10 surprising things you didn't know about the making of 'The Godfather'

Frank OlitoAug 8, 2020, 00:57 IST

Marlon Brando in "The Godfather."Mondadori Portfolio / Getty

Since the release of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece, "The Godfather," in 1972, those who took part in the film have shared surprising details of what happened on set.
Studio executives at Paramount Pictures reportedly did not want Al Pacino or Marlon Brando to play the lead roles, but Coppola convinced the studio to hire them.
The famous cat that sits in Marlon Brando's lap almost ruined an entire scene because its purring was too loud.

In 1972, "The Godfather" debuted to critical acclaim, and decades later, the film is still considered one of the best in history. Getting the film to icon status was no easy feat, however.

From casting to lighting, director Francis Ford Coppola experienced several pushbacks from studio executives at Paramount who challenged his vision at every turn.

Here are 10 other surprising facts about the making of "The Godfather" that you might not have known.

Al Pacino was not the first choice for the role of Michael Corleone, and he said he was almost fired during filming.

Al Pacino in "The Godfather." Paramount Pictures

The studio also didn't want to cast Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, but then they saw his legendary screen test where he stuffed his mouth with Kleenex.

Marlon Brando in "The Godfather." Paramount Pictures

Brando didn't memorize any of his lines for the film. Instead, he relied on cue cards.

Marlon Brando in "The Godfather." Silver Screen Collection / Getty

The cat in Brando's lap was a stray and not supposed to be in the film. In fact, the cat's purring almost ruined the scene.

The stray cat. Paramount Pictures

The lead actors liked to play pranks by mooning each other while filming.

The wedding scene. Paramount Pictures

Talia Shire, who played Connie, was Coppola's sister, and she had very little acting experience. She even knocked down the camera at one point.

Al Pacino and Talia Shire. John Springer Collection / Getty

"Leave the gun, take the cannoli" is one of the movie's most famous lines, but it was improvised.

A scene from "The Godfather." Paramount Pictures

Coppola had a habit of leaving actors' mistakes in the film because he felt they were genuine.

Lenny Montana in "The Godfather." CBS Photo Archive / Getty

After filming the wedding scene, Pacino and Diane Keaton got drunk together because the actor was scared the movie would flop.

Diane Keaton and Al Pacino. United Archives / Getty

Studio executives felt like the film was lit too darkly, and they had to be convinced that the artistic choice would work.

A darkly lit scene in "The Godfather." Paramount Pictures

7 new movies that are going straight to streaming or On Demand

Cookies on the Business Insider India website