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This article is about the 1972 film. For other uses, see Godfather.
The Godfather
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Produced by Albert S. Ruddy
Written by Novel:
Mario Puzo
Screenplay:
Mario Puzo
Francis Ford Coppola
Robert Towne
(uncredited)
Starring Marlon Brando
Al Pacino
James Caan
Robert Duvall
Diane Keaton
Music by Nino Rota
Carmine Coppola
Cinematography Gordon Willis
Editing by William H. Reynolds
Peter Zinner
Marc Laub
Murray Solomon
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) March 15, 1972 (USA)
November 1, 1972 (Australia)
Running time 175 min. Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director, Mario Gianluigi Puzo ( October 15, 1920 &ndash July 2, 1999) was a two time Academy Award -winning Italian American Mario Gianluigi Puzo ( October 15, 1920 &ndash July 2, 1999) was a two time Academy Award -winning Italian American Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director, Robert Burton Towne (born November 23, 1934) is an American Screenwriter and director. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning James Edmund Caan (born March 26, 1940) is an American Academy Award - Emmy - and Golden Globe -nominated American Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an American Film Actor and director who has won an Academy Award Diane Keaton (born Diane Hall on January 5 1946 is an Oscar -winning American film Actress, director and producer Nino Rota ( December 3, 1911 &ndash April 10, 1979) was an Italian Composer best known for his work on Film scores Carmine Coppola ( June 11, 1910 - April 26, 1991) was an Academy Award - and Golden Globe -winning as well as BAFTA Gordon Willis, ASC (born May 28, 1931 in Queens New York, United States) is a Hollywood Cinematographer best known William H Reynolds ( June 14, 1910 - July 16, 1997) was an American Film editor of seventy films Peter Zinner ( July 24 1919 &ndash November 13 2007) was an Academy Award and BAFTA -winning film editor Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Country United States
Language English Italian Latin
Budget $6,000,000
Followed by The Godfather Part II
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Godfather is a 1972 crime film based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, with a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola, and an uncredited Robert Towne. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Godfather Part II is a 1974 Crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The year 1972 in film involved some significant events Events Top grossing films (U A crime film, in the most general sense is a Film that involves various aspects Crime and the Criminal justice system The Godfather is a Crime novel written by American Author Mario Puzo, originally published in 1969 by G Mario Gianluigi Puzo ( October 15, 1920 &ndash July 2, 1999) was a two time Academy Award -winning Italian American A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director, Robert Burton Towne (born November 23, 1934) is an American Screenwriter and director. [1] It stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton, and features Richard Castellano, Abe Vigoda and Sterling Hayden. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning James Edmund Caan (born March 26, 1940) is an American Academy Award - Emmy - and Golden Globe -nominated American Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an American Film Actor and director who has won an Academy Award Diane Keaton (born Diane Hall on January 5 1946 is an Oscar -winning American film Actress, director and producer Richard Salvatore Castellano ( September 4, 1933 – December 10, 1988) was an American actor Abraham Charles "Abe" Vigodah (born February 24 1921 is an American movie and television Actor. Sterling Hayden ( March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American Actor and Author. The story spans ten years from 1945 to 1955 and chronicles the Corleone crime family. The Corleone family is a Sicilian Mafia family settled in New York City.

The Godfather received Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay, and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The National Film Registry is the registry of Films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of In addition, it is ranked as the second greatest film in American cinematic history, behind Citizen Kane on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) list by the American Film Institute. Citizen Kane ( 1941) is an American Dramatic film, and the first Feature film directed by Orson Welles, who also co-authored AFI’s 100 Years100 Movies — 10th Anniversary Edition was the 2007 updated version of 100 Years… 100 Movies. The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 It is also ranked #1 on Internet Movie Database's Top 250 list,[2] as well as #1 on Metacritic's top 100 list and in the top 10 on Rotten Tomatoes' all-time best list. Rotten Tomatoes is a Website devoted to reviews information and news of Movies. [3][4]

Two sequels followed The Godfather: The Godfather Part II in 1974, and The Godfather Part III in 1990. The Godfather Part II is a 1974 Crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The year 1974 in film involved some significant events Events February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released The Godfather Part III is a Crime drama film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola The year 1990 in film involved some significant events Events CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for


Contents

Cast

Plot

At the wedding reception of Don Vito Corleone's daughter Connie and Carlo Rizzi in the late summer of 1945, Vito, the head of the Corleone Mafia family – who is known to his friends and associates as Godfather – and Tom Hagen, the Corleone family lawyer and consigliere (counselor), are hearing requests for favors from friends and associates, because "no Sicilian can refuse a request on his daughter's wedding day". Vito Andolini "The Godfather" Corleone (December 7 1891 - August 14 1955 is a Fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather Constanzia Corleone, usually known as Connie Corleone, is a Fictional character from The Godfather by Mario Puzo. Carlo Rizzi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather. Thomas "Tom" Feargal Hagen (1912-1964 is a Fictional character in the Godfather books and films Consigliere (konsiʎˈʎɛːɾe is the Italian term for an adviser or counsellor Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Meanwhile, the Don's youngest son Michael, who has returned from World War II service as a decorated war hero, tells his girlfriend Kay Adams anecdotes about his father's criminal life, reassuring her that he is not like his family. Michael Anthony Corleone is a Fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novels The Godfather and The Sicilian. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including For similar names see Kaye Adams (disambiguation Katherine Adams Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's The

Among the guests at the celebration is the famous singer Johnny Fontane, Corleone's godson, who has come from Hollywood to petition for help in landing a movie role that will revitalize his flagging career. John "Johnny" Fontane is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather and the series of films based upon it Jack Woltz, the head of the studio, will not give Fontane the part, but Don Corleone explains to Johnny: "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse. Jack Woltz is a fictional character from the novel The Godfather and the 1972 film adaptation. " Hagen is dispatched to California to fix the problem, but Woltz angrily tells him that he will never cast Fontane in the role, for which he is perfect, because Fontane seduced and "ruined" a starlet that Woltz favored. The next morning, Woltz wakes up to find the bloody severed head of his prize $600,000 stud horse in the bed with him. Woltz gives in.

