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截图如有字幕：上为HL，为FH
 
 
17.The Hollywood scene with Jack Woltz, was pretty much shot by a second unit, as I said it’s very low budge production, the fellow walking, I hate to say, is not Robert Duvall, it was just a fellow we had walking in couple of LA sets, and wasn’t Gordon Willis or Tavoularis working on it, this just a cheap second unit.
Now the scene inside this stage, it’s in fact shot in New York, the stage we worked where a stage, where we had a set, the Don’s office, the stuff, we shot the party where Robert Duvall actually meets Jack Woltz there, and just shot with second unit linking up to before.
This is sort of first test the power in the book, you learn that Don Corleone is reputation, is so big, even an important Hollywood studio chief in the west coast might heard of it, so it ultimately the intimidation, according to the story, it was able to get Johnny Fontane the part.They say this part of story they based on Columbia picture, the head of Columbia picture, “From Here to Eternity”, I have no indication of the true of that. I know Mario took everything from little bits in the pieces, little fragments, concoct really fiction, so we will never really know what’s true, what is in the true.
上次说到婚礼结束，教父立马就派汤姆赶到洛杉矶，去摆平方亭的事。由于预算和时间的原因，洛杉矶的所有外景用的都是替身，主摄影和主美工设计师都不在现场，而是由廉价的第二摄制组代拍。室内场景则是在纽约拍摄。罗伯特·杜瓦尔与那位导演初次相见的地方其实隔壁就是教父的办公室。
这段叙述中科波拉一直称罗伯特·杜瓦尔为博比·杜瓦尔，显示了他们的关系不一般。本段初步显示了教父的威力，因为教父是在东海岸的纽约，而事情发生在西海岸的洛杉矶，可以想象的出教父的权势。HL将这个“第一次”译出，FH却把它漏掉了。科波拉说本段故事的灵感来自于哥伦比亚公司拍摄《乱世忠魂》时发生的故事，但他不能肯定，小说里的很多情节都是普佐听来再加工的，好多事情都是亦真亦假。这里HL译出，它把电影译成了《永垂不朽》，FH干脆就漏掉了，但德文字幕里写得很清楚。从婚礼到现在，FH的翻译水准在下降，让我怀疑是不是德文翻译放假去了。总体感觉负责这段的人不懂德文，FH的字幕就是用HL的改的，只是锦上添花地把原来对的地方加几个词，然后改几个地方让人觉得是新翻译的。但新加的我认为没啥必要，而改的地方又改错，让人忍不住要拍砖。
 
18.If you look very carefully you see it’s neither Robert Duvall nor Jack Woltz, but two of my friends dressed up and walking around. We barely had a crew, we camera, we went some LA location, put on wig on one of my friends and hat on the other. Now this scene, this stable, this shot in New York, really the movie we shot in New York 62 days and with very little money, we went to shot second unit pieces later on. I was so embarrassed we didn’t have director, we didn’t have photographer, it really like kind of UCLA film school, ironical it become a important movie but we was pretty stingy at that time.
..............
Obviously all of the Waltz’s sequence was shot second unit again without Gordon Willis. My good friend William Butler shot this, William Butler.
上面说过外景全是替身在拍，但前面的都是些空镜头，这里则是两个人的正面。虽说是替身，但却很难看出来，一来是妆化的不错，二来是DVD还不够清晰。不知蓝光的时候还有没有这种效果。科波拉又在一次讲起了他的窘境，FH这里的“第二摄制组却花费了稍微多一点的钱”，用脑袋想想也是不对，第二摄制组拍的都是外景，影片的大部份都在纽约拍摄，怎么可能还花费更多。科波拉是说大部份钱和时间都花在了纽约，用到第二摄制组上的自然就少。而且那里导演不在，摄影也不在，外景部份根本不能算是科波拉的作品。当时环境恶劣，科波拉戏称这部电影就像是加州大学洛杉矶分校电影系学生的作品。UCLA，德文字幕里写得很清楚，不明白FH为什么不译出来。不管怎么说，这部电影却成了影史上的伟大之作。
而后科波拉又谈起了和罗伯特·杜瓦尔和詹姆斯·凯恩之间的交情，他跟詹姆斯·凯恩也很熟，评论轨里叫他杰米·凯恩。他们是在影片《雨族》里认识的，所以当科波拉一读到教父的小说，就想到要找这两个人来参演。当影片拍到第三个星期的时候，派拉蒙仍在考虑解雇科波拉，开拍前的试镜就花费了大量的时间，当时控制派拉蒙的Gulf and Western集团的头头也不喜欢科波拉，认为他是一个很糟的导演。
 
19.Interesting about this horse of the scene, that was very, very famous scene in the book and the way describe in the book Waltz wakes up and he looks and the horse head is there on the bedpost, I just feel it would be more horrible not just the horse there, but that he feels something wet in the bed and turns down the sheets, sees blood, first he thinks: “my god, it could be me, I maybe stab or something.” As he pull the sheet, he sees the horse’s head right under the covers, so it’s quite different in the book, in the film, it’s, maybe it’s more affective. I’m not sure, I think the moment doubt maybe it’s his own wound bleeding, maybe contribute to the horror.
