Rare Behind-the-Scene Photos From the set of The Godfather, 1971

Undoubtedly, The Godfather trilogy brought the revolution in the history of American cinema. It was one of the most profitable films of all time and over the trilogy did business of more than a billion dollars. This series became the turning point of Marlon Brando’s career. No one would’ve foreseen that it would become a masterpiece. The studio acquired the film rights for $800,00 at that time.

Before the Godfather there were many great movies about the organized crimes and gangsters, but they didn’t perform well at the box office. The first sequel shows the Post-WWII America, and the second sequel shows the 1960s era, while the final sequel depicts that the family has been merged into the modern lifestyle. The dialogues of the trilogy are outstanding, especially “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

In the first sequel, there was a scene in which Brando’s Vito Corleone is ambushed and gunned down by rival mobsters while he was browsing a fruit stand outside his office. The scene was filmed at 128 Mott Street in New York City, between Hester and Grand, in the heart of Little Italy. The following photos show how the scene was captured.

#1 Producer Albert S. Ruddy confers with Marlon Brando on set.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#2 The film set in front of 128 Mott Street in New York’s Little Italy.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#3 A producer grooms Brando’s hair.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#4 A producer adjusts Brando’s hair.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#5 Getting ready to start the scene.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#6 Marlon Brando getting ready for the scene.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#7 Stage blood drips from Brando’s mouth after a take of the shooting scene.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#8 Director Francis Ford Coppola gives Brando directions for the scene.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#9 Brando and Coppola discuss the scene.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#10 A Little Italy resident watches the production while eating lunch on his fire escape.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#11 This was the pivotal scene of Brando’s Corleone getting shot at the fruit market.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#12 Marlon Brando in character as Don Vito Corleone.

0 Points

Upvote Downvote