Upon Hagen's return, the family meets with Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo, who is being backed by the rival Tattaglia family. Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's The Godfather. He asks Don Corleone for financing and political and legal protection for the importation and distribution of heroin, but despite the huge amount of money to be made, Corleone refuses, explaining that his political influence would be jeopardized by a move into the narcotics trade. Heroin ( INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from Morphine, a derivative The Don's oldest son, hotheaded Sonny, who had earlier expressed to the Don his support of the family entering into the narcotics trade, breaks rank during the meeting and questions Sollozzo's assurances as to the Corleone Family's investment being guaranteed by the Tattaglia Family. Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a Fictional character in Mario Puzo 's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation His father, angry at Sonny's dissension in front of a non-family member, privately rebukes him later. Don Corleone then dispatches his top button man (hit man), Luca Brasi, to infiltrate Sollozzo's organization and report back with information. Luca Brasi is a character in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation (portrayed by Lenny Montana)

Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather.
Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century

Soon after his refusal to support Sollozzo, Don Corleone is shot several times in an assassination attempt, and it is not immediately known whether he has survived. Meanwhile, Sollozzo and the Tattaglias kill Luca Brasi. Sollozzo then abducts Tom Hagen and persuades him to offer Sonny the deal previously offered to his father. Enraged, Sonny refuses to consider the deal, and issues an ultimatum to the Tattaglias – turn over Sollozzo or face war. They refuse, and Sonny responds by having Bruno Tattaglia, son of Don Phillip Tattaglia, killed. Bruno Tattaglia is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather and the first installment of Francis Ford Coppola 's Philip Gustapay Tattaglia is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather, the first installment of The Godfather

Michael, who is considered a "civilian" by the other Mafia families, not involved in mob business, visits his father in the hospital, but is shocked to find there is no one guarding him. Realizing that his father is again being set up to be killed, he calls Sonny with a report, moves his father to another room, and goes outside to watch the door. With the help of Enzo the baker, who feels indebted to the Don and has come by the hospital to pay his respects, he bluffs away Sollozzo's men. Police cars soon appear with the corrupt Captain McCluskey, who breaks Michael's jaw when he insinuates that McCluskey is being paid by Sollozzo to set up his father. Just then, Hagen arrives with "private detectives" licensed to carry guns to protect Don Corleone, and takes Michael home.

Following the attempt on the Don's life at the hospital, Sollozzo requests a meeting with the Corleones, which Captain McCluskey will attend as Sollozzo's bodyguard, and Michael volunteers to kill both men during the meeting. This initially amuses Sonny and the other senior members of the family; however Michael convinces them that he is serious, and that killing Sollozzo and McCluskey is in the family's interest: "It's not personal. It's strictly business. " Although cops are usually off limits for hits, Michael argues that since McCluskey is corrupt and has illegal dealings with Sollozzo, he is fair game.

At the meeting, after being searched by McCluskey, Michael excuses himself to go to the restroom, where he retrieves a planted revolver and assassinates Sollozzo and McCluskey. For his safety Michael is sent to Sicily, while the Corleone family prepares for all-out warfare with the rest of the Five Families, united against the Corleones, as well as a general clampdown on the mob by the police and government authorities. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The Five Families are the five major Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated Organized crime in New York City since the 1930s In Sicily, Michael lives under the protection of Don Tommasino, an old friend of the family. Don Lionele Tommasino (1896-1980 is a Fictional character from The Godfather series of books and films While there, he falls in love with and marries a local girl, Apollonia Vitelli, who is later killed by a car bomb intended to assassinate Michael.

Back in New York, Don Corleone returns home from the hospital and is distraught to learn that it was Michael who killed Sollozzo and McCluskey. Some months later, in 1948, Sonny severely beats Carlo Rizzi for brutalizing the pregnant Connie, and threatens to kill him the next time he abuses her. An angry Carlo responds by plotting with Tattaglia and Don Emilio Barzini, the Corleones' chief rivals, to have Sonny killed. Don Emilio Barzini (1893-1955 is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather and the film based on it Carlo beats Connie again in order to lure Sonny out. Furious, Sonny drives off alone to fulfill his threat. On the way, he is ambushed at a toll booth and machine-gunned to death in his car.

Instead of seeking revenge for Sonny's killing, Don Corleone meets with the heads of the Five Families to arrange an end to the war. Not only is it draining all of their assets and threatening their survival, but ending the conflict is the only way that Michael can return home safely. Reversing his previous decision, Vito agrees that the Corleone family will provide political protection for Tattaglia's traffic in heroin. At the meeting, Don Corleone determines that Don Barzini, not Tattaglia, was ultimately behind the mob war and Sonny's death.

With his safety guaranteed, Michael returns from Sicily. More than a year later, he reunites with his former girlfriend, Kay, telling her that he wants to marry her. With the Don semi-retired, Sonny dead and middle brother Fredo considered incapable of running the family business, Michael is now in charge, and promises Kay to make the family completely legitimate within five years. Frederico "Fredo" Corleone is a Fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather.

Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio, two Corleone Family caporegimes (captains) complain that they are being pushed around by the Barzini Family and ask permission to strike back, but Michael refuses. Peter Clemenza ( July 16, 1890 - October 9, 1957) is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather Salvatore "Sal" Tessio is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather and the film based on it. A caporegime (or Capodecina) (sometimes shortened to capo) is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking member of a crime family who heads He plans to move the family operations to Nevada and after that, Clemenza and Tessio may break away to go on their own. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Michael further promises that Connie's husband, Carlo, is going to be his right hand man in Nevada. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Tom Hagen has been removed as consigliere and is now merely the family's lawyer, with Vito serving as consigliere. Privately, Hagen complains about his change in status, and also questions Michael about a new regime of "soldiers" secretly being built under Rocco Lampone. Rocco Lampone (1917 - 1959 is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather and the first two installments of the Godfather trilogy Don Vito explains to Hagen that Michael is acting on his advice.

