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Richard Bright (actor)
Richard James Bright (June 28, 1937 – February 18, 2006) was an American actor, well known for his role as Al Neri in the '' Godfather'' films. Early life Bright was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Matilda (''née'' Scott) and Ernest Bright, who was a shipbuilder. Career Bright began his career doing live television in Manhattan at the age of 18, and made his film debut in Robert Wise's ''Odds Against Tomorrow'' (1959). He also worked on several movies early in his career with his friend Sam Peckinpah. In 1965, Bright starred in poet Michael McClure's two-person show ''The Beard'', performing first in San Francisco and later in Los Angeles, New York City, and London. In San Francisco, his female co-star Billie Dixon and he were arrested and brutally beaten by police for uttering obscenities about local politicians and simulating them in sexual acts. The ACLU represented Bright, citing First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. In the end, the charge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rutanya Alda
Rutanya Alda (born Rūta Skrastiņa; October 13, 1942) is a Latvian-American actress. She began her career in the late 1960s, and went on to have supporting parts in ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), ''Rocky II'' (1979), and ''Mommie Dearest'' (1981). She also appeared in a lead role in the horror films '' Amityville II: The Possession'' and '' Girls Nite Out'' (both 1982). Life Rutanya Alda was born Rutanja Skrastiņa (Rūta Skrastiņa) in Riga, in German-occupied Latvia, the daughter of Vera ( ''née'' Ozoliņa), a businesswoman, and Jānis Skrastiņš, a poet. Alda, her grandmother, her mother and her brother spent seven years in a displaced persons camp in Allied-occupied Germany after World War II. She then relocated with her family to the United States, briefly living in Chicago before settling in Flagstaff, Arizona. Career With a career spanning nearly 50 years in show business and over 100 roles, Alda might be best known for her performances in ''The Deer Hunter'' as Steven's w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Getaway (1972 Film)
''The Getaway'' is a 1972 American heist thriller film based on the 1958 novel by Jim Thompson. The film was directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Walter Hill, and stars Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson, Al Lettieri, and Sally Struthers. The plot follows imprisoned mastermind robber Carter "Doc" McCoy (McQueen), whose wife Carol (MacGraw) conspires for his release on the condition they rob a bank in Texas. A double-cross follows the crime and the McCoys are forced to flee for Mexico with the police and criminals in hot pursuit. Peter Bogdanovich, whose ''The Last Picture Show'' impressed McQueen and producer David Foster, was originally hired as the director of ''The Getaway''. Thompson came on board to write the screenplay, but creative differences ensued between him and McQueen and he was subsequently fired along with Bogdanovich. Writing and directing duties eventually went to Hill and Peckinpah, respectively. Principal photography commenced on February 7, 1972, on l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fredo Corleone
Frederico "Fredo" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather''. Fredo is portrayed by American actor John Cazale in the Francis Ford Coppola 1972 film adaptation and in the 1974 sequel, ''The Godfather Part II''. He is the second son of the Mafia don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro). Fredo is the younger brother of Sonny (James Caan) and the elder brother to Michael (Al Pacino) and sister, Connie (Talia Shire). Corleone family ''consigliere'' Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) is his informally adopted brother. Being weaker and less intelligent than his brothers, Fredo has little power or status within the Corleone crime family. In the novel, Fredo's primary weakness is his womanizing, a habit he develops after moving to Las Vegas and which earns his father's disfavor. In the films, Fredo's feelings of personal inadequacy and his inability to act effectively on his own behalf are character flaws leading to greater consequences. Appearan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton ('' née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and the AFI Life Achievement Award. Keaton's career began on stage when she appeared in the original 1968 Broadway production of the musical '' Hair''. The next year she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Woody Allen's comic play '' Play it Again, Sam''. She then made her screen debut in a small role in ''Lovers and Other Strangers'' (1970), before rising to prominence with her first major film role as Kay Adams-Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's ''The Godfather'' (1972), a role she reprised in its sequels ''Part II'' (1974) and ''Part III'' (1990). She frequently collaborated with Woody Allen, beginning with the film adaptation of '' Play It Again, Sam'' (1972). Her next ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emilio Barzini
Emilio "The Wolf" Barzini is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' and in its 1972 film adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Richard Conte. The Barzini crime family was inspired by the Genovese crime family. In the novel Barzini heads one of New York's Five Families, and is the second most powerful Mafia don in the country after Vito Corleone. His criminal interests are in narcotics, gambling, and prostitution, and he is looking to expand his empire to Las Vegas to take advantage of the Mafia's lucrative casino rackets. Don Barzini first appears as a guest at Connie Corleone's wedding. Soon after, he arranges for his associate, drug lord Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo, to meet Don Vito Corleone with an offer to join the Barzini and Tattaglia families in the narcotics trade; Sollozzo in particular is hoping to gain access to Vito's political connections. During the meeting, Sonny, the family underboss, expresses interest in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Hagen
