The Godfather film trilogy was inspired by Mario Puzo’s novel, which shared the same name. It’s centered around American crime and everything it entails. The Godfather is famous for setting the precedent of Mafia dramas like The Sopranos, Goodfellas, and Scarface. It’s well casted and directed, earning itself a top spot when it comes to masterpieces. Amongst movie enthusiasts, The Godfather is a big deal. If someone has recommended it to you, or you plan on rewatching it for the 45th time, here are some mind-blowing facts about The Godfather.
1. Marlon Bando Refused to Memorize Lines on the Godfather
Marlon Bando delivered an impeccable performance in playing the role of Vito Corleone, the Godfather himself. However, he didn’t memorize most of his lines. Instead, the crew had to place cue cards in front of Marlon Bando while filming.
2. The Author of Godfather Had Never Written a Screenplay
Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather, was tasked with writing the screenplays for Godfather I and II. Despite being an accomplished author, he had never written a script before. However, he wrote both screenplays and the movies were a huge hit.
Interestingly, after writing the first two screenplays, Mario Puzo bought a book so he could learn how to write movie scripts. To his surprise, the first page of the book he purchased urged readers to study the Godfather for inspiration about screenwriting.
3. Marlon Brando Could Have Missed the Opportunity to Play the Godfather
Despite being a great actor, Marlon Bando was difficult to work with in the 1960s and 1970s. This is one of the key reasons Paramount Pictures didn’t want him to be given the role of the Godfather. Danny Thomas would have played the Godfather if Marlon had not agreed to the strict rules from Paramount Pictures. Among the many conditions, Marlon Brando agreed not to be paid upfront and had to submit a screen test.
4. The Godfather Inspired John Wojtowicz’s Infamous 1972 Robbery
In 1972, John Wojtowicz and a group of amateurs tried robbing a bank in Brooklyn. Incidentally, John Wojtowicz’s main motivation was to pay for his lover’s gender reassignment surgery after she initially attempted suicide.
In this crazy bank robbery that inspired the film Dog Days Afternoon, John Wojtowicz slipped a note to a cashier with the words, “This is an offer you can’t refuse“. This phrase is popularly used in The Godfather and John had watched it earlier that day.
5. Godfather II was the First Sequel to Win Best Picture at the Oscars
To prove how amazing the Godfather trilogy was, Godfather II was the first sequel to win an Oscar for Best Picture in 1974. Ever since, only one other sequel has won this award: Lord of the Rings: Return to the King – it happened more than four decades after The Godfather II.
6. The Cat in the Godfather Scene was a Stray
When Marlon Bando delivers his iconic speech in Godfather I to Amerigo Bonasera, who was seeking justice for his daughter, he appears to be petting a cat. This cat was a stray found in the parking lot of Paramount Pictures; it was not part of the script. In the original footage, it purred so loudly that it would overshadow Marlon’s speech. This forced Paramount Pictures to dub a part of the dialogue.
7. Luca Brasi in The Godfather was a Real-Life Hitman
Lenny Montana, who plays Luca Brasi, the Corleone Family’s go-to gunman, was an actual hitman. He was a mob enforcer for the Colombo Family, and it is alleged that he was put on set of The Godfather to ensure the word “mafia” was never used in the film. Lenny was not a real actor and made several mistakes on set, but Coppola had no option but to keep him. The mob also ensured that the film wouldn’t use any derogatory terms for Italian Americans.
8. Robert De Niro Lived in Sicily to Prepare for His Role in Godfather
In preparation for Godfather II, where Robert De Niro played the role of young Vito Corleone, he moved to Sicily in Italy for four months. He did this to sharpen his Sicilian accent because the role revolved around this dialect. This wasn’t the only time Robert De Niro went to extreme ends to prepare for a role. He once added 60 lbs to fit a role in Raging Bull. The legendary actor even ground his teeth for a role in Cape Fear.
9. The Italian-American Civil Rights League Wasn’t Pleased with The Godfather
Abbreviated as the IARCL, the Italian-American Civil Rights League did not like how their community was portrayed in the Godfather films. They even advocated for a change in its script. Later, it was discovered that this organization had ties with the mafia, especially the Colombo Crime Family.
10. Oranges Foreshadow Death or Tragedy in the Godfather Trilogy
Keen watchers observe that death follows almost instantly whenever oranges are displayed in The Godfather. For instance, Vito Corleone gets shot when he is buying oranges on the street. Also, before Jack Woltz wakes up to a murdered horse’s head in his bed, some oranges are displayed on the dinner table in the previous scene. There are at least 20 scenes where oranges foreshadow tragedy in The Godfather.
11. The Baptism Scene in Godfather is Played by a Girl
In the famous baptism scene towards the end of The Godfather, we see the young Micheal Francis Rizzi being baptized at Church. However, this role is played by the director’s daughter, Sofia Coppola. This is interesting because, according to the script, the role should have been played by a baby boy, not a girl. However, most viewers can’t tell the difference because she is an infant.