One of the most memorable childhood characters from film (and novels) is Dill from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). In the movie version, John Megna portrayed Dill, who Lee had based upon her friend Truman Capote. Megna also almost appeared in The Godfather, Part II (1974), in a scene deleted from the movie before it was released.
Megna was born in Queens, New York on November 9, 1952. He had several roles as a child and young man in film and television, notably appearing near the beginning of another classic film, Hush. . . Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), a few years after Mockingbird.
Fans of the original Star Trek series may remember him as one of the Onlies from the “Miri” episode. Yet, his most memorable role remains his portrayal of Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Megna nearly appeared in another all-time great movie. Director Francis Ford Coppola filmed a scene featuring Robert DeNiro as the young Vito Corleone meeting a young man played by Megna. As the young man’s name is discussed, Corleone bestows a new name on him. The scene connects to the modern story with Micheal Corleone (Al Pacino) and his conflicts with Hyman Roth.
Ultimately, though, Coppola cut the scene. Perhaps the backstory was so convenient it might not be believable for viewers. But either way, it was unfortunate Megna lost his scene. [2020 Update: Unfortunately, the scene seems to no longer be available on YouTube.]
In the cut scene, the young man names Arnold Rothstein as a man he admires. Rothstein was famous for allegedly fixing the 1919 World Series featuring the Chicago White Sox (“Black Sox”) and the Cincinnati Reds.
As for Megna, he eventually left acting. For awhile he directed plays, and then he taught high school English in California. He died on September 4, 1995 at the age of 42 from AIDs-related complications. Despite his young death, he left his mark on movie history as one of our most beloved childhood characters.
Peter Salomone started out with a brilliant and simple premise about movie endings. His hypothesis: “‘Walk of Life‘ by Dire Straits is the perfect song to end any movie.” Spoiler alert: This post features the endings of several classic films.
Perhaps the truth of his hypothesis is an underlying assertion about the universality of human emotion. Or maybe “Walk of Life” is just so incredibly awesome. Is it really possible to improve The Godfather (1972)? Well, just add some Dire Straits.
Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights(1931) has one of the most perfect endings of any film, where the formerly blind woman recognizes the man who had once helped her. The only way to make it better is to add “Walk of Life.”
Were you confused at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)? Well, it makes more sense if you think of the star child as Johnny coming along “singing oldies, goldies / Be, bop, a, lua, baby, what I say.”
And it works with more recent movies too, like 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
For more examples, check out the Walk of Life Project website, with its dedication and devotion, “Turning all the night time into the day.”
What film would you like to see added to the Walk of Life Project? Leave your two cents in the comments.
There are many great scenes in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990). The club entrance scene is probably the most discussed and copied in a variety of places, including a spoof on Jon Stewart’s final Daily Show. But there is also a lot going on with Scorsese’s direction in the final segment following Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) on the day leading to his arrest. In a new video essay, Julian Palmer breaks down the details of those ending scenes.
Palmer, Creative Director and Founder at 1848 Media, discusses Scorsese’s editing and use of techniques. He explains, for example, how the director uses hand-held cameras to reflect Hill’s paranoia.
Palmer does an excellent job of referencing other films, like The Godfather (1972). And he even explains the significance of the shots of food.
Check out his video essay, “Last Day of a Wiseguy.”
On March 27, 1973, Marlon Brando won the Best Actor Academy Award for The Godfather (1972) and became the second person in history to turn down the Best Actor Oscar. Like George C. Scott a few years earlier, Brando was a no-show for his award. But Brando sent a replacement to make a political statement and to officially reject the award during the telecast.
Sacheen Littlefeather’s Appearance for Brando
The night before the Oscars, Brando told the Academy he was sending Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather in his place. But when Littlefeather took the stage, she walked past Roger Moore holding the Oscar.
Littlefeather then explained that Brando was refusing the award. Brando, who was active in a number of social causes, declined the award to protest the portrayal of Native Americans in films.
Watching Littlefeather’s speech today, I realized I had forgotten how polite the speech was. From her respect of the time limit, to her apology, to her reference to the “very generous award,” her speech contrasts greatly with the few boos you hear in the audience.
I also forgot that the applause outnumbered the boos. Reportedly, she had planned to read Brando’s long statement but Oscar officials told her beforehand she only had 60 seconds. So Littlefeather improvised quite well, even mentioning recent events at Wounded Knee.
