Albert S. Ruddy Explained

Albert S. Ruddy
Birth Name:Albert Stotland Ruddy
Birth Date:28 March 1930
Birth Place:Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation:Film producer
Yearsactive:1965–2021
Alma Mater:University of Southern California
Spouse:Françoise Ruddy (divorced)
Children:2

Albert Stotland Ruddy (March 28, 1930 – May 25, 2024) was a Canadian-American film and television producer.[1] He produced The Godfather (1972) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), both of which won him the Academy Award for Best Picture, and co-created the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971).[2]

Early life

Albert S. Ruddy was born to Ruth (née Rudnikoff) Hertz, a clothing designer, and Hy Stotland, who made uniforms,[3] [4] Jewish parents[5] in Montreal, and raised in New York City and in Miami Beach, Florida, by his mother after his parents divorced when he was 6.[6] [2] Ruddy attended Brooklyn Technical High School before earning a scholarship to allow him to study chemical engineering at City College of New York. In 1956, he graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) with a degree in architectural design.[7] [4]

Career

While he was at USC, he accompanied his then-girlfriend, who was employed on one of Roger Corman‘s first movies, to Palm Springs and wound up becoming the art director for The Beast with a Million Eyes (1955). Ruddy also designed a monster for the film for $50. Ruddy worked designing homes for a construction company, in Hackensack, New Jersey. This eventually led to him meeting Warner Brothers studio chief Jack L. Warner, who offered him a job in Los Angeles after being impressed by Ruddy's knowledge and enthusiasm.[8] [9]

After a short stint at Warner Brothers, Ruddy moved on to become a programmer trainee at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California. Returning to entertainment, Ruddy became a television writer at Universal Studios, but left when Marlon Brando Sr., father of the actor, hired him to produce Wild Seed (1965), which was produced by Brando Jr.'s Pennebaker Productions.

With this film completed, Ruddy co-created Hogan's Heroes (CBS, 1965–1971),[10] which was a critical and commercial success and ran for six seasons, despite network doubts about the suitability of WWII Nazis as comedic characters.[2] As the sitcom wound down its run, Ruddy returned to films, producing two comedies: Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970), about two motorcycle racers, and Making It (1971), about a sexually triumphant high school student who beds the gerontophobic wife of his gym teacher.[11]

In 1972, he produced The Godfather, an adaptation of Mario Puzo's novel. During the development of The Godfather, Ruddy held secret meetings with Joseph Colombo, Colombo's son and even 1,500 delegates of the Italian-American Civil Rights League which led to him gaining trust that the film would not stereotype or defame Italians.[2] His numerous meetings with Anthony Colombo proved very productive in gaining trust from the League and the Colombo Family. The film was a massive success both commercially and critically, and is regarded as one of the best films ever made, as well as a landmark of the gangster genre.[12] The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won three  - including Ruddy's first of two Oscars for Best Picture.

In 1974, Ruddy produced an adaptation of his own story treatment as The Longest Yard.[11] [2] The film, which has been described as "the first successful modern sports movie",[13] was very successful financially and was subsequently remade twice with Ruddy as executive producer (as Mean Machine (2001) and as The Longest Yard (2005)).

The following year, Ruddy produced director and animator Ralph Bakshi's satirical film Coonskin (1975). The film was extremely controversial and initially received negative reviews, but it would eventually earn critical acclaim. It is one of director Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies.[14]

In 1976, he produced a western made-for-TV movie called The Macahans, which was subsequently developed into the series How the West Was Won (1977–1979).

For some time, Ruddy worked with writer-philosopher Ayn Rand to produce her 1957 epic novel Atlas Shrugged as a movie, the rights to which he purchased in the mid-1970s, but the movie never moved beyond the planning stages. Rand demanded unprecedented final script approval, which Ruddy agreed to. However, her friends pointed out that Ruddy could shoot the approved script but still leave all her speeches on the cutting room floor. Rand asked for final editing approval, which neither Ruddy nor the director had the power to give her, so she responded by withdrawing her support from the film and vowing to ensure that Ruddy was never involved in any adaptation of her novel.

