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note: some clips might work, sorry about that
"I always thought of THE GODFATHER as the story of a great king with three sons. The oldest was given his sweet nature and childlike qualities; the second, his passion and aggressiveness; and the third, his cunning and coolness." [sic.]--Francis Ford COppola
The Godfather was voted Academy Award's fav. best picture. The three-part gangster saga, written by Mario Puzo . Italian-American director Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), The Godfather, Part II (1974), and The Godfather, Part III (1990) is a superb trilogy of films. The first two parts of the lush saga are among the most celebrated, landmark films of all time. Many film reviewers consider the second part equal or superior to the original, although the first part was a tremendous critical and commercial success - and the highest grossing film of its time. The film contributed to a resurgence in the American film industry, after a decade of competition from cinema abroad. The Godfather is an insightful sociological study of violence, power, honor and obligation, corruption, justice and crime in America. Part I of The Godfather Trilogy centers on the Corleone crime "family" in the boroughs of New York City in the mid 1940s, dominated at first by aging godfather/patriarch "Don" Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando in a tremendous, award-winning acting portrayal that revived his career). A turn-of-the-century Silician immigrant, he is the head of one of the five Italian-American "families" that operates a crime syndicate. The 'honorable' crime "family," working outside the system due to exclusion by social prejudice, serves as a metaphor for the way business (the pursuit of the American dream) is conducted in capitalistic, profit-making corporations and governmental circles.
This epic story traces the history of their close-knit Mafia family and organization over a ten year period (although the specific words "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" are not found in the film's script - they were replaced with "the family"). The presiding, dominant Corleone patriarch, who is threatened by the rise of modern criminal activities - the drug trade, is ultimately succeeded by his decent youngest son Michael (Al Pacino), a US Marine Corps officer who becomes even more ruthless to persist. Family loyalty and blood ties are juxtaposed with brutal and vengeful blood-letting and the inevitable downfall of the family. Romanticized scenes of the domestic home life of members of the family - a family wedding, shopping, a baptism, kitchen cooking, etc., are intertwined with scenes of horrific violence and murder contracts - a total of 23 deaths litter the film.
TIMELINE
1887 - Vito Andolini born April 28 (according to his tombstone) [see 1892]
*1890 - First performance of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana (Rome)
1891 - Vito Andolini born Dec 7 according to Godfather Part II [see 1887]
1892 - Hyman Suchowsky (Roth) born
1897 - Carmella (Mama Corleone) born
1900 - Don Altobello born
1901 - Vito Andolini emigrates to the U.S. after his family is killed; quarantined 3 mos.
*1901 - Lee Strasberg ne Israel Strassberg (Hyman Roth) born
*1905 - Township of Las Vegas established
*1911 - Las Vegas officially becomes a city
1914 - Vito & Carmella get married
1916 - Santino (Sonny) & Tom Hagen born
1917 - Vito's Little Italy sequence begins (De Niro)
*1917 - Sicilian (Mafia) Don Morello murdered by Neapolitan (Camorra) Don Morano
*1918-1922 - Merger of Mafia and Camorra. Giuseppe Masseria is boss.
*1919 - Prohibition begins
1919 - Vito (27) kills Fanucci; Fredo born, gets pneumonia
1920 - Vito kills Fanucci/Michael is born; Theresa Hagen born; Vito talks to the landlord
1920's - Roth begins to go to Havana; runs molasses
*1921 - Mario Puzo born
1923 - Connie born, Altobello stands godfather [DVD says 1927]
1924 - Kay Adams born
*1924 - Marlon Brando born
1925 - Vito (33) kills Don Ciccio. (End of De Niro sequences) [DVD says 1927]
1930 - probably still running molasses (Moe's "bones"?)
*1930 - Split of Mafia into Masseria & Maranzano alliances
*1931 - Don Giuseppe Masseria murdered Apr 15
*1931 - Capo de tutti Capi Maranzano murdered Sep 10
*1931 - Succession of Mafia Families into The Five Families
*1931 - Nevada gets gambling; Robert Duvall born
*1933 - Prohibition ends - (Roth & Vito are 41, Michael is 13)
1933+ - Moe "had an idea to build a city" after running molasses
1937 - Sonny & Sandra's twins are born
*1937 - Don Vito Genovese flees to Italy
1939 - WWII begins - Michael is 19 ("going out with cheerleaders"?); Move to Long Beach
*1939 - Francis Ford Coppola & James Caan born
1940's - Moe Greene begins his "desert stopover"
1940 - Sonny's son Frank & Tom's son Frank born
*1940 - Al Pacino born
1941 - Vito's surprise birthday party on Pearl Harbor Day (Dec 7); Mike enlists in Marines
*1941 - El Rancho Vegas casino opens, beginning the casino boom
1942 - Willi Cicci is hired by Genco Olive Oil Company; Andrew Hagen born
1944 - Michael in Life magazine as war hero [from DVD]
*1945 - WWII ends; De Niro born; Lucky Luciano deported; Vito Genovese back
1945 - Michael discharged from Marines; Enters Dartmouth College
1945 - Connie's wedding - last Sat. in Aug 1945; Santino Jr born
1945 - Michael & Kay window shop on Dec 22; Kartoum beheaded; Don gets shot
*1946 - Bugsy Siegel ("Moe"?) opens the Flamingo Hotel; Diane Keaton born
1946 - Michael kills Sollozzo and McCluskey; goes to Sicily March 15.
1947 - Michael marries Appolonia
1948 - Sonny killed; Vincent born. [DVD says 1947]
1949 - Michael returns from Sicily (1950 according to The Sicilian); Victor Rizzi born [DVD]
1950 - Michael's "last confession" until Cardinal Lomberto in GF3
1950 - Michael & Clemenza to help Guiliano escape from Sicily (The Sicilian)
1951 - Michael & Kay get married; Anthony born
*1951 - "The shot heard 'round the world" game that's on when Sonny gets shot [Oct 3]
1952 - Michael talks to Moe in Nevada
1953 - Mary & Nameless Hagen Daughter #1 born
1955 - Vito dies July 29 [DVD says 1954]; Michael Francis Rizzi born & baptized
1955 - Michael kills the Heads of the 5 Families, Carlo, Moe Green & Tessio
*1956 - Andy Garcia ne Arturo Garci-Menendez born in Havana
1957 - Probable year that Peter Clemenza is killed by Rosato's
*1957 - Frank Costello shot in head, retires; Albert Anastasia murdered
*1958 - Notre Dame hosted USC. 66,903 fans saw ND win 20-13. Nov 29.
