How they shot The Godfather (previously unseen pictures of the making of a classic)

dailymail.co.uk ^ | December 6, 2008

[Clemenza]

Its a damn shame they didn’t use Mario’s restaurant in the Bronx, which is the place in the book where Michael shoots McCluskey. Unfortunately, the food is nowhere near as good as it was when Puzo used to eat there.

[LiberConservative]

Puzo simply "needed the money"? Butbutbut I thought The Godfather was a documentary!

(LC putting a gun to his head.)

/sarc

[yarddog]

I haven't read the book. My wife and I saw that movie on our first date. It was good and I thought the second one was even better.

I thought the third one was awful tho I saw it again recently and it was not as bad as I thought.

I once attended the trial of a state mafia boss. He looked just like someone out of the movie, even had a carnation in his lapel. During the trial there were numerous characters constantly coming in and out of the courtroom who also looked the part.

[Larry Lucido]

The book is worth reading. I’ve read it once years ago and listened on audio (unabridged) more recently. Great background info on the characters.

[Clemenza]

I had always heard that Puzo had based his character on his mother (!) and various New York mobsters (Lucania/Luciano, Carlo Gambino, etc.).

[Clemenza]

BTW: Fortunate Pilgrim is a great novel. I remember that it was out of print for several years. I picked up a used copy from a vendor on the UWS several years ago.

[RichInOC]

How they shot The Godfather

Point and shoot, wasn’t it, Pete?

[Clemenza]

I read my dad's copy (ORIGINAL edition) when I was 15.

While we're on the subject of Mario Puzo, I should also mention that I loved "The Sicilian," a fictionalized portrayal of the legendary bandit Salvatore Giuliano, in which Michael Corleone is a tangential character.

[Roscoe Karns]

This scene was cut-

[Clemenza]

Nah, no way in hell Bazzini was going to get Don Vito. Only a massive coronary would do that.

[Cicero]

Fascinating read.

[Larry Lucido]

Yep, another great one!

[the invisib1e hand]

The book is more believable than that story...

[Free ThinkerNY]

“It’s not personal. It’s strictly business.”

[Canedawg]

Arthur Avenue?

[Clemenza]

Yep, just south of 186th street, and next to the Arthur Avenue market.

[BenLurkin]

Danny Thomas wanted to play the role of the Godfather.

It would have been a very different picture.

[Frantzie]

The studio was constantly trying to dump Pacino. Supposedly Coppola shot the film from the end to the beginning to insure Al was not dropped. Pacino early on was not confident but as the shooting went on he found his feet. I think Hollywood does glorify the mafia but the characters, the acting, the story and the production were outstanding.

The first 2 Godfathers, Apoc Now and The Conversation prove that Coppolla is a very good director.

[yarddog]

It would have been different but Thomas might have made a good Don Vito. I have noticed comedians often make very good bad guys. Andy Griffin for one.