The Godfather (1972)

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:

Mario Puzo (novel)
Mario Puzo (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 March 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

An offer you can't refuse.

Plot:

The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.

Plot Keywords:

Mafia | Wedding | Violence | Organized Crime | Lawyer

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 19 wins & 17 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 26	7:30 AM	AMC
Thur. Nov. 26	8:00 PM	AMC

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Don Vito Corleone
Al Pacino	...	Michael Corleone
James Caan	...	Santino 'Sonny' Corleone
Richard S. Castellano	...	Peter Clemenza (as Richard Castellano)
Robert Duvall	...	Tom Hagen
Sterling Hayden	...	Capt. McCluskey
John Marley	...	Jack Woltz
Richard Conte	...	Don Emilio Barzini
Al Lettieri	...	Virgil 'The Turk' Sollozzo
Diane Keaton	...	Kay Adams
Abe Vigoda	...	Sal Tessio
Talia Shire	...	Connie Corleone Rizzi
Gianni Russo	...	Carlo Rizzi
John Cazale	...	Fredo Corleone
Rudy Bond	...	Don Carmine Cuneo
Al Martino	...	Johnny Fontane
Morgana King	...	Mama Corleone
Lenny Montana	...	Luca Brasi
John Martino	...	Paulie Gatto
Salvatore Corsitto	...	Bonasera
Richard Bright	...	Al Neri
Alex Rocco	...	Moe Greene
Tony Giorgio	...	Bruno Tattaglia
Vito Scotti	...	Nazorine
Tere Livrano	...	Theresa Hagen
Victor Rendina	...	Don Philip Tattaglia
Jeannie Linero	...	Lucy Mancini
Julie Gregg	...	Sandra Corleone
Ardell Sheridan	...	Mrs. Clemenza
Simonetta Stefanelli	...	Apollonia Vitelli Corleone
Angelo Infanti	...	Fabrizio
Corrado Gaipa	...	Don Tommasino
Franco Citti	...	Calo
Saro Urzì	...	Vitelli
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Max Brandt	...	Extra in Furniture-Moving Scene (uncredited)
Tybee Brascia	...	Dancer in wedding scene (uncredited)
Carmine Coppola	...	Piano Player in Montage (uncredited)
Gian-Carlo Coppola	...	Baptism Observer (uncredited)
Italia Coppola	...	Extra (uncredited)
Roman Coppola	...	Boy on Street Who Attended Funeral (uncredited)
Sofia Coppola	...	Michael Francis Rizzi (uncredited)
Don Costello	...	Don Victor Stracci (uncredited)
Gray Frederickson	...	Cowboy on the Set at Woltz's Studio (uncredited)
Ron Gilbert	...	Usher in Bridal Party (uncredited)
Anthony Gounaris	...	Anthony Vito Corleone (uncredited)
Joe Lo Grippo	...	Sonny's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Sonny Grosso	...	Detective Phillips (uncredited)
Louis Guss	...	Don Zaluchi (uncredited)
Merril E. Joels	...	Toll Both Collector (uncredited)
Randy Jurgensen	...	Sonny's Killer #1 (uncredited)
Peter Lemongello	...	Singer (uncredited)
Tony Lip	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Frank Macetta	...	(uncredited)
Lou Martini Jr.	...	Boy at Wedding (uncredited)
Father Joseph Medeglia	...	Priest at Baptism (uncredited)
Carol Morley	...	Night Nurse (uncredited)
Rick Petrucelli	...	Man in Passenger Seat (uncredited)
Burt Richards	...	Floral Designer (uncredited)
Sal Richards	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Tom Rosqui	...	Rocco Lampone (uncredited)
Nino Ruggeri	...	Mobster at Funeral with Barzini (uncredited)
Frank Sivero	...	Street Extra (uncredited)
Filomena Spagnuolo	...	Extra in Wedding Scene (uncredited)
Joe Spinell	...	Willi Cicci (uncredited)
Gabriele Torrei	...	Enzo the Baker (uncredited)
Nick Vallelonga	...	Wedding Party Guest (uncredited)
Ed Vantura	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Matthew Vlahakis	...	Clemenza's Son (uncredited)

Directed by
Francis Ford Coppola

Writing credits
Mario Puzo		(novel)
Mario Puzo		(screenplay) and
Francis Ford Coppola		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gray Frederickson	....	associate producer
Albert S. Ruddy	....	producer

