Albert Ruddy, Oscar-winning Producer Of The Godfather, Dies At 94

Albert S. Ruddy, Canadian-born producer and writer who won Oscars for The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby, has died at age 94. Ruddy died “peacefully” Saturday at the UCLA Medical Center, according to a spokesperson, who added that among his final words were, “The game is over, but we won the game.” He produced more than 30 movies and was on hand for the very top and very bottom, from The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby to Cannonball Run II and Megaforce.

What to know about Albert Ruddy?

Born in Montreal in 1930, Albert Stotland Ruddy moved to the U.S. as a child and was raised in New York City. After graduating from the University of Southern California, he was working as an architect when he met TV actor Bernard Fein in the early 1960s. Ruddy had tired of his career, and he and Fein decided to develop a TV series, even though neither had done any writing.

Starring Bob Crane as the wily Col. Hogan, Hogan’s Heroes ran from 1965-71 on CBS but was criticized for trivializing World War II and turning the Nazis into lovable cartoons.

Ruddy had a mix of successes such as The Longest Yard, which he produced and created the story for, and such flops as the Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller Sabotage. He worked often with Burt Reynolds, starting with The Longest Yard and continuing with two Cannonball Run comedies and Cloud Nine. Besides Hogan’s Heroes, his television credits include the movies Married to a Stranger and Running Mates.

Albert Ruddy’s personal life

Ruddy was married to Wanda McDaniel, a sales executive and liaison for Giorgio Armani who helped make the brand omnipresent in Hollywood, whether in movies or at promotional events. They shared two children.