It’s pretty commonly known that Coppola took out the terms “Mafia” and “Cosa Nostra” taken out of the movie. However, there was some pressure on set, thanks to the movie extras who were, it turns out, actually part of the Mafia. This is due mostly to the influence of The Italian-American Civil Rights League, which was actually run by mob boss Joe Colombo.
While none of these extras had much of a role, appearing as little more than muscle, background characters, or maybe conversation partners that other characters interact with. Coppola was probably happy with the authenticity but might not have liked the implicit threats.
Every Italian Should Know
If there's one thing people know about Italians, it's the hearty, tasty, and filling Italian food that graces their plates and tables. The Godfather has plenty of opportunities to show off pasta, bread, wine, and even some tasty oranges. There's even one point in the first film when an overweight capo rattles off a tasty-sounding recipe for great tomato sauce.
In fact, not only is this recipe real (we can neither confirm nor deny that it tastes good) but it's an old Coppola family recipe. If you happen to whip up a batch, let us know how it is!
An Offer He Couldn't Refuse
Francis Ford Coppola, in the midst of making this famous film, found himself at odds with certain Italian-American groups, such as The Italian-American Civil Rights League. They in particular took umbrage with the terms “Mafia” and “Cosa Nostra” (another term for the Sicilian Mafia) used in the film, as they might have ended up stereotyping Italian-Americans (though the stereotyping happened anyway).
Coppola had to rewrite the script after these groups fought the use of these terms, by which we mean made direct threats. But no stereotyping, you know? We don't want anybody doing that sort of thing. Fuhgeddaboutit.
One of the Healthiest Fruits
It's been said that every time an orange appears on-screen, it foreshadows impending, or even imminent, death. This is upheld for the most part, especially when Don Corleone has a serious heart attack in an orange grove.
However, art directors simply included oranges a lot because they showed up well against the film's sepia tone, so they're present in lots of scenes. However, Coppola ran with this idea, making it true in both "The Godfather Part II" and part III.
His Favorite Line
Mario Puzo was pretty proud of the novel "The Godfather". There's one line, in particular, he specifically requested it to make it into the film. While Coppola was on board, the person who spoke the line wasn't. The line is “A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns,” and it's none other than Vito Corleone who utters it.
Marlon Brando is never one to keep his opinion to himself, and he refused to say the line since he thought it was far too preachy. Puzo and Coppola might have liked the line, but when Brando says no, it's no.