The director and cast of The Godfather reminisced on Saturday in a 45th anniversary reunion in New York about the trials, perseverance and inspiration that resulted in the Oscar-winning Mafia movies.
Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, Diane Keaton, James Caan, Talia Shire and Robert Duvall watched back-to-back screenings of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II with an audience of 6000 on the closing night of the Tribeca Film Festival.
"I haven't seen these movies for years," Coppola said. "I found watching a very emotional experience. I forgot a lot about the making of it and thought about the story, and the story used a lot of family and my personal stuff."
The two films won nine Oscars and their tale of how an orphan from Sicily emigrated to the US at the turn of the 20th century and formed the Corleone crime family became movie classics.
But the film had a less than auspicious start. Coppola recalled that Paramount wanted to set the movie in the 1970s and make something "cheap and quick".
Coppola was almost fired several times and met stiff resistance to the casting of both Pacino as Michael Corleone and Marlon Brando as the titular Godfather.
Brando, who died in 2004, had made several box office flops after a stellar career in the 1950s and had a reputation for being difficult.
"I was told that having Brando in the film would make it less commercial than having a total unknown," Coppola said.
Brando created the rasping voice, jowls and oiled hair for Corleone in the screen test.
"The studio hated Brando. They thought he mumbled . It was very dark," he said .
Brando went on to win an Oscar for his performance.
Newcomer Pacino had to screen test "countless times" for the role of Michael, the university-educated son who takes charge of the Corleone business.
Studio bosses thought he was too short and wanted to cast Robert Redford or Ryan O'Neal.
"I thought this is a dream or a joke and then started the trial of them not wanting me and Francis wanting me," Pacino recalled.
The film launched his career as one of the most honoured actors of his generation.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
