Does this photo ring any (wedding) bells with you? Can you tell me who these people are and what movie they inspired? I'll let you think about it and I'll get back to you...
UPDATE: Answer after the jump...
Yes, many of you noticed the resemblance between John Wojtowicz and the actor who played Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) in "Dog Day Afternoon." The bride is Ernest Aron, named Leon Shermer (and played by Chris Sarandon) in the 1975 movie. Ernest would later be known as Elizabeth Eden, after the gender reassignment surgery that Wojtowicz said was his motive for robbing a branch of Chase Manhattan Bank (450 Avenue P, at East 3rd Street) in Gravesend, Brooklyn. The surgery was financed out of the $7,500 (plus 1 percent of net profits) that Wojtowicz received for selling the movie rights.
The couple was married in Greenwich Village on December 4, 1971, although Wojtowicz was not divorced from his first wife (a woman named Carmen Bifulco), which probably didn't matter much since same-sex marriages (even if only temporary) weren't legally recognized at the time, anyway.
The robbery took place August 22, 1972. Wojtowicz's accomplice, 18-year-old Salvatore Naturile (known as Sal and played by John Cazale, who played Pacino's brother Fredo in the "Godfather" movies) was killed. Wojtowicz was arrested, tried and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was said to have gotten ideas for the robbery from "The Godfather," which he had seen earlier the same day.
After serving 14 years of his sentence, Wojtowicz was released in April, 1987. Elizabeth died at age 41 in September of that year, of pneumonia related to AIDS. Wojtowicz died in 2006 at age 60. He was the subject of two documentaries -- "The Third Memory" (2000), a 10-minute split-screen re-enactment of the robbery which juxtaposes Wojtowicz's account with that of "Dog Day Afternoon" [watch it here]; and the feature-length "Based on a True Story" (2005).
(Thanks to Flatbush Pigeon, the source for some of these photos.)
UPDATE: Check out more photos (and a link to the original LIFE Magazine story on which the movie was based) at Ironic Sans.
64 Comments
Lars and the Real Girl?
Dog Day Afternoon? Sonny and his lover?
Too distracted to do research right now, but I'm definitely getting a "Dog Day Afternoon" vibe.
If anything, it reminds me a lot of "The Godfather." If the guy decked-out in military gear doesn't look like Pacino, I don't know who does.
No idea who the people are, though.
I believe "The Godfather" was inspired by this photo. The man actually does look a little like Al Pacino. I don't exactly know who these two people are though.
My guess is Dog Day Afternoon.
That'd be John Wojtowicz and Elizabeth Eden I believe. The movie would, of course, be the damn fine film "Dog Day Afternoon"
Sonny and his "bride" Leon in "Dog Day Afternoon."
Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon in the movie.
As it happens, I was just re-reading Sidney Lumet's fantastic book, "Making Movies," in which he discussed directing DDA, and how he handled the revelation of Sonny's bisexuality, the weird "wedding," (twice illegal: two men, plus Sonny was already married) and Sonny's motive for the bank robbery: to pay for Leon's sex change.
In real life, the photo appeared on local TV news reports contemporaneous with the bank seige. In the film, Lumet thought that such a shocking photo might be too over the top (can't remember his exact words--either the audience would be too shocked by the photo and forget the rest of the film, or else they might regard Sonny as too much a figure of fun). The decision was made to go with a photo of just Leon in the wedding dress.
Truly, this is the first time I've ever seen the photo, but what else could it be?
"The Godfather?"
The Godfather? Michael & Kay's wedding.
"Dog Day Afternoon"?
Don't know the people but Dog Day Afternoon?
Aww...this couple looks happy. And I see they were both clean-shaven for the big day. Or, their first big day, anyway. Their second big day came some months later, during the sluggish days of a Brooklyn summer. A few years after that, Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon became their permanent avatars in Sidney Lumet's version of their story, "Dog Day Afternoon". Just a groom trying to make his new bride as happy as on the day they wed.
I've never seen it but based on the bride's um aspect and the Wikipedia page I would guess Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
I don't remember their names, but they are the real life inspriation for the Al Pacino character in "Dog Day Afternoon" and his lover. I remember in the movie that it was mentioned that they had been married. You can also tell the woman looks like a man.
He looks a little like Al Pacino to me...
That's gotta be the wedding of John Wojtowicz and Ernest Aron, the couple that inspired 'Dog Day Afternoon'.
It's not Dog Day Afternoon, is it? Can't remember the couple's name, I'm afraid.
Dog Day Afternoon! The two people are Elizabeth Eden and John Wojtowicz, played by Chris Sarandon and Al Pacino in the film. BAM!
I am just going by the military uniform. Juan Peron and Eva Peron. The film is Evita.
Looks like The Godfather with Michael Corleone on the side. But he wasn't the one getting married...
Think I may know this one... the happy couple would be John Wojtowicz & Elizabeth Eden. Inspiration for Dog Day Afternoon? (Their characters in the movie were called Sonny and Leon I think - played by Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon). Haven't watched that movie in almost a year, that is far too long.
