Cotton-Balls and Mouthpiece: During his audition for the role, Marlon Brando decided to stuff his cheeks with cotton-balls to give Vito Corleone a puffy appearance [1]. However, for the actual filming, Brando used a custom-made mouthpiece created by a dentist to create the sagging jowls effect .

Why is Vito's jaw like that?

Marlon Brando envisaged the character to have bulldog-like jowls (hanging cheeks). In his auditions, he stuffed Kleenex tissues between his lower lips and teeth to create this appearance, which were replaced by a custom-made "plumper" oral prosthetic during filming.

What was Vito Corleone's illness?

Unable to speak English, he was renamed on Ellis Island as "Vito Corleone" when the immigration clerks saw the tag pinned to his clothes labelled "Vito Andolini from Corleone". A doctor diagnoses him with smallpox and he is quarantined for a period of time.

What happened to Don Corleone's face?

Marlon Brando wanted Vito Corleone to look like a bulldog so he stuffed his cheeks with cotton during rehearsal, however in the actual movie he wore special dentures.

Why does Vito Corleone speak like that?

As the previous answers mentioned, he was attempting to appear older (and did a good job, I think). But nobody has mentioned his voice. In the book, Vito had smallpox, and the illness damaged his throat, making him forever speak more quietly and scratchily than would otherwise be the norm.

The Godfather: How Vito Corleone Evolves

Is Vito Corleone a psychopath?

He's Generous And Kind

By helping those he felt were oppressed, Vito differentiated himself from other mob bosses. It was clear that he wasn't the sadistic psychopath type of criminal, like Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo. He was a criminal because this was the life he was born into.

What is Don Vito Corleone's famous line?

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.” – Don Vito Corleone

If there's anyone who understands revenge, it's a mobster.

Who was Don Corleone's favorite child?

Connie is Vito's only daughter and has been described as his favorite child, next to Michael.

What happened to Fredo Corleone's body?

He would do this because he wouldn't want it to look like he was at all involved in Fredo's death. Fredo drowned while fishing and his body was never recovered.

What is the saddest scene in The Godfather?

THE GODFATHER: Fredo's Reaction To Vito's Shooting

As soon as he saw his father lying bloody and near death, Fredo broke down in tears. It signified what a helpless man he truly was, to the point where you just feel bad for him. Seeing Don Vito in such a situation also adds to the heaviness of the scene.

Who did Vito Corleone fear?

Luca Brasi is Don Vito Corleone's personal enforcer and the only man Vito himself fears. While slow-witted and brutish, Brasi is fiercely loyal with a reputation as a savage and remorseless killer.

What is Michael Corleone's tragic flaw?

Michael Corleone was a tragic hero and his tragic flaw was his hunger for power. He wanted to make his family business legitimate and that quest became a paradox, because he was committing crimes so he would not have to commit them in the future.

What is Michael Corleone's flaw?

Immensely talented and powerful, he is undone by tragic flaws: his insatiable desire for vengeance, which creates a web of violence and recrimination that he cannot escape; his illusions of omnipotence, which blind him to the fact that achieving legitimacy is impossible; and his sense of being perpetually at war, which ...

Why did they check Vito's eyes?

During one scene, he is seen having his eyes checked for trachoma. Pink Zithromax tablets are placed into a patient's outstretched hand.

Did Marlon Brando stuff his cheeks?

The longstanding belief that Brando stuffed cotton balls in his mouth while filming is a myth. While Brando stuffed his mouth with Kleenex for his screen test, he didn't use this technique while filming. A dentist created a custom mouthpiece for the actor that helped give the same effect of protruding cheek jowls.

What did they put in Marlon Brando's mouth for The Godfather?

Marlon Brando wanted to make Don Corleone “look like a bulldog,” so he stuffed his cheeks with cotton wool for the audition. For the actual filming, he wore a mouthpiece made by a dentist. This appliance is on display in the American Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York.

Why was Fredo so weak?

In the novel, Fredo's primary weakness is his womanizing, a habit he develops after moving to Las Vegas and which earns his father's disfavor. In the films, Fredo's feelings of personal inadequacy and his inability to act effectively on his own behalf are character flaws leading to his demise.

Did Michael regret killing Fredo?

Yes, he did, at least according to the unfortunate and ill-conceived sequel The Godfather Part III. In The Godfather Part 3, why does Michael Corleone break down and confess to ordering the death of Fredo when he hates Fredo and wanted him dead and said that he was nothing to him and not a brother anymore?

Why did Connie hate Michael?

As much as she disliked her husband, Connie was angry at Michael for ordering in Rizzi's death and depriving her children of a father.

What happened to Connie's baby in The Godfather?

Victor Rizzi was the son of Connie Corleone and Carlo Rizzi. He was at Anthony Corleone's first communion and seen with his brother Michael Rizzi coming in the door at Carmela Corleone's funeral. Victor was arrested in Reno for theft some time shortly before Anthony's first communion.

Who killed Mary Corleone?

After her brother's debut concert, the assassin Mosca tries to kill Michael. One bullet grazes Michael's shoulder, but the other accidentally hits Mary in the chest, fatally wounding her. Michael is devastated by Mary's death, and screams in torment while cradling her dead body.

Who was the first choice to play Don Corleone?

Hard as it may be to believe, Brando was not the first choice to play Don Vito Corleone. The British legend Sir Laurence Olivier was the first actor to be offered the role. Sir Laurence pleaded date issues.

Who ordered the hit on Don Vito Corleone?

Virgil Sollozzo, the Turk, that asked the Godfather Vito Corleone to help him get a heroin distribution racket going in New York. Vito turned Sollozzo down. Sollozzo sent men to gun down Vito outside his olive oil business. Vito survived the attack but ended up in the hospital.

What is the most famous scene in The Godfather?

The baptism scene

One of the most iconic and contrasting scenes in the film is when Michael becomes the godfather of his sister's baby, while simultaneously ordering the murders of his enemies. The scene intercuts between the solemn ceremony in a church and the brutal executions in various locations.