The Godfather Poster Original Daybill 1972 Marlon Brando
First Release Daybill Poster art by S. Neil Fujita. The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy, based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel of the same name. It stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of a fictional New York crime family. The story, spanning 1945 to 1955, chronicles the family under the patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando), focusing on the transformation of Michael Corleone (Pacino) from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss. Filming took place primarily on location around New York and in Sicily, and was completed ahead of schedule. The musical score was principally composed by Nino Rota, with additional pieces by Carmine Coppola. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1972 and was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made with a gross of around $245–286 million at the box office. The film received universal acclaim from critics and audiences, with praise going towards the performances of its cast, particularly from Brando and Pacino, the directing, screenplay, cinematography, editing, score, and portrayal of the mafia. The film revitalized Brando's career, which was in decline during the 1960s before he went on to star in hits such as Last Tango in Paris, Superman, and Apocalypse Now, and launched the successful careers of Coppola, Pacino, and the rest of the cast. At the 45th Academy Awards, it won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Puzo and Coppola).Since its release, The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, especially in the gangster genre.