Ruddy then started to work with Hong Kong's Golden Harvest, producing The Cannonball Run (1981), his second picture with Burt Reynolds, a hugely successful film at the box office that received mixed reviews by critics.[2] Ruddy next produced two action films, Death Hunt (1981) starring Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson, and Megaforce (1982). Ruddy returned to produce Cannonball Run II (1984), which was another commercial success for the Rat-Pack-prominent cast, and featured a guest appearance by Frank Sinatra.[15] The film also features a rare on-screen cameo by Ruddy in a scene spoofing his film The Godfather, and including Godfather supporting actors Alex Rocco and Abe Vigoda.

In 1985, after leaving Golden Harvest, Ruddy and Andre Morgan set up the Ruddy Morgan Organization which produced films budgeted for the $8.5-16 million range, and arranged the financing and developing of "high-visibility" pictures the company placed up.[16] [17] Among their productions was the 1990 release Impulse, directed by Sondra Locke.

In the early 1990s, he helped create the successful series Walker, Texas Ranger.[2] Also in 1992, he licensed the rights from Kevin McClory to make a James Bond television show, but Eon Productions blocked it, and winning the suit, ended any hopes of a television show.[18]

In 2004, he produced Million Dollar Baby,[19] which earned him his second Oscar for Best Picture. He shared the award with fellow producers Paul Haggis, Tom Rosenberg, and Clint Eastwood. Eastwood had presented Ruddy with the Best Picture Oscar for The Godfather over 30 years earlier.[2]

In late 2015, it was announced that he had acquired the rights to Rand's Atlas Shrugged and would be making a movie for worldwide release.[20]

In 2021, his daughter Alexandra Ruddy became co-principal at Albert S. Ruddy Productions.[21]

Personal life

Ruddy was married to and divorced from Francoise Ruddy,[22] who was also Jewish.[23] [24] This was prior to her name change to Ma Prem Hasya as part of the Rajneeshpuram Commune in Central Oregon. Francoise saw him through the production of The Godfather, even lending her name to the production company title.His second marriage, to the actor Kaye Farrington, also ended in divorce.[2]

Ruddy later married Wanda McDaniel, the mother of his two children Alexandra and John, and an executive vice president for the Italian designer Giorgio Armani, where she is credited with helping to make Armani successful.[25] [2]

Ruddy was the subject of a 2013 documentary, Tough Ain't Enough: Conversations with Albert S. Ruddy.[26]

In the 2022 biographical drama miniseries The Offer, which dramatizes the making of The Godfather and is executive produced by Ruddy, he is played by Miles Teller.[27]

Ruddy died after a brief illness at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, on May 25, 2024, at the age of 94.[28]

Filmography

Film

YearFilmWriterProducer
1965 Wild Seed
1970 Little Fauss and Big Halsy
1971 Making It
1972 The Godfather
1974 The Longest Yard
1975 Coonskin
1978 Matilda
1981The Cannonball Run
1982 Megaforce
1984 Lassiter
Cannonball Run II
1989 Farewell to the King
1990 Impulse
1992 Ladybugs
1994 Bad Girls
The Scout
1996 Heaven's Prisoners
2004 Million Dollar Baby
2006 Cloud 9
2008 Camille
2019 A Gunman's Curse
2021 Cry Macho

Executive Producer

YearFilmNotes
1981 Death Hunt
1989Speed Zone
2001 Mean Machine British remake of his film “The Longest Yard”
2005 The Longest Yard Also based on a story written by him for the film “The Longest Yard”
2014 Sabotage

Other Credits

YearTitleRole
1955 The Beast with a Million EyesArt Director
1965 Wild Seed Lyrics: "That's Why"
2011 Blur Special thanks