Now the controversy of horse’s head was very real at that time movie came up, because although in Godfather 20-30 human beings get killed, audiences rose up in anger of the fact the horse has been killed, and many people ask “was the horse head real, how did you do it?” I got letters from animal lover and the true was that horse came from a dog food company, the horses are slaughtered to feed animal lovers’ little puppies, their dog food and all we did was we went to the dog food company and we looked the horses that were about to be slaughtered, we didn’t ask for any be slaughtered but we looked and we saw one, art director picked that one “when that horse is slaughtered and sends the head”. One day a crate with dry ice came with a horse’s head in it and that’s the horse’s head we used in the shot
马头这场戏跟小说里的不太一样，科波拉想拍的更恐怖一些，特别是掀开床单时，看到满床的血，人第一个反应就是自己哪里受伤了，然后看见马头。这比原著里直接看到床头柜上的马头要好。
很多观众对这场戏提出抗议。影片里杀了这么人，没人抗议；仅仅一个马头就引的抗议连连。因为人们知道电影里杀人肯定是假的，但那个马头实在太逼真了。总是有人不停的问科波拉：马头是不是真的，怎么拍的。有动物爱好者还写信来抗议。那马头的确是真的，是从一个狗食公司拿来的，那个狗食公司就是以马肉为原料做成食物，然后那些动物爱好者就买去喂给他们的小狗吃。摄制组只是要求公司把本来就要被杀的马的头留下来拍戏。真是富有讽刺意味，那些动物爱好者每天用马肉去喂他们的宠物心安理得，看到影片里的马头就觉得不舒服了。
20.The man who played Sollozzo was wonderful, wonderful actor named Al Lettieri. He was such a good actor, I just so through when met him, because he had quality of kind of Sicilian, the nickname was “Turke” and Al Lettieri had chest like burrow. The only man I ever knew had chest like that was John Wayne. He was very good actor because he spoke Sicilian, so I was very pleased he played this part.
扮演索罗佐的是Al Lettieri，科波拉说他是个很好很好地演员，一连用了两个wonderful。这引起了我的极大兴趣，因为前面出场了那么多好演员，马龙·白兰度、阿尔·帕西诺、詹姆斯·凯恩、罗伯特·杜瓦尔。这些科波拉都没给评价，而这个Al Lettieri一出场就用了两个wondferful，我到要看看他那里优秀。接下来科波拉说理由了：一、他胸肌发达，科波拉见过的人中只有约翰·韦恩的胸肌有这么发达；二、他能讲一口流利的西西里语。看完我傻眼，科波拉是不是想专职搞笑，这两个算哪门子理由。要说第二个还有点道理，这第一个是啥意思？敢情试镜时要看胸肌，约翰·韦恩是名伟大的演员，但从没听说过是因为胸肌大造成的，胸肌大就是好演员？近来同性恋影片泛滥，在这个局势下听这个给人一种暧昧的感觉。
21.Now this scene was very interesting because paramount picture saw the rushes of Marlon Brando, they were very, very upset, they thought he was murmuring and his acting wasn’t good, this was really the scene where was look like I was fired. You know I don’t even remember what was that day they didn’t careful, but I knew that was a sort of call, was in the middle of week, sort of my friend said they tried to get another director to replace you. Now one thing about movie company, a little tip gave to all directors, never fire you in middle of a week, never fire you on the Wednesday, they always wait to the weekend to fire you, cos in there mind, they feel they’ll able to transition the new director came on Monday and be no loss of time, so I suggested on Wednesday why can’t I go, we shoot this scene with Maron if you don’t like it, he was first big scene, even so he was such great man he was nervous about play the role, maybe he didn’t get quite energy that he would let me go shoot it again and they said” no, no that’s all right and I knew that was another sign I was got to be fired, because I knew they didn’t like it, they were telling me not to go up, we were just shooting downstairs we shot it and done it again like a day, the day must plan let a new director do it. So on that Wednesday hearing the rumors I was ganna be fired, I myself fired 4 of who in my opinion were traitor in my meets, sort of like the Godfather, I fired assistance director, and I fired a number of people. It is preventive strife, on that Wednesday, it through paramount everybody was total confused, because they were gonna fire me in weekend, here I gone, fried 3,4 people and I went upstairs, we shot this scene with Marlon Brando second time and the footage you’re seeing in the picture is the second shoot. I often were very curious to go and look at the footage of the first shoot, it is really all bad, I think probably was pretty good he was playing older, maybe play more age. Malron was not very old man, he played this part, we were very considered having be able to James Caan’s father, what have you. I think it was confused for the age we’re working for., was confused by exactly they send the rushes to Charlie Bludhorn,who was the big boss and he agreed. He did heard that round time I won Oscar for Patton and I just think I was through by, they didn’t fire me on that weekend, people who was traducing for me I had fired. I would say I was survive. This is about third week of the Godfather all happen these scenes we shot.
