On March 15, 1972, The Godfather—a three-hour epic
chronicling the lives of the Corleones, an Italian-
American crime family led by the powerful Vito
Corleone (Marlon Brando)—was released in theaters.

The Godfather was adapted from the best-selling book
of the same name by Mario Puzo, a novelist who grew
up in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen and got his start
writing pulp stories for men’s magazines. Controversy
surrounded the film from the beginning: Soon after
Paramount Pictures announced its production, the
Italian-American Civil Rights League held a rally in
Madison Square Garden, claiming the film would
amount to a slur against Italian Americans. The
uproar only increased publicity for the movie.

Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004)

‘The Godfather’ of filmmaking, Francis Ford Coppola.

Robert Blake, as ‘Mickey’ in the "Our Gang", shorts (1942).

 
Robert Blake in “Baretta” which ran on ABC-TV from 1975 to 1978.

Actor Robert Blake, best known as the star of the 1970s TV drama
Baretta and the crime film In Cold Blood (1967), died Thursday at
his home in Los Angeles. He had long-term heart issues and spent
the last few years listening to jazz music, playing his guitar and
watching classic movies.

SANDY KOZEL

Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. (November 29, 1961 – March 3, 2023)

Tom Sizemore is known for his supporting roles in Born on
the Fourth of July (1989), Harley Davidson and the Marlboro
Man (1991), Passenger 57 (1992), True Romance (1993),
Natural Born Killers (1994), Strange Days (1995), Heat (1995),
Saving Private Ryan (1998), Red Planet (2000), Black Hawk
Down (2001), Pearl Harbor (2001), and the revival television
series Twin Peaks (2017), and for voicing Sonny Forelli in the
video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002).

On February 18, 2023, Sizemore suffered a ruptured brain
aneurysm at his Los Angeles home that occurred as a result
of a stroke and was hospitalized where remained in critical
condition, in a coma and in intensive care and never
regained conciseness."

Tom Sizemore and Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan (1998)

MIKE GRACIA

Ronald William Howard is a director, producer, screenwriter,
and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor,
guest-starring in several television series, including an
episode of The Twilight Zone. 


He is best known for playing young Opie Taylor, the son 
of Sheriff Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) in the
sitcom The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 through 1968. He
is 69 years old today.  

1973

1976

1995