The Godfather remains one of the best Hollywood movies in the history. The three-part movie earned $550 million worldwide. It won 9 academy awards. In this article we will talk about some of the amazing facts about the Godfather which you probably don’t know.
Francis Ford’s Stray Cat
In the opening scene of the Godfather, Don Vito could be seen playing with a cat while he talks to a man who is there asking for help. You’ll be amazed to know that the cat was a stray one. There was no mention of the cat in the script. The cat was picked up by the movie director Francis Ford Coppola when he was on his way to Paramount Pictures studio for shooting.
A Real Horse Head in the Bed
Remember John Marley’s screams when he woke up to find his horse’s head in his bed? That was a real horse head. And the director had previously told Marley that a fake head will be placed. But when the cameras rolled, on seeing the real head, Marley freaked out. So yeah, those screams were real too.
Al Pacino’s Paltry Fee
In the first part of The Godfather, Al Pacino was paid just $35,000. The movie makers just didn’t know that their work would get so much popularity. Then in the second part, the Hollywood star was paid $600,000.
Orson Welles’ Race to Act as Vito Don Corleone
Many people lobbied to get the role of Don Vito. Most people don’t know that famous actor and director Orson Welles actually lost a lot of weight and lobbied to act as Vito Corleone in the Godfather movie, but he was eventually turned down by Francis Ford, who had his eyes set on the legendary Marlon Brando.
Marlon Brando Didn’t Want Burt Reynolds
Marlon Brando has his own conditions. He signed the movie on a condition Burt Reynolds would no longer be considered for to act as Sonny, one of the sons of Don Vito.
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando’s addition to the movie proved to be a bone of contention for a long time. Francis Ford’s decision to cast Brando as the main role in the first part of the movie was heavily resisted by playboy Paramount executive Robert Evans, who reportedly said about Brando: “F*ck him, he’s crazy”.
Sonny Beating Carlo Scene
In the first part, Sonny beats the crap out of Carlo, her sister’s husband. This scene took 4 days and 700 extra people, most of whom didn’t get any display time. Yellow truck, garbage can lid and wooden boxes on the sidewalk were all planned, but water leak was improvised.
Brando’s Fake Jawline
Perhaps the decisive factor in Don Vito’s look is his imperious jawline, slightly swollen bulldog cheeks. Marlon Brando initially practiced this look with cotton resins in his mouth. But then a dentist made a special mouthpiece for him. It took hours and hours for Brando to practice speaking with this mouthpiece on. This mouthpiece is placed in a movie museum in New York.
Sonny’s Murder Scene
Sonny Corleone’s brutal murder was a daunting task to film. It needed a lot of special effects. Sonny was rigged with 127 blood pouches, which were poked as a result of bullet (fake, of course) hits in the scene.
Robert De Niro’s Auditions
Robert De Niro gave a lot of auditions to qualify for the Godfather movie. Many famous actors, including Jack Nicolson, Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty were turned down. You can actually see a video of Robert giving an audition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQqBXFAlHcU
