This has been an overwhelming year to say the least – new baby, new facility, first Nutcracker, hosting the MSRBA festival, etc., etc., etc.
I saw the following story on one of my favorite blogs. You never know what amazing things may come from just doing what needs to be done!
The story of how the movie, The Godfather, was produced. It had:
A writer who didn’t want to write it. Mario Puzo was broke and needed to pen something commercial in order to write the kind of books he really cared about.
A studio that didn’t want to produce it. The box-office failure of previous gangster movies made Paramount Pictures reluctant to pick up their option, but with the novel a runaway success, and other studios showing interest, they couldn’t let it slip away.
A film no director would touch. Twelve directors turned it down, including, at first, Francis Ford Coppola. But, Coppola, too, was broke, and needed a job directing a Hollywood production in order to make the kind of personal films he really cared about.
A cast of unknowns. Except for one renowned actor, Marlon Brando, who was considered box-office poison by studio executives.
A community against it. Before filming even began, Italian-American groups protested what they perceived was to be the movie’s characterization of their culture, and amassed a war chest to stop the production.
And, yet, The Godfather succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, to become one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces in history
Words from the Artistic Director 