"He was banging coctail waitresses two at a time! No one was getting their drinks!"-Moe Green
Posted on 12/07/2010 12:06:11 PM PST by nickcarraway
Al Pacino has told how he was nearly fired from his iconic role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather and said he hasn't defeated his alcoholism, but 'just doesn't drink'.
The 70-year-old Oscar winner also told CNN's Larry King how Marlon Brando's support helped keep him in the career-making Godfather film.
Talking about working with Brando and nearly being fired from The Godfather, he said, 'Brando was a source of inspiration.
'It was unnerving playing with him in Godfather. But he was good to me. He was sensitive to me.
'They thought I was wrong for Michael and they were going to let me go.
'Francis said, 'You're not cutting it for me kid'.
'What kept me in was the restaurant scene.
'They kept me after the shooting.'
Talking about his battle with drink, he said, 'I didn't defeat it that's all you can say. I just don't drink.'
I know; northern Italians do tend to be much more fair-skinned and frequently have brown/blonde hair (I’ve been there a couple of times). I just though Caan looked a great deal less like his “brothers” or “father” in the film.
In fact, they filmed John’s scenes first in The Deerhunter, because they knew his days were numbered, DeNiro put up the insurance so he could be in the film.
Who knows if it will come to fruition.
Greene was a local boy.
Jeez, his exploits were legendary in NE Ohio
“Fredo was weak & stupid.”
Yes, he “acted stupidly”.
It’s only natural that a people who comquered the known world also conquered it’s women and their children reflected the world.
Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken in a great scene notwithstanding.
On YouTube there is a video on Francis problems casting Al as Michael. If you see the early screen tests - Al is really wimpy. He and Kay have a chemistry but he looks like a lightweight. The transformation from his screen tests to the end of the movie were light and day.
Francis repeatedly said he always saw Al as Michael. He said Dianne Keaton said Al and George Lucas wife who did the editing said cast Al.
Francis went through even worse misery with the studio, Brando and the weather in Apoc Now. It is a miracle he got that film done.
The only good scene in III is when Michael confesses about Fredo.
But at least Fredo got to bang cocktail waitresses two-at-a-time.
I am surprised they didn’t have Tom’s story in the Godfather II flashback scenes, we saw Tessio and Clemenza, but not Tom Hagen?
Agreed! All he does is yell anymore.
Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli) was beautiful indeed.
Scarface was over the top but he was good.
Someone mentioned Dick Tracy. The film was horrible. Warren Beatty is always cardboard. Madonna ruins any movie she is in. The soft focus screens that had on both of them to hide wrinkles made me go blind. The only thing even decent in the film was Al’s over the top Big Boy. Terrible film.
Sea of Love and Heat were okay.
He tells Kay why he wanted her back, to have children and continue the family. Totally calculating.
I still love the expression on The Turk’s face when Hagen says that he won’t be able to hold back Luca Brasi, right before he says, “Yeah, well, let me worry about Luca.”
I suspect that the emotional and stylistic disconnect between ‘Tom’ and the Corleones was intentional and designed to illustrate that nobody who was not a Corleone could ever be a Corleone. It also gave a greater depth, imo, to Tom’s character as a survivor who understands fully his position in the court.
"He was banging coctail waitresses two at a time! No one was getting their drinks!"-Moe Green
As a young man I recall Appolonia’s breasts were unusual in that brief topless scene. Certainly no sag.
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