The Godfather

The film is based on the novel by Mario Puzo "the Godfather" (The Godfather, 1969).

Mario Puzo was completely devastated when he signed a contract with Random House for the publication of "the Godfather."

Paramount pictures has acquired the film rights to the novel before it was published. The Studio was only a 20-page plan of the novel.

Puzo's book became a bestseller, selling a circulation of 10 million copies.

The writer himself once admitted that all your knowledge about the mafia, he learned from other books.

Place the film was first proposed by Sergio Leone, but he refused. Leone later regretted his decision and in 1983 decided to make an equally impressive film "Once in America".

Film company Paramount Pictures prior to filming wanted to take the project from Coppola and pass it to the Director to Elia Kazan, but Brando said he also will quit if Coppola was fired.

On different roles in the film were considered: Warren Beatty, Alain Delon, Burt Reynolds, Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Laurence Olivier and others. But Coppola has rejected these candidates.

According to some reports, the role of Vito Corleone also claimed Frank Sinatra.

During filming, Brando wore a special mouthpiece, to make his jaw look like the jaw of a bulldog.

Actor lenny Montana, who played Luca Brasi was so in awe at the sight of Marlon Brando that always confused text. Coppola liked the genuine nervousness, and he put in the movie scene right from the matted text.

The word "Coppola" (ital. coppola) refers to the traditional Sicilian hat, these hats can be seen in some "Italian" scenes of the film. And Corleone (ital. Corleone) is the name of a Sicilian mountain village for many years served as a refuge for Mafiosi.

Marlon Brando refused awarded him "Oscar". At the ceremony he sent to the stage instead of himself Sashin Light Pen, a spokeswoman for the Indian Apache tribe who also took the prize. Thus, the actor wanted to Express protest against discrimination of the indigenous population of America.

Composer Nino Rota was nominated for an Oscar for best music for the film, but the nomination was revoked when it was revealed that he wrote new music for the entire movie and reworked passages from the old one (from the movie "Fortunella", 1958).

In January 2008, the company McFarlane released a 16-centimeter figurine of don Corleone.

The prototype of a Vito Corleone was a mobster, Joseph "Joe" Bonanno.

In 2006, the film came out computer game of the same name.

The style of speaking in a hoarse voice, the filmmakers took the don Corleone of the famous gangster Frank Costello. In childhood Frank accidentally damaged vocal cords during the surgery to remove the adenoids.

The prototype of johnny Fontaine was Frank Sinatra.

The film was shot over four months in mid-1971.

According to al Pacino, tears of Marlon Brando in a scene in the hospital was real.

James Caan and al Pacino only 10 years younger than the actress Morgana king, who played their mother, and John Casale — 5 years.

It is believed that one of the scenes which show the brutality of don Corleone, is the scene in which he offers to beating the man, while gently stroking a cat sitting on his lap. But the fact that no cat was not in the script. This cat was wandering around the set and jumped up on his knees to Marlon Brando just before filming.

The film takes the first place in the list among the top 10 gangster films by the American film Institute (AFI).

Francis Ford Coppola got the idea to make a film after reading the book. According to him, if he had come up with this idea to Paramount for 4 months later, he would not have entrusted the filming of this movie. The film company initially reacted to the project as a minor gangster drama and don't expect a big success. Six months later, the book Mario Puzo gained popularity, the film became anticipated project. The production company decided not to change Director in the middle of shooting.

Upon approval of the project Paramount pictures demanded not to involve in the filming of Brando. By the time he was known for his antics on the set, and also problems with alcohol. The role of the godfather auditioned several actors, but the best game showed exactly Brando. The Studio was forced to agree with this fact.

According to Mario Puzo, the character of johnny Fontane was not based on fact from the biography of Frank Sinatra, rumored to have received a role in the film Fred You "from Henceforth and forever" (1953) as a result of pressure on the producer side of the mafia. But later it became a stereotype, repeatedly refuted biography of Frank Sinatra.

In total, the film shows the 18 dead, including a horse.

Oranges are a symbol of death in the picture: some time after their appearance in the shot someone dies.

In the book Michael and Kay Corleone had 2 sons, and in the film — a son and a daughter.

The producers tried to get Francis Ford Coppola to fire Pacino from a movie. Looking through the footage, they constantly asked the Director the same question: "When will he finally start to PLAY?" Only saw the scene where Michael Corleone kills the police Commissioner, they saw a brilliant directorial vision Coppola.

The scene where Sonny beats up Carlo, filmed over 4 days and demanded 700 extras.