科波拉详细说明了在第三个星期的危险状况。派拉蒙最先看到的就是这里的片断，他们认为白兰度演的很糟，嘟嘟囔囔不知在讲什么。这个反应跟中国观众一样，内参配音也是学白兰度讲话，搞得中国观众极不适应，心想是不是播放设备出了问题。科波拉还说了条定律：电影公司绝不会在一个星期的中间解雇你，他们会在周末解雇你，这样新导演可以在星期一重新继续工作。当时科波拉的朋友打电话告诉他，派拉蒙正在寻找代替他的导演；而且在这个场景中科波拉觉得白兰度演的不够好，想重拍。他就去请示上级，但上面说：挺好的，不用重拍的。这被科波拉视为另一个他要被解雇的信号：反正要换掉你，新导演会重拍这个镜头。所以一不做二不休，科波拉想，管你解不解雇我，我先解雇几个人再说。他把认为背叛他的人解雇，其中提到了一名助理导演，但没有提到他的名字，还有其他几个人。然后就开始重拍这一段。最后科波拉没有被解雇，因为大老板Charlie Bludhorn认可了科波拉拍的片断，科波拉说想来是当时他因为巴顿将军获得的奥斯卡奖帮了他的忙。这是发生在第三个星期的事情。
22.Now this scene from the best company with the snow was the first shot of Godfather, it’s first scene of the first day, and Al and Diane coming out and shopping was shot in the morning and that afternoon we went to Polk’s toy store and we shot Robert Duvall buy a sled at a toy store. That is day 1, I always remember, because I saw the rushes what Gordon Willis’s photograph look like from that scene, on the first day I was so moved it’s such beautiful, feel of period of 40s. I was so pleased with the first day, I always feel it’s ironical that the first and second day went very well and the third and fourth day was the famous scene, was AL killed Sollozzo in the Italian restaurant and fifth day was the exterior of the hospital where McCluskey, corrupt police officer punched AL. that’s the first five days of the first week, we shot all that material including beat scene in the picture and even after that week I was in big trouble, partly because Al twisted his ankle, jumping on the running board of a car, in the scene of hospital, he have to go to the hospital, he didn’t get finish, so I lost an actor, they made big stink how my first week was embarrassed, first week if the records be checked, the first day was in best company, Polk’s toy store, I haven’t remember the second day, the third and fourth day Sollozzo murdered in restaurant scene, I was very proud of it, that’s all first week.
前面提到的所有不快都是发生在第三个星期，我们这里看到的Best & CO.商店外的雪景是整部影片的第一个镜头，虽然之后充满了麻烦，但第一个星期却出奇的顺。在阿尔跳车扭伤脚踝之前都是令人愉快的。科波拉回忆起第一个星期的第一天早上拍在Best & CO.商店麦克和凯购物，下午拍杜瓦尔拿着雪橇从 Polk玩具店走出来；第二天他记不起来了；第三、四天拍麦克枪杀索罗佐；第五天拍腐败警察在医院外殴打麦克。这便是第一个星期。
这段科波拉谈到他看到摄影高登·威利斯的画面，觉得很有感觉，有20世纪40年代的味道。评论字幕HL和FH都译作俄籍摄影师格顿·威利斯，但仔细听就能听出来，后面用的是what Gordon Willis’s ...如果前面那个词是Russian的话后面应该是who is...，其实这个词是Rushes，前面已经出现过，科波拉给派拉蒙看的就是Rushes，这里做“未剪辑的样片”解；在德文评论中，这个词为Muster，译回英文为sample，也是样品的意思。所以说如果真是从德文译的话，绝对不会译错。FH却照抄HL的烂听译，硬是给高登·威利斯改了国籍。让人不想踩都不行。
23.The Sollozzo and Luca Brasi sequence was shot in real interior hotel in New York, was Art Deco, you did see here we did little to it. We shot the godfather in number of sets inside the studio as well as in real locations, different business in little Italy or hotel, hotel Edison, I remember.