In Las Vegas Michael is greeted by Fredo and Johnny Fontane in the hotel-casino partly financed by the Corleones, and run by Moe Greene. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Moe Greene is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo 's 1969 novel The Godfather and the first installment of the The Godfather Michael explains to Johnny that the Family needs his help in persuading his friends in show business to sign long-term contracts to appear at the casino. In a meeting with Moe Greene, Michael offers to buy out Greene but is rudely rebuffed. Greene believes the Corleones are weak and that he can secure a better deal from Barzini. As Moe and Michael argue, Fredo takes sides with Moe. Afterwards, Michael firmly tells Fredo to never again take sides with anyone against the family.

Michael returns home. In a private moment, Vito explains his expectation that the Family's enemies will attempt to kill Michael by using a trusted associate to arrange a meeting as a pretext for assassination. Vito also reveals that he never intended a life of crime for Michael, hoping that his youngest son would hold legitimate power as a senator or governor. Shortly afterwards, Vito dies of a heart attack while playing with his young grandson Anthony in his tomato garden. Anthony Vito Corleone (1951-) is a Fictional character in The Godfather Trilogy of films directed by Francis Ford Coppola. At the burial, Tessio conveys a proposal for a meeting with Barzini, which identifies him as the traitor that Vito was expecting.

Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen (left) and Al Pacino as Michael Corleone (right)
Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen (left) and Al Pacino as Michael Corleone (right)

Michael arranges for a series of murders to occur while he is standing as godfather for Connie and Carlo's son:

After the baptism, Tessio believes he and Hagen are on their way to the meeting between Michael and Barzini that he has arranged. Instead, he is surrounded by Willi Cicci and other button men. Realizing that Michael has found out about his betrayal, Tessio tells Hagen that his betrayal was only business. Meanwhile, Michael confronts Carlo about Sonny's murder and gets him to admit his role in setting up the ambush. Michael informs Carlo that his punishment is to be excluded from the family business and hands him a plane ticket to exile in Las Vegas. Carlo gets into a car to go to the airport, where he is garroted by Clemenza. A garrote or garrote vil (a Spanish word alternative spellings include garotte and garrotte) is a handheld Weapon, most often referring

Later, Connie confronts Michael, accusing him of Carlo's murder. Kay questions Michael about Connie's accusation, but he refuses to answer. She insists, and Michael lies, assuring his wife that he had no role in Carlo's death. Kay is relieved by his denial, believing it to be true. The film ends with Clemenza and new caporegimes Rocco Lampone and Al Neri paying their respects to Michael. Clemenza kisses Michael's hand and greets him as "Don Corleone. Hand-kissing is a Ritual of greeting and respect It is initiated by the person receiving the greeting by holding out her/his hand with the palm facing downward " Kay watches with dawning comprehension as the door closes – Michael is the new Godfather.

Differences from the novel

One of the primary parts of Puzo's novel which was not used for the movie was the flashback story of Don Corleone's earlier life, including the circumstances of his emigration to America, his early family life, his murder of Don Fanucci, and his rise in importance in the mafia, all of which were later used in The Godfather Part II. In history film television and other media a flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Godfather Part II is a 1974 Crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo.

Many subplots were trimmed in the transition from the printed page to the screen, including: singer Johnny Fontane's misfortunes with women and his problems with his voice; Sonny's impulsive dabbling in street crime as a teenager and his utter lack of the tact and coolheadedness possessed in such abundance by his father; Sonny's paramour Lucy Mancini's new-found love in Dr. Jules Segal (a character entirely missing from the film), who not only repairs Lucy's vaginal malformation but puts Michael in touch with the surgeon who repairs Michael's facial bones (which had been damaged by Capt. McCluskey) and also operated on Johnny Fontane's vocal cords, thus restoring his singing voice; Jack Woltz' increasing pedophilia; Kay Adams's home life; Luca Brasi's demonic past; the Corleone family's victorious rise to power in earlier New York gang wars in which Don Corleone survives a previous assassination attempt and Al Capone sends triggermen from Chicago in an unsuccessful attempt to aid a rival gang; Don Corleone's ingenious plan used to take Michael out of exile in Sicily; the detailed savage attack on the two men who assaulted Bonasera's daughter, which was led by Paulie Gatto and involved retainer thugs (which was only alluded to in the film). The term pedophilia or paedophilia has a range of definitions as found in Psychology, law enforcement and the popular vernacular

Additionally, the novel makes it clear that Lucy was not pregnant by Sonny when she moved to Las Vegas, thus leaving no room for Vincent Mancini of The Godfather, Part III. The Godfather Part III is a Crime drama film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola Curiously, Puzo wrote the screenplays of all three movies, so the contradiction was well known to him.

Characters with smaller roles in the film than in the novel include Johnny Fontane, Lucy Mancini, Rocco Lampone, and Al Neri (the latter two are reduced to non-speaking roles). Characters dropped in the film adaptation beside Dr. Segal include Genco Abbandando (only spoken of, he appears in a deleted scene featured in The Godfather Saga; he first appears on film in The Godfather II) and Dr. The Godfather Saga is a TV movie that combines The Godfather and The Godfather Part II into one film playing in chronological Taza from Sicily. Also, in the book, Michael and Kay have two sons, but in the movies they have a son and a daughter.

The novel and film also differ on the fates of Michael's bodyguards in Sicily, Fabrizio and Calo. The film has them both surviving (Calo, in fact, appears in the third installment). In the book, however, Calo dies along with Apollonia in the car explosion, and Fabrizio is shot and killed as one more victim in the famous "baptism scene" after he is tracked down running a pizza parlor in America. Pizza (ˈpiːtsə, in Italian:) is a popular dish made with an Oven -baked flat generally round Bread that is covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based Fabrizio's murder was deleted from the film but publicity photos of the scene exist. [5] (He is later killed in a completely different scene in The Godfather Saga which was deleted from The Godfather: Part II). The Godfather Saga is a TV movie that combines The Godfather and The Godfather Part II into one film playing in chronological

The ending of the book differs from the end of the movie: whereas in the film Kay suddenly realizes that Michael has become "like his family", the drama is toned down in the book, where Tom Hagen lets her in on secrets for which, according to him, he would be killed should Michael find out. During the film's baptism scene, all the heads of the Five Families were killed. In the novel, only Barzini and Tattaglia, previously at war with the Corleones, are killed.