1958 - Anthony's First Communion; Nameless Hagen Daughter #2 born
1958 - Roth watches ND/USC game; his 67th birthday; New Year's Eve in Havana, Cuba
1959 - Senate hearings with Cicci, Michael, and Pentangeli; Kay leaves
1959 - Carmella dies; Fredo, Roth and Rocco are killed; Pentangeli kills himself
1961 - "The last time Mary and Vincent saw each other" [at which wedding?]
*1962 - Don Joseph Profaci (Colombo Family) dies
*1967 - Don Gaetano Lucchese dies
*1969 - Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" is published
1970's - Tom Hagen dies
1971 - "The last time Michael sees Kay" [where?]; Michael moves back to New York
*1972 - "The Godfather" film is released
*1974 - "The Godfather, Part II" film is released
1975 - Michael finally decides to go legitimate
*1978 - John Cazale (Fredo) dies
*1978 - Pope Paul VI dies at age 80 (Aug 6); Pope John Paul I dies (Sep 28)
1979 - Michael's papal honors; Immobiliare proposal headlines, Nov 15
1980 - "Pope Paul VI dies at age 81"; "God's Banker disappears" Mar 27
1980 - Anthony makes his debut on Easter [DVD says 1979]; Don Altobello's 80th birthday
1980 - Pope John Paul I, Mary, Altobello, Lucchese, Calo and others killed
*1984 - Mario Puzo's "The Sicilian" is published
*1995 - This Godfather Trilogy website emerges [July]
*1996 - Mario Puzo's "The Last Don" is published July 24th. Mario is 75
1997 - Michael dies [from DVD]
*1997 - "The Godfather" is re-released for its 25th Anniversary
*1999 - Our Godfather, Mario Puzo, passes away [July 2]
*2000 - Mario Puzo's novel "Omerta" published [July]
*2001 - Mario Puzo's last novel "The Family" published [October 2]
*2001 - The Godfather DVD Collection released [October 9]
________________________________________________________
HEAR THE WORD OF THE ACTORS
In Brando's own words
"I had a great deal of respect for Don Corleone; I saw him as a man of substance, tradition, dignity, refinement, a man of unerring instinct who just happened to live in a violent world and who had to protect himself and his family in this environment. I saw him as a decent person regardless of what he had to do, as a man who believed in family values and was shaped by events just like the rest of us."
"On The Godfather I had signs and cue cards everywhere -- on my shirtsleeves, on a watermelon and glued to the scenery... Not memorizing lines increased the illusion of reality and spontaneity."
"When I saw The Godfather the first time, it made me sick; all I could see where my mistakes and I hated it. But years later, when I saw it on television from a different perspective, I decided it was a pretty good film."
"I'd gotten to know quite a few mafiosi, and all of them told me they loved the picture because I had played the Godfather with dignity. Even today I can't pay a check in Little Italy."
"I didn't say much to Pacino when we were making The Godfather, but I not only consider him one of the best actors in America, but in the world... I never meant anything more in my life."
In Pacino's own words
"I didn't know what [Coppola] expected of me to do, he tested me with the wrong scene!" [Referring to his aweful screentest of the wedding scene]
"Francis, I don't want to do this anymore!" [Said after the second take of the Sollozzo killing scene. Pacino thought he was too nervous, which is what Coppola was looking for]
"I sat in the theatres when I was a kid just watching him. Now I'm playing a scene with him. He's God, man." [Referring to Brando]
"Get these lifts out of my shoes and I may walk straighter" [Said after Coppola told him he was walking like Donald Duck]
"Well, I don't think so." [After Paramount offered him $150,000 to appear in Part II. He agreed after Coppola inspired him; and $600,000]
In Puzo's own words
"Brando is very fine, but the great bonus was Al Pacino. As Michael, Pacino was everything I wanted that character to be on the screen. I couldn't believe it. It was, in my eyes, a perfect performance, a work of art."
_______________________________________________________-
THE GODFATHER
Francis Ford Coppola's epic masterpiece features Oscar winner Marlon Brando as the patriarch of the Corleone family. Coppola paints a chilling portrait of a Sicilian family's rise and near fall from power in America, and the passage of rites from father to son. He masterfully balances the story between family life and the ugly business of crime in which they are engaged. Based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel, this graphic and brilliant film garnered ten Academy Award nominations®. [source: Paramount Pictures]
______________________________________________________
LocATION
Since Corleone, Sicily, was too developed even in the early 70s to be used for filming, the Sicilian towns of Savoca and Forza d'Agro outside of Taormina were used instead. This is where you'll find Bar Vitelli and the church Michael was married in. [Look here for some on-location shots in Sicily sent in by site visitors!]
The Don's hospital scenes were filmed at the NY Eye and Ear Infirmary on East 14th Street. This location was also used for Genco's deathbed scene, which appears only in the Trilogy set.
Michael met Sollozzo and McClusky at "Louis' Italian American Restaurant in the Bronx," but in reality, the scene was shot at the old Luna Restaurant. The real owner and his wife play those parts in the film.
Thompson and Bleecker Streets, NY, were used for two scenes: Sonny leaving Lucy Mancini's apartment, and the buttonmen hiding out "at the mattresses."
The car scene over the George Washington Bridge with Michael, Sollozzo and McCluskey was filmed in a studio
The scene for the meeting of the Don's was filmed at the boardroom of the Penn Central Railroad on the 32nd floor above Grand Central Station [challenged]
Old St. Patrick's Cathedral on Mulberry Street was used for the christening scene. A real Bishop was used. Coppola's family is used as extras. [Challenged: Mt Loretto Church in Staten Island?]