Some critics later claimed that Littlefeather, who was born with the name Marie Cruz, was not Native American. But her father was from the White Mountain Apache and Yaqui tribes. She has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows and is still active in the Native American community.
Some articles report that Littlefeather read “part” of Brando’s speech. But in looking at the text, it appears to me she merely did the best one could to summarize his main point in the short time.
She captured Brando’s attempt to be polite in his unread remarks. In the unread portion, Brando explained that he did not attend because he thought he was of better use if he were at Wounded Knee. His written speech closed:
“I would hope that those who are listening would not look upon this as a rude intrusion, but as an earnest effort to focus attention on an issue that might very well determine whether or not this country has the right to say from this point forward we believe in the inalienable rights of all people to remain free and independent on lands that have supported their life beyond living memory. Thank you for your kindness and your courtesy to Miss Littlefeather. Thank you and good night.”
Brando’s Appearance on “The Dick Cavett Show”
Brando appeared on The Dick Cavett Show not long after he refused the Oscar. In the first few minutes, you can tell that the audience had no problem with his decision to refuse the Oscar for a principle in which he believed.
In the clip, he discusses his Oscar decision starting around the 6:30 mark. And he elaborates on how different ethnic groups are portrayed on television.
George C. Scott’s Rejection of His Oscar
In 1971, two years before Littlefeather took the stage for Brando, George C. Scott rejected his Best Actor Oscar for Patton (1970) because of his dislike for the awards. But on the night of the awards, Patton‘s producer accepted Scott’s award from presenter Goldie Hawn.
While Scott claimed he was at home watching a hockey game during the ceremony, he rejected the award because he did not like the idea of acting as a contest. He had stated years earlier that the Oscars are “a beauty contest in a slaughterhouse.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, George C. Scott’s Oscar ended up on display at the Virginia Military Academy Museum in Lexington, Virgina. It was placed there out of recognition of the man Scott portrayed onscreen, General George S. Patton.
What Happened to Brando’s Oscar?
Marlon Brando passed away in 2004, and I am not sure what happened to Brando’s Oscar. Some websites claim that it was just put back in the pile and given to someone else. Others claim it is in a vault somewhere waiting in case his estate decides to pick it up. Some report that Roger Moore took it home for a short time and that eventually it was given as a replacement for a damaged one owned by Charlie Chaplin. Another source claims it ended up with an unnamed person and that Brando wanted it back at some point.
I like to think that Brando’s Oscar is off somewhere fighting for justice.
Would you have booed or applauded if you were in the audience that night? Leave your two cents in the comments?
On March 19, 1931, Nevada state legislators voted to legalize gambling in the state. The measure was passed out of concerns about people leaving the state and how hard times had hit the state during the Great Depression.
After the U.S. acquired the territory in 1848 after the Mexican War, a large number of settlers moved to the state following the discovery of gold and silver. Nevada became a state toward the end of the Civil War, but by the time the Great Depression arrived, the state was not doing well. So, the move to legalize gambling was seen as a way to save the state’s economy.
During the early decades of legalized gambling, organized crime controlled much of Las Vegas. Among the organized crime leaders was Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel.
Siegel arrived in Las Vegas in the 1940s. His life is portrayed in the movie Bugsy(1991), directed by Barry Levinson and starring Warren Beatty.
The most famous gangster film also features a character based on Bugsy Siegel. The character of Moe Greene in The Godfather (1972) is based on Siegel.
In The Godfather, Michael Corleone arranges to have Greene killed in a massage parlor with a bullet in the eye after Greene refuses to sell his casino interest. Alex Rocco plays Greene/Siegel in this clip below.
In Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather, Greene is killed in his Hollywood home. That version is a little closer to the real-life death of Siegel, who was shot and killed while he was at an associate’s home in Beverly Hills.
Speaking of the real man, you can see the real Bugsy Siegel and the 1940s Las Vegas scenery in this footage posted on YouTube by one of Bugsy’s daughters. Check it out.
While Bugsy is no longer around, celebrate the anniversary of the Nevada law by recognizing you are lucky to be alive. Enjoy the day.
What is your favorite movie set in Las Vegas? Leave your two cents in the comments.
