start to talking and it 532 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 4: was the most hypnotizing, brilliant, clever, creative, intelligent conversation I 533 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 4: had ever heard, and still maybe have ever heard. 534 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 2: So Puso's an unlikely sensation. When he hits the ground 535 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,959 Speaker 2: in Hollywood. He's sort of a celebrity, at least by 536 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 2: the standards of a popular writer. 537 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 1: He was, you know, he's going to the studio, he's 538 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 1: going to dinner in lunch with people he had never 539 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 1: met before. And of course he's always going to Vegas 540 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,640 Speaker 1: to indulge in his passion for gambling. 541 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 2: And Janet Snow was sort of his chaperone this whole time. 542 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 1: Yes, And in Janet, he had someone who knew the town, 543 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 1: who lived there. She grew up there, and so she 544 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: knew Los Angeles. She was kind of the perfect assistant 545 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: for him. 546 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 2: Do you think I already hired Janet because he got 547 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 2: the sense that he wasn't going to be able to 548 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 2: make good on his promise to Puso's wife. 549 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: I don't know about that. But there's a funny story 550 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: Alreaddy tells. You know, he's trying to watch Puso's weight, 551 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 1: and he's going to breakfast in lunch with him, he says, 552 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 1: and he's eating, you know, boiled pears and poached eggs, 553 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 1: and they're both having grapefruit and trying to lose weight. 554 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: And while Ruddy, who's already then keeps losing weight, Mario 555 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: kept gaining weight. And one night he goes into this 556 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: Los Angeles pizza parlor that he went to all the time, 557 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 1: and the owner of the place says man that Mario 558 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: Puso's a great guy, and Ruddy says, what, how do 559 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 1: you know Mario Puso? And he goes, well, I bring 560 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: him a pizza every night at the Beverly Hills Hotel. 561 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 2: So he was ordering on the sly. It's incredible. So 562 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 2: at this point, the script that Puso is working on 563 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 2: closely follows the Godfather book right exactly. 564 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 1: You can see early drafts of it in the archives 565 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: at Dartmouth University. 566 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 2: Do you think that the producers of the Godfather had 567 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 2: any sense that Mario wasn't going to be the man 568 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 2: to deliver the final screenplay of The Godfather? 569 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 1: Well, I think probably so. Although early drafts of his 570 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: screenplay were pretty well received by Peter Bart, he gave 571 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 1: a lot of notes which still exists. He said he 572 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: was off to a good start. You know, he knew 573 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: the material like nobody else did. He had written The 574 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: Godfather the novel, so he knew the story best. But 575 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: he needed someone with some experience writing screenplays to help him, 576 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: and they were looking for a director throughout this period. 577 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 1: They just couldn't find anyone who wanted to do the movie, 578 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 1: which was crazy enough in itself. 579 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 2: So as he's approaching a completed first draft of his script, 580 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 2: what does Puso do? 581 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 1: So Puso is unleashed. You know, he's able to embark 582 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: upon what he calls his Hollywood adventures, most notably a 583 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: famous run in with Frank Sinatra at Chasin's. 584 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 2: This is the real life Johnny Fontaine, the womanizing singer 585 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 2: who appeals to the Godfather for help at the beginning 586 00:30:59,600 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 2: of the film. 587 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: And you know, Frank Sinatra was reportedly unhappy with the 588 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: depiction of Johnny Fontaine, which is much more elaborate in 589 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: the book than it turns out to be in the film. 590 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 2: And in nineteen sixty nine, Sinatra had just come out 591 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 2: with My Way, so he's about as big as an 592 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 2: artist can get at this point. 593 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: Well, Frank Sinatra was a superstar, probably the greatest Italian 594 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 1: American singer of all time. 595 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 2: So Mario Puzzo knew who Frank Sinatra was and probably 596 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 2: modeled the character of Johnny Fontaine on him. 597 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:33,959 Speaker 1: Well, not only knew who he was, he adored him, 598 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: He idolized him. He said, when he was growing up 599 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: in Hell's kitchen, there were two pictures on the wall 600 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: one of John F. Kennedy and the other of Frank Sinatra. 601 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: He was iconic in Mario's eyes. 602 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 2: And Sinatra was an Italian American success story. He was 603 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 2: from Hoboken, New Jersey, which is not far away from 604 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 2: where Mario Puzo grew up in Hell's Kitchen, and he 605 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 2: represented that Italian American way of life. 606 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, he was a huge success story. I mean, Mario 607 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: surely looked up to him as a supreme entertainer and 608 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: also as a success story of a young man who 609 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: could come out of Hoboken and capture the hearts and 610 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: minds of the world with his talent. You know. In 611 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 1: many ways their stories were similar, except that Mario was 612 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: kind of the flip side of Frank Sinatra. He wasn't 613 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 1: the handsome movie star suave singer, but his talent was 614 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: that he could write, you know. And so Mario Puzo 615 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: and Frank Sinatra had a lot in common and then 616 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: a lot different as well. 617 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 2: So this is all a roundabout way of saying that 618 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 2: when Puzo spotted Sinatra across the room and chasin's that 619 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 2: faithful night, he was excited and knew. 620 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: Who he was right exactly, He knew who he was. 621 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: He said in his book The Godfather Chronicles that he 622 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: saw Frank Sinatra and John Wayne and Chasin's looking like 623 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: two gods. 624 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 3: You know. 625 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,959 Speaker 1: They were tanned and thin and fit, and they were 626 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 1: just movie stars. They were stars. 627 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 2: And Janet Snow was actually there, so she has her 628 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,240 Speaker 2: account of what happened that evening. 629 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: Yes, and this is one of those stories that has 630 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 1: a few versions, but Janet was there, and she says 631 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 1: that she drove them to Chasin's. They walked in and 632 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 1: people started flooding Mario Puzo for autographs, and across the 633 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 1: room she spot Sinatra, and she already knows that Sinatra 634 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: is unhappy with Mario's depiction of Johnny Fontaine in the book. 635 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: So the two sit down for dinner, and here's how 636 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: Janet says it happened. 637 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 4: I excuse myself and go to the lady's room. And 638 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 4: I came back and Mario was gone, and I sat down. 639 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 4: I thought, oh, maybe he went to the men's room. 640 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 4: So I'm just sitting there, and then it occurs to me, 641 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 4: I look over at Sinatra's table, and oh, my god, 642 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:57,040 Speaker 4: Mario's standing at Sinatra's table, and so I ran over 643 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 4: and I looked at Mario and his face was ushen, 644 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 4: and Sinatra was looking down at the table, at his 645 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 4: plate and speaking in Italian, and he was very unhappy, 646 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 4: and I couldn't understand what he was saying, and I 647 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,279 Speaker 4: just knew I had to get Mario out of there 648 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 4: right then. 649 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:24,920 Speaker 2: So what did Sinatra actually say to Puso. 650 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: Well, it's kind of a mystery, but according to Mario, 651 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 1: he approached Sinatra to meet him just as a fan, 652 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: and Sinatra was very adamant that he did not want 653 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: to meet Mario Puzso. So Puso starts apologizing for approaching him. Well, 654 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:44,400 Speaker 1: Sinatra takes that as an apology for the Johnny Fontaine 655 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 1: character in the book, and Sinatra asked him, who told 656 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 1: you to put that in your book? Your publisher? And 657 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 1: Puzzo sets the record straight, No one tells him what 658 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,280 Speaker 1: to put in his books. He said he was apologizing 659 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: for trying to meet Sinatra and nothing else, which is 660 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: when Sinatra started yelling at him. 661 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,879 Speaker 2: Do you think Mario intended Johnny Fontaine as this sort 662 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 2: of admiring portrait of Sinatra, You. 663 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,480 Speaker 1: Know, I think so. But at the same time, he 664 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 1: didn't hold back. When you read the parts about Johnny 665 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:19,319 Speaker 1: Fontayne in the novel, I could see it why Frank 666 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,640 Speaker 1: Sinatra might not have been happy with it. And even 667 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 1: in the movie, you know, Johnny Fontayne, he's slapped by 668 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: the Godfather when he starts crying about his career. So 669 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: there's good and bad about Johnny Fontaine in the movie. 670 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:34,840 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously they make it clear that he's a 671 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,720 Speaker 1: huge star, the way he comes into the wedding scene 672 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:42,040 Speaker 1: and Connie yos Johnny Johnny, and the mother says, Johnny 673 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 1: sing us a song, and you know, it's just so romantic. 674 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:47,680 Speaker 1: It seems like it would be like that if Frank 675 00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 1: Sinatra walked into a wedding like Johnny Fontainne did. 676 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 2: But Puso certainly didn't mean anything bad to Sinatra by it. 677 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: I don't think so. He's a writer. He didn't call 678 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: him Frank Sinatra. He called to Johnny Fontayne, which I 679 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 1: love the name, don't you. It's just the perfect name. 680 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,520 Speaker 1: If you read the novel, there's a lot about him 681 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,040 Speaker 1: that I could see Frank Sinatra would not have liked, 682 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 1: especially if he built like it was being modeled on him. 683 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 2: But if you look at the movie it was worth 684 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 2: including those Johnny Fontaine sections because they are really some 685 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:20,440 Speaker 2: of the most iconic ones in the film. 686 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 3: Yeah. 687 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 1: Well, Johnny Fontaine's the reason for the whole horses head seen, 688 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 1: you know, because Jack Waltz wouldn't give him the role 689 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: in that war picture he was making. You know, no 690 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 1: way Johnny Fontaine gets that part in the movie. So 691 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:38,720 Speaker 1: without Johnny Fontayne, you wouldn't have had those extraordinary scenes 692 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: of the horse's head and then all of a sudden 693 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:46,280 Speaker 1: they cut to the Godfather's office and the flowers from Johnny, 694 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,799 Speaker 1: you know, thanking the Godfather for getting him the part 695 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 1: in that movie. I mean, without Johnny Fontaine, you'd be 696 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:53,879 Speaker 1: missing a lot. 697 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:56,480 Speaker 2: Do you think this was a wake up call for 698 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 2: Pozzo and sort of his first exposure to Holly would ego. 699 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 4: Yeah. 700 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 1: I think he probably felt like, we're not in Kansas anymore, 701 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 1: you know. But at the same time, he wasn't by 702 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 1: any means innocent. I think he knew what he was 703 00:37:11,719 --> 00:37:15,320 Speaker 1: getting into, and he was a very smart man. He 704 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:18,839 Speaker 1: knew the town was different than where he had grown up. 705 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:20,920 Speaker 1: But he grew up in New York. Let's face it, 706 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 1: he grew up in Hell's kitchen. He was used to 707 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,800 Speaker 1: all sorts of people, so he was not naive in anyway. 708 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 2: Well, Mark, let's talk about how Copla came into the picture. 709 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:35,279 Speaker 2: At this point, there's a draft of the script, but 710 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:37,759 Speaker 2: there's no director attached to do anything with it. 711 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:41,400 Speaker 1: Yes, So Paramount was looking for a bankable director to 712 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:44,239 Speaker 1: direct The Godfather. It was going to be a big 713 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:47,320 Speaker 1: release and they wanted an equally big name in charge. 714 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,080 Speaker 1: They went out to a bunch of directors like Sam 715 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 1: Peckinpaul and Auto Primenger, but they either weren't right or 716 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,400 Speaker 1: they didn't want to be involved. It was considered glorifying 717 00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:01,279 Speaker 1: the mafia, and most bankable director weren't interested in that. 718 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 1: And then one day, on the drive to work together, 719 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 1: Peter Bart and Robert Evans got to talking and they 720 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:10,879 Speaker 1: hit upon the idea that what was missing in most 721 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 1: of the gangster films of those days, including The Brotherhood 722 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:19,239 Speaker 1: starring Kirk Douglas and Scarface starring Jimmy Cagney, they didn't 723 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,440 Speaker 1: feature Italian Americans in leading roles, and so that was 724 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: a difference. And so Evans says, he wants to create 725 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: a movie that is so authentically Italian American that you 726 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:32,719 Speaker 1: can smell the spaghetti, and nothing could be more authentic 727 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 1: than having an Italian American director, and only one name 728 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:52,279 Speaker 1: came to mind, Francis Ford Coppola. Leave the Gun, Take 729 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,800 Speaker 1: the Canoli as a production of Airmail and iHeartMedia. 730 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:58,719 Speaker 2: The podcast is based on the book of the same name, 731 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:00,880 Speaker 2: written by her very own Mark Seal. 732 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,240 Speaker 1: Our producer is Tina Mullin. 733 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:05,840 Speaker 2: Research assistance by Jack Sullivan. 734 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: Jonathan Dressler was our development producer. 735 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 2: Our music supervisor is Randall Poster. Our executive producers are 736 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:18,399 Speaker 2: Meet Nathan King, Mark Siel, Doan Fagan and Graydon. 737 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:22,360 Speaker 1: Carter Special Banks to Bridget Arseno and everyone at c 738 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:23,600 Speaker 1: DM Studios. 739 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 2: A comprehensive list of sources and acknowledgments can be found 740 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 2: in Mark Sieal's book, Leave the Gun, Take the Canolli, 741 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,680 Speaker 2: published by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster.