The Godfather Legacy (Paperback)

~ (Author) "MARIO PUZO was born in 1920 and grew up a child of Hell's Kitchen, the New York district whose tenements housed the families generations of..." (more)
Key Phrases: wedding sequence, gangster picture, final film, New York, Los Angeles, Italian Americans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Crammed with behind-the-scenes details."

-- Los Angeles Times

"Fantastic -- an incredible job."

-- Al Ruddy, producer of The Godfather --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

On the 25th anniversary of the release of The Godfather, this official, fully illustrated, behind-the-scenes guide takes look at how renegade filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola transformed a modest pulp novel into one of the most stunning financial and artistic triumphs in movie history. Ties in with the Paramount re-release of the Godfather trilogy. 125 photos.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; First edition. edition (March 10, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684836475
• ISBN-13: 978-0684836478
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #918,878 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read the book, watch the movies...(repeat as necessary), April 16, 1998

By	Crosstie Walker (Morgantown, WV USA) - See all my reviews

Great in all aspects (source material, trivia not previously covered in other books/articles, etc.), except that Parts II and III kind of get short shrift!

I know that just getting Brando, Coppola and everybody else on board was a huge undertaking and that's why the launch of the "franchise" gets so much ink, but many of us (including me) are partial to Part II and wanted a bit more on Pacino/Michael's continued character development, as well as more on DeNiro/Young Vito Corleone. Maybe another volume?

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific inside information behind a great trilogy, October 17, 2001

By A Customer

This book makes an *excellent* supplement The Godfather films. It's full of interesting behind-the-scenes info, anecdotes, and recollections. The book is even a bigger "must have" now since the trilogy is finally now out on DVD.

There are some minor discrepancies between what this book says and Coppola's commentary on the DVDs. For instance, the book mentions that Al Pacino twisted his ankle in the scene following the shooting of McClusky and Sollozo, but Coppola believes it happened outside the hospital scene after Michael visits his father. Also, the book claims Clemenza's role was cut from Part II because Richard Castellano (the actor) wanted too much money. Coppola says Castellano wanted to have an associate write Clemenza's dialogue.

There's a wealth of production photos, and great inside stories of a troubling production. Coppola was almost fired several times, and he got into heated disagreements with his crew many times. Pacino had problems during the production (the studio wanted to fire him) and had a rocky road to stardom at this time. He was paid a measily $35,000(!) for the first film. And he never saw any of this money because of legal expenses from a lawsuit. For Part II, his paycheck was $500,000 plus a percentage of the gross.

If you're a movie fan and of this trilogy in particular, get this book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are a fan...this is the book for you., August 6, 2001

By	mariea stella "mershk" (philadelphia, pa United States) - See all my reviews

I read this book twice in one week and I'm reading it again. I just couldn't put it down! There is so much insider info in here that you must know. If you are a true Godfather Fan, this in one book that you must have. I just couldn't believe the problem that Francis Ford Coppola had in trying to get this movie done. This is a wonderful book to have in your collection. Read this and then watch the movie again. It gives you a whole different perspective on the movie. This is one book you can't refuse!