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Washington Street
Rightly considered one of the best filmmakers working in the early 1960s, Sergio Leone picks up the book The Hoods, in which a Lower East Side gangster tells his memoirs. Seduced, he approached John Milius to try to mount an adaptation. Too busy, he declines his proposal but Sergio Leone invests himself all the same, going so far as to refuse the offer that Paramount made him to direct The Godfather. It is curious to note that Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather was freely inspired by the same book that was the basis of Once Upon a Time in America.
Years after reading the novel, the director began production of his ambitious project. We are then at the end of 1981. Armed with a solid cast, including Robert De Niro, James Woods, Joe Pesci, Elizabeth McGovern and Jennifer Connelly, the director had the idea of shooting at home, in Rome, in the legendary Cinecittà studios. However, a visit to the Lower East Side changed his mind. He decided to build entire building structures in the architectural style of the 1930s to be superimposed on the existing buildings. A technique already used on The Godfather. The scene taking place on Washington Street, under the benevolent gaze of the Manhattan Bridge, is one of the most famous. It was also used for the poster and thus contributed to the popularity of this emblematic place.
The director’s cut of the film released in 2012 lasts 251 minutes, which is 112 more than the the first American version.
Previewed in New York on February 17, 1984, before its national release on June 1st of the same year, Once Upon a Time in America, whose screenplay is based on the novel The Hoods by Harry Grey, garnered much praise. Nevertheless, the fact that several versions, more or less long, are circulating, does not fail to frustrate some critics. In this respect, the European version is widely considered the best. At the time it was rejected by the Oscars, it is now considered one of the best gangster films ever made.
26 Washington St
Framed by the buildings, the Manhattan Bridge is imposing from Washington Street. A true snapshot of the Big Apple, where photographers flock every day to enjoy the unique setting.
The industrial district of Dumbo is also a star of New York. Where all the tourists gather to capture the beauty of a city whose face changes according to the time of day. A place popular with artists, rich in lofts and other studios. Galleries, like Klompping, are also numerous.
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