# Making An Offer You Can't Refuse - The Godfather is 40 Today - 15 March 2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874 "2012-03-15T17:04:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/1 "2012-03-15T17:04:44Z")
The Godfather premiered 40 years ago today, March 15, 1972. Celebrate with oranges and and a hoarse voice! And horsemeat steak for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/2 "2012-03-15T18:17:28Z")
And don’t forget the cannoli! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/3 "2012-03-15T18:25:36Z")
I saw just two movies with my brother – _Them!_ in 1954 and _The Godfather_ in 1972. They’re still two of my favorite movies. Some of the acting in _The Godfather_ makes me cringe now – Sonny biting his fist when he sees his sister’s black eye, for one. I remember gasps from the audience when Michael slipped off Apollonia’s dress and revealed her breasts. Must have been one of the first mainstream movies with bare breasts? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/4 "2012-03-15T18:45:30Z")
_Time_ has a nice feature on 40 things you might not know about _The Godfather_, incl. excerpts from Pacino’s screen tests and a deleted scene of Don Vito taking his sons to visit his dying _consigliere_: [The Cat | Godfather Anniversary: 40 Surprises About the Classic Film | TIME.com](http://entertainment.time.com/2012/03/15/the-anniversary-you-cant-refuse-40-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-godfather/?hpt=hp_c2#the-cat) And did you know there’s a _Godfather_ Wiki?: [The Godfather Wiki | Fandom](http://godfather.wikia.com/wiki/The_Godfather_Wiki) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/5 "2012-03-16T01:58:21Z")
BTW, do true _Godfather_ fans like the Mark Winegardner books? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/6 "2012-03-16T02:12:01Z")
I should have had a Cannoli. Sage advice I always took. “Leave the gun, take the cannolis.” ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/7 "2012-03-16T02:39:31Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I saw just two movies with my brother – _Them!_ in 1954 and _The Godfather_ in 1972. They’re still two of my favorite movies. Some of the acting in _The Godfather_ makes me cringe now – Sonny biting his fist when he sees his sister’s black eye, for one. > > I remember gasps from the audience when Michael slipped off Apollonia’s dress and revealed her breasts. Must have been one of the first mainstream movies with bare breasts? Not even close. I wouldn’t know what the first mainstream movie with bare breasted women was, but I’ve seen the silent film version of _Ben-Hur_, from 1925, and there were bare breasted girls throwing flower petals during a victory parade in that one. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/8 "2012-03-16T03:28:59Z")
Maybe the gasps were because the breasts were so, um, nice? 🙂 The 1925 _Ben Hur_ as pre-Hays Code, wasn’t it? I’m not remembering many bare breasts in mainstream/major studio movies in the 50’s and 60’s. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/9 "2012-03-16T03:54:20Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Not even close. > > I wouldn’t know what the first mainstream movie with bare breasted women was, but I’ve seen the silent film version of _Ben-Hur_, from 1925, and there were bare breasted girls throwing flower petals during a victory parade in that one. I believe _The Pawnbroker_ (1964) was the first post-code American non-exploitation feature to have a woman appear bare breasted. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/10 "2012-03-16T18:36:57Z")
I find the casting stories interesting-is it true that Danny Kaye was being considered for the Don Corleone role? And Abe Vigoda-he was driving a cab to pay the bills-when FF Coppola noticed him-and that was the start of his successful acting career. I often wonder if Frank Sinatra would have made a good Johnny Fontain-that would have been interesting. Stirling Hayden (as the corrupt NYC police captain had a brief role-be he was good). Wold The Godfather have been as big a sccess without Marlon Brando? There were innumerable jokes about his mumbling-Johnny Carson said the he sounded like his mouth was full of marbles-but overall, a very good acting job. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/11 "2012-03-16T19:51:35Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I often wonder if Frank Sinatra would have made a good Johnny Fontain-that would have been interesting. Quite a bit too old, I’d think. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/12 "2012-03-16T19:54:07Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Maybe the gasps were because the breasts were so, um, nice? 🙂 I gasped, because it was\* incredibly\* sexy! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/13 "2012-03-16T19:56:32Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > And Abe Vigoda-he was driving a cab to pay the bills-when FF Coppola noticed him-and that was the start of his successful acting career. > I often wonder if Frank Sinatra would have made a good Johnny Fontain-that would have been interesting. Abe may have been driving a cab but he was already acting on Broadway before _The Godfather_. In fact I understand Hal Linden remembered him from a Broadway show and that was the bigger key to him getting the audition for Barney Miller. Sinatra was far too old to play his [del]younger self[/del] Fontain. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-an-offer-you-cant-refuse-the-godfather-is-40-today-15-march-2012/615874/14 "2012-03-16T20:11:49Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > The Godfather have been as big a sccess without Marlon Brando? There were innumerable jokes about his mumbling-Johnny Carson said the he sounded like his mouth was full of marbles-but overall, a very good acting job. The Godfather Wiki confirms what my memory tells me: > [@](#): > > in which Brando did his own makeup (he used cotton balls to simulate the puffed-cheek look). Coppola was electrified by Brando’s characterization as the head… My God, Diane Keaton is gorgeous in those screen tests.