Fred Gallo, a former assistant director on a slew of classic 1970s pictures who went on to become the president of production at Paramount, has died. He was 78 years old.
The Hollywood titan, who had worked on Oscar-winning gems like “The Godfather,” “Annie Hall” and “Rocky,” died on Sept. 7 at his Santa Ynez Valley home.
His family confirmed his passing, while Lee Rosenthal called him a “singular force in the industry.” Paramount and Nickolodean’s president of worldwide physical production said, in a statement obtained by TheWrap, that “beneath a formidable exterior was a big-hearted, one-man masterclass in filmmaking and production management.”
“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,” Rosenthal stated. “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.”
Fred Thomas Gallo was born in the Queens borough of New York City, on Nov. 8, 1944. He began his Hollywood career as a production assistant on such pictures as Sidney Lumet’s “The Group.” He served as a production manager on Alex March’s “Paper Lion” and Carl Reiner’s “Where’s Poppa?” and became a production supervisor for Mel Brooks’ “The Twelve Chairs.” He served as an assistant director for William Friedkin’s breakout drama “The Boys in the Band.”
Gallo worked as a unit manager for Woody Allen in his early comedy hit “Take the Money and Run.” He then served as an assistant director for a slew of mid-70’s Allen classics, including “Bananas,” “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask” and “Sleeper.” For his work on Allen’s “Annie Hall,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” and John G. Avildsen’s “Rocky,” he would share DGA awards for outstanding achievement in motion pictures.
Zack Schor played him in the Paramount+ miniseries “The Offer,” about the making of “The Godfather.”
Gallo served as a production executive at Warner Bros. before joining Paramount in 1993. The studio promoted him to EVP of feature production management in 1996. They promoted him again to worldwide president of features production management in 2001. During that four-year span, he oversaw day-to-day physical production for the studio until he retired in 2005.
He is survived by his wife, Joan, and his children Kirsten and Toby along with his son-in-law Gene. He is also survived by his three grandchildren Deliah, Madison and Bella. Those wishing to honor his memory can make donations to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