教父不仅是在片场里拍，好多也是在真实场景拍摄的。比如这里是在纽约的一个酒店里，片中的摆设和实际情况一样，样式是 Art Deco的
Art Deco(装饰艺术)一词的由来是1925年于法国巴黎举办的‘Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes‘(现代工业装饰艺术国际博览会)，指的是两次大战期间，大约是1920年代至1930年代一种流行风格。此一风格不仅反映在建筑设计上，同时也影响了当时美术与应用艺术的设计格调，如家具、雕刻、衣服、珠宝与图案设计等等。Art Deco则结合了因工业文化所兴起的机械美学，以叫机械式的、几何的、纯粹装饰的线条来表现，如扇形辐射状的太阳光、齿轮或流线型线条、对称简洁的几何构图等等，并以明亮且对比的颜色来彩绘。
24.I still have that cigarette lighter, actually I must say I bought that from the production. This idea have Tattaglia stab his hand on the bar, I think was Al Lettieri’s. I was very interested in clutching, I want his face actually turn black in from the camera, we did that we put some special make-up, that final mean water sprayed on, it look his face was turning black from suffocation. I don’t know it work, but it’s very elaborate, we put these special make-up, we sprayed water while strangling him.
谋杀路卡的方法是由扮演索罗佐的Al Lettieri想出来的。用了一种特殊的化妆品，让路卡的脸慢慢变黑。
25.The interesting notice that we had the display shooting the film that’s the camera was classic it’s always about 1.5 feet of the ground, it never was looking up anyone, looking down unless the guy was on the street you had to look down. In the scene he shot I had high-angel from the window as Marlon shot, Gordon Willis was very upset and ask Why do I want to do this?” I say:” I think you’ll see that orange when they spill out that way.” he say:” Whose point of view is that, Gordon was very puristic I said:” I don’t know, it’s my point of view, it’s Orson Welles of view, you can have camera angles like that.” I learned a lot form Gordon. Gordon’s concept structure was, you know, very disciplined, I learned that from him and I’m always grateful for it. I mentioned the shot because ever I see it I always think of Gordon, I’m little in embarrass deep. I cut that sequence myself too. Put that orange spilling out because I liked it, no other reason, I like it.
著名的教父被刺场景，在这个场景中，摄影高登和科波拉有些不同意见，最后还是按科波拉的意见来拍，这里也是科波拉剪辑的。科波拉说摄影高登·威利斯是个很认真的人，我从他那里学到很多东西。橘子撒了一地的镜头纯粹是科波拉喜欢，没有任何含义。
26.Of course the second brother was played by John Cazale, a wonderful, wonderful actor, wonderful person. I had opportunity worked with Johnny three times total, first Godfather, The Conversation and second Godfather, he was wonderful person and I missed him very much, he was very, very good in Godfather, really rounded of the cast of 3 brothers so well.
饰演二弟的是约翰·卡赞是位才华横溢的演员，科波拉有幸和他合作过三次。但英年早逝，1978年死于骨癌，终年43岁。梅丽尔·斯特里普是他的女朋友。代表作还有猎鹿人、热天午后等。这里FH译错，HL的倒是有点道理，意思应该是“作为三兄弟中的一员，他的表演很契合”
27.Now when the Michael and Kay came out the radio city music hall, I had this idea she would have notice the headline of the new stand they pasted and of course there wasn’t news stand out there, really, then I wanted AL to run across the street and get in a phone booth, of course there weren’t a phone booth, really there, across the street. So we came, we brought a newsstand, we brought a phone booth, put it, the news all these inserts the newspaper ‘‘Vito Corleone feared murdered‘, were shot by George Lucas who was working with me those days and helping me finish the picture
Was funny how, you know for a moment I was stuck, I wished a phone booth right outside the radio city music hall, he can run across the street, make the call, what I have to is bring one, dumb it, they said: ”no problem, our have phone booth for you”, every time I see the scene I think how I want to be there a phone booth then I was so furious it’s wasn’t one, and how easy was really solve it.
那边炸开了锅，这边麦克和凯还浑然不知，他们刚听完音乐会，然后从无线电城剧院里走出来。按照科波拉的设计是凯注意到报亭里的报纸头条是教父遇刺，然后麦克跑到街对面的电话亭打电话。注意报纸上的教父照片是乔治·卢卡斯拍的，当年他跟科波拉一起混，那时的他还没有拍出星球大战。
报亭和电话亭都是不存在的，临时搭建。科波拉以为会很麻烦，没想到这件事倒是非常的简单。
28.Richard S. Castellano played Clemenza. He was very bright guy and another wonderful cast member, you know he’s been around a long time in theater, very imaginative, a little bit handful but made tremendous contribution to the Godfather and was always soar great and happiness to me. We could never make deal with him to be in Godfather II. The reason was not money, the reason had to do with he want closure the contrast, a neighbor, his, write the dialog for him. I try to explain to him:” Richard, how can I have someone else write the dialog for the movie I have making in”, he insisted on it, right up to last minute, then on the day we were shooting Michael V. Gazzo, a period black band on his shoulder, they said:” oh, sorry”, he head Clemenza passing away. And I basically I went around big problems; there were many times, Godfather where things like that happened. Then I forced to basically to write myself out of the problem, invent a character or invent a situation to cover the fact that basically an actor wouldn’t agree or in case of Marlon we thought he gonna be set in second film, the last minute he decided not to be
饰演克里曼沙的是Richard S. Castellano，科波拉说他演戏很有经验，但有点难管教（a little bit handful ），HL和FH两个都译错，不是技巧性也不是挑剔。克里曼沙没出演第二部不是因为钱，而是因为他一定要让他的一个邻居为他写对话。这一点科波拉没同意，科波拉说拍片中遇到过好多次这样的情况，没办法只能虚构场景，虚构人物来弥补。白兰度也是最后一分钟才变卦，不出演教父2。
PS：其实饰演克里曼沙的Richard S. Castellano本身就曾是真正的黑手党徒，所以才会“难管教”，这点下次再向大家介绍。
29.This scene was shot in abandoned diner in New York, Manhattan. It’s actually the scene in the interior from the exterior the snow scene. I remember we shot this was really starting the storm, we worried whether we could even get it, because power was gonna get blow out, the wind was so heavy. I love shoot in this weather, I always when they tell me there gonna be storm or taifun I say let’s shoot, you know because that’s like special effect for free, scenes always play very well if they set in weather or rain, I’m doing it all my career, my film “You‘re a Big Boy Now” , we had this big scene where Rig Torn and Peter Kastner star that film supposed to be outside, was pouring rain, I just shot in the rain, let them hold the umbrellas when they’re playing golf. So in my movies you always see there is weather, you always see we’re shooting in it, usually it’s in fact real happening, you can tell from this scene the storm from the exterior, when they go outside you’ll see the snow, it’s really blowing and that’s all real, not special effect
Actually the storm was look as near as bad on film was there, powering wind. They almost wanna it, in fact I think the production wanna it stop, want me to stop shooting, they said:” the storm was snow out, let them stop“ I said:” let us shoot them in the storm”, when I see the scene, it doesn’t look that bad but it’s pretty bad.
汤姆和索罗佐的戏是在纽约曼哈顿一个废弃的餐厅里拍的，当时外面正有大暴风雪，天气很糟。科波拉说他喜欢在这种天气下工作，因为这就像免费特效一样，更有真实感。他这里还举了一个他导演的另一部电影的例子，在电影《艳侣迷春》中，两位主人公在真实的倾盆大雨下，撑着伞打高尔夫。FH的翻译没有提到废弃的餐厅和电影《艳侣迷春》，还搞出个“雪景是在室内拍摄的”，这里是讲“外面是雪景，而这里是内景”
30.In reading Godfather, you know the original book had a big part of a story was about a girl who had required operation Because her private part was too big and then you can’t believe you read the book, how many pages are devote to this plot. So when I first read the book, I couldn’t believe it, I think I don’t want make this book, sort of like dime paperback something. And the doctor who cured her, became her lover, when I read the book really and analyzed, then I understood you know, a lot of material was wonderful, splendid story of a man and his 3 sons, his position as a head of a company, what was I pull out of that, made the screen player of Godfather, so much of the book is left, you know, in the book.