The scene where Sonny was gunned down was filmed at tollbooths constructed on an abandoned airstrip out at Floyd Bennet Field in Mineola, Brooklyn. [Challenged: Mitchel Field in Mineola, Long Island. Phil writes: "The camera shots are low to the ground. The weeds are high in the background and after Sonny is shot, the cars come around the ramp and stop. In the background you can see a tower. This tower is on the grounds of what use to be Maria Regina High School (where I went to school) It is now Bishop Kellenberg. The tower is the TV tower for the Diocese of Rockville Center TV station. It was put up around 1969-1970. The tower and school are across Hempstead Turnpike which is just beyond the high weeds (therefore the low camera angles). The toll booths were setup on land that is the old Nassau Community College just outside the old airplane hangars (one became a gym on the old campus). I have watched this scene closely dozens of times and am convinced this is where the scene was shot."]
The scene where Sonny kicks the crap out of Carlo was filmed at 118th Street and Pleasant Avenue in Manhattan. Gianni Russo (Carlo) ended up with two cracked ribs and a chipped elbow, despite of the fact that most of the work was done by his stand-in stunt man who did the long-shots.
The bedroom scene with Kay and Michael (seen in the Epic) was filmed at the St. Regis Hotel. Pacino really stayed the night there!
Another scene shot at the St. Regis Hotel is Clemenza shooting five rounds into the elevator. This was the 5th floor elevator
The Barzini shooting scene was at 60 Center Street, Justice Building, in the Wall Street-City Hall section of Manahattan
The steamroom in the McBurney YMCA on West 23rd street was the scene of another killing (presumably the Moe Greene shooting)
The Imperial Pizza Parlor on 35th Street and 3rd Avenue was sort of used: The sidewalk was used, but the interior was recreated in Sicily, to be shot there!
The outside of the intensive-care psychiatric ward of Bellevue was used for the scene with Michael and Enzo outside the hospital
Best & Co. was located on 5th Avenue, one block uptown from St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Jack Dempsey's restaurant on Broadway was used for the scene where Michael gets picked up by Sollozzo and McClusky
The set representing the interior of the Genco Olive Oil company was located on the fourth floor of an old loft building at 128 Mott Street, in the heart of Little Italy, NY
The interiors of the Corleone mansion were constructed on two soundstages at Filmways. The exterior shots of the mall were filmed in a Staten Island neighborhood.
The estate of movie czar Jack Woltz was really the Guggenheim Estate, Sands Point, Long Island [Challenged: Harold LLoyd Estate in Beverly Hills, CA]
Bonasera's Funeral Parlor scene was shot in the receiving rooms of the basement at the Bellevue morgue, on First Avenue and 29th Street, NY
The scene where Luca Brasi (played by ex-wrestler Lenny Montana) gets murdered was shot at the Hotel Edison, 47th Street in Manhattan -- in a hotel room [Challenged: Hotel St. George in Brooklyn]
The Don's funeral scene was shot at Calvary Cemetary in Queens. There were 150 extras, 20 limos, and $12,000 worth of flowers
Polk's Hobby Shop at Fifth Avenue and 31st Street was used for Tom's Christmas shopping scene where Sollozzo kidnaps him
_____________________________________________________
ORANGES IN THE FILM
The first time we see Sal, he tosses himself an orange at Connie's wedding. He later betrays Michael... Bye bye!
There's a fruit basket with oranges in front of Sandra as she gestures to others the size of her husband Sonny's manhood
There's a bowl of oranges in front of Woltz. We know what happens to his horse!
There are oranges around when Sollozzo enters the Don's office for the meeting. Dead man!
Right before he was shot, Don Corleone bought 2 oranges! Oh, man... an omen!
And as he topples to the street, the Don upsets a basket of oranges into the street!
When sitting with his father after he returns home from the hospital, Fredo sits next to a fruit basket of oranges. He later betrays the Family and his prayers cannot help him!
At the commission meeting of the Five Families, bowls of oranges are placed in front of the Don, Philip Tattaglia and Barzini. Ciao!
What does Don Vito have in his mouth moments before he dies? Yup!
Not fruit, but... Carlo gets his ass whipped by Sonny, while wearing an orange suit.
Not fruit, but... Kay wears an orange coat when she comes looking for Michael at the compound.
Not fruit, but... Michael's tie when he talks with Moe? orange!
Not fruit, but... More orange clothing: Masseuse's pants, Woman behind Barzini fall on steps, Assassin's shirt at revolving door...!
The Godfather, Part II Johnny Ola gives Michael a gift from Roth: An orange!
When young Vito is telling Clemenza and Tessio that he'll make Fanucci "an offer," there are oranges on the stand behind him.
After Vito gives Fanucci $100, Fanucci picks up an orange from a fruit cart! Bang! Bang! Bang!
There are oranges in front of Abbandando Grosseria, and many other stands.
There are oranges in front of the guests at the Havana meeting.
Vito picks up an orange from a cart, and the vendor tells him it's free.
During Michael's speech about history and assassinations to Tom & Rocco, he's eating an orange, apparently with the skin on. Yuck!
Not fruit, but... Johnny Ola favored orange clothes: an orange leisure suit and an orange hat. Bye-bye!
The Godfather, Part III Although orange juice alleviates Michael's diabetic symptoms...
...an orange drops from Michael's hand as he dies. R.I.P.!
When the helicopter disrupts the Commission meeting, and orange rolls on the table.
While Altobello is talking to Michael in the hospital, Neri places a glass of orange juice on the table. Alto-byebye!
Vincent handles an orange while at Tommasino's villa with Michael and Harrison.
When Calo is telling Michael that Tommasino had been killed, there are oranges behind Kay.
When Michael, Vincent, Connie, and Neri are talking, there's an orange on the table, and Neri's eating an orange. Zasa's out!
Vincent is holding an orange when he's speaking with Tommasino.
