40 Best-Kept Secrets From Behind The Scenes Of The Godfather

It’s widely revered as one of the finest movies ever made, but The Godfather was a painfully difficult undertaking. The production was almost totally derailed at multiple points by arguments involving Frank Sinatra and even the real-life mafia. Brace yourself: these extraordinary behind-the-scenes secrets change everything...

40. Family dinner

We’ve all heard of individual actors going “method” and refusing to break character, even when the cameras aren’t rolling. But how about a full cast? Well, that’s what it was like during rehearsals for The Godfather. Before the shoot got under way, the actors all gathered for a meal, during which they stayed in character. Coppola credits this dinner with helping to shape the characters.

39. The real deal

As news of The Godfather going into production spread, members of the real mafia started to take notice. The Mob didn’t want the movie to be made, so they resorted to threatening one of the producers. Things got so bad that a meeting between the filmmakers and mobsters was arranged where a deal was struck so the Hollywood production could go ahead without fear of further intimidation.

38. Sibling rivalry

When Talia Shire was cast in her big brother Coppola’s movie, it may have looked like nepotism was at play. But in actual fact, the director really didn’t want his sibling to play Connie. He had to be convinced by one of the producers that she was right for the part.

37. Keeping it real

The wedding sequence of The Godfather is notable for its sense of realism, but that’s no accident. Coppola was on a really tight schedule at this point, so he didn’t have time to meticulously direct the scene. He instead told his actors and extras to improvise and act like they were at a real wedding. He just recorded them.