STEVE SCHAPIRO
Steve Schapiro was born in 1934 in New York. He was fortunate to capture many milestone events of the 1960s and 1970s, and he became known for the photographs he took at filming locations. In 1961, Schapiro began working as a freelance photographer. His photos were published in LIFE, Vanity Fair, Newsweek, Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and Paris Match. Schapiro’s lifelong interest in social documentaries, as well as his mature and sensitive approach to his subjects, were developed under the influence of W. Eugene Smith and showed his commitment to humanistic photography. During the 1960s, which were the undisputed Golden Age of photojournalism, his photographic essays depicted such high-profile events as Easter in Harlem, the Apollo Theater performances, views of Haight-Ashbury, political protests, drug abuse issues, and the presidential campaign of Robert Kennedy. He made portraits of Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, Ray Charles, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, James Baldwin, Samuel Beckett, Barbra Streisand, and Truman Capote. His most famous series featured the new ‘American heroes’: Edie Sedgwick and Andy Warhol, a friend of Schapiro. Steve Schapiro’s photos appeared in many magazines and books describing the American cultural history of the 1960s. His works are on display in many private and public collections, including the Smithsonian Museum, the High Museum of Art, the New York Metropolitan Museum, and the Getty Museum. Major museum retrospectives of the photographer have been arranged in the US, Spain, Russia, and Germany.
BARBRA IN THE BATHTUB, NEW YORK, 1969
SILVER GELATIN PRINT 75Х100 CM EDITION 4/12 PRINTED 2019 SIGNED ON LABEL BY THE AUTHOR IN PEN © STEVE SCHAPIRO
Between 1968 and 1976, when Barbra Streisand became an icon in Hollywood, Steve Shapiro took a number of her portraits. The photo that he took of this famous actress and singer in a bathroom in 1974 in Los Angeles is one of the most expressive. In this portrait the photographer managed to capture the moment and show the actress’s unique personality. Streisand later said that she was far from beauty standards, but, nevertheless, become famous in Hollywood without fixing her nose, aligning her teeth or changing her name. Her charm and spontaneity paved the way to success, and these were the features shown by Steve Shapiro in his portrait.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
«GODFATHER»
The famous ‘Godfather’ trilogy is a story about love and honor, revenge, family, and the continuity of generations. It is a story that gets a hold of everyone. The production is a combination of a great screenplay and great work by the film director, actors, and lighting, costume, and scene designers. Steve Schapiro was lucky to be an eyewitness to all of this, not to mention the behind-the-scenes moments that made the process much more interesting. At that time, nobody expected ‘Godfather’ to be a great or even a decent movie. It was rumored that top managers at Paramount sent their secretaries to buy up Mario Puzo’s book during their lunch breaks, hoping that increased sales would raise it on The New York Times bestseller list and rouse more public interest. Also, it was unclear whether they had enough funding to complete the production, and the number of scheduled shooting days was reduced due to the limited budget. Disagreements began as early as during casting and persisted through every stage. During filming there were days when Steve Schapiro noticed how difficult it was for Francis Ford Coppola to get attention from his assistants, not to mention respect. Eventually, his film that emerged was far from being the plain movie about New York gangsters that it could have been. Coppola selected his actors carefully, examining their inner qualities and depth before he would allow them to develop their own emotions. Thus, his movie acquired versatility and depth. The shooting itself was full of humor, ranging from standing jokes and pranks to the famous mooning. Coppola’s crew worked as a cohesive team, much like the Corleone family.
“ANDY WARHOL UNDER THE SILVER CLOUD BALLOON, CASTELLI GALLERY, NEW YORK, 1965”
A photo of Andy Warhol lying on the floor under the shadow of a huge balloon was one of Schapiro’s most beloved shots. He was a literal chronicler of ‘The Factory,’ Warhol’s studio, where he found inspiration for his future photographs. Later, in 1966, the ‘Silver Clouds’ exhibition opened, making Warhol famous and becoming a signature of Schapiro’s photographic series as well.