When Altobello is telling Mosca about the "stone in his shoe," we see oranges on the table. Altobello also tosses an orange to Mosca's son after he does "the donkey"
_______________________________________________________
REVIEWS
Rarely can it be said that a film has defined a genre, but never
is that more true than in the case of THE GODFATHER. Since the release
of the 1972 epic (which garnered ten Academy Award nominations and was
named Best Picture), all "gangster movies" have been judged by the
standards of this one (unfair as the comparison may be). If a film is
about Jewish mobsters, it's a "Jewish GODFATHER"; if it's about the
Chinese underworld, it's an "Oriental GODFATHER"; if it takes place in
contemporary times, it's a "modern day GODFATHER."
If THE GODFATHER was only about gun-toting Mafia types, it would
never have garnered as many accolades. The characteristic that sets
this film apart from so many of its predecessors and successors is its
ability to weave the often-disparate layers of story into a cohesive
whole. Any of the individual issues explored by THE GODFATHER are
strong enough to form the foundation of a movie. Here, however,
bolstered by so many complimentary themes, each is given added
resonance. The picture is a series of mini-climaxes, all building to
the devastating, definitive conclusion.
Rarely does a film tell as many diverse-yet-interconnected
stories. Strong performances, solid directing, and a tightly-plotted
script all contribute to THE GODFATHER's success. This motion picture
was not slapped together to satiate the appetite of the masses; it was
carefully and painstakingly crafted. Every major character--and more
than a few minor ones--is molded into a distinct, complex individual.
Stereotypes did not influence Coppola's film, although certain ones
were formed as a result of it.
The film opens in the study of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando),
the Godfather, who is holding court. It is the wedding of his daughter
Connie (Talia Shire), and no Sicilian can refuse a request on that
day. So the supplicants come, each wanting something different -
revenge, a husband for their daughter, a part in a movie.
The family has gathered for the event. Michael (Al Pacino), Don
Vito's youngest son and a second world war hero, is back home in the
company of a new girlfriend (Diane Keaton). The two older boys, Sonny
(James Caan) and Fredo (John Cazale), are there as well, along with
their "adopted" brother, Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), the don's
right-hand man.
With the end of the war, the times are changing, and as much as
Don Vito seems in control at the wedding, his power is beginning to
erode. By the standards of some, his views on the importance of
family, loyalty, and respect are antiquated. Even his heir apparent,
Sonny, disagrees with his refusal to get into the drug business.
Gambling and alcohol are forces of the past and present; narcotics are
the future. But Don Vito will not compromise, even when a powerful
drug supplier named Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) arrives with promises of
high profits for those who back him.
Don Vito's refusal to do business with Sollozzo strikes the first
sparks of a war that will last for years and cost many lives. Each of
the five major mob families in New York will be gouged by the
bloodshed, and a new order will emerge. Betrayals will take place, and
the Corleone family will be shaken to its roots by treachery from both
within and without.
The Corleone with the most screen time is Michael (it's therefore
odd that Al Pacino received a Best Supporting Actor nomination), and
his tale, because of its scope and breadth, is marginally dominant.
His transformation from "innocent" bystander to central manipulator is
the stuff of a Shakespearean tragedy. By the end, this man who claimed
to be different from the rest of his family has become more ruthless
than Don Vito ever was.
Despite the likes of SERPICO, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, SCARFACE, ...AND
JUSTICE FOR ALL, and SCENT OF A WOMAN on his resume, Pacino is best
remembered for the role he created in THE GODFATHER (and subsequently
reprised in two sequels). While this is not his most demonstrative
performance--indeed, he is exceptionally restrained--the quality of
the script makes Michael Corleone notable.
Next to Humphrey Bogart's Rick from CASABLANCA, Oscar-winner
Marlon Brando's Don Vito may be the most imitated character in screen
history. The line "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" has
attained legendary status--as has the entire performance. With his
raspy voice, deliberate movements, and penetrating stare, Brando has
created a personae that will be recalled for as long as motion pictures
exist.
Don Vito is a most complicated gangster. In his own words, he is
not a killer, and he never mixes business with personal matters. He
puts family first ("A man who doesn't spend time with his family can
never be a real man") and despises displays of weakness. He
understands the burden of power, and his wordless sympathy for Michael
when he is forced to assume the "throne", is one of THE GODFATHER's
most revealing moments (about both father and son).
THE GODFATHER had three Best Supporting Actor nominees, all
well-deserved. The first was Pacino (who probably should have
been nominated alongside Brando in the Best Actor category). The
other two were James Caan and Robert Duvall. In a way, it's surprising
that Duvall wasn't passed over. His presence in THE GODFATHER isn't
flashy or attention-arresting. Like his character of Tom Hagen, he is
steady, reliable, and stays in the background. Not so for Caan's
Sonny, whose demonstrative and volatile personality can't be
overlooked.
Family responsibility. A father's legacy. The need to earn
respect. The corrupting influence of power. These are some of the
ingredients combined in Francis Ford Coppola's cinematic blender. They
are themes which have intrigued the greatest authors of every medium
through the centuries.
Although the issues presented in THE GODFATHER are universal in
scope, the characters and setting are decidedly ethnic. Even to this
day, there is an odd romanticism associated with New York's Italian
crime families. The word "Mafia" conjures up images of the sinister
and mysterious--scenes of the sort where Luca Brasi meets his fate.
Francis Ford Coppola has tapped into this fascination and woven it as
yet another element of the many that make his motion picture a
compelling experience.
