“The Godfather” is one of those films that can afford to say that it marked a milestone in the history of cinema. With the saga of the Corleone family, led by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan; As part of the list of the 100 best American films of all time, the plot not only marked a generation, but also became a must-see story.
This 2022, Francis Ford Coppola’s film turns 50, with more secrets and details that many, perhaps, do not remember or do not know. Of course, there is one that, since Puzo released his book in 1969, has been related to Frank Sinatra.
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- The character of “The Godfather” that Frank Sinatra did not like
According to The Hollywood Reporter, which takes an August 1972 New York magazine article written by Puzo, a “millionaire” friend invited him to a dinner at Chasen’s restaurant, where he was going to meet a person. Approaching the place, he was surprised that he was Sinatra.
Without looking up from his plate, the one called “The Voice” rebuked him: “I don’t want to meet you, but who told you to put that in the book? Your publisher? Puzo claimed that the artist yelled at him and insulted him in front of customers.
“What hurt me was that here he was, an Italian from the north, threatening me, an Italian from the south, with physical violence. Finally, I turned away and left the restaurant. My humiliation must have been noted because he yelled at me: ‘Drown,’” he wrote.
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Why did this happened? For many years, Frank Sinatra’s mob connections have been rumored, a friendship that would have allowed him to make changes in his career. In “The Godfather,” both in the book and in the movie, the career of a singer and actor named Johnny Fontane was aided by organized crime, most notably his godfather, Don Vito Corleone. The late Al Martino played the character in the first and third “The Godfather” films.
- Sinatra as inspiration?
Frank Sinatra is considered one of America’s iconic singers. With a powerful voice that hypnotizes those who listen to him, the interpreter also had problems in his career and in his personal life.
In the 1950s, his marriage to Ava Gardner was at its worst and his health was not the best, so the film “From Here to Eternity” was his ticket to a triumphant return to Hollywood.
The problem was that powerful producer Harry Cohn objected to her being in the cast. He had reserved that character for Eli Wallach. Over time, and to everyone’s surprise, Sinatra was confirmed as part of the cast, even winning an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1954.
In the director’s commentary on “The Godfather” Blu-Ray, Francis Ford Coppola mentioned Sinatra during Fontane’s first appearance. “Obviously, Johnny was inspired by a kind of character that was born out of him,” said the director.
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