Use Arrow Keys to Navigate

View Gallery

45 Slides

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

Actor Marlon Brando took on the role of the head of the family, Don Vito Corleone, in the first film.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

Al Pacino, who played Michael Corleone, smiles in a portrait while on the set of The Godfather.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

Diane Keaton was cast as Michael Corleone's love interest, Kay Adams. It was her first major film role.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

Caan originally screen tested for the role of Michael Corleone, but was cast as Sonny Corleone instead.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

Brando and Pacino, both strict method actors, take direction while on set.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

Seemingly still in character, Pacino kicks his leg up while sitting with Italian actor Franco Citti.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

Producer Albert S. Ruddy is seen talking to Brando on a set in New York City's Little Italy neighborhood.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

The film caused quite the commotion in the neighborhood, even prompting residents to watch from their fire escapes.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1971

Brando is seen with fake blood on his lip while filming a scene on Mott Street in New York City.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

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.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pr%2FQrqCrnV6YvK57xKernqqklravucSnq2iln6u2pr%2BOoGppbGRpfXSFjq2fnmWXpLGnrdOhnKtlkpq1qrrDZquhnV2osKa6xKxkqaCfqby0ew%3D%3D