We come to THE GODFATHER like Kay Adams--outsiders uncertain in
our expectations--but it doesn't take long for us to be captivated by
this intricate, violent world. The film can be viewed on many levels,
with equal satisfaction awaiting those who just want a good story, and
those who demand much more. THE GODFATHER is long, yes--but it is
one-hundred seventy minutes well-spent. When the closing credits roll,
only a portion of the story has been told. Yet that last haunting
image (Kay's shock of recognition), coupled with Nino Rota's mournful
score, leaves a crater-like impression that THE GODFATHER PART 2 only
deepens.
note: some clips might work, sorry about that
"I always thought of THE GODFATHER as the story of a great king with three sons. The oldest was given his sweet nature and childlike qualities; the second, his passion and aggressiveness; and the third, his cunning and coolness." [sic.]--Francis Ford COppola
The Godfather was voted Academy Award's fav. best picture. The three-part gangster saga, written by Mario Puzo . Italian-American director Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), The Godfather, Part II (1974), and The Godfather, Part III (1990) is a superb trilogy of films. The first two parts of the lush saga are among the most celebrated, landmark films of all time. Many film reviewers consider the second part equal or superior to the original, although the first part was a tremendous critical and commercial success - and the highest grossing film of its time. The film contributed to a resurgence in the American film industry, after a decade of competition from cinema abroad. The Godfather is an insightful sociological study of violence, power, honor and obligation, corruption, justice and crime in America. Part I of The Godfather Trilogy centers on the Corleone crime "family" in the boroughs of New York City in the mid 1940s, dominated at first by aging godfather/patriarch "Don" Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando in a tremendous, award-winning acting portrayal that revived his career). A turn-of-the-century Silician immigrant, he is the head of one of the five Italian-American "families" that operates a crime syndicate. The 'honorable' crime "family," working outside the system due to exclusion by social prejudice, serves as a metaphor for the way business (the pursuit of the American dream) is conducted in capitalistic, profit-making corporations and governmental circles.
This epic story traces the history of their close-knit Mafia family and organization over a ten year period (although the specific words "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" are not found in the film's script - they were replaced with "the family"). The presiding, dominant Corleone patriarch, who is threatened by the rise of modern criminal activities - the drug trade, is ultimately succeeded by his decent youngest son Michael (Al Pacino), a US Marine Corps officer who becomes even more ruthless to persist. Family loyalty and blood ties are juxtaposed with brutal and vengeful blood-letting and the inevitable downfall of the family. Romanticized scenes of the domestic home life of members of the family - a family wedding, shopping, a baptism, kitchen cooking, etc., are intertwined with scenes of horrific violence and murder contracts - a total of 23 deaths litter the film.
TIMELINE
1887 - Vito Andolini born April 28 (according to his tombstone) [see 1892]
*1890 - First performance of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana (Rome)
1891 - Vito Andolini born Dec 7 according to Godfather Part II [see 1887]
1892 - Hyman Suchowsky (Roth) born
1897 - Carmella (Mama Corleone) born
1900 - Don Altobello born
1901 - Vito Andolini emigrates to the U.S. after his family is killed; quarantined 3 mos.
*1901 - Lee Strasberg ne Israel Strassberg (Hyman Roth) born
*1905 - Township of Las Vegas established
*1911 - Las Vegas officially becomes a city
1914 - Vito & Carmella get married
1916 - Santino (Sonny) & Tom Hagen born
1917 - Vito's Little Italy sequence begins (De Niro)
*1917 - Sicilian (Mafia) Don Morello murdered by Neapolitan (Camorra) Don Morano
*1918-1922 - Merger of Mafia and Camorra. Giuseppe Masseria is boss.
*1919 - Prohibition begins
1919 - Vito (27) kills Fanucci; Fredo born, gets pneumonia
1920 - Vito kills Fanucci/Michael is born; Theresa Hagen born; Vito talks to the landlord
1920's - Roth begins to go to Havana; runs molasses
*1921 - Mario Puzo born
1923 - Connie born, Altobello stands godfather [DVD says 1927]
1924 - Kay Adams born
*1924 - Marlon Brando born
1925 - Vito (33) kills Don Ciccio. (End of De Niro sequences) [DVD says 1927]
1930 - probably still running molasses (Moe's "bones"?)
*1930 - Split of Mafia into Masseria & Maranzano alliances
*1931 - Don Giuseppe Masseria murdered Apr 15
*1931 - Capo de tutti Capi Maranzano murdered Sep 10
*1931 - Succession of Mafia Families into The Five Families
*1931 - Nevada gets gambling; Robert Duvall born
*1933 - Prohibition ends - (Roth & Vito are 41, Michael is 13)
1933+ - Moe "had an idea to build a city" after running molasses
1937 - Sonny & Sandra's twins are born
*1937 - Don Vito Genovese flees to Italy
1939 - WWII begins - Michael is 19 ("going out with cheerleaders"?); Move to Long Beach
*1939 - Francis Ford Coppola & James Caan born
1940's - Moe Greene begins his "desert stopover"
1940 - Sonny's son Frank & Tom's son Frank born
*1940 - Al Pacino born
1941 - Vito's surprise birthday party on Pearl Harbor Day (Dec 7); Mike enlists in Marines
*1941 - El Rancho Vegas casino opens, beginning the casino boom
1942 - Willi Cicci is hired by Genco Olive Oil Company; Andrew Hagen born
1944 - Michael in Life magazine as war hero [from DVD]
*1945 - WWII ends; De Niro born; Lucky Luciano deported; Vito Genovese back
1945 - Michael discharged from Marines; Enters Dartmouth College
1945 - Connie's wedding - last Sat. in Aug 1945; Santino Jr born
1945 - Michael & Kay window shop on Dec 22; Kartoum beheaded; Don gets shot
*1946 - Bugsy Siegel ("Moe"?) opens the Flamingo Hotel; Diane Keaton born
1946 - Michael kills Sollozzo and McCluskey; goes to Sicily March 15.
1947 - Michael marries Appolonia
1948 - Sonny killed; Vincent born. [DVD says 1947]
1949 - Michael returns from Sicily (1950 according to The Sicilian); Victor Rizzi born [DVD]
1950 - Michael's "last confession" until Cardinal Lomberto in GF3
1950 - Michael & Clemenza to help Guiliano escape from Sicily (The Sicilian)
1951 - Michael & Kay get married; Anthony born
*1951 - "The shot heard 'round the world" game that's on when Sonny gets shot [Oct 3]
1952 - Michael talks to Moe in Nevada
1953 - Mary & Nameless Hagen Daughter #1 born
1955 - Vito dies July 29 [DVD says 1954]; Michael Francis Rizzi born & baptized
1955 - Michael kills the Heads of the 5 Families, Carlo, Moe Green & Tessio
*1956 - Andy Garcia ne Arturo Garci-Menendez born in Havana
1957 - Probable year that Peter Clemenza is killed by Rosato's
*1957 - Frank Costello shot in head, retires; Albert Anastasia murdered
*1958 - Notre Dame hosted USC. 66,903 fans saw ND win 20-13. Nov 29.