Television

YearTitleCreatorWriterProducerNotesRef
1963 The Lloyd Bridges Show TV Series
Wrote episode: "The Skippy Mannox Story"
1965−
1971
Hogan's HeroesTV series
Wrote episode "The Informer"
1971 Thunderguys Television film
1976 How the West Was WonTV Series
29 episodes; produced the pilot
Revenge for a Rape Television film
1981 Stockers
1993 Walker, Texas Ranger TV Series
executive produced 3 episodes
2005 Television film
The Bellinis Television pilot

Executive producer only

YearTitleNotesRef
1991 Miracle in the Wilderness Television film
1997 Married to a Stranger
1998 Martial Law TV Series
2 episodes
2000 Running Mates Television film
2002 Georgetown
FlatlandTV Series
executive produced 1 episode
2022 The Offer TV miniseries
10 episodes; based on his experience of making 'The Godfather'
Other Credits
YearTitleRole Notes
2000 Running Mates Actor: Fatcat Television film
2012 Hatfields & McCoys Special thanksTV Mini-series

Awards

Year WorkAwardCategoryResult
1973The GodfatherGolden Globe AwardBest Motion Picture – Drama
Academy AwardBest Picture
David di DonatelloBest Foreign Film
1975The Longest YardGolden Globe AwardBest Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
1976The MacahansBronze WranglerFictional Television Drama
1983MegaforceGolden Raspberry AwardWorst Picture
1985Cannonball Run II
Worst Screenplay
2004Million Dollar BabyPhoenix Film Critics Society AwardBest Film
2005National Board of Review AwardBest Film
Broadcast Film Critics Association AwardBest Picture
Golden Globe AwardBest Motion Picture – Drama
Producers Guild of America AwardBest Theatrical Motion Picture
Billie AwardBest Film
César AwardBest Foreign Film
Academy AwardsBest Picture
David di DonatelloBest Foreign Film
ESPY AwardBest Sports Movie