Original Music by
Nino Rota

Cinematography by
Gordon Willis

Film Editing by
William Reynolds
Peter Zinner

Casting by
Louis DiGiaimo		(as Louis Digiaimo)
Andrea Eastman
Fred Roos

Production Design by
Dean Tavoularis

Art Direction by
Warren Clymer

Set Decoration by
Philip Smith

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Philip Leto	....	hair stylist (as Phil Leto)
Phil Rhodes	....	makeup artist (as Philip Rhodes)
Dick Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Fred C. Caruso	....	unit production manager (as Fred Caruso)
Valerio De Paolis	....	production manager: Sicily (as Valerio DePaolis)
Ned Kopp	....	production manager: second unit (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Brandt	....	assistant director: Sicily
Fred T. Gallo	....	assistant director (as Fred Gallo)
Steven P. Skloot	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Samuel Verts	....	assistant art director: Sicily
William Canfield	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Robert Scaife	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Howard Beals	....	sound effects editor
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound re-recordist (as Bud Grenzbach)
Christopher Newman	....	production sound recordist
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist
Steve Cook	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Pierre Jalbert	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Les Lazarowitz	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects
A.D. Flowers	....	special effects
Joe Lombardi	....	special effects
Paul J. Lombardi	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Joe Bucaro III	....	stunt double: young Vincenzo (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Chapman	....	camera operator
Howard Block	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Bill Butler	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Russell Engels	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)
Ed Kammerer	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Edward Knott	....	grip (uncredited)
Jim Meyerhoff	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Anthony R. Palmieri	....	camera loader (uncredited)
Ed Quinn	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Robert Royal	....	rigging key grip (uncredited)
Joe Rutledge	....	electrician (uncredited)
Peter Salim	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Tibor Sands	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Jack Stager	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Edward Tonkin	....	best boy electric (uncredited)
Robert M. Volpe	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
Dusty Wallace	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Robert Ward	....	key grip (uncredited)
Ray Williams	....	rigging best boy grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Riccardo Bertoni	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe supervisor
Marilyn Putnam	....	wardrobe: women

Editorial Department
Walter Murch	....	post-production consultant
Pierre Jalbert	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Marc Laub	....	editor: New York (uncredited)
Barbara Marks	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Murray Solomon	....	editor: New York (uncredited)
Jack Wheeler	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Carlo Savina	....	conductor
Carmine Coppola	....	composer: additional music, mall wedding sequence (uncredited)
John C. Hammell	....	music editor (uncredited)
Tommy Johnson	....	musician: tuba (uncredited)
Jimmy Maxwell	....	musician: trumpet solo (uncredited)
Paul Salamunovich	....	choir conductor: boys choir (uncredited)
Stephen Salamunovich	....	boy soprano, soundtrack (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Raymond Hartwick	....	driver (uncredited)
Charles Lazzarro	....	driver (uncredited)
Edward Venn	....	driver (uncredited)
Louis Volpe	....	driver (uncredited)
John Whelan	....	driver (uncredited)
Ed Wilson	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Barth	....	unit coordinator
Tony Bowers	....	location coordinator
Michael Briggs	....	location coordinator
Gary Chazan	....	assistant to producer
Nancy Hopton	....	continuity (as Nancy Tonery)
Robert S. Mendelsohn	....	executive assistant to producer
Peter Zinner	....	foreign post-production
Rocco Derasmo	....	teamster (uncredited)
James Giblin	....	teamster captain (uncredited)
Sonny Grosso	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Johnny Jensen	....	cinemobile technician (uncredited)
Randy Jurgensen	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
George Lynch Jr.	....	teamster (uncredited)
Richard Nelson	....	car coordinator (uncredited)
Howard Newman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Jasmine Sabu	....	animal trainer: horses (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	adr loop group (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Alfran Productions
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1972) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1972) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Victor Video (1988) (Japan) (VHS)
• CIC Victor Video (1993) (Japan) (VHS)
• Pioneer (1993) (West Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• CIC Victor Video (1997) (Japan) (VHS)
• Pioneer (1997) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• CIC Victor Video (2000) (Japan) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Victor Entertainment / CIC Victor Video (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Film Service (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Park Circus (2009) (UK) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD) (improved special edition)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1992) (Netherlands) (VHS) (rental)
• Paramount Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (The Coppola Restoration)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (????) (Russia) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinemobile System  location services

Also Known As:

Mario Puzo's The Godfather (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

175 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (re-release) | Mono

Certification:

