How Brando Became the Godfather; Bob Ross Inc. Pushes Back; the Facebook Reckoning

Plus: Who Really Is the Best Bond? [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Weekly]( A SPECIAL EDITION OF COCKTAIL HOUR October 7, 2021 [CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD]( [How Marlon Brando Beat the Odds and Became the Godfather]( By Mark Seal [He was the only actor Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola could imagine as Mafia patriarch Don Corleone in The Godfather. There were just two problems: The studio didn’t want Brando, and Brando didn’t want the role. An excerpt from a new book reveals how flattery, a fake seizure, and a stealth screen test changed the course of cinematic history.]( [Read More]( If someone forwarded you this email, [sign up for “Cocktail Hour” here](. [SOCIAL ANXIETY]( [“Public sentiment might have saved Zuckerberg before, but this time, the only people cheering for him are those who still work at his company.”]( [— Nick Bilton on the Facebook scandal that might finally break the camel’s back]( [Read More]( [THE MUSIC MAN]( [Charlie Watts’s Friend and Fill-In on Keef, Mick…and the Beatles]( By Mark Rozzo [In his first expansive interview since joining the Rolling Stones on drums for their No Filter gigs, Steve Jordan explains how he’s honoring Watts from “the best seat in the house.”]( [Read More]( [JANUARY 6]( [Screaming Matches, Oxygen Masks, and Wild Stampedes]( By Adam Schiff [“This is because of you!” a Democrat yelled at a Republican as protesters battered at the doors and Capitol police officers urged lawmakers to “move!” In Adam Schiff’s new book, Midnight in Washington, he recounts the horrific scene—and the events that enabled it.]( [Read More]( [EXTREMELY ONLINE]( [Why Facebook May Be the True “Bad Art Friend”]( By Erin Vanderhoof [The viral story is, among other things, a narrative of human misery in the social media era.]( [Read More]( [UNHAPPY LITTLE TREES]( [Bob Ross Inc. Would Love It If You Stopped Hating Them]( By Anthony Breznican [The president of the company responds to hard questions raised by the Netflix documentary Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed.]( [Read More]( [SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED]( [Which James Bond Star Is the Ultimate 007?]( By Vanity Fair [On the eve of the franchise’s 25th film, V.F. writers make the case for six different Bonds.]( [Read More]( [Vanity Fair]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.