Mafia Moviemaking: The High-Stakes Gamble of The Godfather (1972)

Beyond the Big Screen

The Untold Story Behind the Making of The Godfather In today’s episode, Steve, Mustache Chris and Frank dive back into the fascinating pre-production history of the classic film, The Godfather. Discover how Paramount Studios was on the brink of bankruptcy due to a series of box office failures before The Godfather came into play. We explore the casting choices, including Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola's insistence on Al Pacino, and how Marlon Brando transformed into Don Corleone. Learn about the studio's initial resistance to Brando and Pacino's casting and how the involvement of real mob figures like Joe Colombo influenced the film's production. This episode offers a deep dive into the challenges and decisions that led to one of the greatest films in cinema history.
00:00 Introduction to the Making of The Godfather
00:10 Paramount's Struggles and the Stakes
02:54 Mario Puzo and the Screenplay Challenge
10:35 Mafia Involvement and Joe Colombo
23:53 Production Controversies and Filming Locations
31:16 Casting Choices: The Don Himself
32:14 Alternate Casting Choices for Vito Corleone
32:37 Brando's Screen Test and Studio Concerns
38:00 The Perfect Fit: Diane Keaton as Kay Adams
39:28 The Controversial Casting of Al Pacino
52:11 Robert De Niro's Connection to The Godfather
54:44 Lenny Montana: From Wrestler to Luca Brasi
Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/7zxe2Fy6hyD
You can learn more about Beyond the Big Screen and subscribe at all these great places:
https://atozhistorypage.start.page
www.beyondthebigscreen.com
Click to Subscribe:
https://www.spreaker.com/show/4926576/episodes/feed
email: [e-mail]
www.beyondthebigscreen.com
Parthenon Podcast Network Home:
parthenonpodcast.com
On Social Media:
https://www.youtube.com/@atozhistory
https://www.facebook.com/groups/atozhistorypage
https://facebook.com/atozhistorypage
https://twitter.com/atozhistorypage
https://www.instagram.com/atozhistorypage/
Music Provided by:
"Crossing the Chasm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/