The Godfather

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel helped define the modern crime saga, and the opening scene even has its own legend: the cat in Brando’s lap was a stray he picked up on the Paramount lot the morning of the shoot.

Shop The Godfather t-shirts spanning the trilogy—Don Vito, Michael, Sonny, Fredo, the Corleone compound, and the original poster art. Explore officially licensed pop culture apparel and original fan tributes, with many styles available in plus sizes up to 6XL and Tall options.
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  • Black The Godfather t-shirt featuring The Godfather Red And White design

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Red and White

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Red and White
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    $23.75
  • White The Godfather t-shirt featuring The Godfather Poster design

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Poster

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Poster
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  • Black The Godfather t-shirt featuring The Godfather classic design

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Classic

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Classic
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  • The Godfather Il Padrino T-Shirt

    The Godfather Il Padrino T-Shirt

    The Godfather Il Padrino T-Shirt
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  • Royal heather The Godfather t-shirt featuring The Godfather Don Corleone design

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Don Corleone

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Don Corleone
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  • White The Godfather t-shirt featuring a Don Vito Corleone print

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Don Vito Corleone

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Don Vito Corleone
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  • Black The Godfather t-shirt featuring The Godfather El Don design

    The Godfather T-Shirt - El Don

    The Godfather T-Shirt - El Don
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  • Black The Godfather t-shirt featuring The Godfather Halian design

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Halian

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Halian
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  • Ginger The Godfather t-shirt featuring a Loyalty Poster design

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Loyalty Poster

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Loyalty Poster
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    $23.75
  • Graphite Heather The Godfather t-shirt featuring a Godfather 50 design

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Godfather 50

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Godfather 50
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    $23.75
  • Don Vito and the Cat The Godfather t-shirt in black

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Don Vito and the Cat

    The Godfather T-Shirt - Don Vito and the Cat
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    $23.75
  • The Godfather Poster T-Shirt

    The Godfather Poster T-Shirt

    The Godfather Poster T-Shirt
    $25.75
    $25.75

Questions

Who directed The Godfather and when?
Francis Ford Coppola, and it premiered March 14, 1972.
Is it based on a book?
Yes, Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel, which sat on the bestseller list for 67 weeks and sold over nine million copies in two years.
Why did the studio not want Marlon Brando?
Paramount opposed him because of his recent box-office flops and his reputation for a difficult temper.
How did Brando transform for the audition?
He stuffed cotton balls in his cheeks, darkened his hair with shoe polish, and rolled his collar to become Don Vito.
How did Coppola get the execs to accept Brando?
He slipped Brando’s screen test into the middle of other audition tapes so it landed as one option among many.
Why did Paramount resist casting Al Pacino?
They thought he was too short and wanted a bigger name like Warren Beatty, Alain Delon, or Robert Redford.
What changed their minds on Pacino?
Coppola had them watch Pacino in Panic in Needle Park, after which they agreed to cast him as Michael.
Did the production get real threats?
Yes. Producer Albert Ruddy’s car windows were shot out with a note reading shut down the movie or else, tied to concerns from the Italian-American Civil Rights League.
Did they change the script for the real Mafia?
The League wanted the words Mafia and Cosa Nostra removed. Coppola said the script only used Mafia twice and never used Cosa Nostra, so they were cut with no real change to the story.
Was the horse head real?
Yes. It came from a dog-food company, from a horse already scheduled to be put down.
How elaborate was Sonny’s tollbooth death?
It took three days to film and cost over 100,000 dollars, using a 1941 Lincoln Continental drilled with holes to simulate bullet hits.
What record did the TV rights set?
NBC paid a then-unheard-of 10 million dollars to air the film once over two nights.
How big a hit was it?
Enormous. It spent 18 weeks at number one, was the fastest film to reach 101 million dollars, and earned somewhere between 250 and 291 million.
Who’s in the cast?
An ensemble led by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton.