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a14 people & arts
Tuesday 26 april 2022
'The Offer' recreates wild drama behind 'The Godfather'

By ALICIA RANCILIO Coppola's creative vision,
NEW YORK (AP) — On a while taking heat from all
trip to New York in the early sides. It depicts how Cop-
1970s, Robert Evans, the pola desperately wanted
former head of Paramount, to cast a then-unknown,
discovered a dead rat in his off-Broadway actor named
hotel room bed. According Al Pacino in the role of Mi-
to the new Paramount+ se- chael Corleone, much to
ries " The Offer, " this was not the initial dismay of Evans
an unfortunate travel ex- and Gulf + Western. He also
perience that today would thought Marlon Brando was
result in a scathing Yelp re- perfect as Don Corleone,
view, but a warning from even though Brando was
the mafia. considered too unreliable
Crime boss Joseph Colom- at the time. Ruddy persist-
bo believed Mario Puzo's ed and made it happen.
book "The Godfather" was "If he believed in some-
an insult to Italian Ameri- body and if he told you he
cans and did not want Par- had your back, he did. He
amount to adapt it for the had it until the very end,"
big screen. said Teller.
The scene is both horrifying This image released by Paramount+ shows David Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola in a scene from Ruddy was the film's sole
and hilarious as Matthew "The Offer," debuting April 28 on Paramount+. producer — a rarity in to-
Goode as Evans high-tails Associated Press day's Hollywood, but his
it out of town, after order- support system included his
ing the movie's producer, went into making it." acters, and there's going they couldn't," said Teller. assistant Bettye McCartt,
Al Ruddy (played by Miles Although the "The Godfa- to be some insight into the "Even some true-blue mov- who was at his side every
Teller), to make it right. ther" is an extreme exam- making of the film. But I ie stars, you'd be surprised step of the way.
What's revealed in the ple, Colin Hanks, who plays think even if someone has how quickly the enthusiasm Juno Temple plays Mc-
10-episodes of "The Offer," one of the suits at Para- not seen 'The Godfather,' I for them fades if they're not Cartt and calls it "one of
debuting April 28, is that mount's then owner, Gulf think it's a pretty interesting coming off a hit. And some- the greatest honors" of her
pressure from the mafia + Western, says "The Offer" examination of just how dif- body told me 'In this busi- career to bring Ruddy and
was just one of many hur- provides a window into just ficult it is." ness, nobody cares what McCartt's partnership to
dles that Ruddy, Evans and how hard it is to make any- It also shows how fickle Hol- you did two years ago.' the screen, a pair who trust-
other players navigated to thing in Hollywood. lywood can be. I think it's nobody cares ed each other implicitly.
get the movie made. "It's an interesting show "I've talked to really ac- what you did seven months "You always hear like,
"I couldn't believe some of for the people that have claimed and accredited ago. It's a constant proving ''Men and women can't
the stories," said Goode. watched 'The Godfather' filmmakers who made an ground." be friends.' Yeah, they can.
Adds Patrick Gallo, who and love 'The Godfather' incredible film and then "The Offer" paints a he- They can be best friends
plays Puzo: "if you love the because obviously they're assumed that they would roic picture of Ruddy, who and they can get such in-
film, you're not going to be- going to know locations, be able to make whatever was steadfast in protect- credible (expletive) done
lieve the kinds of things that they're going to know char- they wanted to next. And ing director Francis Ford together."q

Playwright Neil Simon's papers go to Library of Congress

most successful and prolific in the Park," plenty of notes his career and won three, in
playwright. for actors or directors, and addition to a special prize
The collection includes over a dozen notepads for contribution to the the-
about 7,700 items docu- filled with watercolors, ater. He also won the Pu-
menting the evolution of drawings and cartoons by litzer Prize, the Mark Twain
Simon's plays and screen- Simon. There are also sev- Prize for American Humor
plays, including "Barefoot eral scripts for shows never and a Kennedy Center
in the Park," "The Sunshine completed or produced, honor, as well as having a
Boys," "Brighton Beach such as one titled "The Mer- theater named after him
Memoirs" and "Lost in Yon- ry Widows," written for Bette on Broadway. He died in
kers." Midler and Whoopi Gold- 2018 in New York City.
The donation will be of- berg. The donated materials
ficially announced at a "The donation of Simon's range from hundreds of
special event with actors papers to our nation's li- scripts, notes and outlines
Matthew Broderick and brary is a treasured addi- for his plays, including hand-
American playwright Neil Simon appears during an interview in Sarah Jessica Parker — tion to our holdings that written first drafts and mul-
Seattle, Wash., on Sept. 22, 1994. both currently starring in a enhances our performing tiple drafts of typescripts,
Associated Press Broadway revival of "Plaza arts collection as one of to personal notebooks and
Suite" — and Elaine Joyce, the best in the world. It also signed baseballs.
By MARK KENNEDY late playwright Neil Simon Simon's widow on Monday ensures Simon's legacy is The Library of Congress is
AP Entertainment Writer have been donated to the night at the Library. It will be preserved for generations already home to the col-
NEW YORK (AP) — Doz- Library of Congress. The livestreamed starting at 7 to come," Librarian of Con- lections of several Broad-
ens of notebooks, scripts, collection offers offering p.m. ET on the Library's You- gress Carla Hayden said in way icons, including Arthur
speeches, drafts of letters, historians and researchers Tube channel. a statement. Laurents, Marvin Hamlisch
artwork and even signed access to the creative pro- The cache includes a yel- Simon was nominated for and Bob Fosse and Gwen
baseballs owned by the cess of American theater's lowing first act of "Barefoot 14 Tony Awards throughout Verdon.q