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PODCAST

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of the Godfather

What’s left to say about“The Godfather"? Upon the film’s release in1972, it almost instantly became a byword for the best Hollywood has to offer. It minted a new generation of stars, earned hundreds of millions of dollars, established Francis Ford Coppola as one of the best directors of his generation, and changed the way Americans viewed the mafia—and cinema—forever. And yet, “The Godfather” almost never got made, with meddling studio executives and

tv & film film history

All Episodes

27:38

The Grand Finale

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/04/23

The cast of characters behind “The Godfather”’s success was nothing if not eclectic, from down-and-out Hollywood legends to ascendant show business superstars. Yet somehow, fifty years after its release—against all odds—the film remains in a league of its own for its evocation of the American dream, and for kickstarting a cultural fascination with the Mafia that endures today. On the tenth and final episode of “Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli,” Mark and

en-US

23:23

The Mother of all Publicity Campaigns

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/04/16

By 1972,“The Godfather”had become the movie of the moment—and that’sbeforeit even hit theaters. Leading up to the film’s nationwide release that March, critics andmade men alike clamored to get an early look, motivated in part by the tactful publicity strategy devised by Paramount’s Marilyn Stewart. To promote the film, she ensured that no photographs of Marlon Brando’s highly anticipated "transformation" into Don Vito Corleone leaked to the public. To see

en-US

25:13

Death by a Thousand Cuts

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/04/09

It’s difficult to imagine “The Godfather’s” torrid Sicily scenes being filmed anywhere but Italy. Yet, if Paramount executives had gotten their way, Michael Corleone’s love affair with Apollonia—played by Simonetta Stefanelli, an unknown actress who spoke no English—would’ve transpired on a Los Angeles studio lot. Fortunately, things didn’t turn out that way. “The Godfather” decamped for Sicily in the summer of 1971, and no one was

en-US

40:19

Italians, Stallions, and Corporate Lackeys

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/04/02

From a strict budget and a tight timetable to the interference of the Mafia, Francis Ford Coppola had more than enough on his plate directing “The Godfather”—and that wasbeforehis own studio turned against him. During the early days of filming, in 1971, Paramount disparaged Coppola’s decision making at every turn, both through disgruntled messages sent by Robert Evans and in the form of Jack Ballard, a Paramount executive who shadowed Coppola on-set with the express goal of

en-US

20:44

Married to the Mob

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/03/26

Most big films confront roadblocks during production—financial, logistical, or otherwise. But how many Hollywood movies brush up against the Mafia, too? In 1970, the notorious crime boss Joseph Colombo founded the Italian-American Civil Rights League with the mission of dispelling stereotypes about his demographic, particularly those linking them to organized crime. Because of the Mafia’s depiction in Mario Puzo’s novel, the moviequickly became a prime target for Colombo and the

en-US

32:12

The Cast that Dreams Are Made Of

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/03/19

In retrospect, it’s almost unfathomable that a cast as strong as“The Godfather’s” could have been assembled. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, James Caan, and Robert Duvall are all considered legends of the screen today, but back in the early 1970s, most of these actors were unknown and starred in the film for relatively low pay. And Brando, once Hollywood’s prince, was thought to be an unreliable, washed-upshell of his“On the Waterfront”self. Francis

en-US

35:06

The Visionary And the Frog Prince

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/03/12

By 1969, Paramount's efforts to turn "The Godfather" into a feature film were in full swing. But there was one problem: the movie needed a director. Robert Evans and Al Ruddy tried to wrangle Hollywood heavyweights such as Richard Brooks and Otto Preminger, but nobody wanted the job. So, Paramount went after their last-resort option, the little-known Francis Ford Coppola. Like seemingly everyone else working on the movie, and especially Puzo, the Queens-raised director had had a few early brushes

en-US

39:44

Hollywood Swinging

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/03/05

By the spring of 1969, The Godfather had turned its author, Mario Puzo, into an overnight celebrity. Tasked with adapting his best-selling book for the screen, Puzo’s life soon became that of a Hollywood big-shot. He took up residence at the Beverly Hills Hotel, had an office on the Paramount lot, and even hired a personal assistant, Janet Snow, who spent as much time playing tennis with the overweight writer as she did driving him to-and-from dinners with Puzo's newfound friends and admirers

en-US

33:53

Stranger Than Pulp Fiction

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/02/26

It was the fall of 1963, and Mario Puzo—a gambler, glutton, and dead-broke pulp fiction writer with outsize artistic ambitions—was glued to his television. Like the rest of America, he was captivated by the widely broadcasted Valachi hearings, in which a Mafia foot soldier publicly revealed the inner-workings of the Italian-American criminal underworld. Puzo also happened to be on the hunt for the subject of his next book, and what could be more appealing to a man who'd grown up

en-US

25:22

Saving the Studio

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/02/19

The genesis of "The Godfather" dates back to 1966, when Paramount Pictures was Hollywood's last-place studio, financially flailing and desperate for a hit movie. Enter Charles Bluhdorn, an Austrian-born industrialist captivated by the romance of Hollywood and in the market for a studio with which he could prove himself as a movie mogul. Upon taking hold of Paramount through his conglomerate, Gulf and Western, Bluhdorn hired as head of production Robert Evans—a green but dogged producer and

en-US

4:49

Introducing: Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of... ·

2025/02/04

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

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