THE NUTS AND BOLTS: PRODUCTION DETAIL
The funeral was shot at Calvary Cemetery, in Queens. Twenty funeral limos and 150 extras were used, with flowers costing over $10,000. According to his notebook, Coppola wanted the funeral to be a big, extravagant affair, as he considered it to be the “counterpoint” to the lavish wedding that opens the film.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT DAY: CEMETERY
The Cemetery. Late day. The hundreds of cars, limousines, and flower cars line the road through this Italian-Catholic cemetery in Queens Village.
Enormous bouquets of flowers are unloaded. A long line of DRIVERS open doors for their PASSENGERS. There is a slow procession toward the grave. A brief shot of the Vito Corleone marker.
MICHAEL sits with his family—his MOTHER and TOM HAGEN at his sides. AL NERI watches over.
One by one, the mourners come by, weeping, or merely with grave expressions; pay their respects and continue on. JOHNNY FONTANE takes his turn. CLEMENZA whispers into the ear of LAMPONE. LAMPONE immediately arranges for the members of the Five New York Families to pay their respects. BARZINI stands a long time, tosses a rose, and glances at MICHAEL.
MICHAEL watches the scene.
As BARZINI leaves, it seems as though everyone is fawning over him. It is clear that he is the new Capo di Capi—the place formerly held by DON CORLEONE.
ADAPTATION AND THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR
In the preproduction shooting script, after the scene between Michael and Vito, Mama coaxes Kay into going to church, shows her how to bless herself, and then “with great dignity, she closes her eyes, says a prayer, and then lights twenty candles.” This would have foreshadowed the original ending scene of Kay going to church and lighting thirty candles with a silent prayer, which also was not used for the final film. Coppola’s “pitfall” warning to himself in his notebook regarding the characterization of Mama: “I warn you now, Francis, the Mama Mia cliché will be devastating.”
After Marlon Brando’s death, his own annotated script of The Godfather fetched a staggering $312,800 at a New York auction—over twenty times its estimated price and the highest amount ever paid for a film manuscript.
GOOFS, GAFFES, AND BLOOPERS
A famous mistake: a ghostly orange image of Morgana King (Mama Corleone) appears on Michael’s suit during the funeral. Years later, film critic Roger Ebert queried Coppola about the mishap, who asked Kim Aubry, producer of The Godfather DVDs and Coppola’s vice president of postproduction and technology, to look into it. The image comes from a fluke of light, distortion, shadow, and lens peculiarity, as the lens edge had picked up King’s appearance from just beyond the frame. What’s even more bizarre: Mama is chewing gum at her husband’s funeral! She legitimately thought she was out of camera range. Aubry said in Ebert’s Answer Man column: “We get so much bogus stuff that it was fun to check out a real one, and it turns out not to be an artistic trompe l’oeil, but a GOOF! Love it!”
TESSIO bends down to speak to MICHAEL.
TESSIO
Mike, could I have a minute?
MICHAEL nods, and they move to a private place.
TESSIO
Barzini wants to arrange a meeting. He says we can straighten any of our problems out.
MICHAEL
You talked to ‘im?
TESSIO
Yeah. I can arrange security. On my territory. All right?
MICHAEL
All right.
TESSIO
All right.
They return to their places. HAGEN leans over to MICHAEL.
HAGEN
Do you know how they’re gonna come at you?
MICHAEL
They’re arranging a meeting in Brooklyn. Tessio’s ground. Where I’ll be safe.
TESSIO moves to speak to BARZINI. They shake hands.
HAGEN
I always thought it would’ve been Clemenza, not Tessio.
MICHAEL
It’s a smart move. Tessio was always smarter.
But, I’m gonna wait. After the baptism. I’ve decided to be Godfather to Connie’s baby. And then I’ll meet with Don Barzini and Tattaglia—all the heads of the Five Families.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS: PRODUCTION DETAIL
The exteriors of the baptism scene were filmed at Mount Loretto Church, Staten Island. The church subsequently burned down in 1973. The interiors were filmed at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Mulberry Street, Manhattan.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Newborn Sofia Coppola plays Michael Rizzo. Diane Keaton appears to not have much experience holding a baby—as infant Sofia’s head flops around.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Puzo couldn’t resolve how the climactic scene should unfold on film, but Coppola devised the idea of inter-cutting the baptism with the assassinations, and having the priest’s dialogue lay over the murder scenes. During postproduction, something still seemed to be missing from the sequence. Out of desperation, editor Peter Zinner conceived of laying the organ track over the murder scenes, which indeed made the sequence work.
MONTAGE:
INT DAY: CHURCH
A LONG SHOT of a church interior. An organ plays, a BABY is crying. A medium shot of KAY, MICHAEL, and the PRIEST walking to the altar. KAY holds a BABY. A GROUP views the proceedings from the pews.
PRIEST
(SPEAKS LATIN)
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP: the PRIEST breathes on the BABY three times. CLOSE-UP on MICHAEL’s. The BABY’s bonnet is removed.
