NEW YORK — Albert S. Ruddy, the producer and writer behind best picture winners “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar,” has died at age 94. Ruddy, Canadian-born and the producer on more than 30 films, died “peacefully” Saturday at the UCLA Medical Center, .
His final words were “The game is over, but we won the game,” a spokesperson told The AP. Among Ruddy’s other films were “The Longest Yard,” starring Burt Reynolds. He continued working with Reynolds with two “Cannonball Run” comedies and “Cloud Nine.
” Ruddy was also co-creator of “Hogan’s Heroes” and of “Walker, Texas Ranger.” After the success of sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” Ruddy went on to produce “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” and “Making It” before coming on to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, Variety said. “Al Ruddy was absolutely beautiful to me the whole time on ‘The Godfather’; even when they didn’t want me, he wanted me.
He gave me the gift of encouragement when I needed it most and I’ll never forget it,” actor Al Pacino said in a . Producing “The Godfather,” endangered Ruddy’s job, reputation and his very life, The AP noted. The film infuriated Italian Americans, including Frank Sinatra, who feared it would harden stereotypes of Italians as criminals.
Real-life mobsters let Ruddy know he was being watched, The AP said. One night he heard gunfire outside his home and the sound of his car’s .
