The Godfather is one of the most iconic film franchises to date. It's based on the novel of the same name and directed by Frances Ford Coppola. There was a lot that went into these movies, which means there were a lot of stories to tell!
Listen Closely...
Many people call The Godfather a mafia or mob series. That only makes sense since the entire movie premise is about an organized crime family with a very obvious "mob boss" entity, Don Vito. Upon the first watch, you might not realize not that they never actually say "mob" or "mafia" in the film.
No "Mafia" References
Not once are either of those words uttered. This was intentional. Director Francis Ford Coppola met the with Italian-American Civil Rights League before filming to make sure that the film would not infringe on their rights. The groups decided to completely avoid those words in order to not bring on negative connotations to Italian-Americans.
Back to De Niro
One person who wanted the role of Michael Corleone was Robert De Niro. He was passed up. He also auditioned to play Sunny, but that role was given to James Caan. Eventually, De Niro went on his way to film other things, but The Godfather franchise came crawling back to him.
Joining In
Later, De Niro was asked to play Paulie. De Niro declined and chose to go with another film at the time. Later, he was asked again to play a Young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II. He accepted the role and eventually went on to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
The Daughter of the Director
Sofia Coppola is the daughter of the director of The Godfather film franchise. She played a prominent role in The Godfather III which many critics and fans didn't like. She played Mary Corleone.
Her Acting Debut
Many people don't realize that she had her actual movie debut in the first film. She played Michael Corleone's godson in The Godfather and was the baby in the baptism scene. She was obviously a newborn in the 1972 film and 19-years-old in the third film that debuted in 1990.
Duking it Out for Michael Corleone
It's no secret that Hollywood's best wanted a part in this famous film franchise. Agents were duking it out left and right for the people that they represented to get a slice of this film. Everyone knew how big it was going to be before the script was even finished!
Only One Survived
Burt Lancaster tried to get Don Corleone and failed. He's not the only one who failed to get a role! Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, and Warren Beatty wanted to portray Michael Corleone. Obviously, they all failed and Al Pacino got the part (which was perfect, mind you.)
The Drama Behind Coppola
Even though many people thought that Francis Ford Coppola was the best person for this film, Coppola was afraid that wasn't the case. He felt a lot of pressure during the filming of the first movie to stick to the schedule, but they kept falling behind. Despite being behind, he was never relaxed.
Fear of Failure
He was so afraid that he was going to be replaced that he ended up firing the man who he feared would replace him. It's unclear whether or not that was ever the case, but Marlon Brando commonly stood up and defended his directing abilities. Coppola was nominated for Best Director.
Getting "The Look"
Obviously, Brando didn't quite look like Don Corleone. He had to age himself and create an entirely different "face" just for his audition. Naturally, the film team loved his look.
Wide Mouth
For his audition, he stuffed his cheeks to give himself that defined jawline and droopy mouth. The film crew loved this look and had him recreate it for when it was time to film. Brando ended up meeting with a dental team so that they could design a custom mouthpiece for him in order to secure this vision.
The Italian-American Community
Even though the filmmakers did their best to make sure the Italian-American community was well represented, many folks were displeased with the films. When they were filming on-location in New York, many locals took it upon themselves to relate their concerns to the filmmakers.
They Didn't Love It
The locals were afraid that these films would exaggerate pre-existing stereotypes that people have on Italian-Americans and the mob world. In order to keep things civil, they eventually brought on true Mafia members to work on the film to showcase that the stereotypes are just that: stereotypes.
Brando Makes a Statement
Marlon Brando ended up winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 1973. His role in The Godfather had a heavy impact on the country, and he was one of the most popular household names at the time. When he won his award, he decided to make a real statement.
Sacheen Littlefeather
Brando chose a woman named Sacheen Littlefeather to accept his award on his behalf. She said, "I'm representing Marlon Brando this evening and he has asked me to say that he cannot accept this very generous award because of the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry." Mic drop.
Accidental Cat Moment
Cats are the epitome of thinking they are the center of the universe, which is kind of true. The iconic cat that was featured in this scene was actually just a stray who was found roaming around the set. The cat was very friendly and social, so the filmmakers decided to use that to their advantage.
A Feline Friend
The cat happily plopped down on Brando's lap when directed. The cat was so happy to be there that they had to cut out the sound of purring in post-production. No one on set knew how iconic this scene would be in film history!
Burt Lancaster or Marlon Brando?
Marlon Brando is one of the most iconic faces to come out of the film industry back in his day. It's impossible to imagine anyone else other than Brando as Con Corleone, but that was almost the case! At it's initial inception, the film's rights were almost secured by Burt Lancaster and his group of filmmakers.