PRIEST
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: MOTEL ROOM
In a Long Island motel, LAMPONE carefully disassembles a revolver, oils it, checks it, and puts it back together.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
EXT DAY: CLEMENZA’S HOUSE
PETER CLEMENZA carries a long box and is about to get into his Lincoln. He hesitates, takes a rag, and cleans some dirt off the fender.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP of MICHAEL being blessed with oils. CLOSE-UP of the PRIEST’s fingers as he gently applies oil to the INFANT’s face.
PRIEST
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: BARBERSHOP
WILLIE CICCI gets a shave.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: NERI’S APARTMENT
ALBERT NERI in his small Corona apartment; he opens a small trunk, and we see in it, neatly folded, a New York City policeman’s uniform. He takes it out piece by piece, almost reverently.
ADAPTATION AND THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR
Puzo’s novel contains extended exposition on the character of Albert Neri, whose first profession was as a cop, which explains how he came to have a badge and uniform.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP on the PRIEST’s fingers, blessing the BABY with oil.
PRIEST
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: NERI’S APARTMENT
CLOSE-UP on hands emptying a paper bag. A gun and then a badge drop on the bed. We see NERI in a police uniform. He wipes the sweat from his face.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: HOTEL STAIRS
CLEMENZA is climbing the back stairs of a large hotel, still carrying the box. He rounds the corner, wipes the sweat from his brow, and then continues upward.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: CHURCH
MEDIUM SHOT of the PRIEST blessing the BABY, then a CLOSE-UP. CLOSE-UP of MICHAEL. PRIEST continues to bless the BABY.
PRIEST
(SPEAKS LATIN)
CLOSE-UP of MICHAEL.
PRIEST
Michael, do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth?
MICHAEL
I do.
INT DAY: HALLWAY
BARZINI walks down the hallwa
y of an ornate building. He stubs out a cigarette and continues.
PRIEST’S VOICE
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord?
MICHAEL’S VOICE
I do.
PRIEST’S VOICE
Do you believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church?
MICHAEL’S VOICE
I do.
EXT DAY: MUNICIPAL BUILDING STEPS
NERI is in front of a municipal building. On his side of the street, he spots a limousine waiting directly across from the main entrance of the building. He taps on its fender with his night-stick. The DRIVER waves at him. NERI taps again, motioning for the DRIVER to move on.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: HOTEL STAIRS
CLEMENZA continues up the stairs.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: ROOM
ROCCO LAMPONE and another MAN each take a gun and exit.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: BARBERSHOP
CICCI exits barbershop.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The shooting location for the barbershop, the revolving doors, and Clemenza’s walk up the stairs was the St. Regis Hotel. Richard Castellano’s wife alleges that Coppola made him go up the stairs an extra thirty-eight times.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP of the BABY. LONG SHOT of the church interior. We hear the BABY CRYING.
PRIEST
(SPEAKS LATIN)
EXT DAY: GOVERNMENT BUILDING
BARZINI starts to walk down the exterior steps. He motions to his BODYGUARD to see what is happening with the limousine. At the bottom of the steps, NERI is standing next to the car with the CHAUFFEUR, writing him a ticket. The BODYGUARD hurries down.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
BABY’S VOICE
(CRYING)
INT DAY: HOTEL
CICCI walks up steps, smoking. He pauses.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
BABY’S VOICE
(CRYING)
INT DAY: HOTEL
CLEMENZA reaches an elevator. He presses the button.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
BABY’S VOICE
(CRYING)
THE NUTS AND BOLTS: PRODUCTION DETAIL
Moe Greene’s massage was filmed in the steam room in the McBurney YMCA, West 23rd Street, Manhattan.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS: PRODUCTION DETAIL
The character of Moe Greene was based on Bugsy Siegel, a Jewish mobster who first envisioned the casino business in Las Vegas. He died in a hail of gunfire, including a shot through the eye. Moe Greene’s particular mode of assassination in the film could also be an homage to the great Sergei Eisenstein’s The Battleship Potemkin, which depicts an old woman shot through her eyeglasses during its famous Odessa Steps sequence. Coppola has cited Eisenstein as the filmmaker who most influenced his decision to become a director. Actor Alex Rocco reports: “Coppola had seen this effect in a European film, and always wanted to do it.” To create the special effect, the crew rigged the glasses with plastic tubes running down the glasses’ stems and taped to Rocco’s naked body under the table. One tube contained the fake blood; the other contained a BB connected to an air pump. The BB pellet was actually fired away from the eye with compressed air, causing the eyeglass to explode and consequently the blood to flow. The renowned special effects wizard A. D. Flowers, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, devised how to orchestrate the effect. Rocco praised effects man Joe Lombardi, who rigged him up, as “one of the best special effects guys in the business,” but says if you look closely you can see his right eye twitch a little before he is shot—he was understandably nervous and couldn’t control the tic.
INT DAY: MASSAGE ROOM
MOE GREENE lies on a table, getting a massage.
PRIEST’S VOICE
(SPEAKS LATIN)
BABY’S VOICE
(CRYING)
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP on PRIEST’s fingers, blessing BABY. CLOSE-UP on MICHAEL.