Production

Coppola and Paramount

Francis Ford Coppola was not the first choice to direct. At least two other directors were approached first. Italian director Sergio Leone was offered the job, but he declined because he didn't find the story interesting as it glorified the Mafia. Sergio Leone ( January 3, 1929 &ndash April 30, 1989) was an Italian Film director. (He went on to direct his own gangster opus, Once Upon a Time in America, which focused on Jewish-American gangsters. Once Upon a Time in America (Italian title C'era una volta in America) is a 1984 Crime film directed by Sergio Leone ) According to Robert Evans, head of Paramount Pictures at the time, Coppola also did not initially want to direct the film because he feared it would glorify the Mafia and violence, and thus reflect poorly on his Sicilian and Italian heritage; on the other hand, Evans specifically wanted an Italian-American to direct the film because his research had shown that previous films about the Mafia that were directed by non-Italians had fared dismally at the box office, and he wanted to, in his own words, "smell the spaghetti". Robert Evans (born Robert J Shapera June 29, 1930 in New York New York) is an American Film producer best known When Coppola hit upon the idea of making it a metaphor for American capitalism, however, he eagerly agreed to take the helm. [6] At the time, Coppola had directed eight previous films, the most notable of which was the film version of the stage musical Finian's Rainbow — although he had also received an Academy Award for co-writing Patton in 1970. Finian's Rainbow is a 1968 American movie musical directed by Francis Ford Coppola. [7] Coppola was in debt to Warner Bros. for $400,000 following budget over-runs on George Lucas' THX-1138, which Coppola had produced, and he took The Godfather on Lucas' advice. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and George Walton Lucas Jr (born May 14, 1944) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, producer, Screenwriter THX 1138 is a 1971 Science fiction film directed by George Lucas, from a screenplay by Lucas and Walter Murch. [8]

There was intense friction between Coppola and the studio, Paramount Pictures, and several times Coppola was almost replaced. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. Paramount maintains that its skepticism was due to a rocky start to production, though Coppola believes that the first week went extremely well. Paramount thought that Coppola failed to stay on schedule, frequently made production and casting errors, and insisted on unnecessary expenses. Coppola says, in the DVD commentary, that he was shadowed by a replacement director, who was ready to take over if Coppola was fired, but despite such intense pressure, Coppola managed to defend his decisions and avoid being replaced.

Paramount was in financial troubles at the time of production and so was desperate for a "Big Hit" to boost business, hence the pressure Coppola faced during filming. They wanted The Godfather to appeal to a wide audience and threatened Coppola with a "Violence coach" to make the film more exciting. Coppola added a few more violent scenes to keep the studio happy.

Casting

Coppola's casting choices were unpopular with studio executives at Paramount Pictures, particularly Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone. Paramount, which wanted Laurence Olivier (who could not take the part due to health problems), originally refused to allow Coppola to cast Brando in the role, citing difficulties Brando had on recent film sets. Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron One studio executive proposed Danny Thomas for the role citing the fact that Don Corleone was a strong "family man. Danny Thomas ( January 6, 1912 - February 6, 1991) was an American nightclub Comedian and television and film " At one point, Coppola was told by the then-president of Paramount that "Marlon Brando will never appear in this motion picture". After pleading with the executives, Coppola was allowed to cast Brando only if he appeared in the film for much less salary than his previous films, perform a screen-test, and put up a bond saying that he would not cause a delay in the production (as he had done on previous film sets). [9] Coppola chose Brando over Ernest Borgnine, as the former won both him and the Paramount leadership over with his screen test. Ermes Effron Borgnino (born January 24 1917 better known by his stage name Ernest Borgnine, is an American Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Brando later won an Academy Award for his portrayal, which he refused to accept. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film.

The studio originally wanted Robert Redford or Ryan O'Neal to play Michael Corleone, but Coppola wanted an unknown who looked like an Italian-American, who he found in Al Pacino. Charles Robert Redford Jr (born August 18 1936) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, Actor, Ryan O'Neal (born Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal; April 20 1941 is an Academy Award - and Golden Globe -nominated American Actor Michael Anthony Corleone is a Fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novels The Godfather and The Sicilian. Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning [10] Pacino was not well known at the time, and the studio did not consider him right for the part,[9] in part because of his height. Pacino was given the role only after Coppola threatened to quit the production. Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, Martin Sheen,[9] and James Caan also auditioned. John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (born April 22 1937) is an American Actor, internationally renowned for his often dark-themed portrayals Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8 1937 His brother Ronald is a lawyer and economist Warren Beatty (born Henry Warren Beaty; March 30 1937 is an American Academy Award - and Golden Globe -winning Actor, producer Martin Sheen (born Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez on August 3, 1940) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning American Actor who earned James Edmund Caan (born March 26, 1940) is an American Academy Award - Emmy - and Golden Globe -nominated American [9] Elvis Presley was also interested in the role, but did not audition. The part is heavily influenced by the acting style pioneered by George Raft who in real life grew up with some and came in contact with prominent mobsters where he himself did some bootleg delivering. George Raft ( 26 September 1895 – 24 November 1980) was an American Film Actor most closely identified

Among those who auditioned for other parts were Bruce Dern, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen who were considered for the role of Tom Hagen which eventually went to Robert Duvall. Paul Leonard Newman (January 26 1925 &ndash September 26 2008 was an Academy Award Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen (March 24 1930 – November 7 1980 was an American movie Actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool" Sylvester Stallone auditioned for Carlo Rizzi and Paulie Gatto, Anthony Perkins for Sonny, and Mia Farrow auditioned for Kay. Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (born July 6 1946 is an American Actor, director, producer and Screenwriter. Anthony Perkins ( April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe -winning American Maria de Lourdes Villiers-Farrow, known as Mia Farrow (born February 9, 1945) is an American Actress. William Devane was seen for the role of Moe Greene. William Devane (born September 5, 1937) is an American film and television Actor. Mario Adorf was approached for a role as well. Mario Adorf (born September 8, 1930) is an Italian - German film and stage Actor, best known for his lead role in the 1978 A then unknown Robert De Niro auditioned for the roles of Michael, Sonny, Carlo and Paulie Gatto. Robert Mario De Niro Jr (born August 17 1943 is a two-time Academy Award -winning American Film Actor, director and producer He was cast as Paulie, but Coppola arranged a "trade" with The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight to get Al Pacino from that film. The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight is a novel written by Jimmy Breslin. De Niro later played the young Vito Corleone in Part II, winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the role.

