Fred Gallo, assistant director of many successful films, has passed away. He was 78 years old and passed in his home in the Santa Ynez Valley on September 7th, as his family announced.
Born in Queens in 1944, Gallo began as a production assistant on Sidney Lumet’s The Group, released in 1966. He also served as a production manager on 1968’s Paper Lion from Alex March, a production supervisor on 1970’s The Twelve Chairs, directed by Mel Brooks, and an assistant director on William Friedkin’s The Boys In The Band, among many other productions.
In 1969, he worked as a unit manager with Woody Allen on Take The Money And Run. Following the film, he worked with Allen on many other films, including Bananas, Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask, and Sleeper.
Gallo also contributed to the production of Rocky and The Godfather as a member of the directing teams. Zack Schor portrayed him in the Paramount+ miniseries The Offer, which followed the making of The Godfather and its hectic production.
“Fred was a singular force in the industry,” Lee Rosenthal said, according to Hollywood Reporter. Rosenthal is the president of worldwide physical production for Paramount and Nickelodeon. Gallo held that same title at Paramount for four years. “Beneath a formidable exterior was a big-hearted, one-man masterclass in filmmaking and production management.”
He continued, “Some of the most iconic movies of our time — The Godfather, Rocky and Annie Hall, to name a few — are imprinted with Fred’s artistry. He was a vestige of a time and place in Hollywood history, an early champion of inclusivity, and a mentor to many. While he will be greatly missed, his legacy lives on through the many lives he touched and executives and filmmakers upon whom he bestowed his gifts. There will never be another Fred.”
On top of his film career, Gallo was a fan of polo and a member of the Saddle and Sirloin Club in Los Angeles and the Los Borrach0s Camp of the Rancheros Vistadores. His family stated he would continuously ride up until a few years ago.
Gallo is survived by his wife Joan, his children Kirstin and Toby, son-in-law Gene, and his grandchildren Delilah, Madison, and Bella.
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