科波拉第一次读教父的原著小说时觉得很不可思议，原著中用了大量篇幅描写一个私处很大需要做手术的女人，之后那个女人成了为他做手术医生的情人。就像一本低俗的小说，这样的小说怎么能拍成电影。当他再一次认真阅读和分析小说之后，才发觉这是一本很好的小说，讲的是一个男人和他三个儿子的故事，家族的故事。最后科波拉将原书的材料抽出来改写成剧本，当然也舍弃了原书中的很多东西。
我没有完整的读过《教父》小说，曾借来过几次，但每次都是走马观花，没有人认真读过，我一直认为小说很普通，远没有电影精彩。我记得国内教父最早是贵州人民出版社的版本，现在市面上都是译林出版社的版本，不知道有没有删减，我也没有完整读过，所以科波拉所说的那个女人的故事不知中文版里有没有。
（未完待续……）
附：教父主摄影师Gordon Willis ， 右为在《安妮·霍尔》片场
教父主美工Dean Tavoularis
上文提到的电影《乱世忠魂》、《艳侣迷春》海报
附录：婚礼后大约到54分钟完整英文讲评轨
The Hollywood scene with Jack Woltz, was pretty much shot by a second unit, as I said it’s very low budge production, the fellow walking, I hate to say, is not Robert Duvall, it was just a fellow we had walking in couple of LA sets, and wasn’t Gordon Willis or Tavoularis working on it, this just a cheap second unit.
Now the scene inside this stage, it’s in fact shot in New York, the stage we worked where a stage, where we had a set, the Don’s office, the stuff, we shot the party where Robert Duvall actually meets Jack Woltz there, and just shot with second unit linking up to before.
This is sort of first test the power in the book, you learn that Don Corleone is reputation, is so big, even an important Hollywood studio chief in the west coast might heard of it, so it ultimately the intimidation, according to the story, it was able to get Johnny Fontane the part.They say this part of story they based on Columbia picture, the head of Columbia picture, “From Here to Eternity”, I have no indication of the true of that. I know Mario took everything from little bits in the pieces, little fragments, concoct really fiction, so we will never really know what’s true, what is in the true.
If you look very carefully you see it’s neither Robert Duvall nor Jack Woltz, but two of my friends dressed up and walking around. We barely had a crew, we camera, we went some LA location, put on wig on one of my friends and hat on the other. Now this scene, this stable, this shot in New York, really the movie we shot in New York 62 days and with very little money, we went to shot second unit pieces later on. I was so embarrassed we didn’t have director, we didn’t have photographer, it really like a kind of UCLA film school, ironical it become a important movie but we was pretty flimsy at that time.
I have worked with Robert Duvall on the film called “rain people”, he helped us out, we lost an actor in the row of motorcycle, Robert Duvall helps out and played that part, I was so impress with Robert is an actor how feel he could be and also Jimmy Caan was in that movie is well, as I said when I read the book, it’s sort of natural to have these people all ready had, happy relationships with Jimmy Caan, Robert Duvall, as I said I hadn’t work with AL Pacino, but he had definitely become a friend and I want them to play the parts and of course studio had million other ideas, casting period went on and on and on, they capture to ask me test people. I have never shot screen test, we test everybody and I remembered the head of Gulf and Western which were on Paramount at that time, one said in the incredible accent: we have all these testers, all terrible, all those actors can not be terrible, we had one bad director, the director who is terrible, so I was in very, very big trouble, I don’t even sure how I survive, to be honest, maybe the turning point was when they saw, I was thought, when they saw Sollozo’s killing, when they thought together, they thought there was something I was doing. It is interesting because that scene was shot in first week, they’re still planning fire me on the third week.
Obviously all of the Waltz’s sequence was shot second unit again without Gordon Willis. My good friend William Butler shot this, Bill Butler.
Interesting about this horse of the scene, that was very, very famous scene in the book and the way describe in the book Waltz wakes up and he looks and the horse head is there on the bedpost, I just feel it would be more horrible not just the horse there, but that he feels something wet in the bed and turns down the sheets, sees blood, first he thinks: “my god, it could be me, I maybe stab or something.” As he pull the sheet, he sees the horse’s head right under the covers, so it’s quite different in the book, in the film, it’s, maybe it’s more affective. I’m not sure, I think the moment doubt maybe it’s his own wound bleeding, maybe contribute to the horror.
Now the controversy of horse’s head was very real at that time movie came up, because although in Godfather 20-30 human beings get killed, audiences rose up in anger of the fact the horse has been killed, and many people ask “was the horse head real, how did you do it?” I got letters from animal lover and the true was that horse came from a dog food company, the horses are slaughtered to feed animal lovers’ little puppies, their dog food and all we did was we went to the dog food company and we looked the horses that were about to be slaughtered, we didn’t ask for any be slaughtered but we looked and we saw one, art director picked that one “when that horse is slaughtered and sends the head”. One day a crate with dry ice came with a horse’s head in it and that’s the horse’s head we used in the shot
The scene of the meeting, the olive oil factory, we shot in real location in little Italy, really right what is now Chinatown, if you look up on that straight, you’ll see the painting “Genco Olive Oil Company” that’s where we shot the scene, then we received were sonny makes the false pa into the hijack’s question.