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: McConnell, Scott . 100 Voices:An Oral History of Ayn Rand . New York . . 2010 . 978-0-451-23130-7 . 555642813 . 427 .
  2. News: Gilbey . Ryan . Albert Ruddy obituary . 10 June 2024 . The Guardian . 7 June 2024.
  3. Albert S. Ruddy. . Riggs, Thomas . 9781414457109 . 733291253 . Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television . 2009 . 90 . Gale In Context: Biography . .
  4. Web site: Ruddy, Albert S. 1934- (Al Ruddy) . . July 15, 2022.
  5. Book: Rieber, Robert W.. Film, Television and the Psychology of the Social Dream. 94. Springer. November 18, 2013. 978-1461471745.
    • News: Paid Notice: Deaths Hertz, Ruth Ruddy . July 15, 2022 . The New York Times . February 12, 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150527232523/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/12/classified/paid-notice-deaths-hertz-ruth-ruddy.html . 1553-8095 . 0362-4331 . 1645522 . May 27, 2015.
    • News: Ruth Ruddy Hertz . July 15, 2022 . December 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211221200540/https://variety.com/2003/scene/people-news/ruth-ruddy-hertz-1117881629/ . . Miami Beach . March 4, 2003.
  6. Seal . Mark . 9781982158590.
  7. News: Al Ruddy, Oscar-Winning Producer of 'The Godfather' and 'Million Dollar Baby,' Dies at 94. Mike. Barnes. The Hollywood Reporter. May 28, 2024. May 28, 2024.
  8. News: Pileggi . Nicholas . Nicholas Pileggi . The Making of "The Godfather"—Sort of a Home Movie . June 8, 2022 . The New York Times Magazine . August 15, 1971 . 0028-7822 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201211081245/http://www.thestacksreader.com/the-making-of-the-godfather-sort-of-a-home-movie/ . December 11, 2020 . The Stacks Reader . Archive.
  9. News: Fleming Jr.. Mike . https://web.archive.org/web/20141230212633/https://deadline.com/2013/03/hogans-heroes-rights-won-back-by-creators-al-ruddy-and-bernard-fein-theyre-plotting-new-movie-454636/ . December 30, 2014 . 'Hogan's Heroes' Rights Won Back By Creators Al Ruddy And Bernard Fein; They're Plotting New Movie . . March 15, 2013 . June 21, 2022.
  10. Web site: Al Ruddy, Oscar-Winning Producer of 'The Godfather' and 'Million Dollar Baby,' Dies at 94. Mike. Barnes. The Hollywood Reporter. May 28, 2024. May 29, 2024.
  11. News: What is The Godfather Effect? . Gambino . Megan . January 31, 2012 . Smithsonian . September 10, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180910061138/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-is-the-godfather-effect-83473971/ . September 10, 2018 . live.
  12. Web site: Sports Guy's Top Sports Movies: No. 3 . Bill . Simmons . ESPN. June 16, 2022.
  13. Web site: Spitz . Mark . They don't make them like Ralph Bakshi anymore: "Now, animators don't have ideas. They just like to move things around" . Salon . November 6, 2015 . Salon.com, LLC. . September 18, 2022.
  14. Kilday . Gregg . Film vets Ruddy, Grodnik, Hamilton hang Crazy Max shingle . Hollywood Reporter . 0018-3660 . May 15, 2008 . 404 . 43 . 11 . Gale Document Number: GALE A179735148 . Prometheus Global Media LLC . Gale General OneFile . The Oscar-winning Ruddy (Million Dollar Baby) is no stranger to action films, also having produced The Cannonball Run and its sequel..
  15. Web site: Frook. John Evan. November 19, 1993. Ruddy/Morgan team to lens 'Americal' pic. September 21, 2021. Variety.
  16. News: February 25, 1987. Ruddy-Morgan Has Three Pix For '87 From Diverse Coin. 293. Variety.
  17. Web site: Films: The Nineties. September 8, 2021. www.liner-notes.com.
  18. Web site: Mirch . Jason . Monday Motivation: Two Oscars Stories You Never Heard . Stage 32 . July 15, 2022 . en.
  19. News: Cieply . Michael . Producer of 'The Godfather' Lands Rights to 'Atlas Shrugged' Novel . November 1, 2015 . . 1553-8095 . 0362-4331 . 1645522 . January 16, 2016.
  20. Web site: California Business Search . California Secretary of State . June 8, 2022 . Corporation - Statement of Information . February 3, 2022 . The California Business Search provides access to available information for corporations, limited liability companies and limited partnerships of record with the California Secretary of State, with free PDF copies of over 17 million imaged business entity documents, including the most recent imaged Statements of Information filed for Corporations and Limited Liability Companies..
  21. News: 25 years after Rajneeshee commune collapsed, truth spills out - Part 1 of 5 . Les . Zaitz . April 14, 2011 . . August 6, 2022.
  22. Web site: Obituaries . October 29, 2014 . Jewish Journal . August 6, 2022.
  23. Web site: Osho World: Ma Prem Hasya . August 19, 2014 . dead . December 19, 2015 . December 22, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151222102305/http://www.oshoworld.com/Journey_to_the_Further_Shore/Ma_Prem_Hasya.asp.
  24. News: Fashion Hitches a Ride With Hollywood's Shining Stars . Spindler . Amy M. . August 29, 1995 . . 1553-8095 . 0362-4331 . 1645522 . August 6, 2022.
  25. News: Runnells . Charles . Fort Myers Beach Film Fest celebrates 10 years . 30 May 2024 . The News-Press.
  26. News: The Offer review -- the making of The Godfather makes for hit-and-miss TV; The splashy inside Hollywood drama on the making of The Godfather is a patchy, overlong series that is best when it sticks to the script . The Guardian . April 27, 2022 . UK . 0261-3077 . 1756-3224 . 60623878 . .
  27. Web site: Al Ruddy Dies: Oscar-Winning 'The Godfather' & 'Million Dollar Baby' Producer Was 94. Deadline Hollywood. Erik. Pedersen. May 28, 2024. May 28, 2024.