The Godfather Journal

by Ira Zuckerman

  Brando finally emerges from his dressing room and is hooked up with a portable body mike, while Francis explains that the scene will be filmed in a long shot so he can improvise lines; the actual dialogue will be dubbed in later, when it has been rewritten. Brando nods, puts his arm around Pacino and starts the scene by strolling around the garden. But instead of improvising around the lines in the script, he makes obscene remarks and tells dirty jokes to Pacino. Of the crew, only the soundmen, who wear earphones to follow the dialogue, can hear him.

  “He doesn’t want to work today,” Francis remarked earlier, while waiting for Brando. “What’s he got to worry about? Brando gets $30,000 a day for every day work over the number agreed to in his contract. He’s reached the point in his career where he just can’t take all this seriously. He said if they fired me for being behind schedule and going over the budget, ‘I’ll back you up,’ he said, ‘don’t let them worry you.’ ”

  49th DAY OF SHOOTING: THURSDAY JUNE 3

  Bob Towne, a screenwriter friend of Coppola’s, has been called in from the coast to rewrite the scene Brando is unhappy with. He is on the set this morning to help the director sell the new version to the star. Brando approves of the scene, and immediately cue cards are made in both large and small versions (depending on how far away from the actor they will be placed in the scene) because there isn’t time to learn the new lines.

  50th DAY OF SHOOTING: FRIDAY JUNE 4

  Brando’s last day of filming: the scene in which the Godfather, playing with his grandson among his tomato plants, dies of a heart attack.

  In preparation, Brando is attempting to make friends with Anthony, the little boy cast to play the grandson. Suddenly he growls and grimaces, revealing a set of “false teeth” cut out of orange rind. Anthony bursts into tears and rushes off the set to his mother. Taken aback, Brando follows him and tries to hug him: “It was just a joke.” But it is some time before Anthony can be persuaded to go near Brando again, so that the scene can be filmed.

  Steve Skloot, 2nd A.D., replacing Gallo who is out sick, runs the filming professionally, and work goes on slowly but smoothly. Many of the cast who are not on call today have put in an appearance to wish Brando goodbye.

  For some days Mrs. Coppola (the director’s mother) has had her eye on Brando’s chair with his name stenciled on the back. Now she sees a young boy pass it over the wall to an accomplice. She rushes off to pursue the thieves and a few minutes later returns in triumph, the chair under her arm.

  The working day ends with a farewell party for Brando: washtubs full of cold shrimp, cases of champagne.

  Al Martino stands apart, in a bad mood. He tried to get a ride back to the city before the party began and he is tired of waiting. He has turned up day after day for his walk-on in this section of the film, and day after day it was postponed.

  The festivities are in full swing when Brando emerges from his dressing room, clad in a leather jacket and black dungarees and looking much younger than his 47 years. He is immediately surrounded by women seeking his autograph and a goodbye embrace. The producers present him with a tap drum and stand.

  51st DAY OF SHOOTING: MONDAY JUNE 7

  In the morning, the mall again.

  Behind the wardrobe and makeup house some of the principals are interviewed for a documentary Paramount is making about the filming of The Godfather.

  In the afternoon, part of the baptism scene is filmed on the steps of a church. The director’s three-week-old daughter Sofia plays the infant, in violation of a rule that babies used in films must be at least three months old.

  52nd DAY OF SHOOTING: TUESDAY JUNE 8

  A new pink master schedule for the remainder of the filming is given out in the early part of the afternoon. Even before it is distributed, changes are made.

  The scene today is the murder of Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo). A special-effects driver is on hand to man the car in which Carlo is strangled. In the death struggle, Carlo’s feet kick out the front windshield as the car drives off. Russo’s legs are protected by thick, padded leggings under his suit pants. His body is rigged with straps that are pulled up at the neck from behind the front seat by Dick Castellano (Clemenza). Breakaway glass has been rigged in the front window. The scene requires a lot of preparation and rehearsal and takes up most of the day.