1958 - Anthony's First Communion; Nameless Hagen Daughter #2 born
1958 - Roth watches ND/USC game; his 67th birthday; New Year's Eve in Havana, Cuba
1959 - Senate hearings with Cicci, Michael, and Pentangeli; Kay leaves
1959 - Carmella dies; Fredo, Roth and Rocco are killed; Pentangeli kills himself
1961 - "The last time Mary and Vincent saw each other" [at which wedding?]
*1962 - Don Joseph Profaci (Colombo Family) dies
*1967 - Don Gaetano Lucchese dies
*1969 - Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" is published
1970's - Tom Hagen dies
1971 - "The last time Michael sees Kay" [where?]; Michael moves back to New York
*1972 - "The Godfather" film is released
*1974 - "The Godfather, Part II" film is released
1975 - Michael finally decides to go legitimate
*1978 - John Cazale (Fredo) dies
*1978 - Pope Paul VI dies at age 80 (Aug 6); Pope John Paul I dies (Sep 28)
1979 - Michael's papal honors; Immobiliare proposal headlines, Nov 15
1980 - "Pope Paul VI dies at age 81"; "God's Banker disappears" Mar 27
1980 - Anthony makes his debut on Easter [DVD says 1979]; Don Altobello's 80th birthday
1980 - Pope John Paul I, Mary, Altobello, Lucchese, Calo and others killed
*1984 - Mario Puzo's "The Sicilian" is published
*1995 - This Godfather Trilogy website emerges [July]
*1996 - Mario Puzo's "The Last Don" is published July 24th. Mario is 75
1997 - Michael dies [from DVD]
*1997 - "The Godfather" is re-released for its 25th Anniversary
*1999 - Our Godfather, Mario Puzo, passes away [July 2]
*2000 - Mario Puzo's novel "Omerta" published [July]
*2001 - Mario Puzo's last novel "The Family" published [October 2]
*2001 - The Godfather DVD Collection released [October 9]
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HEAR THE WORD OF THE ACTORS
In Brando's own words
"I had a great deal of respect for Don Corleone; I saw him as a man of substance, tradition, dignity, refinement, a man of unerring instinct who just happened to live in a violent world and who had to protect himself and his family in this environment. I saw him as a decent person regardless of what he had to do, as a man who believed in family values and was shaped by events just like the rest of us."
"On The Godfather I had signs and cue cards everywhere -- on my shirtsleeves, on a watermelon and glued to the scenery... Not memorizing lines increased the illusion of reality and spontaneity."
"When I saw The Godfather the first time, it made me sick; all I could see where my mistakes and I hated it. But years later, when I saw it on television from a different perspective, I decided it was a pretty good film."
"I'd gotten to know quite a few mafiosi, and all of them told me they loved the picture because I had played the Godfather with dignity. Even today I can't pay a check in Little Italy."
"I didn't say much to Pacino when we were making The Godfather, but I not only consider him one of the best actors in America, but in the world... I never meant anything more in my life."
In Pacino's own words
"I didn't know what [Coppola] expected of me to do, he tested me with the wrong scene!" [Referring to his aweful screentest of the wedding scene]
"Francis, I don't want to do this anymore!" [Said after the second take of the Sollozzo killing scene. Pacino thought he was too nervous, which is what Coppola was looking for]
"I sat in the theatres when I was a kid just watching him. Now I'm playing a scene with him. He's God, man." [Referring to Brando]
"Get these lifts out of my shoes and I may walk straighter" [Said after Coppola told him he was walking like Donald Duck]
"Well, I don't think so." [After Paramount offered him $150,000 to appear in Part II. He agreed after Coppola inspired him; and $600,000]
In Puzo's own words
"Brando is very fine, but the great bonus was Al Pacino. As Michael, Pacino was everything I wanted that character to be on the screen. I couldn't believe it. It was, in my eyes, a perfect performance, a work of art."
_______________________________________________________-
THE GODFATHER
Francis Ford Coppola's epic masterpiece features Oscar winner Marlon Brando as the patriarch of the Corleone family. Coppola paints a chilling portrait of a Sicilian family's rise and near fall from power in America, and the passage of rites from father to son. He masterfully balances the story between family life and the ugly business of crime in which they are engaged. Based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel, this graphic and brilliant film garnered ten Academy Award nominations®. [source: Paramount Pictures]
______________________________________________________
LocATION
Since Corleone, Sicily, was too developed even in the early 70s to be used for filming, the Sicilian towns of Savoca and Forza d'Agro outside of Taormina were used instead. This is where you'll find Bar Vitelli and the church Michael was married in. [Look here for some on-location shots in Sicily sent in by site visitors!]
The Don's hospital scenes were filmed at the NY Eye and Ear Infirmary on East 14th Street. This location was also used for Genco's deathbed scene, which appears only in the Trilogy set.
Michael met Sollozzo and McClusky at "Louis' Italian American Restaurant in the Bronx," but in reality, the scene was shot at the old Luna Restaurant. The real owner and his wife play those parts in the film.
Thompson and Bleecker Streets, NY, were used for two scenes: Sonny leaving Lucy Mancini's apartment, and the buttonmen hiding out "at the mattresses."
The car scene over the George Washington Bridge with Michael, Sollozzo and McCluskey was filmed in a studio
The scene for the meeting of the Don's was filmed at the boardroom of the Penn Central Railroad on the 32nd floor above Grand Central Station [challenged]
Old St. Patrick's Cathedral on Mulberry Street was used for the christening scene. A real Bishop was used. Coppola's family is used as extras. [Challenged: Mt Loretto Church in Staten Island?]
