Since “The Godfather” came out, it’s become standard practice to see a powerful character stroking a cat on his or her lap while dishing out orders, threats, or punishments.
A fluffy purring cat has been seen time and time again in the film, and it’s all thanks to Marlon Brando. The cat he’s petting in the scene near the beginning of the movie was just a stray that jumped into Brando’s lap, who rolled with it and gave the kitty a little bit of love.
A New Way to Film
"The Godfather" has it all. Stellar performances, a grand musical score, and a brand new way of filming thanks to famed cinematographer Gordon Willis. He wanted the film to be all about the people and their points of view. Thus, he did something unique at the time, which was to make each shot in the movie from a hypothetical point of view of a character.
Though he didn't use the locations where real characters would be standing, he set up the cameras in specific places – and even at specific heights – so that they could be an onlooker.
The Single Exception
There is one exception to the above idea of Willis's point-of-view filming, and that's when Vito Corleone – out buying some fresh oranges, is shot. This leads to his stay in the hospital and Sonny's reign of terror, and it's shot from up in the air in the middle of the street.
This was a specific shot that Coppola had in mind, but Willis was having none of it, trying to stick to his guns with regards to his filming. However, Coppola eventually got him to relent by convincing him the shot was from God's point of view.
The Cat Almost Needed a Credit
The cat that ended up in Brando's lap really seemed to be enjoying itself. It started purring so loud thanks to the affection Brando was giving the microphones pick it up. It even made some of Brando's lines inaudible!
Brando had to go in later and redub them, and it's possible to still hear the cat purring during the scene. The cat ended up working in the movie's favor since while the Don is dishing out hard statements and intimidating people, he's also proving he has a softer side.
Just Like During the War
A great deal of "The Godfather" is set during or just after World War II. This means several things had to be done to make fashions, details, and even cars look right for the era. In particular, the cars in the film all featured wooden bumpers.
To help the war effort, most cars during World War II donated their chrome to the military and replaced them with wood – it didn't do as much to protect the car in the event of crashes, but with a little bit of paint they look pretty much the same.