The Untold Truth About Allen Greene From ‘Shawshank Redemption’

If you have watched The Shawshank Redemption, a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, you will notice the dedication at the end,

“In memory of Allen Greene.”

Quite a dedication. But who is Allen Greene? 

He was Frank Darabont’s close personal friend and agent.

Allen died just before the movie was released due to AIDS complications.

Before his death, Allen played a crucial role in getting the movie to the world.

He helped Darabont secure the directing gig at Castle Rock Entertainment.

The Shawshank Redemption, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, tells the story of a banker, Andy (Tim Robbins), who gets life imprisoned in Shawshank State Penitentiary for murdering his wife, despite pleading his innocence.

who was allen greene in shawshank

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Tim Robbins befriends a fellow prisoner and a contraband smuggler, Ellis Redding (Morgan Freeman), and becomes the focal point in the money laundering business led by a prison warden Samuel Norton.

Frank Darabont bought the film rights to Stephen King’s story in 1987 but wrote a script for eight weeks, five years later.

After submitting his script to The Castle Rock Entertainment, he secured a $25 million budget to produce the Shawshank Redemption. It is reported that Allen Greene helped him secure the deal.

Frank began the production of the movie in 1993.

On its release, the movie received several positive reviews for its story and the characters, Robbins and Freeman.

Although this was the case, it only earned $16 million during its run—a disappointment to the box office in this case.

However, today, The Shawshank Redemption is considered one of the greatest films of the 90s.

It is still popular in several nations and is still being broadcasted.

Frank Darabont’s dedication made the world also know about his friend and his role in the movie.

More to read: Who was Ted Jorgensen?

Fascinating Facts About The Shawshank Redemption Film

Although most people agree that The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest movies ever produced, there are still lesser-known facts about the film. You will be surprised when you find out some of them.

  1. The movie was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield. This was after the prison was shut down three years earlier due to overcrowding and inhumane living conditions. The same prison was also used for filming popular movies like Air Force One and House TV Show.
  2. The Shawshank reached the top position on the IMDB’s list of Top 250 due to the Dark Knight movie fans. The fans gave The Godfather the lowest scores to ensure Dark Knight stays in the top position. However, when the movie’s popularity faded down, The Shawshank Redemption found itself in the top position. The ranking of the Godfather never rose and stayed in the second spot.
  3. Tom Cruise was to play Andy Dufresne’s role but refused to work with an inexperienced director (Frank Darabont) unless Rob Reiner keeps an eye on the production. Rob Reiner turned down the suggestion, and Tom therefore declined.
  4. Twenty years after the movie was produced, Bob Gunton, who played the warden, said he still earns a substantial income from the movie’s residual payments.
  5. The film’s director, Darabont, later went on to adopt two more Stephen King stories into screenplays. His other notable achievements include the creation of the Walking Dead series and Mob City.
  6. Jeffrey DeMunn, who played the prosecutor in the Shawshank Redemption, played a role in all Darabont’s films he produced.