PRIEST
Michael Francis Rizzi, do you renounce Satan?
INT DAY: HOTEL ELEVATOR
The elevator doors open, revealing three MEN. STRACCI starts to exit. CLEMENZA kicks a DON back into the elevator, pulls a gun from the box, and opens fire.
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP on MICHAEL.
MICHAEL
I do renounce him.
INT DAY: MASSAGE ROOM
A MAN enters the room. MOE puts on his glasses to see who it is and is shot through the eye. Blood gushes out.
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP on MICHAEL.
PRIEST
And all his works?
INT DAY: HOTEL
CICCI stubs out his cigarette and continues up the stairs. He comes to a revolving door and locks CUNEO inside. CUNEO turns around to see a gun pointed at him—he mouths “No!” CICCI shoots CUNEO through the glass four times.
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP on MICHAEL.
MICHAEL
I do renounce them.
INT DAY: MOTEL
LAMPONE and another GUNMAN burst into a room, surprising TATTAGLIA and WOMAN in bed, and pump rounds of bullets into them.
GIRL
(screams)
God!
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP on MICHAEL.
PRIEST
And all his pomps?
MICHAEL
I do renounce them.
EXT DAY: GOVERNMENT BUILDING
NERI shoots the BODYGUARD and CHAUFFEUR, and then bends down, steadying his arm, to shoot BARZINI, who attempted to flee up the stairs. NERI shoots him twice in the back, and BARZINI tumbles down the stairs as a car drives by to pick up NERI.
BEHIND THE SCENES
“A sequence on Wall Street at 9 a.m. … drew a crowd of 15,000 onlookers and brought The New York Times comment that the lensing was ‘the biggest show in town.’”—Variety, March 1972
FILMING BARZINI’S DEATH SCENE AT THE NEW YORK COUNTY SUPREME COURTHOUSE.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS: PRODUCTION DETAIL
The courthouse is actually the New York County Supreme Court building on Centre Street, Manhattan.
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP on MICHAEL.
PRIEST
Michael Rizzi … will you be baptized?
MICHAEL
I will.
The PRIEST baptizes the BABY with holy water.
PRIEST
In Nomine Patris …
INT DAY: MOTEL
CLOSE-UP on bloody corpse of PHILIP TATTAGLIA.
PRIEST’S VOICE
… et Filii …
INT DAY: REVOLVING DOORS
CLOSE-UP on bloody corpse of CUNEO.
PRIEST’S VOICE
… et Spiritu Sanctu.
EXT DAY: GOVERNMENT BUILDING
We see the corpses of BARZINI, the CHAUFFEUR, and the feet of the BODYGUARD from behind BARZINI’s car.
PRIEST’S VOICE
Michael Rizzi …
INT DAY: CHURCH
CLOSE-UP on MICHAEL behind a lit candle.
PRIEST
… go in peace and may the Lord be with you. Amen.
EXT DAY: CHURCH
The christening party outside the CHURCH.
Four or five limousines have been waiting and now pull up to receive MAMA, CONNIE and the BABY, and the others. Everyone is very happy; only MICHAEL seems aloof and grave. CONNIE holds the BABY up to MICHAEL.
MICHAEL
Kay, come on.
CONNIE
Kiss your Godfather.
MICHAEL kisses the BABY. As the fuss is going on, a car pulls up. LAMPONE gets out and works his way to MICHAEL. He whispers in his ear. This is the news MICHAEL has been
waiting for. MICHAEL turns to CARLO.
MICHAEL
Carlo can’t go to Vegas. Something’s come up. Everybody’s gonna leave without us.
CONNIE
Oh, Mike, it’s our first vacation together.
CARLO
(overlaps)
Connie, please.
(to MICHAEL)
What do you want?
MICHAEL
(overlaps)
Go back to the house, wait for my call. It’s important.
CARLO
Right.
MICHAEL
(to KAY)
I’ll only be a couple a’ days.
MICHAEL kisses KAY, pats ANTHONY on the head, then walks down and kisses MAMA.
MAMA
(SPEAKS ITALIAN)
LONG SHOT of the PRIEST and MONSIGNOR going up the steps as people find the correct limousines.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The woman who kisses Connie on the church steps is Italia Coppola, Talia and Francis’s mom.
INT DAY: DON’S KITCHEN
TESSIO is on the phone in the kitchen of the main house on the MALL. HAGEN stands next to him.
TESSIO
(into phone)
We’re on our way to Brooklyn.
(hangs up phone)
I hope Mike can get us a good deal tonight.
HAGEN
I’m sure he will.
EXT DAY: MALL
The TWO MEN walk out onto the MALL, toward a car. On their way, they are stopped by a BODYGUARD.
CICCI
Sal, Tom, the Boss says he’ll come in a separate car; he says for you two to go on ahead.
TESSIO
Hell, he can’t do that; it screws up all my arrangements.
CICCI
Well, that’s what he said.
HAGEN
I can’t go either, Sal.
The Annotated Godfather: The Complete Screenplay with Commentary on Every Scene, Interviews, and Little-Known Facts Page 21