WEBVTT - Introducing: Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli

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<v Speaker 1>In the history of cinema, few films have been as

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<v Speaker 1>successful as The Godfather. When it was released in March

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<v Speaker 1>of nineteen seventy two, Francis Ford Coppola's gangster epics at

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<v Speaker 1>a new standard, not just for movies about the mafia,

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<v Speaker 1>but for movies in general.

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<v Speaker 2>It's five most supported legacy a light.

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<v Speaker 1>Although if you talk to the people who made it,

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<v Speaker 1>The Godfather's prospects for success were far from ashored. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>before its release, they were pretty bleak and.

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<v Speaker 3>They said, we're finished. This is over. The lily is

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<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna work to tell your reals, guys, that.

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<v Speaker 1>People close to the movie have talked a lot over

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<v Speaker 1>the past fifty or so years about how difficult it

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<v Speaker 1>was to make The Godfather. But and leave the gun

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<v Speaker 1>take the Canoli. My co host Mark Ceo and I

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<v Speaker 1>strip back the varnish of movie history and talked to

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<v Speaker 1>never before heard from sources to get at what really

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<v Speaker 1>made the process so arduous for starters. Mario Puzzo, the

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<v Speaker 1>author of the book on which the movie is based,

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<v Speaker 1>only wrote it because he was deep in gambling debt.

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<v Speaker 3>This dead broke rider comes into his office with a

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<v Speaker 3>thirty five page treatment under his arm, and pretty soon,

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<v Speaker 3>over cigars and conversation at Evans's office, the two men

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<v Speaker 3>strike a deal.

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<v Speaker 1>And when the studio behind the film, Paramount, tried to

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<v Speaker 1>enlist a bankable director, it couldn't find one. It's solution

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<v Speaker 1>to hire Cobola, a relative unknown who proved to be

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<v Speaker 1>every bit the visionary they'd hoped for. The Only problem

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<v Speaker 1>was that the Paramount executives and producers didn't know he's

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<v Speaker 1>seen eye to eye with Cobola's vision.

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<v Speaker 3>Jack Ballard was hired basically by Robert Evans to be

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<v Speaker 3>there on the set and to haunt me.

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<v Speaker 1>At every turn, from scriptwriting and casting to editing and

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<v Speaker 1>choosing the music. Paramount fought tooth and nail against the director.

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<v Speaker 2>France has just got so sick of everything.

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<v Speaker 3>He goes, I'm going to sicily just cast my movie.

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<v Speaker 1>Excuse my language, but that's just the beginning. Serious trouble

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<v Speaker 1>came for The Godfather when the real life mafia tried

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<v Speaker 1>to stop the film from being made.

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<v Speaker 3>The Five Families did not want us to shoot that

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<v Speaker 3>picture in the New York.

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<v Speaker 1>The mob thought Hollywood had given Italian Americans a bad rap,

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<v Speaker 1>and they were certain the Godfather would only deepen that stigma,

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<v Speaker 1>so they waged a campaign of threats and scare tactics.

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<v Speaker 1>But the studio and the filmmakers were not to be

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<v Speaker 1>deterred by what at times amounted to more than threats.

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<v Speaker 2>My kids came in all hysterical, they'd heard gunshots.

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<v Speaker 1>They worked their connections and did everything they could to

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<v Speaker 1>win over the people the film was based on, well

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<v Speaker 1>at least most of them.

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<v Speaker 2>I look over at Sinatra's table and, oh, my god,

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<v Speaker 2>Mario standing at Sinatra's table. And I looked at Mario

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<v Speaker 2>and his face was ashen.

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<v Speaker 1>Despite the almost unfathomable hardship of making The Godfather, it

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<v Speaker 1>minted a new generation of stars. It also made over

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<v Speaker 1>two hundred and fifty million dollars, won several Oscars, and

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<v Speaker 1>redefined America's relationship to one of its darkest, most shadowy forces,

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<v Speaker 1>the Mafia.

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<v Speaker 2>No I'm saying when you heard the terminology crime, don't pay, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>crime pace.

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<v Speaker 1>The result was a modern masterpiece that bridged old Hollywood

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<v Speaker 1>and New Hollywood and managed to win over the American

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<v Speaker 1>public and the Mafia alike.

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<v Speaker 3>And the projection has called me, Hey, you guys missed

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<v Speaker 3>already I've been a projector is my whole life. No

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<v Speaker 3>one never gave me a thousand dollar tech.

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<v Speaker 1>Leave the Gun Take the Canoli as based on my

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<v Speaker 1>co host Mark's best selling book of the same title,

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<v Speaker 1>and on this show we call upon as years of

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<v Speaker 1>research to help unpack the story behind The Godfather's birth.

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<v Speaker 1>From start to finish, we sift through innumerable accounts, many

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<v Speaker 1>of them conflicting, and try to get to the truth

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<v Speaker 1>of what really happened. And more importantly, we find out

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<v Speaker 1>how a story that starts like this, So I pull.

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<v Speaker 3>Up bexin Red though all my wood and done, I

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<v Speaker 3>just stick my ass out to say, this is the

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<v Speaker 3>first day he's met us.

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<v Speaker 1>Ends like this.

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<v Speaker 3>You gotta understand nobody every vision successive as well.

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<v Speaker 1>Leave the Gun Take the Canoli features new and archival

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<v Speaker 1>interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Yes that was a real

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<v Speaker 1>horse's head, Robert Evans, it called Leaving Godfather's Godfather, James con.

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<v Speaker 3>Jimmy it wants coming past suest.

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<v Speaker 1>What you gotta push you at me to drive around

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<v Speaker 1>the block? Al Ruddy Bob said, I got a caugh

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<v Speaker 1>of these Italian guys. David see the movie makes it

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<v Speaker 1>up be a lot of trouble Talia Shire.

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<v Speaker 2>Everything was a very arduous chess game.

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<v Speaker 1>And many others. We still aren't entirely sure what's true

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<v Speaker 1>and what's not, but we can promise that our ten

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<v Speaker 1>part series gives everyone who is involved a chance to

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<v Speaker 1>tell their side of the story. Listen and subscribe to

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<v Speaker 1>Leave the Gun, Take the Canoli starting February nineteenth, on

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<v Speaker 1>the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get

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<v Speaker 1>your podcasts.