Francis Ford Coppola shared a chaotic, yet touching memory from early in his storied career of Robert Redford, who died Tuesday at the age of 89.
Coppola posted photos of Redford on Instagram from the 1962 film War Hunt and The Great Gatsby in 1974. In the caption, Coppola recalled working for Sanders Bros. as a production assistant while he was studying film at the University of California Los Angeles and being tasked with picking up Redford, who was making his film debut in War Hunt at the time. After Coppola cruised up with his Lambretta motor scooter, Redford hopped on the back, and the pair set off on the windy, winding road from Malibu to Topanga Canyon, where the movie was being shot. However, as they approached a steep turn, an oncoming car caused the young Coppola to swerve, landing both the budding filmmaker and actor in a field. Luckily, Redford, “an amiable sort,” dusted off, and they continued on their way.
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Looking back at the close call, Coppola said, “Throughout my life and career from that point on, Robert Redford was a most kind and generous person to me.” The Godfather director also said that Redford asked him to help on a rewrite for the Oscar-winning film The Way We Were with Barbra Streisand. “The best scene I came up with was when Barbra Streisand’s character calls Redford up and says she was calling her ‘best friend’ to tell him about how her heart was breaking, and he was her best friend,” said Coppola.
The filmmaker added that Redford also asked him to do a rewrite on Jack Clayton’s remake of The Great Gatsby — during the two weeks before The Godfather released. “My whole life really was spent in admiration for the classy, talented and brilliant Robert Redford,” said Coppola. “The great work he did as a director. The amazing show of concentration in his one-actor masterpiece ALL IS LOST… so many great films and performances … But most importantly: Robert Redford was an intelligent, sincere and overwhelmingly good person and we all have lost a truly great one!”
Coppola joined the outpouring of remembrances following Redford’s death Tuesday morning at his Utah home. In her own tribute, Streisand said working with Robert Redford on The Way We Were was “exciting, intense, and pure joy,” adding, “Bob was charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting — and one of the finest actors ever.”
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