Thomas Hagen is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' and Francis Ford Coppola's films ''The Godfather'' (1972) and ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974). He is portrayed by Robert Duvall in the films. He also appears in the Mark Winegardner sequel novels, '' The Godfather Returns'' and ''The Godfather's Revenge'', as well as Ed Falco's novel, ''The Family Corleone.'' Duvall was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA for his performance in the first film. He operates as the ''consigliere'' and as a lawyer for the Corleone family, and is an informally adopted member of the family. Character overview Hagen is the informally adopted son of the mafia boss Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). He is a lawyer and the ''consigliere'' to the Corleone American mafia family. Logical and gentle, he serves as the voice of reason within the family. The novel and first film establish that he is of German-Irish ancestry. Vito's elde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Consigliere
Consigliere ( , ; plural ) is a position within the leadership structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and Italian-American Mafia. The word was popularized in English by the novel ''The Godfather'' (1969) and its film adaptation. In the novel, a consigliere is an advisor or counselor to the boss, with the additional responsibility of representing the boss in important meetings both within the boss's crime family and with other crime families. The consigliere is a close, trusted friend and confidant, the mob's version of an elder statesman. They are an advisor to the boss in a Mafia crime family, and sometimes is their "right-hand man". By the very nature of the job, a consigliere is one of the few in the family who can argue with the boss, and is often tasked with challenging the boss when needed, to ensure subsequent plans are foolproof. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Rosqui
Thomas Francis Rosqui (June 12, 1928 – April 12, 1991) was an American character actor known for his versatility at portraying a variety of stage and film roles. Born in Oakland, California, the son of a Portuguese mother, Sally (née Fernandes), a homemaker, and an Italian father, Thomas A. Rosqui, a traffic manager, Rosqui appeared on Broadway in ''Sticks and Bones'' and '' The Price'', among other productions. He also appeared on television, but his most prominent role was as Corleone family bodyguard Rocco Lampone in the first two '' Godfather'' movies. Personal life and death Rosqui was married to actress Erica Yohn Erica Yohn (October 1, 1928 – January 27, 2019) was an American stage and television actress. Yohn had many bit parts in film and television, such as '' Pee-wee's Big Adventure'', and television shows, such as '' Rhoda'', '' ER'', '' Murphy ... until his death at age 62 in 1991, following a long struggle with cancer. He was survived by a son and tw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corleone Family
The Corleone family are fictional characters in both the novels and the films created by Mario Puzo, first appearing in his 1969 novel, ''The Godfather''. They are an organized crime family originating from the Sicilian town of Corleone, and based in New York City. The Corleone family has drawn comparisons with the real-life Genovese and Bonanno crime families. Fictional history The fictional Corleone crime family traces its roots to 1920, when Vito Corleone assassinated Little Italy's padrone, Don Fanucci, and took over Fanucci's territory along with fellow criminals Genco Abbandando, Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio. Shortly afterward, he founded the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company as a front for his criminal activities. Around 1925, Vito formally organized the family, with Genco as his consigliere and Clemenza and Tessio as caporegimes. They became the most powerful crime family in New York City after defeating Salvatore Maranzano during the Olive Oil War in the early 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Corleone
Michael Corleone is a fictional character and the protagonist of Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather (novel), The Godfather''. In the The Godfather (film series), three ''Godfather'' films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael was portrayed by Al Pacino, for which he was twice-nominated for Academy Awards. Michael is the youngest son of Vito Corleone, a Sicilian immigrant who builds a Mafia empire. Upon his father's death, Michael succeeds him as the Crime boss, don of the Corleone crime family. In June 2003, Michael Corleone was recognized as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains, 11th most iconic villain in film history by the American Film Institute, although some critics consider him to be a tragic hero. The British film magazine ''Empire (film magazine), Empire'' selected Michael Corleone as the 11th greatest movie character, with Pacino's performance as Michael Corleone widely regarded as one of the greatest performances in cinematic history. Family Born ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Palmes d'Or, and a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA). After directing ''The Rain People'' in 1969, Coppola co-wrote ''Patton'' (1970), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay along with Edmund H. North. Coppola's reputation as a filmmaker was cemented with the release of ''The Godfather'' (1972), which revolutionized the gangster genre of filmmaking, receiving strong commercial and critical reception. ''The Godfather'' won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay (shared with Mario Puzo). His film ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974) became the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Highly regarded by critics, the film ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making him one of the few performers to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting. He has also been honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the National Medal of Arts. A method actor and former student of the HB Studio and the Actors Studio, where he was taught by Charlie Laughton and Lee Strasberg, Pacino's film debut came at the age of 29 with a minor role in ''Me, Natalie'' (1969). He gained favorable notice for his first lead role as a heroin addict in '' The Panic in Needle Park'' (1971). Wide acclaim and recognition came with his breakthrough role as Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