To some extent, The Godfather was a family affair for Francis Ford Coppola. Carmine Coppola, his father, who had a distinguished career as a composer, conductor and arranger, wrote additional music for the film and appeared in a bit part as a piano player, and his wife Italia Coppola was an extra. Carmine Coppola ( June 11, 1910 - April 26, 1991) was an Academy Award - and Golden Globe -winning as well as BAFTA Francis Coppola's sister, Talia Shire was cast as Connie, and his infant daughter, Sofia, played Connie and Carlo's newborn son, Michael Francis Rizzi, in the climactic baptism scene near the movie's end. [11] Coppola also cast his sons as Frank and Andrew Hagen, the two sons of Tom Hagen. They are seen in the Sonny-Carlo streetfight scene and behind Al Pacino and Robert Duvall during the funeral scene.

Star salaries

Al Pacino, James Caan and Diane Keaton each received $35,000 for their work on The Godfather, and Robert Duvall got $36,000 for eight weeks of work. Marlon Brando, on the other hand, was paid $50,000 for six weeks and weekly expenses of $1,000, plus 5% of the film, capped at $1. 5 million. Brando later sold his points back to Paramount for $300,000. [12]

Filming

Most of the principal photography took place from March 29, 1971 to August 6, 1971, although a scene with Pacino and Keaton was shot in the autumn — there were a total of 77 days of shooting, fewer than the 83 for which the production had budgeted. Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.

Locations [13] around New York City and its environs were used for the film, including the then-closed flagship store of Best & Company on Fifth Avenue, which was dressed up and used for the scene where Pacino and Keaton are Christmas shopping. At least one location in Los Angeles was used also (for the exterior of Woltz' mansion), and a scene with Pacino and Keaton was filmed in the town of Ross, California. Ross is a small incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States, just north of The Sicilian towns of Savoca and Forza d'Agrò outside of Taormina were also used for exterior locations. Savoca is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 170 km east of Forza d'Agrò is an Italian town in Sicily, part of the Province of Messina. Interiors were shot at Filmways Studio in New York. Filmways Inc was a Television and Film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff in 1960

One of the movie's most shocking moments comes early, involving the real severed head of a horse. Animal rights groups protested the inclusion of the scene. "Animal liberation" redirects here for other uses see Animal liberation (disambiguation. Coppola later stated that the horse's head was delivered to him from a dog food company; a horse had not been killed specifically for the movie. This scene was shot in Port Washington, New York. Port Washington is a hamlet and Census Designated Place in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. [10][9]

In the novel, Jack Woltz, the movie producer who has his horse's head put in his bed, is also shown to be a pedophile as Tom Hagen sees a young girl (presumably one of Woltz's child stars) crying while walking out of Woltz's room. The term pedophilia or paedophilia has a range of definitions as found in Psychology, law enforcement and the popular vernacular This scene was cut from the film but can be found on the DVD release (though Woltz can still briefly be seen kissing the girl on the cheek in his studio in the film).

The opening scene of The Godfather is a long, slow zoom, starting with a close-up of the undertaker, Bonasera, who is petitioning Don Corleone, and ending with the godfather, seen from behind, framing the scene. This zoom, which lasts for about three minutes, was shot with a computer-controlled zoom lens designed by Tony Karp[14]. The lens was also used in the making of Silent Running. Silent Running is a 1972 ecologically-themed Science fiction film directed by Douglas Trumbull which depicts a future in which all Plant life

A side entrance to Bellevue Hospital was used for Michael's confrontation with police Captain McCluskey. Bellevue Hospital Center, founded in 1736 is the oldest Public hospital in the United States [15] As of 2007, the steps and gate to the hospital were still there but victim to neglect.

The scene where Don Barzini was assassinated was done on the steps to the New York State Supreme Court,[16]

Two different churches were used to film the film's baptism scene. The interior shots were filmed at Old St. Patrick's in New York. Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral, or Old St Patrick's, is located at 260-264 Mulberry Street between Prince and Houston Streets in Manhattan, in For the baptism itself, Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 was used, as were other Bach works for the pipe organ. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor ( BWV 582 is an organ piece by Johann Sebastian Bach. The pipe organ is a Musical instrument that produces sound when pressurized air (wind is driven through a series of pipes, controlled by a keyboard The exterior scenes following the baptism were filmed at Mount Loretto Church in Pleasant Plains on Staten Island, New York. Pleasant Plains is a neighborhood located on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, the largest city in the United States. Staten Island (ˌstætənˈaɪlənd is a borough of New York City situated primarily on the island of the same name In 1973 much of Mount Loretto Church was destroyed in a fire. Only the facade and steeple of the original church remained, and were later incorporated into a new structure that was built to replace the structure destroyed in the fire.

Score controversy

Nino Rota's score was removed at the last minute from the list of Academy Award nominees when it was discovered that he had used the theme in Eduardo De Filippo's 1958 comedy, Fortunella (co-written by Fellini); although the theme was played in a brisk, staccatto, comedic style in Fortunella, the melody was the same as The Godfather's love theme, and because of that it was deemed ineligible for an Oscar in 1972. Nino Rota ( December 3, 1911 &ndash April 10, 1979) was an Italian Composer best known for his work on Film scores "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Eduardo De Filippo, often called simply Eduardo ( 24 May, 1900 - 31 October 1984) was an Italian actor playwright screenwriter Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( January 20 1920 &ndash October 31 1993) was an Italian Film

Nevertheless, The Godfather Part II won a 1974 Oscar for best original score, although it featured the same love theme that made the 1972 score ineligible. The Godfather Part II is a 1974 Crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo.

Reception

Academy Awards
1. Best Actor, Marlon Brando
2. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century Best Picture, Albert S. Ruddy
3. Best Adapted Screenplay, Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
Golden Globe Awards
1. Mario Gianluigi Puzo ( October 15, 1920 &ndash July 2, 1999) was a two time Academy Award -winning Italian American Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director, Best Picture - Drama
2. Best Director, Francis Ford Coppola
3. Best Actor - Drama, Marlon Brando
4. Best Original Score, Nino Rota
5. Nino Rota ( December 3, 1911 &ndash April 10, 1979) was an Italian Composer best known for his work on Film scores Best Screenplay, Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
BAFTA Awards
1. Best Music, Nino Rota

The film is greatly respected among international critics and the public and is routinely listed as one of the greatest films ever made. While there is no agreement upon the greatest Film of all time many publications and organizations have tried to determine the films considered the greatest ever. It was voted greatest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly,[1] and is now ranked as the second greatest film in American cinematic history – behind Citizen Kane – on the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movies list, after being initially ranked third, behind Casablanca. Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc Citizen Kane ( 1941) is an American Dramatic film, and the first Feature film directed by Orson Welles, who also co-authored The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 The first of the AFI 100 Years series of cinematic milestones AFI's 100 Years Casablanca ( is an American Romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and [17]

In the 2002 Sight & Sound poll of international critics, The Godfather was ranked as the fourth best film of all time. Sight & Sound ( is a British monthly Film Magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The National Film Registry is the registry of Films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of This is not the case for the third installment in the "Godfather" trilogy.

The soundtrack's main theme by Nino Rota was also critically acclaimed; the main theme ("Speak Softly Love") is well-known and widely used. The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio program, Television program, or Movie. Nino Rota ( December 3, 1911 &ndash April 10, 1979) was an Italian Composer best known for his work on Film scores "Speak Softly Love (Love Theme From The Godfather)" is a song written for The Godfather ( 1972) the first film in the Godfather (See Score Controversy)

The Godfather was an enormous box office hit, smashing previous records to become the highest grossing film of all time. It made US$5,264,402 in its opening weekend and went on to gross $81,500,000 in its initial run;[18] nearly fourteen times its budget and marketing campaign. Re-releases boosted its North American total to $134 million. [18]

 

Love Theme From The Godfather

The famous theme, composed by Larry Kusic and Nino Rota. Nino Rota ( December 3, 1911 &ndash April 10, 1979) was an Italian Composer best known for his work on Film scores
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

The Godfather won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando refused to accept the award and sent actress Sacheen Littlefeather in his stead to the Oscars to explain why) and Best Writing (adapted screenplay) (Francis Coppola, Mario Puzo). "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to artists working Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to recognize Sacheen Littlefeather (born Maria Cruz on 30 January 1947 in Salinas, California, U The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent Film awards in the United States The film was nominated for eight additional Academy Awards. Furthermore, it won five Golden Globes, one Grammy, and numerous other awards. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Nino Rota's music score for the film was initially nominated for an Oscar, but was subsequently withdrawn when it was discovered that Rota recycled some of the music he had written for an obscure 1958 Italian film Fortunella. Nino Rota ( December 3, 1911 &ndash April 10, 1979) was an Italian Composer best known for his work on Film scores

Stanley Kubrick believed that The Godfather was possibly the greatest movie ever made, and without question the best cast. [19]

Cinematic influence

Although many films about gangsters had been made prior to The Godfather, Coppola's sympathetic treatment of the Corleone family and their associates, and his portrayal of mobsters as characters of considerable psychological depth and complexity[20] was hardly usual in the genre. A crime film, in the most general sense is a Film that involves various aspects Crime and the Criminal justice system A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set This was even more the case with The Godfather: Part II, and the success of those two films, critically, artistically and financially, opened the doors for more and varied depictions of mobster life, including films such as Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas and TV series such as David Chase's The Sopranos. Goodfellas (also spelled GoodFellas) is an Academy Award winning 1990 Crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese David Chase (born August 22, 1945) is an American Screenwriter, director, and Television producer. The Sopranos is an American Television drama series created by David Chase.

The image of the Mafia as being a feudal organization with the Don being both the protector of the small fry and the collector of obligations from them to repay his services, which The Godfather helped to popularize, is now an easily recognizable cultural trope, as is that of the Don's family as a "royal family". (This has spread into the real world as well – cf. John Gotti  – the "Dapper Don", and his celebritized family. John Joseph Gotti Jr ( October 27, 1940 &ndash June 10, 2002) commonly known by the media as "The Dapper Don" and "The ) This portrayal stands in contrast to the more sordid reality of lower level Mafia "familial" entanglements, as depicted in various post-Godfather mafia fare, such as Scorsese's Mean Streets and Casino, and also to the grittier hard-boiled pre-Godfather films. Mean Streets ( 1973) is an early Martin Scorsese film starring Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel. Casino is an Academy Award nominated 1995 Crime drama Film directed by Martin Scorsese. Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation

In the 1999 film Analyze This, which starred Robert De Niro, who played Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part 2, many references are made both directly and indirectly to the Godfather. The year 1999 in film involved some significant events and was arguably the most successful year for films released in the 1990s Analyze This is a 1999 movie produced by Warner Brothers Studios. One scene is almost a shot by shot replica of the attempted assassination of Vito Corleone. In the comedy The Freshman (1990), Marlon Brando plays a role reminiscent of Don Corleone. The Freshman is a 1990 motion picture comedy starring Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick, in which Brando deliberately parodies his own The year 1990 in film involved some significant events Events CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for And one of those most unlikely homages to this film came in 2004, when the PG-rated, animated family film Shark Tale was released with a storyline that nodded at this and other movies about the Mafia. Shark Tale is a 2004 CGI comedy produced by DreamWorks Animation.

Influence on popular culture

The Godfather along with the other films in the trilogy, had a strong impact on the public at large. Don Vito's line, "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" was voted as the second most memorable line in cinema history in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes by the American Film Institute [21]

Reports from Mafia trials and confessions suggest that Mafia families began a "real life" tradition of paying respect to the family don by kissing his ring, in imitation of the ending scene of the movie. Part of the AFI 100 Years series, AFI's 100 Years 100 Movie Quotes is a list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 There is no evidence of this custom being mentioned prior to the movie.