I made that Anisette bottle myself, because I remember my father, when I was young, made that Anisette bottle, always be sort of milchige liquid, we always have piece tape tha’s said Anisette on that and I was very proud that touch authenticity, until these day I still make Anisette and I labeled like that.
The man who played Sollozzo was wonderful, wonderful actor named Al Lettieri. He was such a good actor, I just so through when met him, because he had quality of kind of Sicilian, the nickname was “Turke” and Al Lettieri had chest like burrow. The only man I ever knew had chest like that was John Wayne. He was very good actor because he spoke Sicilian, so I was very pleased he played this part.
Now this scene was very interesting because paramount picture saw the rushes of Marlon Brando, they were very, very upset, they thought he was murmuring and his acting wasn’t good, this was really the scene where was look like I was fired. You know I don’t even remember what was that day they didn’t careful, but I knew that was a sort of call, was in the middle of week, sort of my friend said they tried to get another director to replace you. Now one thing about movie company, a little tip gave to all directors, never fire you in middle of a week, never fire you on the Wednesday, they always wait to the weekend to fire you, cos in there mind, they feel they’ll able to transition the new director came on Monday and be no loss of time, so I suggested on Wednesday why can’t I go, we shoot this scene with Maron if you don’t like it, he was first big scene, even so he was such great man he was nervous about play the role, maybe he didn’t get quite energy that he would let me go shoot it again and they said” no, no that’s all right and I knew that was another sign I was got to be fired, because I knew they didn’t like it, they were telling me not to go up, we were just shooting downstairs we shot it and done it again like a day, the day must plan let a new director do it. So on that Wednesday hearing the rumors I was ganna be fired, I myself fired 4 of who in my opinion were traitor in my meets, sort of like the Godfather, I fired assistance director, and I fired a number of people. It is Preventive strife, on that Wednesday, it through paramount everybody was total confused, because they were gonna fire me in weekend, here I gone, fried 3,4 people and I went upstairs, we shot this scene with Marlon Brando second time and the footage you’re seeing in the picture is the second shoot. I often were very curious to go and look at the footage of the first shoot, it is really all bad, I think probably was pretty good he was playing older, maybe play more age. Malron was not very old man, he played this part, we were very considered having be able to James Caan’s father, what have you. I think it was confused for the age we’re working for., was confused by exactly they send the rushes to Charlie Bludhorn who was the big boss and he agreed. He heart that round time I won Oscar for Patton and I just think I was through by, they didn’t fire me on that weekend, people who was traducing for me I had fired I would say I was survive. This is about third week of the Godfather all happen these scenes we shot.
Now this scene from the best company with the snow was the first shot of Godfather, it’s first scene of the first day, and Al and Diane coming out and shopping was shot in the morning and that afternoon we went to Polk’s toy store and we shot Robert Duvall buy a sled at a toy store. That is day 1, I always remember, because I saw the rushes what Gordon Willis’s photograph look like from that scene, on the first day I was so moved it’s such beautiful, feel of period of 40s. I was so pleased with the first day, I always feel it’s ironical that the first and second day went very well and the third and fourth day was the famous scene, was AL killed Sollozzo in the Italian restaurant and fifth day was the exterior of the hospital where McCluskey, corrupt police officer punched AL. that’s the first five days of the first week, we shot all that material including beat scene in the picture and even after that week I was in big trouble, partly because Al twisted his ankle, jumping on the running board of a car, in the scene of hospital, he have to go to the hospital, he didn’t get finish, so I lost an actor, they made big stink how my first week was embarrassed, first week if the records be checked, the first day was in best company, Polk’s toy store, I haven’t remember the second day, the third and fourth day Sollozzo murdered in restaurant scene, I was very proud of it, that’s all first week.
The Sollozzo and Luca Brasi sequence was shot in real interior hotel in New York, was Art Deco, you did see here we did little to it. We shot the godfather in number of sets inside the studio as well as in real locations, different business in little Italy or hotel, hotel Edison, I remember.
I still have that cigarette lighter, actually I must say I bought that from the production. This idea have Tattaglia stab his hand on the bar, I think was Al Lettieri’s. I was very interested in clutching, I want his face actually turn black in from the camera, we did that we put some special make-up, that final mean water sprayed on, it look his face was turning black from suffocation. I don’t know it work, but it’s very elaborate, we put these special make-up, we sprayed water while strangling him.
So this scene Robert Duvall, coming out of toy store was shot in the afternoon of the first day, after we shot Al and Kay coming out and shopping in Best & CO.
The interesting notice that we had the display shooting the film that’s the camera was classic it’s always about 1.5 feet of the ground, it never was looking up anyone, looking down unless the guy was on the street you had to look down. In the scene he shot I had high-angel from the window as Marlon shot, Gordon Willis was very upset and ask Why do I want to do this?” I say:” I think you’ll see that orange when they spill out that way.” he say:” Whose point of view is that, Gordon was very puristic I said:” I don’t know, it’s my point of view, it’s Orson Welles of view, you can have camera angles like that.” I learned a lot form Gordon. Gordon’s concept structure was, you know, very disciplined, I learned that from him and I’m always grateful for it. I mentioned the shot because ever I see it I always think of Gordon, I’m little in embarrass deep. I cut that sequence myself too. Put that orange spilling out because I liked it, no other reason, I like it.
Of course the second brother was played by John Cazale, a wonderful, wonderful actor, wonderful person. I had opportunity worked with Johnny three times total, first Godfather, The Conversation and second Godfather, he was wonderful person and I missed him very much, he was very, very good in Godfather, really rounded of the cast of 3 brothers so well.
Now when the Michael and Kay came out the radio city music hall, I had this idea she would have notice the headline of the new stand they pasted and of course there wasn’t news stand out there, really, then I wanted AL to run across the street and get in a phone booth, of course there weren’t a phone booth, really there, across the street. So we came, we brought a newsstand, we brought a phone booth, put it, the news all these inserts the newspaper ‘‘Vito Corleone feared murdered‘, were shot by George Lucas who was working with me those days and helping me finish the picture
Was funny how, you know for a moment I was stuck, I wished a phone booth right outside the radio city music hall, he can run across the street, make the call, what I have to is bring one, dumb it, they said: ”no problem, our have phone booth for you”, every time I see the scene I think how I want to be there a phone booth then I was so furious it’s wasn’t one, and how easy was really solve it
Cause the suspense of this part in the movie is totally from the book, we try to give little details, children being disturbed by the noise, Sonny being smart of write the time when the phone call came. All these were details we added. But in this part of the film, the dynamics was the book is taking over what made the book pages turn now is invested in the movie.
Richard S. Castellano played Clemenza. He was very bright guy and another wonderful cast member, you know he’s been around a long time in theater, very imaginative, a little bit handful but made tremendous contribution to the Godfather and was always soar great and happiness to me. We could never make deal with him to be in Godfather II. The reason was not money, the reason had to do with he want closure the contrast, a neighbor, his, write the dialog for him. I try to explain to him:” Richard, how can I have someone else write the dialog for the movie I have making in”, he insisted on it, right up to last minute, then on the day we were shooting Michael V. Gazzo, a period black band on his shoulder, they said:” oh, sorry”, he head Clemenza passing away. And I basically I went around big problems; there were many times, Godfather where things like that happened. Then I forced to basically to write myself out of the problem, invent a character or invent a situation to cover the fact that basically an actor wouldn’t agree or in case of Marlon we thought he gonna be set in second film, the last minute he decided not to be.
This scene was shot in abandoned diner in New York, Manhattan. It’s actually the scene in the interior from the exterior the snow scene. I remember we shot this was really starting the storm, we worried whether we could even get it, because power was gonna get blow out, the wind was so heavy. I love shoot in this weather, I always when they tell me there gonna be storm or taifun I say let’s shoot, you know because that’s like special effect for free, scenes always play very well if they set in weather or rain, I’m doing it all my career, my film “You‘re a Big Boy Now” , we had this big scene where Rig Torn and Peter Kastner star that film supposed to be outside, was pouring rain, I just shot in the rain, let them hold the umbrellas when they’re playing golf. So in my movies you always see there is weather, you always see we’re shooting in it, usually it’s in fact real happening, you can tell from this scene the storm from the exterior, when they go outside you’ll see the snow, it’s really blowing and that’s all real, not special effect.
Actually the storm was look as near as bad on film was there, powering wind. They almost wanna it, in fact I think the production wanna it stop, want me to stop shooting, they said:” the storm was snow out, let them stop“ I said:” let us shoot them in the storm”, when I see the scene, it doesn’t look that bad but it’s pretty bad.
In reading Godfather, you know the original book had a big part of a story was about a girl who had required operation Because her private part was too big and then you can’t believe you read the book, how many pages are devote to this plot. So when I first read the book, I couldn’t believe it, I think I don’t want make this book, sort of like dime paperback something. And the doctor who cured her, became her lover, when I read the book really and analyzed, then I understood you know, a lot of material was wonderful, splendid story of a man and his 3 sons, his position as a head of a company, what was I pull out of that, made the screen player of Godfather, so much of the book is left, you know, in the book.
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