  53rd DAY OF SHOOTING: WEDNESDAY JUNE 9

  The mall. Today is the last day on the Staten Island location.

  While the crew begins work on the interior set Coppola paces around one of the rooms, dictating into a portable tape recorder some information connected with a lawsuit that has been filed against him by an ex-protégé in California. Several times during the day he talks on the telephone to his attorney on the coast.

  A “double” for Brando is required to complete a long shot of the death scene; one sent by the casting agency is much too small for the costume and is replaced in short time by another of the right dimensions.

  Editors Bill Reynolds and Peter Zinner are on hand to show Coppola and Willis the footage of the Kay-and-Michael scene on a movieola set up in the living room of a nearby house. Willis needs to match the lighting of the scene filmed earlier, which will be combined with the ones to be shot today. The backgrounds of the “day-for-night” shots prove to be too dark and the entire scene will have to be reshot, as Coppola predicted.

  Director and cameraman return to the set. Reynolds reports that the assemblies are going well and that Coppola is generally pleased with them; but most of the second-unit wedding footage is unusable—particularly the helicopter shots, which all came out jumpy. Reynolds, Zinner and Mark Laub will go to San Francisco to continue working on the editing after filming in New York is completed. Coppola has asked Robert Evans for a two-week layover before he leaves for Sicily. He wants time to pull himself together and to supervise the assembling of all film shot to date.

  To complete the day’s schedule, the production works overtime till about 10 P.M. When he is getting ready to leave Coppola turns to an assistant. “Do you still want to direct films? Always remember three things: have the definitive script ready before you begin to shoot. There’ll always be some changes, but they should be small ones. Second, work with people you trust and feel secure with. Remember good crew people you’ve worked with on other films and get them for your film. Third, make your actors feel very secure so they can do their job well.” Hitching his green canvas saddlebag over his shoulder he adds, “I’ve managed to do none of these things on this film,” and walks dejectedly toward his waiting chauffeured station wagon.

  58th DAY OF SHOOTING: WEDNESDAY JUNE 16

  Location at Calvary Cemetery, Queens.

  Twenty funeral limousines and 150 extras have been called for the funeral procession today. Twelve-thousand dollars’ worth of flowers and funeral wreaths cover an entire hillside in one remote section of the cemetery, where the scene takes place.

  Gianni Russo sips from the gallon jug of Almadén white chablis that he always has with him while working. It is part of his special diet, on which in the last year the young actor has lost 78 pounds in order to get the role in The Godfather. Russo eats one meal a day at 8 P.M. and drinks only the wine during the day.

  Bob Barth, unit coordinator and trouble-shooter for the film, is quietly distraught because the lunch for the company has not yet arrived. According to both Screen Actors Guild and I.A. union rules, there is a meal penalty if food is not provided at least six hours after the working day begins. This penalty averages $30 for each of the 150 extras as well as the 50-odd members of the crew. The lunch arrives an hour late. Total penalty: $6,000.

  During the lunch break, a group of principal actors sits in the shade of a large tree. Talia Shire pulls out a large bottle of vitamin E tablets, takes two and offers some to the others. Young character actor John Cazale, who plays Fredo Corleone, lies on his back on the grass costumed in a dark suit and sunglasses. Al Pacino also relaxes casually until he notices a photographer from Look taking candid
s of the groups for a story the magazine is doing on Pacino and Jimmy Caan. Pacino immediately becomes self-conscious and more animated, and the others kid him about it.