The scene where a delivery is made of a pair of pants and bullet proof vest wrapped around a fish is explained to be an old Sicilian message, "Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes!" This expression has made it into widespread American parlance.

An indication of the continuing influence of The Godfather and its sequels can be gleaned from the many references to it which have appeared in every medium of popular culture in the decades since the film's initial release. That these homages, quotations, visual references, satires and parodies continue to pop up even now shows clearly the film's enduring impact. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject In the television show The Sopranos, Tony Soprano's topless bar is named Bada Bing after the line in The Godfather when Sonny says "You've gotta get up close like this and bada-bing! You blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit. "

In addition, the 1997 Welsh film Twin Town (dir. Twin Town is a 1997 Black comedy film made and set in Swansea, south Wales, although some parts were filmed in Port Kevin Allen) set in Swansea features a scene in which a severed dogs head is discovered in its owner's bed just as Jack Woltz finds the head of his prize stud in his bed. Another homage to the famous decapitated horse scene was a 2008 Audi commercial for their new R8 model, first aired during Super Bowl XLII, in which the grill of a rival luxury car is discovered in the oil-soaked bed. AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters Super Bowl XLII featured the National Football Conference (NFC champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC champion New England In the television show Arrested Development the scene is parodied when Michael Bluth discovers the handlebars of his bike in his bed. In Yes Dear episode On Your Mark Get Set Mow the episode ends with a mower steering wheel being found in Greg's bed, as a warning from other mowers. Yes Dear is an Emmy -Nominated American television Sitcom which aired from 2000 to 2006 on CBS. In The Simpsons episode Lisa's Pony, Homer buys Lisa a pony and leaves it in her bed as a surprise. " Lisa's Pony " is episode eight of the The Simpsons ' third season, which aired on November 7, 1991. In the morning Lisa notices something in her bed, removes the blanket to reveal the horse (only his head is showing) which prompts Lisa to scream in shock. In commercial advertisements for Pepsi throughout he 1990s, a young girl played by Hallie Kate Eisenberg, which also featured Marlon Brando, speaks in a man's voice after drinking Coca-Cola instead of Pepsi. Pepsi-Cola is a carbonated beverage that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. Hallie Kate Eisenberg (born August 2, 1992) is an American Actress. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century Coca-Cola is a carbonated Soft drink sold in stores restaurants and Vending machines in more than 200 countries

It is also imitated in "The King of Queens" when Arthur wakes up and finds his bead soaked in Clam Soup. The King of Queens is an Emmy -nominated American Sitcom that ran for nine seasons from 1998 to 2007 Even in children's shows, such as the Rugrats, the twins Phil and Lil Deville wake up and find the head of a stuffed horse in their crib. Rugrats is an American Animated television series that aired from August 11, 1991 to June 8, 2004 on This has also been repeated in "Transformers Animated". Transformers Animated is an American Animated television series based on the ''Transformers'' toy line. Also, in the show Grounded for Life after a man steals Uncle Eddie's jokes about sausages (but changes it to hot dogs so he can claim he didn't steal Eddie's joke. Grounded for Life is an American Television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001 as a mid-season replacement on ) Uncle Eddie hires a guy to fill the other comic's bed with hot dogs.

Current rankings

Symbolic significance of oranges

See also: The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III

Some film scholars and fans of the Godfather movies note what they believe is the symbolic significance of oranges in the films, suggesting that after the appearance of an orange in the film an important "death scene" follows. The Godfather Part II is a 1974 Crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The Godfather Part III is a Crime drama film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola An orange —specifically the sweet orange —is the Citrus fruit Citrus sinensis ( syn [22] In the first film, Tom Hagen and Woltz negotiate Johnny's movie status at a dinner table with a plate of oranges on it, and Woltz soon discovers his horse's severed head; Don Vito Corleone is buying oranges from a fruit seller when he is attacked; Sonny drives past a billboard promoting Florida Oranges before he is gunned down at the toll booth; Michael is seen eating an orange while discussing his plans of revenge for his father's assassination attempt with Tom Hagen; oranges are placed on the table at the meeting of the Mafia bosses (and specifically in front of those who will be assassinated at the film's climax); and Don Vito Corleone dies while eating an orange, as he plays with his young grandson. Tessio is also seen peeling an orange at Connie's wedding. Carlo, who is responsible for Sonny's death, is wearing an orange suit when Sonny beats him up. In Part II, Fanucci grabs an orange from a stand just before he is murdered by Vito in the hallway of his apartment building. Johnny Ola brings Michael an orange from Miami and is later killed. Michael is also seen eating an orange while in a meeting with Tom Hagen and Rocco Lampone, as they are planning the assassination of Hyman Roth, who is killed in the final scene. In Part III, before they are murdered by assassins in a helicopter, an orange rolls off the table. Finally, as Michael Corleone dies at the end of part III, he drops an orange and it rolls away.

Adaptations

Chronological versions

Main article: The Godfather Saga

In 1975, Coppola edited The Godfather and The Godfather Part II together for TV, putting the scenes in chronological order and adding some previously unseen footage, but also toning down the violence, sex, and profanity. The Godfather Saga is a TV movie that combines The Godfather and The Godfather Part II into one film playing in chronological Violence is the exertion of force so as to injure or abuse The word is used broadly to describe the destructive action of natural phenomena like Storms and Earthquakes An organism's sex is defined by the gametes it produces males produce male gametes (spermatozoa or Sperm) while females produce female gametes (ova or Egg cells; individual The original meaning of the adjective profane (from the Latin for "in front of or outside the Temple " was to refer to items not belonging to the church It is rated TV-14. This version of the story was called The Godfather Saga. In 1992, Coppola created another chronological version, this time including Part III as well, for a direct-to-video release that had a running time of 583 minutes. This version also incorporated new previously deleted scenes that had not been seen in The Godfather Saga.