The scene where Sonny was gunned down was filmed at tollbooths constructed on an abandoned airstrip out at Floyd Bennet Field in Mineola, Brooklyn. [Challenged: Mitchel Field in Mineola, Long Island. Phil writes: "The camera shots are low to the ground. The weeds are high in the background and after Sonny is shot, the cars come around the ramp and stop. In the background you can see a tower. This tower is on the grounds of what use to be Maria Regina High School (where I went to school) It is now Bishop Kellenberg. The tower is the TV tower for the Diocese of Rockville Center TV station. It was put up around 1969-1970. The tower and school are across Hempstead Turnpike which is just beyond the high weeds (therefore the low camera angles). The toll booths were setup on land that is the old Nassau Community College just outside the old airplane hangars (one became a gym on the old campus). I have watched this scene closely dozens of times and am convinced this is where the scene was shot."]
The scene where Sonny kicks the crap out of Carlo was filmed at 118th Street and Pleasant Avenue in Manhattan. Gianni Russo (Carlo) ended up with two cracked ribs and a chipped elbow, despite of the fact that most of the work was done by his stand-in stunt man who did the long-shots.
The bedroom scene with Kay and Michael (seen in the Epic) was filmed at the St. Regis Hotel. Pacino really stayed the night there!
Another scene shot at the St. Regis Hotel is Clemenza shooting five rounds into the elevator. This was the 5th floor elevator
The Barzini shooting scene was at 60 Center Street, Justice Building, in the Wall Street-City Hall section of Manahattan
The steamroom in the McBurney YMCA on West 23rd street was the scene of another killing (presumably the Moe Greene shooting)
The Imperial Pizza Parlor on 35th Street and 3rd Avenue was sort of used: The sidewalk was used, but the interior was recreated in Sicily, to be shot there!
The outside of the intensive-care psychiatric ward of Bellevue was used for the scene with Michael and Enzo outside the hospital
Best & Co. was located on 5th Avenue, one block uptown from St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Jack Dempsey's restaurant on Broadway was used for the scene where Michael gets picked up by Sollozzo and McClusky
The set representing the interior of the Genco Olive Oil company was located on the fourth floor of an old loft building at 128 Mott Street, in the heart of Little Italy, NY
The interiors of the Corleone mansion were constructed on two soundstages at Filmways. The exterior shots of the mall were filmed in a Staten Island neighborhood.
The estate of movie czar Jack Woltz was really the Guggenheim Estate, Sands Point, Long Island [Challenged: Harold LLoyd Estate in Beverly Hills, CA]
Bonasera's Funeral Parlor scene was shot in the receiving rooms of the basement at the Bellevue morgue, on First Avenue and 29th Street, NY
The scene where Luca Brasi (played by ex-wrestler Lenny Montana) gets murdered was shot at the Hotel Edison, 47th Street in Manhattan -- in a hotel room [Challenged: Hotel St. George in Brooklyn]
The Don's funeral scene was shot at Calvary Cemetary in Queens. There were 150 extras, 20 limos, and $12,000 worth of flowers
Polk's Hobby Shop at Fifth Avenue and 31st Street was used for Tom's Christmas shopping scene where Sollozzo kidnaps him
_____________________________________________________
ORANGES IN THE FILM
The first time we see Sal, he tosses himself an orange at Connie's wedding. He later betrays Michael... Bye bye!
There's a fruit basket with oranges in front of Sandra as she gestures to others the size of her husband Sonny's manhood
There's a bowl of oranges in front of Woltz. We know what happens to his horse!
There are oranges around when Sollozzo enters the Don's office for the meeting. Dead man!
Right before he was shot, Don Corleone bought 2 oranges! Oh, man... an omen!
And as he topples to the street, the Don upsets a basket of oranges into the street!
When sitting with his father after he returns home from the hospital, Fredo sits next to a fruit basket of oranges. He later betrays the Family and his prayers cannot help him!
At the commission meeting of the Five Families, bowls of oranges are placed in front of the Don, Philip Tattaglia and Barzini. Ciao!
What does Don Vito have in his mouth moments before he dies? Yup!
Not fruit, but... Carlo gets his ass whipped by Sonny, while wearing an orange suit.
Not fruit, but... Kay wears an orange coat when she comes looking for Michael at the compound.
Not fruit, but... Michael's tie when he talks with Moe? orange!
Not fruit, but... More orange clothing: Masseuse's pants, Woman behind Barzini fall on steps, Assassin's shirt at revolving door...!
The Godfather, Part II Johnny Ola gives Michael a gift from Roth: An orange!
When young Vito is telling Clemenza and Tessio that he'll make Fanucci "an offer," there are oranges on the stand behind him.
After Vito gives Fanucci $100, Fanucci picks up an orange from a fruit cart! Bang! Bang! Bang!
There are oranges in front of Abbandando Grosseria, and many other stands.
There are oranges in front of the guests at the Havana meeting.
Vito picks up an orange from a cart, and the vendor tells him it's free.
During Michael's speech about history and assassinations to Tom & Rocco, he's eating an orange, apparently with the skin on. Yuck!
Not fruit, but... Johnny Ola favored orange clothes: an orange leisure suit and an orange hat. Bye-bye!
The Godfather, Part III Although orange juice alleviates Michael's diabetic symptoms...
...an orange drops from Michael's hand as he dies. R.I.P.!
When the helicopter disrupts the Commission meeting, and orange rolls on the table.
While Altobello is talking to Michael in the hospital, Neri places a glass of orange juice on the table. Alto-byebye!
Vincent handles an orange while at Tommasino's villa with Michael and Harrison.
When Calo is telling Michael that Tommasino had been killed, there are oranges behind Kay.
When Michael, Vincent, Connie, and Neri are talking, there's an orange on the table, and Neri's eating an orange. Zasa's out!
Vincent is holding an orange when he's speaking with Tommasino.
