‘Godfather’ mansion hits the market for $2.89M

New York Post ^ | 11/13/2014 | Jennifer Gould Keil

[Borges]

A piece of American cinematic history is for sale again.

The Staten Island estate where “The Godfather” was filmed is back on the market for $2.89 million.

[angcat]

I cheated and googled ... I found some great information about Sonny.

[boop]

Thank you angcat!

I had no idea of the existence of the Godfather wiki.

Now I know where I'm going to be spending the next several hours.

BTW, where does all of that information come from?

I've seen the movies and read the book, but I don't recall it going into ANY of the details about the young Sonny and how he made his bones, etc.

[morphing libertarian]

At one point they were going to do gf iv

Dicaprio was to be the young sonny and Andy Garcia would continue on after gf III. The story would cut back and forth as was done in the previous flicks.

However Coppola has consistently said no to IV

[Robwin]

This means that Sonny is listening to a radio broadcast of a game three or four years later.

And? You obviously do not comprehend the power of the Godfather.

[Robwin]

However Coppola has consistently said no to IV

He shoulda said no more after II. Maybe after I.

[boop]

I'm always embarrassed by the Godfather collection that it includes part III.

I can't remember a single quote from it.

All I remember is Michael keeling over at the end.

GF III is a huge waste of time.

[SkyPilot]

Godfather Trivia

Lenny Montana (Luca Brasi) was so nervous about working with Marlon Brando that, in the first take of their scene together, he flubbed some lines. Francis Ford Coppola liked the genuine nervousness and used it in the final cut. The scenes of Brasi practicing his speech were added later.

Marlon Brando wanted to make Don Corleone "look "like a bulldog," so he stuffed his cheeks with cotton wool for the audition. For actual filming, he wore a mouthpiece made by a dentist; this appliance is on display in the American Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York.

Although there are many claims of real Mafiosi as cast members Francis Ford Coppola stated in a May 2009 interview with Howard Stern that no organized crime members were cast or used as consultants. Coppola went on to explain there are expectations of reciprocity once one is provided a "favor" by an organized crime member or otherwise involved in a business action with the same. He specifically denied the connection of Gianni Russo to organized crime. The closest Coppola claims to have come to a real gangster during production, at least to his knowledge, was an interaction with Lenny Montana, who played Luca Brasi. Coppola said when he asked if Montana knew how to spin the cylinder of the revolver Montana replied "You kiddin'?"

[Starstruck]

He shoulda said no more after II. Maybe after I.

No way no to two. 2 may be better than 1. At least the equivalent.

[morphing libertarian]

Disagree. It was a great continuation and displays Michael’s attempt at redemption.

The historical use of the Vatican Banking scandal was very good.

The sicilian vespers near the end in which all enemies are killed at the same time was a good recall of the first movie.

Garcia did a good job and was positioned well to take over and carry out IV if called upon.

The quote you don’t seem to think is memorable is “I try to get out and they keep drawing me back in.”

I didn’t like the fact that Duvall was not repeating the role. Never cared much for Hamilton except in Zorro, The Gay Blade. Hilarious.

It wasn’t a great flick like the first two, but it was a fitting end to Michael’s story.

I guess we disagree.

[SkyPilot]

Godfather Trivia

Gianni Russo used his organized crime connections to secure the role of Carlo Rizzi, going so far as to get a camera crew to film his own audition and send it to the producers. However, Marlon Brando was initially against having Russo, who had never acted before, in the film; this made Russo furious and he went to threaten Brando. However, this reckless act proved to be a blessing in disguise: Brando thought Russo was acting and was convinced he would be good for the role.

The cat held by Marlon Brando in the opening scene was a stray the actor found while on the lot at Paramount, and was not originally called for in the script. So content was the cat that its purring muffled some of Brando's dialogue, and, as a result, most of his lines had to be looped.

At the meeting in the restaurant, Sollozzo speaks to Michael in Sicilian so rapid subtitles could not be used. He begins with: "I am sorry. What happened to your father was business. I have much respect for your father. But your father, his thinking is old-fashioned. You must understand why I had to do that. Now let's work through where we go from here." When Michael returns from the bathroom, he continues in Sicilian with: "Everything all right? I respect myself, understand, and cannot allow another man to hold me back. What happened was unavoidable. I had the unspoken support of the other Family dons. If your father were in better health, without his eldest son running things, no disrespect intended, we wouldn't have this nonsense. We will stop fighting until your father is well and can resume bargaining. No vengeance will be taken. We will have peace. But your Family should interfere no longer."

[morphing libertarian]

Interesting. I had read that Brando said he stuffed his cheeks because he like the effect on his voice.

[yarddog]

I agree with you. Part II was every bit the equal of I.

The first time I saw Part III, it was just awful. A couple of years later I saw it again and it still is not very good but not quite as bad as it seemed at first.

I bet “The Godfather” has more lines which are regularly quoted than just about any movie ever.

[SkyPilot]

Yup, here are a couple more:

According to Mario Puzo, the character of Johnny Fontane was NOT based on Frank Sinatra. However, everyone assumed that it was, and Sinatra was furious; when he met Puzo at a restaurant he screamed vulgar terms and threats at Puzo. Sinatra was also vehemently opposed to the film. Due to this backlash, Fontane's role in the film was scaled down to a couple of scenes.

George Lucas put together the "Mattress Sequence" (the montage of crime scene photos and headlines about the war between the five families) as a favor to Francis Ford Coppola for helping him fund American Graffiti (1973). He asked not to be credited.

James Caan originally heard the phrase "bada-bing!" from his acquaintance, the real-life mobster Carmine Persico, and improvised its use in the film.

[dfwgator]

“There are many things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”

[morphing libertarian]

Sinatra’s carrer moves fits the story. Who else could it have been?

[dfwgator]

We need to send Vito to have a little talk with Boehner.

[Starstruck]

The first time I saw Part III, it was just awful. A couple of years later I saw it again and it still is not very good but not quite as bad as it seemed at first.

3 had could have been palatable if it could have risen to a percentage of the greatness of 1 & 2. It seemed to me as trying to drag along on the coattails of the previous.

[moehoward]

[Mike Darancette]

Nice place to “go to the mattresses”.

[boop]

Allright. I'll give it another look-see.

Haven't seen it since it was in theaters.

In fact the only quote I remember is the Pacino "they keep pulling me back in!" from the trailer.

Duvall had every reason to not be in the third movie. They were offering him "slave wages" in comparison to the principles.

It would have been a much better movie with Tom Hagan.

His character is so essential to the whole saga that his absence left a gigantic hole in the story.

Reminds me of Richard Castellano (Clemenza) in GF II.

He wanted so much $ to return, that they ended up just killing his character, and essentially replaced him with Frankie Pentangeli.

Who I really liked in the role.

And Brando not coming in for a cameo? Don't get me started.

GF II is still a masterpiece.

IMHO, GF III just is not in the same league.

If there were to be a GF IV, it would be so nice to see the "lost years", when Vito builds his empire with Genco Abbandando.

Clemenza hints at it in GF I.

"Been about 10 years since the last war."

I'd like to have seen that "last war" and why it happened.