DVD release

The Godfather was released on DVD for the first time on October 9, 2001 as part of a DVD package called The Godfather DVD Collection. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The collection contained all three films with commentary from Francis Ford Coppola and a bonus disc that featured a 73 minute documentary from 1991 titled The Godfather Family: A Look Inside, plus a 1971 documentary. The package also contained deleted footage, including the additional scenes originally contained in The Godfather Saga; "Francis Coppola's Notebook" a look inside a notebook the director kept with him at all times during the production of the film; rehearsal footage; and video segments on Gordon Willis' cinematography, Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola's music, Francis Ford Coppola, locations and Mario Puzo's screenplays. The DVD also held a Corleone family tree, a "Godfather" timeline, and footage of the Academy Award acceptance speeches. [23]

It appears that in 2008, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II will be re-released to theaters and on DVD in a new restoration, to be overseen by Robert A. Harris. The Godfather Part II is a 1974 Crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. Robert A Harris is a film historian and preservationist who specializes in restoring the large-format widescreen films of the 1950s The restoration was confirmed by Francis Ford Coppola during a question and answer session for The Godfather Part III, when he said that he had just seen the new transfer and it was "terrific". The Godfather Part III is a Crime drama film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola Further evidence for this upcoming re-release came when the American Film Institute canceled screenings in August and September of the two films, stating, "The Godfather shows have been cancelled. The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 The film has been pulled from circulation in anticipation of its restoration and re-release in 2008. "

The restored versions of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II were released in a brand new DVD boxset on 2nd June 2008 in Europe. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The boxset also included The Godfather Part III and new special features, including one on the restoration process the films went through. The Godfather Part III is a Crime drama film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola It also has the old features from the previously released DVDs from 2001 including Coppola's commentaries for the three films [2]. A release date for the Region 1 DVD has not yet been announced. Amazon. co. uk also released an exclusive steelbook edition of the boxset [3].

Video game

Main article: The Godfather: The Game

In March 2006, a video game version of The Godfather was released by Electronic Arts. The Godfather The Game is a 2006 Video game based on the 1972 film of the same name. Prior to his death, Marlon Brando provided voice work for Vito, however, due to poor sound quality from Brando's failing health, a sound-alike's voice had to be used instead. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century James Caan, Robert Duvall and Abe Vigoda lent their voices and likenesses as well, and several other Godfather cast members had their likeness in the game. Abraham Charles "Abe" Vigodah (born February 24 1921 is an American movie and television Actor. However, Al Pacino's likeness and voice (Michael Corleone) was not in the game as Al Pacino sold his likeness and voice for the Scarface video game. Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning Michael Anthony Corleone is a Fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novels The Godfather and The Sicilian. Scarface The World Is Yours is a Video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. Francis Ford Coppola said in April 2005 that he was not informed and did not approve of Paramount allowing the game's production, and openly criticized the move. [24]

References

  1. ^ Kenneth Turan, Robert Towne's Hollywood Without Heroes, New York Times (27 November 1988)
  2. ^ IMDb Top 250. IMDB. Retrieved on April 2, 2007.
  3. ^ Metacritic: Best Reviewed Movies. Retrieved on April 13, 2007.
  4. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes: Top Movies: Best of Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on April 13, 2007.
  5. ^ http://www.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1388/Mptv/1388/5746_0078.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0068646 Imdb. com
  6. ^ The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002), documentary film about Evans' life
  7. ^ (1998) in Jon E Lewis: New American Cinema. The Kid Stays in the Picture is the name of a 1994 autobiography by film producer Robert Evans. The year 2002 in film involved some significant events The first significant releases of sequels took place between Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Duke University Press, 14-17.  
  8. ^ Hearn, Marcus (2005). The Cinema of George Lucas. New York City: Harry N. The City of New York Abrams Inc. , 46. ISBN 0-8109-4968-7.  
  9. ^ a b c d e The Godfather DVD Collection documentary A Look Inside, [2001]
  10. ^ a b The Godfather DVD commentary featuring Francis Ford Coppola, [2001]
  11. ^ Sofia Coppola played roles in the later Godfather movies. Sofia Carmina Coppola (born May 14, 1971) is an American Film director, actress, producer and Academy Award In Part II, she plays a nameless immigrant girl on the ship that brings Vito Corleone to New York. In Part III, she played the major speaking role of Michael Corleone's daughter Mary. Mary Corleone is a fictional character in the The Godfather Part III, portrayed by Sofia Coppola. >
  12. ^ The Godfathers' Stats
  13. ^ THE GODFATHER: Scene Locations
  14. ^ "Doing the impossible - Part 1 - The Godfather" - - Art and the Zen of Design
  15. ^ Photo of Bellevue side entrance
  16. ^ NY State Supreme Court steps
  17. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named afi
  18. ^ a b The Godfather (1972) - Box office /business. IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire
  19. ^ Michael Herr for Vanity Fair "He watched The Godfather again the night before and was reluctantly suggesting for the tenth time that it was possibly the greatest movie ever made and certainly the best-cast. "
  20. ^ CBSnews. com CBS
  21. ^ "Frankly my dear..." named number one movie quote, ABC News (Australia) Online (23 June 2005)
  22. ^ 2. The Godfather. Writer's Guild of America. Retrieved on 2007-02-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
  23. ^ The Godfather DVD Collection [2001]
  24. ^ "Coppola Angry over Godfather Video Game", 8 April 2005. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on August 22, 2005.

Further reading

External links


Awards
Preceded by
The French Connection		 Academy Award for Best Picture
1972		 Succeeded by
The Sting


Peter Cowie (born 1939 in England) is a film historian and author of more than thirty books on film Filmsiteorg is a Website operated by Tim Dirks since 1996. It contains about 300 in-depth reviews of what Dirks judges to be the "greatest films" Turner Classic Movies ( TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial -free classic movies mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Rotten Tomatoes is a Website devoted to reviews information and news of Movies. Allmovie (previously All Movie Guide) is a commercial database of information about Movie stars movies and television shows. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. For other uses see The French Connection. The French Connection is a 1971 Hollywood Crime film directed The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to artists working The Sting is a 1973 Caper film set in September 1936 and revolving around a complicated plot by two professional grifters ( Paul
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