Colombia:18 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Spain:13 (re-rating) | Canada:18A | Philippines:R-18 | UK:15 (DVD) (2007) | Australia:MA (2008 re-rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | India:A | Italy:T (DVD re-rating) | Argentina:18 | Austria:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) | Finland:K-18 (original rating) | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Israel:PG | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Portugal:17 (original rating) | Portugal:M/18 (re-rating) | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Poland:15 | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

110 Longfellow Road, Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Alfran Productions

Trivia:

Although the dark photography of Gordon Willis was eventually copied by many other films, when the developed film came back from the lab, Paramount executives thought the look was a mistake. They ordered a different look but Willis and director Francis Ford Coppola refused.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Fredo yells at Michael for trying to negotiate with Moe Greene, we see a shot of Michael smoking. As Michael exhales, we see a cloud of smoke quickly disappear from his mouth as the camera splices to another take of the shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bonasera: I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom but I taught her never to dishonor her family. She found a "boy friend," not an Italian. She went to the movies with him. She stayed out late. I didn't protest. Two months ago he took her for a drive, with another boy friend. They made her drink whiskey and then they tried to take advantage of her. She resisted. She kept her honor. So they beat her. Like an animal. When I went to the hospital her nose was broken. Her jaw was shattered, held together by wire. She couldn't even weep because of the pain. But I wept. Why did I weep? She was the light of my life. A beautiful girl. Now she will never be beautiful again.
[He breaks down at this point, and the Don gestures to his son to get him a drink]
Bonasera: Sorry...
[He regains his composure and carries on]
Bonasera: I went to the police, like a good American. These two boys were brought to trial. The judge sentenced them to three years in prison, and suspended the sentence. Suspended sentence! They went free that very day! I stood in the courtroom like a fool, and those two bastards, they smiled at me. Then I said to my wife, "For justice, we must go to Don Corleone."
Don Corleone: Why did you go to the police? Why didn't you come to me first?
Bonasera: What do you want of me? Tell me anything. But do what I beg you to do.
Don Corleone: What is that?
[Bonasera gets up from his seat and whispers into the Don's ear; for a long moment the Don is silent]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Starter Wife: Look Who's Stalking (#1.8)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Mall Wedding Sequence

Initially, I wasn't a fan... but then I realised

This is a masterpiece. A timeless masterpiece. Initially, I didn't like this film all that much - I found it rather over-hyped and boring. This was until the advent of DVD, which gave me the feature I needed for this sort of film: subtitles. Once I switched them on and heard (read) every last word of Brando's ramblings and other characters ramblings, I grew a true appreciation for this epic.

To make a true epic, you need all of three following ingredients working in near perfect harmony. For screenwriters who come across this, take the following pointers on board: 1) Contrasting Characters: Good films have some character distinction, but most fall rather flat because the core of each character is the same.

Of course, there are exceptions to rule (ie... where you want mono-tonal characters... aka matrix; or where you want outlandish contrasts... aka The Fifth Element), but ultimately, this is what makes films deep, meaningful and grand. Consider the contrasts between the Don's children. Michael is rather cool, rational and collected, whereas Sonny is more hot-headed, spontaneous and simple minded. But simply having these contrasts is not nearly enough. What you really need to do is to develop these characters - place them in situations - and then dwell on how their character impacts on the situation they're put in. The Godfather is a terrific example of how to pull this off. While many try to do this in screenplays, most lose the plot and create character obscurities that stretch credibility.

2) Transformation: The central character(s) must undergo a transformation, resulting in them being almost unrecognizable by the end of the film. By putting them into situations, the character's character must not only influence the outcome of the situation; it must also have a lasting impact on the character. Consider Michael at the wedding and compare that to the Michael we see at the end of the film. Again, many films try, but most fail because they come up with unreal (literally, not praisingly) or simply moronic transformations (eg, Wall Street).

3) Patience: Men in Black 2 was an astounding film for one simple reason - it was an entire film squashed into about 70 minutes. It was not much longer than an episode of ER or Buffy. I certainly hope the new goal of Hollywood isn't to make films as short as possible.

All the great ones spend time - time developing characters, family life, growth, patience with the story telling in general. This is the key (provided that the story isn't mind-numbingly boring). Dances with Wolves, Heat.. and so on are very patient but top-class films. While studios may be lukewarm on the idea of longer films, they are worth it if you have a ripper story to base it on.

I feel that this film has not dated all that much and has tremendous re-watch-ability.