Synopsis

During the 1945 wedding celebration of Don Vito Corleone's daughter, the aging head of a powerful New York crime family manages requests for justice and protection. When an attempt is made on his life, his reluctant son Michael is drawn into the family's violent business. His involvement sets him on a path that transforms both his identity and the Corleone dynasty.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was adapted from Mario Puzo's bestselling 1969 novel, with Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola collaborating on the screenplay.

• Production took place in New York City, its surrounding suburbs, and Sicily. Most interior scenes were filmed at Filmways Studios in the Bronx and on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles.

• The movie was originally scheduled for Christmas 1971, but post-production difficulties delayed its release by nearly three months. Its world premiere took place in New York on March 14, 1972, as a benefit for The Boys Club of New York.

• Made for approximately $6 million to $6.2 million, The Godfather became the first film to reach $100 million in domestic box-office grosses.

• The film received 10 Academy Award nominations and won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor. Marlon Brando declined the Best Actor award, sending Sacheen Littlefeather to the ceremony in his place.

• The Library of Congress added The Godfather to the National Film Registry in 1990.

• In AFI's 2007 tenth-anniversary edition of its 100 Years...100 Movies list, the film ranked No. 2.

• Italian-American organizations protested the production, arguing that the story could reinforce negative stereotypes. During negotiations, references to "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" were removed from the screenplay.