Photo: Emmy Flores Gal
Francis Ford Coppola had to go to the mattresses to be able to create one of the XXth Century film masterpieces, and he did it before he was revered as one of the greatest directors of the world, and it was not an easy task, and which almost turned as bloody as the film itself.
But this story begins way back, when Coppola wasn't even in the picture, literaly.
"Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather" takes on the unbeliavable task of telling the story behind the creation of this classic, which ended up changing the course of film history forever.
Mark Seal [the very brave writer] starts this story of men with guns with only one man: Mario Puzo, the legendary writer and creator of the most dangerous family man in film.
Mario did not have it easy growing up, he went to war, came back to New York and then did not have it easy becoming a writer. He didn't even want to write this kind of stories, he was set to be an artist and artists do not write pulp.
But hey, he needed the money and as it turns out, he was not only good at pulp, he was very good at it.
And so his path was set, fate intervined, talks were talked and he started writing the story of The Godfather.
A lot has yet to happen and we're not even close to Hollywood yet. But Mark Seal makes the perfect job at telling us how Puzo managed to find himself at Paramount Pictures, where is when things really became messy.
Then is the turn for the very hot and hadsome producer, the very german billionaire and the italian-american genius to go at it, fighting and screaming, dealing and threatening, but all of them with one same tought: to make THE GODFATHER a movie success.
And so the casting procedure began, and Marlon Brando was reluctlanty in, then James Duvall, James Caan, Al Pacino and Diane Keaton were in as well.
Then the latter three were out and a few weeks later, again: in. Then Al Pacino was defenitely out, until he wasn't. Did I mention this went on for months?
Then the mob became involved, and let me tell you: they were not happy.
Back to the negotiating table, a lot of talking and bargaining, a little bit of hussling and the film was back on, because yes, it was this close to not have been made at all.
More screaming, doubting, threateing and finally: opening night.
By this point Robert Evans and even Francis Ford Coppola were convinced they had a flop on their hands.
The movie ran, the audience gasped and sometimes sighed. The film ended, the lights went on, and nothing. There was nothing but silence.
Robert Evans saw his career ending, until his wife, one Ally McGraw, said something like: You have made a masterpiece.
If you love this film, love the history of movies, or just a good story, then this is the book for you!
"Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather" by Mark Seal, is available for purchase at Amazon.
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