Gray Frederickson (July 21, 1937 – November 20, 2022)[1] was an American film producer.

Gray Frederickson
Born(1937-07-21)July 21, 1937
DiedNovember 20, 2022(2022-11-20) (aged 85)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
OccupationProducer
Years active1963–2022

Frequent collaborators and history

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Frederickson was a long-time producer for Francis Ford Coppola and worked out of a studio alongside Greg Mellott out of Oklahoma City.[2]

Robert De Niro claims that in 1974 he and Frederickson went up to the Gulf and Western Building in New York City to a private screening room to study Marlon Brando's movements. De Niro compared it to a science experiment which prepared him for his character in The Godfather Part II.[3] Frederickson and Coppola collaborated on Apocalypse Now, One from the Heart,[4] and The Outsiders.[5][6] According to Rolling Stone, the first meeting between Frederickson, Coppola, and Al Ruddy was interrupted by a phone call from Brando.[7]

Awards

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Frederickson is best known for winning an Oscar as one of the co-producers of The Godfather Part II[8] at the 47th Academy Awards.[9] In addition he was also nominated for Apocalypse Now. [10] Frederickson won an Emmy for Dream No Little Dream: The Life and Legacy of Robert S. Kerr (2007).[11]

Later production

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In the summer of 2015, Frederickson produced a new cinematic live theater art form called, 'Distant Vision' directed by Francis Ford Coppola.[12]

Personal life

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Frederickson was married to Karen and resided in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[13] He died of prostate cancer on November 20, 2022, at the age of 85.[14][15]

References

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  1. ^ "Gray Frederickson, Academy Award-Winning Godfather Part II Producer, Dies at 85". Movies. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  2. ^ "Video & interviews: Francis Ford Coppola successfully tests groundbreaking 'Live Cinema' experiment 'Distant Vision' at Oklahoma City Community College | News OK". newsok.com. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  3. ^ "Robert de Niro explains his 'Godfather' experiment". CNN. 19 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Gray Frederickson -". www.cinemamanagementgroup.com. January 1999.
  5. ^ "The Outsiders". www.sehinton.com. Archived from the original on 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  6. ^ "Oscar-Winning Producer of 'The Godfather Part II' Joins Dinesh D'Souza's Next Film". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 January 2014.
  7. ^ "5 Things We Learned from Tribeca's 'Godfather' Reunion". Rolling Stone. 30 April 2017.
  8. ^ "5 Things We Learned From Tribeca's 'Godfather' Reunion". Rolling Stone. 30 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Gray Frederickson". occc.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  10. ^ "American Film Institute". afi.com. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  11. ^ "Gray Frederickson". ldcelebrityinterviews.com. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  12. ^ "Hollywood legend brings vision to OCCC". Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  13. ^ "Gray Frederickson - Biography - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  14. ^ McDonnell, Brandy (November 20, 2022). "Oscar-winning Oklahoma filmmaker Gray Frederickson dies". The Oklahoman. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  15. ^ Saperstein, Pat (November 21, 2022). "Gray Frederickson, Oscar-Winning Producer on 'Godfather' Movies, 'Apocalypse Now,' Dies at 85". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
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