Synopses & Reviews
This fully authorized, annotated, and illustrated edition of the complete screenplay of
The Godfather presents all the little-known details and behind-the-scenes intrigue surrounding the landmark film.
The Godfather is considered by many to be the greatest movie ever made, from its brilliant cinematic innovations and its memorable, oft-quoted script to it magnificent cast, including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, James Caan, and others who are now among the most celebrated actors of our time. And yet, the history of its making is so colorful, so chaotic, that one cannot help but marvel at the seemingly insurmountable odds it overcame to become a true cinematic masterpiece, a film that continues to captivate us decades after its release.
Now, thirty-five years after
The Godfather's highly anticipated debut, comes this fully authorized, annotated, and illustrated edition of the complete screenplay. Virtually every scene is examined including:
- Fascinating commentary on technical details about the filming and shooting locations
- Tales from the set, including the arguments, the accidents, and the practical jokes
- Profiles of the actors and stories of how they were cast
- Deleted scenes that never made the final cut
- Goofs and gaffes that did
- And much more
Interviews with former Paramount executives, cast and crew members—from the producer to the makeup artist—and director Francis Ford Coppola round out the commentary and shed new light on everything you thought you knew about this most influential film. The more than 200 photographs from the film, from behind-the-scenes, and from the cutting room floor make this a visual feast for every
Godfather fan.
Review
"A streamlined version of the back story, highlighting the difficulties that swirled around the production…The beauty of The Annotated Godfather is that it puts all this in context, while making sure we never lose sight of the most important element: the film… Jones takes us inside the process to see the odd mix of serendipity and inspiration that resides at the center of any great work of art."— David Ulin, Los Angeles Times David Ulin
Review
"Film historian Jenny M. Jones takes control of this project in marvelous fashion. We get the entire shooting script of the original film, plus deleted scenes, cool sidebars on how the film was adapted from the book, behind-the-scenes tidbits on cast and crew, continuity goofs and obvious bloopers, and a series of introductory essays that consider the enormous production undertaking."—BookPage December 07 issue
Synopsis
The Godfather is widely considered to be the greatest movie ever made. Its loyal fans are international and legion. Is there anyone unable to quote at least one famous line, among dozens, from the film? Now, for the first time since the film's debut thirty-five years ago, comes an annotated and illustrated edition of the complete screenplay that is fully authorized by Paramount Pictures.
Virtually every scene and shot is examined, and the fascinating commentary includes technical details about the filming, set design, and shooting locations; inside stories from the set including arguments, accidents, and practical jokes; profiles of the actors and how they were cast; deleted scenes; goofs and gaffes that remained in the film, and much more. Interviews with former Paramount executives, cast and crew members, as well as director Francis Ford Coppola shed new light on this influential film, and the 200+ photographs form a visual feast for Godfather fans.
Fascinating facts from behind-the-scenes of The Annotated Godfather:
• Actor Richard Castellano (Clemenza) actually ad-libbed the now-famous line, "Leave the gun, take the cannoli."
• Nearly 750 extras were bussed to a location on Staten Island where the wedding scene was shot, along with thousands of cookies, yard-wide trays of lasagna, barrels of beer, gallons of wine, and a six-foot-high wedding cake. The food had to be replenished every day for four days.
• Marlon Brando was crowned best prankster on the set and awarded a heavyweight-style belt emblazoned with the title "Moon Champion," in reference to his favorite type of prank.
• In order to help actor Al Martino (Johnny Fontane) express emotion in his scene with Don Corleone, Marlon Brando surprised him by whacking him across the face just before the cameras started to roll.
• The woman who kisses newborn Michael Rizzi on the church steps is Italia Coppola, Francis's mom.
Synopsis
For the millions of Godfather-obsessed--the first fully authorized, annotated, and lavishly illustrated edition of the complete screenplay, now available in paperback.
The ever-popular Godfather is widely considered to be the greatest movie ever made--is there anybody unable to quote at least one line?--and now for the first time, the highly praised annotated version of the complete screenplay is available in paperback. Every scene, practically every shot, is highlighted with fascinating facts about technical aspects, set design, and shooting locations; insider stories from the set, including arguments, accidents, and practical jokes; profiles of the actors and how they were cast; goofs and gaffes; plus interviews with studio execs, cast and crew, director Francis Ford Coppola, and much more.
Compiled by Jenny M. Jones, The Annotated Godfather is fully authorized by Paramount Pictures and includes more than 250 full-color photographs. This illustrated insider's look is a must-have companion to arguably the best movie of all time.
"It's like seeing the movie all over again, but with Francis Ford Coppola sitting next to you on the couch." --Daniel Okrant, Fortune magazine
"Jones offers a streamlined version of the backstory, highlighting the difficulties that swirled around the production. The beauty of The Annotated Godfather is that it puts all this in context.... It's a delicate dance, but she pulls it off, allowing us to see it fresh after all these years." --David Ulin, The Los Angeles Times
About the Author
Jenny M. Jones has worked at the Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon, and the Oak Street Cinema in Minneapolis. She currently works in the Film/Video Department of the Walker Art Center. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and daughter.