LOS ANGELES – From a godfather of cinema to Kermit the Frog, the U.S. government’s small-business lending program sent money into unexpected corners of the entertainment industry.
While legendary names like Francis Ford Coppola and Jim Henson hardly evoke the image of “small” business, the leaders of modestly sized companies that bear their names say the funds have been essential to keeping ordinary workers afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.Francis Ford Coppola Presents, the broader brand of the director of “The Godfather” films and “Apocalypse Now,” received a loan of between $5 million and $10 million to help keep 469 people employed, according to data released Monday by Treasury Department on the Payroll Protection Program.