When Altobello is telling Mosca about the "stone in his shoe," we see oranges on the table. Altobello also tosses an orange to Mosca's son after he does "the donkey"
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REVIEWS
Rarely can it be said that a film has defined a genre, but never
is that more true than in the case of THE GODFATHER. Since the release
of the 1972 epic (which garnered ten Academy Award nominations and was
named Best Picture), all "gangster movies" have been judged by the
standards of this one (unfair as the comparison may be). If a film is
about Jewish mobsters, it's a "Jewish GODFATHER"; if it's about the
Chinese underworld, it's an "Oriental GODFATHER"; if it takes place in
contemporary times, it's a "modern day GODFATHER."
If THE GODFATHER was only about gun-toting Mafia types, it would
never have garnered as many accolades. The characteristic that sets
this film apart from so many of its predecessors and successors is its
ability to weave the often-disparate layers of story into a cohesive
whole. Any of the individual issues explored by THE GODFATHER are
strong enough to form the foundation of a movie. Here, however,
bolstered by so many complimentary themes, each is given added
resonance. The picture is a series of mini-climaxes, all building to
the devastating, definitive conclusion.
Rarely does a film tell as many diverse-yet-interconnected
stories. Strong performances, solid directing, and a tightly-plotted
script all contribute to THE GODFATHER's success. This motion picture
was not slapped together to satiate the appetite of the masses; it was
carefully and painstakingly crafted. Every major character--and more
than a few minor ones--is molded into a distinct, complex individual.
Stereotypes did not influence Coppola's film, although certain ones
were formed as a result of it.
The film opens in the study of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando),
the Godfather, who is holding court. It is the wedding of his daughter
Connie (Talia Shire), and no Sicilian can refuse a request on that
day. So the supplicants come, each wanting something different -
revenge, a husband for their daughter, a part in a movie.
The family has gathered for the event. Michael (Al Pacino), Don
Vito's youngest son and a second world war hero, is back home in the
company of a new girlfriend (Diane Keaton). The two older boys, Sonny
(James Caan) and Fredo (John Cazale), are there as well, along with
their "adopted" brother, Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), the don's
right-hand man.
With the end of the war, the times are changing, and as much as
Don Vito seems in control at the wedding, his power is beginning to
erode. By the standards of some, his views on the importance of
family, loyalty, and respect are antiquated. Even his heir apparent,
Sonny, disagrees with his refusal to get into the drug business.
Gambling and alcohol are forces of the past and present; narcotics are
the future. But Don Vito will not compromise, even when a powerful
drug supplier named Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) arrives with promises of
high profits for those who back him.
Don Vito's refusal to do business with Sollozzo strikes the first
sparks of a war that will last for years and cost many lives. Each of
the five major mob families in New York will be gouged by the
bloodshed, and a new order will emerge. Betrayals will take place, and
the Corleone family will be shaken to its roots by treachery from both
within and without.
The Corleone with the most screen time is Michael (it's therefore
odd that Al Pacino received a Best Supporting Actor nomination), and
his tale, because of its scope and breadth, is marginally dominant.
His transformation from "innocent" bystander to central manipulator is
the stuff of a Shakespearean tragedy. By the end, this man who claimed
to be different from the rest of his family has become more ruthless
than Don Vito ever was.
Despite the likes of SERPICO, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, SCARFACE, ...AND
JUSTICE FOR ALL, and SCENT OF A WOMAN on his resume, Pacino is best
remembered for the role he created in THE GODFATHER (and subsequently
reprised in two sequels). While this is not his most demonstrative
performance--indeed, he is exceptionally restrained--the quality of
the script makes Michael Corleone notable.
Next to Humphrey Bogart's Rick from CASABLANCA, Oscar-winner
Marlon Brando's Don Vito may be the most imitated character in screen
history. The line "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" has
attained legendary status--as has the entire performance. With his
raspy voice, deliberate movements, and penetrating stare, Brando has
created a personae that will be recalled for as long as motion pictures
exist.
Don Vito is a most complicated gangster. In his own words, he is
not a killer, and he never mixes business with personal matters. He
puts family first ("A man who doesn't spend time with his family can
never be a real man") and despises displays of weakness. He
understands the burden of power, and his wordless sympathy for Michael
when he is forced to assume the "throne", is one of THE GODFATHER's
most revealing moments (about both father and son).
THE GODFATHER had three Best Supporting Actor nominees, all
well-deserved. The first was Pacino (who probably should have
been nominated alongside Brando in the Best Actor category). The
other two were James Caan and Robert Duvall. In a way, it's surprising
that Duvall wasn't passed over. His presence in THE GODFATHER isn't
flashy or attention-arresting. Like his character of Tom Hagen, he is
steady, reliable, and stays in the background. Not so for Caan's
Sonny, whose demonstrative and volatile personality can't be
overlooked.
Family responsibility. A father's legacy. The need to earn
respect. The corrupting influence of power. These are some of the
ingredients combined in Francis Ford Coppola's cinematic blender. They
are themes which have intrigued the greatest authors of every medium
through the centuries.
Although the issues presented in THE GODFATHER are universal in
scope, the characters and setting are decidedly ethnic. Even to this
day, there is an odd romanticism associated with New York's Italian
crime families. The word "Mafia" conjures up images of the sinister
and mysterious--scenes of the sort where Luca Brasi meets his fate.
Francis Ford Coppola has tapped into this fascination and woven it as
yet another element of the many that make his motion picture a
compelling experience.
We come to THE GODFATHER like Kay Adams--outsiders uncertain in
our expectations--but it doesn't take long for us to be captivated by
this intricate, violent world. The film can be viewed on many levels,
with equal satisfaction awaiting those who just want a good story, and
those who demand much more. THE GODFATHER is long, yes--but it is
one-hundred seventy minutes well-spent. When the closing credits roll,
only a portion of the story has been told. Yet that last haunting
image (Kay's shock of recognition), coupled with Nino Rota's mournful
score, leaves a crater-like impression that THE GODFATHER PART 2 only
deepens.
__________________
T h e G o d f a t h e r
MULHOLLAND DR.
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
Stanley Kubrick
Alexander the great moveis
Marlon Brando
T h e G o d f a t h e r
MULHOLLAND DR.
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
Stanley Kubrick
Alexander the great moveis
Marlon Brando
