Any Serious Godfather fans out there?

Clemenza was supposed to be in GF2. Apparently there was a contract dispute between Castellano and Coppela and he was written out of the original screenplay. I believe the letter(s) written between them were posted on a different thread here a while back.

 

It is hard to believe anyone would turn down or scuttle the opportunity to reprise a key character from what some were already saying was the best movie ever made.

But Frankie Five Angels turned out to be a pretty good replacement.

 

He was apparently asking for a lot more money. How many actors and athletes have sabotaged their careers by assuming they were worth more or too important? Castellano had 21 filmography credits. Not exactly a sterling career, and one in which GF1 was his high point.

I guess it's like if Jack Lord had decided that he was too important to H5O and making CBS an offer they had to refuse.

 

Gatto did a great job as Pentangeli and definitely added a certain attitude and energy that wouldn't have been the same, but I agree with earlier comments that having it be Clemenza instead of Pentangeli would have been a bit more of an emotional ride, and maybe an even better indicator at how far Michael had come (or fallen.)

 

One thing for certain about the Corleones: they went through a lot of cars back in the day (Paulie, Sonny, Carlo).

 

Even at their best, The Godfather films aren't immune to "What if...".

Example, Richard Castellano could have made Godfather II an even better film, simply because his character's arc would have been so compelling. No knock on Frankie Five Angels, (or Michael V. Gazzo) but we got a history with Clemenza...

While I'm at it, suppose Paramount coughed up more money for Duvall and he did Godfather III? As I understand it, in one of the original drafts it was Hagen who brought the Vatican deal to Michael and there was a supposed rift between the two surviving brothers. What if Winona Ryder didn't get sick and played Mary? What if Coppola - as he'd planned - landed Frank Sinatra as the treacherous Don Altobello? I'm not a Godfather III hater, but I think they would have made it a better film by being in it.

 

I've long wondered why FFC didn't get Bridget Fonda to play Mary. She was already on the set, and the character she plays is on screen for a few minutes then totally forgotten. Maybe she had other projects and didn't have time? Hell, Danielle Lewis would've been a major upgrade.

 

Yeah, I agree. No offense to Sofia Coppola - she's taken enough lumps - but someone couldn't find another actress somewhere? Francis Ford Coppola should have pulled a Carl Denham and hit the LA streets looking for some young ingenue to take Winona's place. I'm not from LA, but aren't budding actresses everywhere? (haha)

 

There is an alternate universe where Pt.III has both Duvall and Ryder in it and it is just as revered as Pt.I and Pt.II.

 

Sofia is certainly low-hanging fruit. But yes, you could randomly pick a barista or waitress anywhere in Hollywood and do no worse, and probably better. IMDB has three casting people listed on the project; if FFC had wanted a professional actress for the role, these people would've had no problem finding her. Instead "The kid stays in the picture!"

 

Unlikely as I owned a piece of the show.

 

Sorry I thought this was a thread about Godfather Cardboard Digipack Boot CD's!

 

I believe that he also wanted to write his own dialogue.

 

That is why I used the word, "scuttle."