  Just after the wrap has been called at the end of the long hot day, Coppola stands among the gravestones brooding over not having had enough time to get all the coverage of the funeral scene he wanted, especially closeups of the Corleone family. He is sitting on his haunches and pounds his fist into his palm as he repeats quietly, “Fuck, fuck, fuck …” He suddenly stands up, moves toward Gray Frederickson and says, “This picture is a waste of my time with this impossible schedule.” He darts back and forth, getting angrier and angrier as he looks for something to break or hit. Crew people jump out of his way. He picks up Russo’s half-empty gallon, makes a move to smash it over a gravestone, thinks better of it and flings it down the hillside, where it rolls into the roadway and smashes. He continues muttering to himself as he picks up his jacket and saddlebag, races down the hillside across the roadway and climbs into a space between two mausoleums. He remains there holding his head in his hands until Frederickson comes over to quiet him down.

  61st DAY OF SHOOTING: MONDAY JUNE 21

  Location at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Mulberry Street.

  The first problem of the day is how to tell the Bishop who was to officiate during the christening scene that he will only be in the background. A hasty meeting has been called of director and producers, with Gallo and Nancy Tonery in attendance. This is a touchy situation. The Bishop is a close friend of Joe Colombo and other big shots in the Italian-American Civil Rights League. They recommended him for the part in the film and he has been looking forward to his big scene. He has already appeared in a bit that was filmed the other day on the stairs of the church, and is reported to be receiving $4,000 for his two days’ work on the picture. The little group stands at the front of the church, trying to decide what to tell the Bishop and who is to do it. All agree that Ruddy is best for the job, and he goes off to the basement recreation room where the Bishop is putting on his vestments for the scene.

  After lunch Coppola’s wife Elly arrives with their baby daughter Sofia (who plays the infant being christened) and their two young sons. The director’s mother and father will also appear in the background of the scene.

  You’re a Big Boy Now, Coppola’s first feature film, is to be shown on TV tonight, and many of the company are hoping to get home in time to catch it.

  “Don’t watch it,” Francis says when he is told of the showing. “It’s all cut up. I have no control over how any of my films are finally edited for release.” He shrugs his shoulders and goes back to work.

  Gray Frederickson sits at the back of the church during one of the long waits between takes.

  “How did we end up with Francis? Peter Bart, an executive at Paramount in Hollywood, recommended him to us. We couldn’t get any of the directors we wanted. Arthur Penn was tied up and I didn’t want Sidney Furie, who directed Big Fauss and Little Halsey for us. Ruddy really wanted him, but I fought him all the way on that.

  “We got to produce The Godfather because Paramount was originally going to do a low-budget version. Under two million. Contemporary costumes and sets and shot in six to eight weeks in some place like Kansas City or St. Louis. Get it out fast and cheap to capitalize on the novel’s popularity. But the book kept selling and the property developed so Paramount decided to go all out with it. The studio originally approached us because we brought in Big Fauss and Making It under budget and both films will make a profit.

  “Ruddy and I hated the script and story of Making It, even though we initiated the project by engaging a writer to adapt it for the screen from a novel. We were surprised when 20th Century–Fox picked it up from among many we’d submitted to them. It was by far the worst of the lot.

  “We had free use of all the high school kids we wanted by running a raffle for six motorcycles. Each day a kid worked the greater your chance of winning a bike. The bikes were donated for free publicity, so all those extras didn’t cost us a penny.

  “I can’t wait until this one is finished. Our next is about roller derbies!”

  62nd DAY OF SHOOTING: TUESDAY JUNE 22

  The toll booths at Nassau Community College for elaborate special effects for the ambush of Sonny.

  Al Ruddy wanders around the set, shaving himself with a battery-operated electric shaver as he greets and jokes with the crew. Under the morning’s blazing sun the crew sports a wide variety of hats, sport shirts, Bermuda shorts, and hiking clothes.

  Just before a medium closeup of the machine gunning, makeup man Dick Smith gives a cup of prop blood to Jimmy Caan. The actor carefully sips a mouthful, which he will spurt out at the moment of the shooting.

