Random Reasons How 'Godfather' Became An American Classic Even Though It Was 'Nightmarish' Behind Scenes (10 items)

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  (#8) James Caan Helped First-Time Actor Lenny Montana Relax By Pulling A Prank On Marlon Brando

  When real wiseguys visited the set of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola spotted one of their bodyguards, Lenny Montana, and cast him on the spot to be Luca Brasi. Montana was a former wrestler before joining the Colombo family as muscle. He, however, was not a trained actor, so when filming his scenes with Marlon Brando, Montana was nervous. He flubbed his lines and was stiff on set; much of the stuttering seen in the film's final cut was Montana trying to remember his lines.

  Coppola asked James Caan to loosen Montana up and help him relax. Thus, Caan persuaded Montana to play a prank on Brando to get him to break character by writing the words "f*ck you" on a piece of tape and attaching it to Montana's tongue. When Montana stuck out his tongue, Brando fell to the floor laughing.

  When continuing the scene the next day, Brando returned the favor by taping the words "f*ck you, too" to his tongue.
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  (#6) Francis Ford Coppola Created A 720-Page Notebook To Prepare For The Movie

  Francis Ford Coppola is famous for conducting intense research and preparation before filming many of his movies. The Godfather was no exception, with Coppola digging into the world and culture of the Italian syndicate. Apparently, on the Paramount lot, there was a large bulletin board in the Godfather production offices that included dozens of photos of slayings and services from the '40s and '50s.

  Much of the material ended up in a 720-page notebook Coppola put together throughout production. He later sold a condensed version of it.
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  (#5) Mario Puzo And Francis Ford Coppola Only Worked On The Movie To Pay Off Debts

  According to Paramount Pictures head Robert Evans, The Godfather author Mario Puzo approached him in 1968, not to pitch a movie but to get out of trouble for gambling debts. According to Evans, he offered Puzo $10,000 with a commitment for $75,000 if the book was published - but he never expected to hear from Puzo again. He only took the deal as a favor to a friend. When the book was finally published, however, it was a sensation.

  Francis Ford Coppola also had little interest in directing The Godfather. At first, he turned down the opportunity because he found the intimate scenes in the book to be too graphic, but his friend George Lucas convinced him to take the job, pointing out Coppola's company, American Zoetrope, owed $600,000 to Warner Bros.
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  (#2) The Actor Who Played Johnny Fontane Used Real 'Connections' To Get The Part

  Johnny Fontane was the lounge-singer-turned-actor so involved with the Corleones that they left a severed horse's head in a producer's bed, scoring him a role in an upcoming film. In real life, Fontane was played by an actor of similar circumstance. Al Martino got involved with the Italian syndicate after recording a No. 1 hit "Here in My Heart" in 1952 when members strong-armed his manager to "sell" Martino's contract. Martino himself had to flee the United States to escape them, but he returned after brokering a deal with the head of the Philadelphia syndicate, Angelo Bruno.

  By the 1970s, Martino had so much support from the family he was able to secure a part in the movie. With the influence of Don Russell Bufalino, producer Albert Ruddy gave Martino the role of Fontane. However, after Francis Ford Coppola joined the production, Coppola cast Vic Damone instead, unaware of the deal between Ruddy and Martino. Damone later backed out of the film due to Bufalino's influence.

  When filming began, Martino got the part, but much of his character was written out of the final film due to pressure from an unhappy Frank Sinatra, who sued to end the film's production because of Fontane's resemblance to him or perhaps for the fact he disliked Martino's acting.
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  (#3) Francis Ford Coppola Had To Fight Paramount To Cast Al Pacino As Michael Corleone

  Though today Al Pacino is beloved for his role as Michael Corleone, Paramount Pictures head Robert Evans thought he was a terrible choice. "A runt will not play Michael," Evans said to Francis Ford Coppola. While Pacino was Coppola's choice for Michael early on, Evans and other producers refused to accept him. They believed he was too short. 

  Even when Pacino finally got the part, the studio kept trying to find a replacement and force him to continue doing screen tests. He tested for the role so many times his girlfriend called Coppola and complained they were wronging him.

  Coppola and Evans eventually brokered a deal when Coppola agreed to fire his first choice for Sonny, Carmine Caridi, and cast James Caan instead. In exchange, Evans relented to cast Pacino as Michael. 
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  (#10) James Caan Improvised The Famous 'Bada-Bing' Phrase

  Today, "bada-bing, bada-boom" is a classic phrase associated with Italian American life, especially thanks to its use in The Sopranos. None of those words are in the original Godfather script, however - James Caan improvised the moment.

  While trying to talk Michael out of becoming a shooter, Caan as Sonny Corleone says, "You gotta get up close, like this - and bada-bing! It was a phrase purely improvised out of Caan's understanding of Sonny's personality. "It just came out of my mouth - I don’t know from where," he later told Vanity Fair.

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