Behind-the-Scenes Photos From the Set of 'The Godfather'
Behind-the-Scenes Photos From the Set of 'The Godfather'
The Godfather, which Francis Ford Coppola set out to create in 1971, is now regarded by many as the greatest movie of all time. Met with overwhelming box office success, three Academy Awards, and an avid fanbase, production soon began on a sequel—and then a third installment. Whether you're a fan of the Mafia franchise, or haven't seen all three films yet, enjoy this look back at cinematic history.
1971
Director Francis Ford Coppola on set of The Godfather. Coppola had already made a name for himself after directing Finian's Rainbow in 1968 and Patton in 1970. However, he reached meteoric success when The Godfather premiered in 1972.
1971
Actor Marlon Brando took on the role of the head of the family, Don Vito Corleone, in the first film.
1971
Al Pacino, who played Michael Corleone, smiles in a portrait while on the set of The Godfather.
1971
Pacino, James Caan, and John Cazale, who play the Corleone brothers, pose with Brando (second from left), while on set of the first film.
1971
Marlo Brando (second from left of bride) poses in character with the rest of the Corleone family while filming the movie's iconic wedding scene.
1971
Speaking of that wedding scene....Brando is said to have pulled quite the prank on his costars during filming. In retaliation to hijinx by Caan and Duvall, Brando pulled his pants down and mooned them, along with the rest of the cast and crew.
1971
Pacino poses as Michael Corleone during a film photoshoot. The young actor rose to fame playing the Mafia son, but he wasn't Paramount's first choice for the role. The studio originally looked at more established actors, like Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
1971
Diane Keaton was cast as Michael Corleone's love interest, Kay Adams. It was her first major film role.
1971
Caan originally screen tested for the role of Michael Corleone, but was cast as Sonny Corleone instead.
1971
Brando and Pacino, both strict method actors, take direction while on set.
1971
The Hearst mansion in Beverly Hills, California served as the filming location for the home of Jack Woltz in that iconic horse scene. If you know, you know.
1971
Michael's marriage to Apollonia during his refuge in Sicily is one of the film's major climax moments. While production did travel to Sicily for the scenes, they were unable to film in the town of Corleone, because it was too developed. They opted for the much smaller towns of Savoca and Forza d'Agro outside of Taormina. Today you can still visit the church where their wedding was filmed, Bar Vitelli.
1971
It's hard to imagine anyone but Brando playing Corleone, the head of the crime family. But rumor has it the studio wasn't interested in the actor until Coppola set up a screen test for him.
1971
The production crew took over Mott Street in New York City's Lower East Side in a crucial scene where Brando enters Genco Pura Olive Oil Company, which was filmed at the historic Mietz Building in real life.
1971
Production tends to Brando's hair while filming. The film's stylists used hair cream to hold his character's slicked back look in place while filming.
1971
Producer Albert S. Ruddy is seen talking to Brando on a set in New York City's Little Italy neighborhood.
1971
The film caused quite the commotion in the neighborhood, even prompting residents to watch from their fire escapes.
1971
Brando is seen with fake blood on his lip while filming a scene on Mott Street in New York City.
1971
Brando's performance as Don Corleone revived his career. In 1973, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, but he refused to accept it in protest of how Hollywood portrays Native Americans and in an attempt to bring awareness to the standoff at Wounded Knee.
1973
Coppola and his family attend the Academy Awards in 1973. During the show, The Godfather won three awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and the coveted Best Picture.
1973
Before the Oscars, Pacino shows off a photo of himself from the movie next to his day look. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Godfather.
1974
Fresh off of the monumental success of The Godfather, Coppola and most of the original cast returned for the sequel in 1974.
1974
One of the film's newest cast members was a young Robert De Niro, who played a young Don Vito Corleone in the movie's flashbacks.
1974
De Niro films a scene for The Godfather: Part II with Giuseppe Sillato.
1974
The second film was a prequel, as well as a sequel that followed the life of Michael Corleone after he starts his own family and takes over the family business.
1974
Coppola is seen on set in the East Village while filming the sequel. On his right is his wife, Eleanor Coppola.
1974
Coppola gives direction to De Niro during a street scene. De Niro has said he approached the role of young Vito Corleone like a "science experiment" in order to live up to the performance of Brando.
1974
De Niro is seen walking through the streets with a costar, while filming a scene in New York City's Lower East Side.
1974
Coppola relaxes for a minute while on the set of the second installment of the franchise.
1974
Coppola chose East 6th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C as the block to be transformed into New York City circa the late 1910s.
1974
The production team used vintage signs, cars, and props to make the street look authentic to 1918—they even managed to make the streets look unpaved.
1974
The exterior of the restaurant San Rocco in Little Italy served as the filming location for when Don Vito became the head of the crime family.
1974
Coppola stands off camera with De Niro while filming in New York City.
1974
The film's extras hang around on set, while decked out in clothing circa 1918.
1974
Here, two extras are seen posing by an antique car in the East Village on the film set.
1974
Coppola holds a knife to De Niro's throat while directing him for a scene.
1975
The Godfather franchise's success continued, as the sequel won six out of the 11 Academy Awards it was nominated for in 1975, including Best Director and Best Picture.
1990
After a long hiatus, Coppola and the other cast members returned for The Godfather: Part III in 1990. Here, Pacino and Coppola engage in a discussion off camera.
1990
New to the franchise, Joe Mantegna is seen filming a scene on a sidewalk in Little Italy in New York City.
1990
Coppola cools off with an Italian ice during a summer shoot in New York City.
1990
The production recreated a Catholic ceremony, featuring the Madonna statue, for a pivotal scene in the film's third installment.
1990
Pacino is seen leaving a makeup trailer in Little Italy, while filming The Godfather: Part III.
A glimpse inside cinematic history.