Sometimes the making of a movie can be just as entertaining as the film itself.

Case in point – Director Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” a Vietnam War movie that went on to become a classic while sparking a documentary on its tumultuous creation.

But did you know …

• The military equipment used in the film came from dictatorial President Marcos of the Philippines, and some of it was reclaimed mid-shoot to take part in real battles against Communist rebels.

• The role of Willard was originally played by Harvey Keitel, but Coppola re-cast the role with Martin Sheen after three weeks of shooting. The director wanted a less colorful performance.
• Coppola had to mortgage his own property when funding ran dry on the film thanks to a series of on-set calamities including foul weather and a heart attack suffered by Sheen.
• Coppola worked as an assistant director for B-Movie auteur Roger Corman early in his career.
• “Apocalypse Now” should have been a bust by every conceivable measure. But the film wowed critics and actually made its money back – and then some. Yet two years later, Coppola’s 1981 dud “One from the Heart,” tanked so badly he had to sell his production company, American Zoetrope.

(Source: “Best Movies of the 70s” by Jurgen Muller)

(Photo: Martin Sheen nearly died during the making of “Apocalypse Now” after suffering a massive heart attack mid-shoot.)

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Marlon Brando’s performance in1951’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” did nothing less than revolutionize acting.

Or so critics have said about his Method performance.

But Brando is the only one of the four actors nominated for an Oscar for the film who failed to walk away with the gleaming statuette.

The winners from “Streetcar” were Karl Malden, Vivien Leigh and Kim Hunter.

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