August1991 Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 (edited) Make no mistake, this is a pre-make of The Godfather. The Romanian Jew Edward G. Robinson is the Marlon Brando character. (Coppola wanted his movie to be "true" to the Italian immigrant experience. As if.... ) Richard Conte. Every Leftist today wants to claim that it was awful for minorities in the past. Conte was obviously an immigrant. IMHO, this movie opened my eyes to how Hollywood/America has changed. This 1949 movie offered hope about America and how it integrates immigrants. In 1972, The Godfather depicts immigrants as frauds or thieves. Edited May 22, 2023 by August1991 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbie Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 The Godfather was about the Mafia, not about 'immigrants'. Did you see a different movie than the rest of us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted May 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, herbie said: The Godfather was about the Mafia, not about 'immigrants'. Did you see a different movie than the rest of us? Disagree. This Mario Puzo story was not really about the Mafia. It was about immigrants. Yes, I did see a different movie. Like Midnight Cowboy, Hollywood changed around 1970. ====== Herbie, Please see this other version of Diane Keaton (Susan Hayward). And Al Pacino (Richard Conte). In this previous 1950s version, America is a good place. As a Canadian, I still think that you are good people. Edited May 22, 2023 by August1991 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbie Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 Your discussing Hollywood, which doesn't write novels. The first Godfather was about Don Corleone who was an immigrant but was about his organization, not about his citizenship status. And it was released during the time there was a lot of uproar as the only Italian-Americans portrayed by Hollywood were in Mafia roles. The movie was about a Mafia Crime Boss, not about immigrants 'settling into America'. House of Strangers just propogated the American Dream melting pot idea that it was so much better than the second-rate culture you emigrated from. Times change. Being of Italian extraction I can tell you all the times we met Italian immigrants arriving at YVX during the 1950s & 1960s that stopped dead by the time the Godfather was released, how we all joked that Grampa was a 'Whitehat Don', how as the oldest son of that branch of the family, that's now me. How many jokes I heard about how many gov'ts Italy had since the war, how my Grampa berided me for even wanting to go see "that shithole place" he came from someday. Jokes have all kind of turned around now. Italy long ago surpassed Canada in GDP. They don't move here anymore. They own the outfit that builds your Chargers, RAM pickups and Caravans. PLUS - that and the Godfater has sweet f*** all to do with left or right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted May 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2023 On 5/22/2023 at 5:01 PM, herbie said: House of Strangers just propogated the American Dream melting pot idea that it was so much better than the second-rate culture you emigrated from. Times change. Being of Italian extraction I can tell you all the times we met Italian immigrants arriving at YVX during the 1950s & 1960s that stopped dead by the time the Godfather was released, how we all joked that Grampa was a 'Whitehat Don', how as the oldest son of that branch of the family, that's now me. How many jokes I heard about how many gov'ts Italy had since the war, how my Grampa berided me for even wanting to go see "that shithole place" he came from someday. Jokes have all kind of turned around now. Italy long ago surpassed Canada in GDP. They don't move here anymore. They own the outfit that builds your Chargers, RAM pickups and Caravans. PLUS - that and the Godfater has sweet f*** all to do with left or right. Herbie, Is the culture of Italy better than Finland? In which place do people pay their taxes? ==== More fundamentally, in which society would you rather live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted May 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2023 On 5/22/2023 at 5:01 PM, herbie said: House of Strangers just propogated the American Dream melting pot idea that it was so much better than the second-rate culture you emigrated from. Times change. Being of Italian extraction I can tell you all the times we met Italian immigrants arriving at YVX during the 1950s & 1960s that stopped dead by the time the Godfather was released .... I disagree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbie Posted May 27, 2023 Report Share Posted May 27, 2023 No I wouldn't say it was, nor would I give the whole world that the USAs was better than everyone else's, which was predominant from Hollywood at the time. At the time? Sorry I should have said still is. (remaking Red Dawn, all time Reagan era propaganda movie) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbie Posted May 27, 2023 Report Share Posted May 27, 2023 Granted they were promoting the American Dream to themselves all the time in those days, but because Hollywood was 90% of entertainment everywhere, internationally too even if not by intention. The results can be seen today at the southern border. Sell them the dream and act surprised when they come in droves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August1991 Posted May 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2023 Evans put Conte in The Godfather. Go figure. ==== Herbie, IMHO, America is a good place. I have always liked Friedman's comment - and I paraphrase: "We will never have honest politicians. At most, we can have a system that encourages dishonest politicians to be honest." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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