Love your blog by the way, I only wish their were more voices like yours online.
They are Elizabeth Eden (Ernest Aron) and John Wojtowicz. Their story inspired Dog Day Afternoon, a favorite film of mine.
I don't know who they are but for some reason I immediately thought "Dog Day Afternoon". Do I win a cuddly toy?
I've just done an extra bit of homework and I think they are John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile.
Woops! I made a mistake. I think the bride is Elizabeth Eden. Salvatore was the bank robber working with John Wojtowicz.
Brings to mind Third Memory by Pierre Huyghe, which I saw a couple of years ago and starred an aging John Wojtowicz "gone to funk" (according to one reviewer). No mention of Elizabeth Eden.
At first I thought Dear Hunter... but then the height difference made me think Dog Day Afternoon... This is John Wojtowicz & Elizabeth Eden, I believe.
Dog Day Afternoon?
that's dog day afternoon!?
Kathy Griffin and Jamie Farr?
Brilliant. But which one is Corporal Klinger? Actually, if the bride was KG, that would make the groom about three feet tall!
I'm saying Godfather only b/c of the uniform is a spitting image of Al Pachino's suit in the wedding scene w/ Diane Keaton
Is this the couple that inspired the characters Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon played in Dog Day Afternoon?
The Godfather?
I call Dog Day Afternoon!
Just reading Sidney Lumet's excellent book, Making Movies -- a great resource on movies in general and Lumet's movies in particular. Terrific rental ideas within.
The Godfather?
Looks a little like Ben Gazzara.
The uniform and height difference make me think of "The Godfather", with Pacino and Keaton, although we never see their actual wedding in the film. Also, "The Graduate" comes to mind.
The real Sonny Wortzik* and his transsexual wife, the couple who inspired "Dog Day Afternoon".
*I think the names were changed for the movie.
Saving Private Ryan.
It's Michael and Kay from "The Godfather".
Of course, the "Kay" in this photo looks an awful lot like the guy who played left tackle on my high school football team.
Well the guy looks a lot like Pacino from 'The Godfather' and this could be the wedding at the start of the movie (or does the wedding run thru the whole movie while they flash to other scenes? It's been a while since i've seen it), but it also reminds me of 'The Deer Hunter'. No idea who they actually are, but I'll stick with my original guess of 'The Godfather'.
judging by height and uniform, "the godfather?"
Sonny Wortzik & Leon Shermer Dog Day Afternoon.
John Wojtowicz and his boyfriend/husband. They inspired one of the greatest films and film performances- Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon.
The more I look at that picture, the more the bride looks like a cross between Merlin Olsen and Cathy Griffin.
The groom better eat his Wheaties before the honeymoon.
Maybe Sonny Wortzik and Sal from DOG DAY AFTERNOON?
I don't know why but honestly the first film that comes to mind is "The Godfather". The way the young man looks in his army suit is almost exactly the way Pacino looks in his in the opening wedding scene. Granted Kaye isn't getting married but wedding theme will have to do.
Only thing I can think of is it has something to do with "The Deer Hunter." That's my best guess.
Dog Day Afternoon. Sidney Lumet mentions the photo in his book "Making Movies."
John Wojtowicz and Elizabeth Eden.
Dog Day Afternoon.
A complete shot in the dark, but one that further Googling confirmed!
The Godfather
That would make the people John Wojtowicz and Elizabeth Eden. Thanks Wikipedia.
Fun fact, Wojtowicz gave the movie itself a mixed review. He disliked the way his mother was portrayed and felt it was stereotypical of an Italian mother. He was also offended at how his ex-wife was portrayed as a fat slob and how the film implied that he was driven to homosexuality by her being so unattractive.
However he thought Chris Sarandon's performance as Eden (inspiration for Leon) was SPOT ON! Of all the roles in the film that seems like it would be the most caricatured and over-the-top but Wojtowicz says that she was really like that.
Also, it WAS mentioned at the time that Wojtowicz more resembled Ron Palillo (Horshack on Welcome Back, Kotter) than Al Pacino.
Thanks for posting the Third Memory link. I saw it as part of a travelling exhibit on digital aesthetics in Melbourne and was quite impressed.
What you learn from it is that Wojtowicz was a richly human dude.
"The Miracle of Morgan's Creek."
"Attica! Attica!"
thank you for this. i love "dog day afternoon," and this article has made me love it even more. and my money is still on sonny as being pacino's greatest work.
"gender reassignment" - euphemisms make baby jesus cry.
Baby Jesus needs a sex-change operation to get more in touch with his female side.
Oh, darling, you don't need an operation just to do that. ;)
When you asked does the picture "ring" any bells I was certain that was a clue. To me, the groom looks a lot like Ringo Star.
I don't see anybody guessing "Heidwig and the Angry Inch." Huh.
Scratch my last comment. I just found the link to the "Life" magazine story, and it was THIS article I was remembering. The article definitely states the resemblance to Al Pacino, though.
the godfather? :D
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