The Godfather Resources

Nothing quite like an official website, right? It's got that kid-tested, mother-approved feel to it, fully vetted by the authorities. This site includes a video and photo galleries.

The Internet Movie Database fills you in on tons of factoids—technical specs, trivia, quotes, data on cast members. You name it.

If you want to catch up on the unanimously shining reviews of The Godfather, this is the place.

This is the page for truly rabid fans. If you want to get into all the minutiae of The Godfather universe, learning about Don Barzini's favorite breakfast foods or whatever, this is the place for you.

Here's the novel that started it all. The movie is pretty faithful to the book, but the book fills in lots of details and background info.

This sequel by Puzo (which was never made into a movie) expands on Michael's Sicilian journey, involving a super-mafioso named Salvatore Guiliano.

This is another Godfather novel—one not written by Puzo, but expanding on the modern myth he created.

Puzo gives you an insider's look on the making of the holiday classic Jingle All the Way. Or, wait—we mean, The Godfather.

Santopietro studies The Godfather's massive effect on the culture. The movie even influenced the way actual mafia members started acting (they began to wax philosophical, for one thing).

Even after Mario Puzo died, his spirit lived on. Ed Falco adapted this book from a screenplay Puzo wrote, focusing on the relationship between Vito and his teen son, Sonny.

Smith gives a humorous look at the way mafia men actually started mimicking The Godfather, demonstrating that life frequently imitates art, just as much as art imitates life.

Megan Gambino talks about The Godfather with author Tom Santopietro, delving into the cultural impact of the movie and the way it altered (or distorted) the perception of Italian-American identity.

Seal's article discusses the epic clashes between Coppola and his producers in making The Godfather. He also talks about how the actual Mafia tried to intimidate the producers out of making the movie, before finally accepting it.

Coppola briefly discusses The Godfather and the process of creating it in this interview. He gives props to Brando and mentions how he felt free to depart from the script he'd originally written.

Coppola mentions how The Godfather somehow didn't convince other movie producers to put their faith in him, which made it more difficult to make another film classic, Apocalypse Now. They wouldn't let him do what he wanted, apparently, so he had to do it himself.

This documentary gives a behind the scenes peak into the making of the whole trilogy, not just the first movie.

This classic SNL skit anticipates (and maybe inspired) both Analyze This and The Sopranos. (Oh, and Analyze That.) Don Corleone works through his issues with the Tattaglia family by talking to a shrink in a weird group therapy session.

You can find a lot of these in the "Trivia" section, honestly—but this is cool if you prefer video.

Here it is: that strange, lonely, miraculous trumpet kicking it all off.

Henry Mancini conducts a version of Nino Rota's classic music.

For an academic angle on the movie, check out this lecture from St. John's College in Santa Fe.

The man himself, rocking the classic "bulldog" look he perfected for the film (he needed a mouthpiece to make his face look just right).

This is the one scene in the movie that deviates from the normal, first-person human perspective. Coppola said that it represents God's perspective as he watches over the assassination attempt on Don Corleone.

Here's Pacino in his breakthrough role. The producers thought he was too short to play Michael, at first, but he ended up turning in an epic performance.

This logo obviously symbolizes the fact that the Godfather is himself a puppet-master, controlling the people under him—though he's also trying to battle the puppet-masters who are above him.

Caan, splattered in fake blood, takes a break during the filming of his assassination sequence. You can see the wires and technology at work.

Keaton would reprise her role as Kay in The Godfather Part II. Her most famous comic roles, however, are from classic Woody Allen movies like Annie Hall and Manhattan.

Hayden liked to play tough guys and crooks in movies, but he was actually a successful travel writer and author.

Talia Shire—actually Francis Ford Coppola's sister—played the role of the much-mistreated sister in the Corleone Family.