Regardless of Frank Sinatra's protests and attempts to block its production, as dramatized in The Offer, there was nothing he could really do to prevent The Godfather movies from being made.
Colombo family crime boss Joe Colombo (center) first tried to stop production on the "The Godftaher" — then turned over and helped it get made. Director Francis Ford Coppola accepted one of the film's three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Warren Beatty was offered the chance to direct, produce and star as Michael but turned it down. {Can you imagine Warren Beatty directing the Godfather?) Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson both turned down the role of Michael. There were many actors considered for role of Michael.
Which character in The Godfather was based on Frank Sinatra?
In the film, Johnny Fontane is a famous singer and actor, and friend to the Corleone family. He was portrayed by real-life singer and actor Al Martino. It is widely believed that Fontane was based on the real-life experiences of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra, one of the most popular entertainers of the era.
Damone eventually declined the role because of a salary dispute and also because he did not want to provoke the mob or anger Frank Sinatra, whom Damone profoundly respected. Ultimately, the part of Johnny Fontane was given to Martino.
Was Johnny Fontaine really based on Frank Sinatra?
In real life, Sinatra reportedly believed that the book's drunken, philandering lounge singer Johnny Fontaine was based on him. Puzo long denied that Fontaine was anything but a fictional character, but the portrayal rubbed Ol' Blue Eyes the wrong way.
Despite Francis Ford Coppola's obsession with the famed actor, Marlon Brando was far from studio's first choice to play Vito Corleone. Rather, they wanted nearly anyone else, considering other well-regarded actors such as George C. Scott, Anthony Quinn and Ernest Borgnine.
Who did the singing for Johnny Fontane in The Godfather?
Apart from singing, Martino played the role of Johnny Fontane in the 1972 film The Godfather, as well as singing the film's theme, "Speak Softly Love". Martino had been told about the character by a friend who had read the eponymous novel and felt Martino represented the character of Johnny Fontane.
Brando, who was only 47 at the time, underwent a transformation with the help of prosthetics, makeup, and a wig to make him appear older and burdened as the head of a crime family.
The primary reason why Jack Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather was that the presently retired Nicholson, who identified himself as being Irish throughout his career, felt that the role of the Italian-American Michael should be played by an Italian actor.
Who was Jack Nicholson going to play in The Godfather?
He believed Chinatown and The Last Detail had stronger scripts than The Godfather and The Sting. Although initially interested in playing Michael Corleone, Nicholson felt he was the wrong choice for the role.
Numerous actors, many of whom were bankable stars, were considered to play Michael. From Jack Nicholson to Warren Beatty and Robert Redford, some of Hollywood's biggest stars were either offered the role or turned it down. Coppola held out for Pacino, but Paramount made a move to cast James Caan as Michael.
Though The Godfather was initially targeted by the mob – including threats and intimidation tactics – the film and its themes of honour and old-time loyalty were embraced by the mob. “No group was more fascinated, appreciative, or proud of The Godfather theme than the Mafia,” wrote organised crime reporter Selwyn Raab.
Posting a portion of Al Pacino's audition tape for the role of Michael Corleone to his Instagram account, the director stated: “The interesting thing here, was a reason given to me against casting Pacino was not only was he too short, but also too 'scruffy'.”
Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation. In the film, he was portrayed by Lenny Montana, an ex-wrestler and former bodyguard and enforcer for the Colombo crime family.
The popular singer was originally cast as the Sinatra-esque Johnny Fontane. He dropped out, attributing his pride in being Italian, though he would later state that it was all about the money. The Fontane role is much, much bigger in Mario Puzo's source material.
Concept and Creation. Vito Corleone is based on a composite of mid-20th-century New York Mafia figures Carlo Gambino, Frank Costello, Joe Bonanno, and Joe Profaci. Mario told me that all of the great dialogue, those quotable lines he put into the mouth of Don Corleone, were actually spoken by Mario's mother.
Several scenes were filmed at Filmways in East Harlem. The remaining portions were filmed in California, or in Sicily. The scenes set in Las Vegas were not shot on location because there were insufficient funds. Savoca and Forza d'Agrò were the Sicilian towns featured in the film.
Talia Rose Shire (née Coppola; born April 25, 1946) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Connie Corleone in The Godfather trilogy and Adrianna Pennino Balboa in the Rocky series.
Roth is a Jewish mobster and investor, and a business partner of Vito Corleone and later his son Michael Corleone. He is based on notorious mobster and gambling kingpin Meyer Lansky. It was Al Pacino who suggested Lee Strasberg, his former acting teacher, for the role.
Diane Keaton said she was cast before Al Pacino in the 1972 classic gangster flick "The Godfather." The actress said Pacino was not the first choice to star as Michael Corleone in the Francis Ford Coppola film. "Nobody wanted Al Pacino.
Al Pacino was 31 when he played Michael Corleone in The Godfather, but the character was only 25. In The Godfather Part III, Pacino was 49 while the character, Michael Corleone, was 59 years old.