Lost Lancaster
Lancaster was really gunning for the role of Don Corleone once the novel started making its rounds. He was beaten out of the rights by another group of filmmakers, so his dreams of becoming the crime boss were over. Brando was probably better suited for the role anyhow, and Lancaster did just fine without this role!
The Horse Head Incident
This scene is easily one of the most talked-about (and the most disturbing) from The Godfather series. The Corleone's placed a horse's head in Jack Woltz's bed. Most viewers would assume that this was just some Hollywood effects...
It Was Real
Sadly, that was not the case. The blood itself was fake, but the horse's head was absolutely real. This factor just added to the creepy suspense!
Inspiring True Events
Even though the makers of The Godfather wanted to avoid accentuating mob stereotypes, some folks didn't get the memo. A group in Sicily ended up actually using the infamous horse head tactic to scare an enemy.
Taking Notes
According to the court reports, they wanted to scare away contractors that they didn't want in the area. They were definitely in trouble!
Fussy 3-year-old
The little boy who played Michael Corleone's son is named Anthony. He refused to be called anything other than his real name, so they had to change it in the script. Luckily, Anthony is already an Italian name!
The Book
Mario Puzo is the author of the original Godfather book. Obviously, the filmmakers had to cut out a lot of the story in order to make it movie-friendly. Some relationships were left out, including some weirdness between Sonny and his mistress. It's probably for the better!
The Famous Cannoli
Never mind The Godfather's incredible storytelling and fantastic theatrics, the most memorable part of the movie is easily the line: "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli." This line was completely improvised, which makes it even better.
Paramount vs Coppola
Coppola wasn't entirely wrong for being skeptical of Paramount. In truth, they really were trying to fire him! They ended up being very lucky that they didn't. He finished the movie under budget and created the franchise that The Godfather is today.
The Punch
This scene was huge. They had to hire over 700 extras for this scene and it took four days to film. Somehow, nobody noticed that James Caan's punch was a complete miss and looked absolutely awful. What were they thinking?
Bitter Pacino
Marlon Brando wasn't the only Godfather actor to avoid the 1973 Academy Awards. Al Pacino opted to forgo the awards ceremony, too, but for totally different reasons. He was one of the three cast members to earn the Best Supporting Actor nomination, but he thought that he deserved better. In fact, he thought he deserved the Best Actor nomination. So, he protested and didn't go.
The Famous Logo
The logo is also just as popular. It was designed by S. Neil Fujita for the original novel. The studio wanted to redo the logo, but Coppola protested and made them keep it. Smart move!
What the Studio Wanted
Apparently, Paramount Studios had a lot of thoughts about who was cast for who, and they didn't get their way! For the role of Don Vito Corleone, the studio wanted Laurence Olivier. For Michael Corleone, they wanted Robert Redford or Ryan O'Neal.
The Home
The home of Michael Corleone is in Staten Island. The home is still there and is a popular tourist spot for diehard fans. The last time it was listed "for sale" the asking price was over $1 million.
Intermission?
The Godfather is super long, everyone knows that. The studio executives at Paramount wanted a literal intermission in the middle of the movie to give the audience a break. That only happens in plays! Obviously, the idea was nixed (thankfully.)
A Family Affair
Not only did Coppola keep his daughter in the franchise, but he also added other family members. He also had both of his parents, his sister, and two of his sons have a helping hand in the film.
Securing the Role
Carlo Rizzi was played by Gianni Russo. Russo was a real mob associate to Mafia boss Frank Costello. Russo wanted to be in the film, so he pulled some strings, and secured the role. Don't ask questions!
Brando Was Against Russo
Marlon Brando, being the scary guy that he was, was not thrilled with having Russo on set. He wasn't interested in acting alongside someone who had absolutely no experience. Russo caught wind of what Brando was saying and decided to threaten him. Brando didn't realize it was a real threat and thought that Russo was method acting, so he changed his mind. Whatever works!
The Cheat Sheet
Let's be real: it's hard to memorize lines sometimes! Marlon Brando literally had a cheat sheet set up just off-camera. His co-star, Robert Duvall, would even tape Brando's monologues to his chest. That's friendship!
Hiring His Sister
Francis Ford Coppola wasn't very keen on having his sister play the role of Connie. Funny enough, he thought that she was too pretty for the role. Mario Puzo requested her for the part and she actually scored the audition without Coppola's influence.
The Weirdest Occurance
The Godfather initially premiered on Saturday, November 16, and Monday, November 18th in 1974 on NBC. There were no commercial breaks. Apparently, the audiences were so sucked into the film that they didn't use the restroom. New York City Municipal Water Authorities said that they dealt with tons of overflow problems because of how many people used the bathroom at the same time after the movie was over! Both nights!
Sergio Leone
Italian director Sergio Leone was the original director of the film. He turned it down because he felt that it glorified the mafia. He eventually directed a mob film of his own, Once Upon a Time in America, and got an Oscar nomination for Best Director.
