Initially, Coppola had decided to shoot the scenes in the Palermo town of Corleone: unfortunately, however, problems arose due to organised crime, which demanded protection money to allow the director to shoot the scenes in their territory.

Was The Godfather actually filmed in Corleone?

Not far from the capital Palermo is the village of Corleone, the original home and family name of the characters in Mario Puzo's Godfather novel, on which the first movie was based. But much of the filming was done in the villages of Forza d'Agro and Savoca, quite a bit further to the east, in the Messina province.

What actor turned down the role of Michael Corleone?

Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson both turned down the role of Michael. There were many actors considered for role of Michael. Robert Redford…he was too WASPish, Martin Sheen who actually auditioned for the role.

Why did the studio not want Marlon Brando in The Godfather?

Marlon Brando had a reputation for being a difficult actor to work with. It was one of the reasons the studio executives did not want him to star in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 film. The poor performance of some of his previous movies was also one of the reasons for the same.

Was Robert De Niro supposed to be Michael Corleone?

Robert De Niro Could Have Played Michael Corleone, the Role Al Pacino Made Iconic in The Godfather. Sean Levy writes in the excellent biography De Niro: A Life that Francis Ford Coppola considered “a number of names for every key role” in 1972's The Godfather – including De Niro and Pacino.

How did Vito Corleone know it was Barzini all along?

Why didn't they like Al Pacino in The Godfather?

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'.”

Why did Marlon Brando not do Godfather 2?

Casting. Several actors from the first film did not return for the sequel. Marlon Brando initially agreed to return for the birthday flashback sequence, but the actor, feeling mistreated by the board at Paramount, failed to show up for the single day's shooting. Coppola then rewrote the scene that same day.

How old was Al Pacino in The Original Godfather?

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.

Who was the highest paid actor in The Godfather?

And the person who was paid the highest and played one key character ended up getting fired from the franchise when the turn for The Godfather 2 came. This actor was none other than Richard Castellano, who was riding high waves of fame during the time of the first installment of the franchise.

How much did Brando get paid for The Godfather?

Marlon Brando portrayed the iconic character of Vito Corleone in the first installment of The Godfather. Brando earned a salary of at least $250,000 for his role in the film [1].

Why did Jack Nicholson refuse The Godfather?

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 almost played Sonny in The Godfather?

Anthony Perkins not only auditioned for Sonny, but also for Tom Hagen. Originally Caan was to be cast as the main character Michael Corleone (Sonny's youngest brother), while Carmine Caridi was signed as Sonny. However Coppola demanded that the role of Michael be played by Al Pacino instead.

Who auditioned for Kay in The Godfather?

Mia Farrow As Kay Corleone

But she wasn't the first choice for the role. Three horror movie starlets — Rosemary's Baby's Mia Farrow, Don't Look Now's Julie Christie, and Trilogy of Terror's Karen Black (who got her film debut in Francis Ford Coppola's You're a Big Boy Now) — were also considered to play Kay.

What mobster was Vito Corleone based on?

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.

How did they make Marlon Brando look old?

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.

Where are the real mobsters in The Godfather?

Some iconic gangster movies featured real-life mobsters in their cast, such as Lenny Montana who played Luca Brasi in The Godfather. Tony Sirico, known for his roles in The Sopranos, Goodfellas, and The Godfather, had a past as a mob associate with multiple arrests and convictions.

How much money did James Caan make from The Godfather?

Regarding pay, considering he is one of the greatest actors of all time, He was paid 50k for 6 weeks work plus 1,000 dollars weekly expenses, plus 5% of the film's gross which brought him up to 1.5 million dollars. Al Pacino, James Caan and Diane Keaton all got 35k. Robert Duvall got 36k for eight weeks of work.

Are Al Pacino and Robert De Niro friends?

Al and Robert met for the first time in Manhattan through mutual friends more than 50 years ago. Their acting careers were just getting into full swing at the time but there was a special bond that formed between them right away.

Who was originally cast as Michael Corleone?

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.

Who turned down roles in The Godfather?

Anne Bancroft refused Francis Ford Coppola's offer to star as the Corleone family matriarch. Warren Beatty was considered to play the part of Michael Corleone. Karen Black auditioned for the female lead role. Robert Blake was reportedly turned down for a role in The Godfather.

Who didn't want Al Pacino in The Godfather?

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.

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.

How exactly did Fredo betray Michael?

After telling Michael that he has never met Ola, Fredo later carelessly tells Geary that he had been to a nightclub with Ola. Michael overhears the conversation and realizes that Fredo betrayed him to Roth. He confronts Fredo, delivering the kiss of death.

Is Robert De Niro in The Godfather?

1974–1980: Scorsese collaboration and acclaim. De Niro had a pivotal role in Francis Ford Coppola's crime epic The Godfather Part II (1974), playing the young Vito Corleone.

Who killed Hyman Roth?

Michael arranges to have Roth killed at the airport where he is about to be taken into U.S. federal custody. Minutes after disembarking the plane, he is fatally shot by Michael's caporegime Rocco Lampone, posing as a reporter. Rocco himself is killed by federal agents as he tries to escape.