The 50th anniversary: "The Godfather"

 

A father passes on a legacy of power, corruption and violence to his children, one of whom rejects these values, only to take control with  ruthless contempt in order to preserve the family business. It's a quintessentially American story that weaves together elements of assimilation, loyalty, sibling rivalry, and the quest for power, with a heavy dose of bloodshed. "The Godfather" is that rare film that satisfies the visceral desire for sensational entertainment, the emotional need to influence drama, and the intellectual drive for artistry. From a mass pot on the Mafia to a maker desperate for money, the resulting film version is one of America's great family films that comes to life with keen direction and craftsmanship and some of the best actors ever to appear on screen. fifty years ago, on March 14, 1972, the film opened the blockbuster market and became a reference, inspiring two film sequels, copies, book sequels, a video game, parodies, etc., cultural references and quotable dialogue from nearly every movie of the last half-century. A father passes on a legacy of power, corruption and violence to his children, one of whom rejects these values, only to take control with  ruthless contempt in order to preserve the family business. It's a quintessentially American story that weaves together elements of assimilation, loyalty, sibling rivalry, and the quest for power, with a heavy dose of bloodshed. "The Godfather" is that rare film that satisfies the visceral desire for sensational entertainment, the emotional need to influence drama, and the intellectual drive for artistry. Born out of a mass pot on the Mafia by an auteur desperate to make a buck, the resulting film version is one of America's great family films driven by keen direction and craftsmanship and some of the best actors never appeared on screen. . Premiering fifty years ago on March 14, 1972, the film opened to commercial success and became a landmark, inspiring two film sequels, printouts, book sequels, a video game, parodies and other cultural references and quotable dialogue from almost every film of the last half-century.A father passes on a legacy of power, corruption and violence to his children, one of whom rejects these values, only to take control with  ruthless contempt in order to preserve the family business. It's a quintessentially American story that weaves together elements of assimilation, loyalty, sibling rivalry, and the quest for power, with a heavy dose of bloodshed. "The Godfather" is that rare film that satisfies the visceral desire for sensational entertainment, the emotional need to influence drama, and the intellectual drive for artistry. From a mass pot on the Mafia to a maker desperate for money, the resulting film version is one of America's great family films that comes to life with keen direction and craftsmanship and some of the best actors ever to appear on screen. fifty years ago, on March 14, 1972, the film opened the blockbuster market and became a reference, inspiring two film sequels, copies, book sequels, a video game, parodies, etc., cultural references and quotable dialogue from nearly every movie of the past half-century. Albert Ruddy, producer of  Robert Redford's modest budget "Little Fauss and Big Halsey", convinced the studio head  that "The Godfather" could be done on the cheap. His sales pitch: "I want to make a terrifying ice-blue movie about the people you love. But could the movie also be shot? At Madison Square Garden, raising $600,000 in an effort to keep the movie from being go into production." Ruddy received threatening phone calls and  his car window was smashed.Ruddy attended a meeting with hundreds of League members, assured criminal figure Joe Colombo that the words "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" would not be used, and won over the crowd by implying that some members of the audience could appear in the film as players. or extras. The Mafia threat was put down, but media reports that a "deal" was reached that sent the stock price of Gulf + Western, Paramount's parent company, into a tailspin. The League's influence was largely reduced before the film opened, as Columbus was attending an Italian Unification Day demonstration at Columbus Circle on June 28, 1971 when he was shot three times in the head. The mob boss was crippled and lingered for years before he died in 1978. The mugger did not leave Columbus Circle alive. Finding a director for "The Godfather" was another challenge. Several veteran directors, including Arthur Penn ("Bonnie and Clyde"), Sergio Leone ("Once Upon a Time in the West"), Peter Yates ("Bullitt"), Otto Preminger ("Laura"), Richard Brooks (" The Professionals Pro").