Albert S. Ruddy, producer of 'The Godfather,' dies at 94

The exceptional film producer Albert S. Ruddy passed away at the age of 94. The Canadian co-created the movies "The Godfather" and "Million Dollar Baby." He was a two-time Oscar winner and one of nine producers worldwide to achieve this.

Albert S. Ruddy was born in 1930 in Montreal. He died on May 25 at 8:00 PM EDT in Los Angeles. He began his career in the film industry as a set designer. He also wrote TV scripts for Universal Studios. In 1965, he debuted as a producer with the film "Wild Seed."

A breakthrough in his career came with the success of the CBS series "Hogan's Heroes." Ruddy achieved his greatest successes in the 1970s and 1980s. He produced the legendary "The Godfather" in 1972 and "The Longest Yard" in 1974.

Later, Albert S. Ruddy also worked on producing international film and TV hits. He co-created, among others, the legendary series "Walker, Texas Ranger" (1993-2001) with Chuck Norris. The adventures of Cordell Walker were hugely popular in Canada as well.

Let us add that Albert S. Ruddy is a two-time winner of the Academy Awards or Oscars. His films won the statuette in the "Best Picture" category. In 1973, the Academy awarded the already mentioned "The Godfather." In 2005, Ruddy received an Oscar for the film "Million Dollar Baby," directed by Clint Eastwood.

This places the Canadian creator in an elite group of nine producers who have at least two statuettes for films in the "Best Picture" category.