Photos: "The Godfather" Turns 40

A father passes down a legacy of power, corruption and violence to his sons, one of whom rejects those values, only to take control with a ruthless contempt in order to preserve the family business. It's a uniquely American story that weaves in elements of assimilation, loyalty, sibling rivalry and quest for power, with a heavy dose of bloodletting.
"The Godfather" is that rare motion picture that satisfies the visceral desire for sensational entertainment, the emotional need for affecting drama,
and the intellectual drive for art.

Mario Puzo, author "The Godfather"

Born from a mass market potboiler about the Mafia by an author desperate to make a few bucks, the resulting film version is one of the great American films about family - brought to life with vivid direction and craftsmanship and some of the best actors ever to appear on screen.

Opening on March 15, 1972 to blockbuster business, the film became a landmark, inspiring two film sequels, imitations, book sequels, a computer game, parodies, and more cultural references than nearly any movie of the last half-century.

What you should know about Mario Puzo the author of "The Godfather". It was subject matter that attracted novelist Mario Puzo. Sample chapters of Puzo's book, originally titled "Mafia," drew the attention of Paramount Pictures, which obtained film rights even before the book was published in 1969. Their prescience was proved correct: "The Godfather" was on the bestseller lists for over a year, and in its first two years sold more than 9,000,000 copies (combined hardcover and paperback).

Despite the book's success, the studio was wary of a film version: Paramount's previous movie about the Mafia, the 1968 Kirk Douglas drama "The Organization," was a box office bomb. The studio had also suffered big budget disasters in 1969 and 1970 (including "Darling Lili," "Paint Your Wagon" and "Waterloo"), and was averse to another risky, big budget adventure. Studio execs went forward only on assurances that it could be done cheaply.

Francis Coppola, Director, "The Godfather"

Finding a director for "The Godfather" was another challenge. Several veteran filmmakers, including Arthur Penn ("Bonnie and Clyde"), Sergio Leone ("One Upon a Time in the West"), Peter Yates ("Bullitt"), Otto Preminger ("Laura"), Richard Brooks ("The Professionals"), Franklin J. Schaffner ("Patton"), and Greek director Costa Gavras (the 1969 Oscar-winner "Z"), turned it down, either for reasons of scheduling or a distaste with the source material.

Francis Coppola, a graduate of Roger Corman's low-budget film studio and co-author of the screenplay for the 1970 George C. Scott bio "Patton," had only one big studio feature directing credit (the Fred Astaire musical "Finian's Rainbow," which bombed), but was promoted for the job by the number two executive at Paramount, Peter Bart. Initially turned off by the material, Coppola was convinced by family and friends (including George Lucas) to take the job, in order to make the money necessary to keep Coppola's production company, American Zoetrope, afloat.