  The shot takes hours to get ready because everything must be completely reset and rigged before each take: breakaway safety glass for the car windows and toll booths; concealed bullet holes on the surface of the car filled with discharge powder (all electrically wired and rigged, including the bullet holes in Caan’s face, neck and clothing); even holes rigged along the back of the car seat.

  To everyone’s amazement, the machine guns and special effects go off perfectly on the first take, but Caan is slightly stunned on the side of his head by the impact of the exploding rigging. After the cameras stop he keeps checking to see if his hair and scalp have been damaged.

  Property-master Tom Wright says he has been given a budget of $75,000 for props and will probably go over it.

  63rd DAY OF SHOOTING: WEDNESDAY JUNE 23

  Exterior location at 118th Street and Pleasant Avenue in Manhattan. Hot and muggy day in this Italian tenement section.

  Local Italian-American League members have been hired to help control the crowds and cool any problems. Some of them carry sawed-off broomsticks. One of the crew comments, “They really bought off the local toughs to keep this neighborhood in tow … get their cooperation. Normally it would be raining Coke bottles down on us from the rooftops.”

  The large, extremely unruly crowd are excited by the sequence that is being filmed today (Sonny beating up Carlo Rizzi) and have to be held back behind barricades and ropes. Actor Gianni Russo ends up with two cracked ribs and a chipped elbow, in spite of the fact that most of the work was done by his stand-in and stunt man, Paul. Paul works as Russo’s double in all the long shots of the beating, which he also choreographed. During each take the crowds shout encouragement and at the end cheer and applaud wildly.

  64th DAY OF SHOOTING: THURSDAY JUNE 24

  Interior location in the Americana Suite of the Americana Hotel.

  After an extremely long and grueling rehearsal and a more detailed lighting setup than usual, the first shot is finally made around 4 P.M. Coppola seems doubtful how to deal with the scene, which involves much dialogue and blocking. It soon becomes obvious that an extra day in this location will be necessary.

  At the end of the day, in the station wagon on the way to dailies at the Gulf and Western Building, Coppola jokingly remarks to Gray Frederickson that this was the worst of many bad days so far. “Nothing went right and for some reason everything took even longer than usual … and, of course, I’m stuck with that Al Martino that Paramount gave me.”

  The dailies are dull tonight, and some people in the projection room doze, except when the Sonny assassination comes on the screen. Most of the footage is of the christening scene, with dozens of takes of the baptismal ritual, which Coppola intends to intercut with quick shots of brutal gangland killings, scored to sacred organ music.

  Ruddy keeps up a joking commentary throughout the dull sections and is joined from time to time by the director and others. “Let’s dub the whole thing in Jewish,” says the producer, as the priest intones the baptismal service through take after take.

  Then comes the long take of the final scene of the film: Kay lighting candles in the church.

  Coppola: “We’re going to hold this under the closing credits.”

  Ruddy (puffing
on a cigar): “But Evans likes the church doorway for the ending.”

  Coppola (shifting in his chair): “But Al, don’t you think this shot is perfect for the ending?”

  Ruddy: “But Evans likes the doorway for the ending.”

  (Another long take of Kay lighting candles.)

  Coppola: “This shot is really perfect for the ending.”

  (A moment’s silence … then another.)

  Ruddy: “But Evans likes the doorway for the ending.”

  66th DAY OF SHOOTING: MONDAY JUNE 28

  Location at the St. Regis Hotel.

  Bedroom scene with Kay and Michael. Coppola has spent part of Sunday rehearsing with Diane Keaton and Al Pacino their two intimate hotel-room scenes. Pacino decided to spend the night in the elegantly appointed suite of rooms and greets the crew in his bathrobe as they arrive for the morning call.

  Later that morning, while setting up for the first shot, Fred Astaire drops by to say hello to Coppola. The actor, who starred in the director’s last film, Finian’s Rainbow, heard about The Godfather filming when he checked in that morning at the St. Regis. Most of the crew work intently and take no notice of Astaire. They are surprised later to hear that he has visited the set.