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone wanted to be on The Godfather cast badly. He auditioned for the role of Carlo and Paulie. Apparently, he "wasn't Italian enough." Eventually, he went on to snag the role of Rocky and was launched into superstardom. Paramount tried to get him to star in The Godfather: Part III but he turned it down.
The Salaries
Fans were shocked to see that Al Pacino, James Caan, and Diane Keaton were all paid $35,000 for their time on the film. Inflation makes a difference, yes, but that's still totally low!
The Corleone Name
The last name of Corleone actually means something in Italian! It's roughly translated to "lionheart." After seeing these films, it's hard to argue that.
Totally Starstruck
When Lenny Montana (Brasi) showed up on set, he was so overly nervous to act alongside Marlon Brando. In fact, he was so flabbergasted that he completely forgot his lines! Instead of getting upset, Coppola loved the nervousness as he felt that it fit with Brasi's character.
The Most Violent Scene
Sonny's death is easily the most violent scene in the film. He was ambushed, trapped, and shot in a scene that's been recreated thousands of times. To make this scene as immersive as possible, actor James Caan had to wear over 100 explosive charges all over his body. Then, when the time came, the film crew had to detonate the mini explosives to make it look like he was being shot.
The Mob? More like Capitalism
Since Coppola did not want to encourage any negative stereotypes on Italian-Americans, he wanted to use an allegory of American capitalism instead. There are tons of capitalist themes in the film!
Italian Slang?
Coppola took on the script after Puzo finished it up. He wasn't Italian and didn't actually know the language, and Coppola immediately noticed. He saw that there was a lot of made-up Italian slang that Coppola did not like.
Caan vs Evans
James Caan played Sonny Corleone. Fans of the film loved his depiction of the character, but producer Robert Evans didn't. In fact, he cut over 45 minutes of footage with Caan in it, which totally limited his screen time and the depth of the character. Caan eventually confronted Evans about it, but no resolution happened.
The Two Dons
Robert De Niro played Don Vito in The Godfather II and Marlon Brando played Don Vito in The Godfather. Both actors won the Academy Award for Best Actor for their roles. This means that they are the only actors who won academy awards for playing the same character!
Coppola Family Recipe
Believe it or not, the actual recipe that Clemenza uses in The Godfather is actually the spaghetti sauce recipe that the Coppola family used. So, if you're looking for the true Godfather experience, look no further!
The Orange
Coppola used the color orange and the fruit orange as a means of symbolism. The color orange in the film represented death. Whenever the orange fruit was shown, it was foreshadowing a death of a character in the scene.
The Only Line that Mattered
Mario Puzo wanted his novel to be perfectly represented, but he also let Coppola do whatever he wanted... But, he wanted one line to be repeated verbatim. That line is: "A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns." Brando didn't like it, and he refused to say it. Dang!
Literally Shaking
Marlon Brando was an intimidating guy. Actor Gabriele Torrei was so nervous about acting with him that he was physically shaking. Coppola decided to use that footage since it technically fit with the scene!
Figuring Out His Voice
Marlon Brando ended up basing his voice off of Frank Costello. He heard recordings of Costello during the Estes Kefauver hearings in 1951. Brando thought it was perfect for Vito, so he went with it.
Making it Difficult
In the scene where Don Vito is carried up the stairs by his associates, Brando actually made it more difficult for them to do that task. He was by no means a small guy, but he still decided to stuff his pockets and wear additional weights so that the guys really struggled.
Using Improv
James Caan was big on improvising his lines. The scene where he used a carbage can lid to beat up Carlo was totally on his own accord. He used the phrase "bada-bing!" completely on his own because he heard mobster Carmine Persico say it once. Of course, the famous scene where he throws the FBI photographer to the ground was also totally Caan!
Brando's Improv
Brando also improvised some lines and actions! The scene where Vito smacks Johnny Fontange in the face was not in the script. That's why Johnny's reaction was so real!
Making Cinema History
Cinematographer Gordon Willis wanted to experiment with some angles. He insisted that each shit in the film should be from the point of view of another character. So, they decided that every single shot would be filmed at the height of four feet.
What about the aerial shot?
Yes, yes, there's an aerial shot that is obviously not filmed at the height of four feet. Coppola convinced Willis to do an aerial shot by saying that it was the "point of view of God." That's fair!
It's Too Dark!
Obviously, Paramount didn't like a lot of the choices that were made for this film (which all ended up being iconic choices, by the way.) During post-production, the studio exec's apparently hated the fact that the film was so dark. Coppola and Willis had to convince them that it was accurate to the film (which it was.)
Wired Shut
Michael Corleone had to have his mouth wired shut in the film. So, Al Pacino decided to actually have his mouth wired shut for those scenes! Now THAT is some impressive method acting.