Nicholas Celozzi has a family story about the Kennedy assassination. And it’s about to hit the big screen. The writer-producer of the upcoming movie “November 1963,” Celozzi appeared on the weekly JFK Live gathering on Thursday, Oct. 22, to answer questions about the film and how the project evolved to include Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffé and stars John Travolta, Dermot Mulroney, Mandy Patinkin, and Robert Carlyle. Celozzi is the great nephew of Chicago mobster Sam Giancana. Celozzi based his script on a story recounted by his great-uncle Joseph “Pepe” Giancana, who spent time with Sam in the days surrounding the assassination. During the JFK Live chat, Celozzi talked about focusing his script on the family history — which indicates the assassination plot emanated from the Chicago mob. Other theories surrounding assassination story were largely set aside. “People keep talking themselves into stories,” Celozzi said. “And what I’m giving you is something from someone that was sitting in the room while it happened. “Nobody does anything by themselves. Were there other people involved? Of course, and I gave you some of them. Did it extend? Yes, it did. And I get into that extension in the follow-up project of mine. It’s impossible to tell it all. How do you tell it all in 120 pages?” Celozzi also talked about early iterations of the film, his collaborators, and plans for that follow-up — a movie called “The Trial of Jack Ruby.” Highlights from the conversation: On an earlier version that included screenwriter-director David Mamet: Mamet wanted to change the movie into something that kind of “de-true storied it.” It would have made it “into more of a fictional adaptation with some truisms in it. Brilliant stuff! But I could not go that route, and it broke my heart, because I’m a huge fan, I’m still a huge fan of David Mamet. I love his work. But I couldn’t go that route. Because if I went that route, you lose ‘based on a true story’.” On John Travolta starring as Johnny Roselli, and capturing the mobster’s dual nature: “John had this beautiful vulnerability while being able to keep his strength. … What he did in the film, to be sub to Giancana, but yet authoritative to (mob hit man Charles “Chuckie”) Nicoletti in the same scene, at the same time, is extremely difficult to modulate that kind of thing. … He was incredible. And I got to tell you, the effort he put in … John is someone who has to see the movie all the way through. He’s a true artist.” The film has limited advance screenings around the anniversary of the assassination, with wide release planned for Dec. 4. The trailer is below, and the full interview with Celozzi is at the top. JFK Facts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support its work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jfkfacts.substack.com/subscribe
