visits MalibuBy Cathy Neiman/Staff Writer
Keeping it close to home, several Malibu actors headed up to a palatial estate owned by a retired swimming pool mogul near County Line to shoot a film by Damian Chapa.
Faye Dunaway, Stacy Keach, Robert Wagner and Kathleen Quinlan were shooting the day in Malibu for the film “El Padrino,” which means godfather in Spanish.
The film is about a Mexican-American drug kingpin, the biggest in Southern California, and the trials and tribulations of his life as a drug dealer. The star of the movie is Damian Chapa, who, in addition to directing, wrote the screenplay. He has directed two prior movies, “Blood in, Blood Out” and “The Calling,” released last year. Local Gary Busey plays the part of a serial killer who kidnaps the governor’s daughter.
One of the pivotal scenes of the movie being shot at the Malibu estate was a scene with Dunaway, Wagner, Keach and Quinlan. The setting was a discussion between Governor Lancaster, (Keach), Attorney Robert Fisch, (Wagner), Attorney General Navarro (Dunaway) and Judge Scorsi (Quinlan) about why the governor released Kilo (Chapa), the drug kingpin, early from prison.
The work at the Malibu estate, owned by Al Rotter, was scheduled for eight days and this particular shoot day lasted until the early morning hours. Rotter, a 20-year Malibu resident, said for the five years he has owned his home there have been more than 100 shoots there, from fashion to video to film. “El Padrino,” directed by Damian Chapa and produced by Troy Barker, will be released in a year or so.