All Time Best Pictures--#2 [Part1]

As we turn to the second best picture of all time according to the WGA, I feel like I should just stop writing and tell you to go buy the writer/director Francis Ford Coppola’s 2016 book, The Godfather Notebook— here’s a link to it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Godfather-Notebook-Francis-Ford-Coppola-ebook/dp/B01MRRWX5J/ref=sr_1_1? dchild=1&keywords=the+godfather+notebook&qid=1588578559&sr=8-1

I think this is the first time I’ve ever endorsed a book—my goal isn’t to make you spend more money as, if you’re a struggling writer, you probably don’t have it! But this book is a treasure trove. It’s not the cheapest book in the world, but it’s probably available at your local library, so take the time to check it out. It details Coppola’s writing and directing of the novel, his problems getting the studio to see it his way, and so much more.

One of the hardest things to understand about screenwriting, is that you serve at the pleasure of the studio or producer who’s hired you—which is true of directors as well. Sometimes, you think that once you get that job, you’re done, you’ve made it. But the fact is that it’s rarely smooth sailing.

Coppola began his career as a writer. When he was a student at UCLA he worked for iconic schlock producer Roger Corman. When his script won the best script award at UCLA, he was hired to write a studio screenplay— Reflections in a Golden Eye. So wow, right? Being hired to do a studio picture right out of college? So cool.

But he never got credit on the film—others rewrote him and ended up with credit.

He went on, though, to write several other films, finally winning an Academy Award for his screenplay for Patton [1970]. And in the meantime, he also directed a couple of studio films—Finian’s Rainbow [1968] and The Rain People [1969]—neither of which, one might think, would qualify him to direct something like The Godfather.

Well, he must have had some inside knowledge or something, right? Hmmm… not exactly. As Peter Bart said in his review of Peter Cowie’s book Coppola: A Biography, “…the only person who knew less about the Mafia than Coppola was Mario Puzo, the rotund, kind-spirited novelist. ‘Everything I know about 'the boys' I learned from books,'” [Coppola] told Bart at their first meeting.

In fact, Mario Puzo was broke when he signed the contract to write his novel The Godfather. And Coppola? Well, he mused about how he got the job in an NPR interview:

“[It was a] very big fight. ... The studio had this young director [Coppola] who was hired mainly because he was Italian-American and that would possibly be good in terms of saying, 'Well, an Italian made the film.' And also I had some acclaim as a screenwriter and they knew the script needed to be worked on, so they figured they'd get a free rewrite out of it, which they did. And also I was young and had no power, so they figured they could just boss me around, which they proceeded to begin to do.”

Next week, more about how this amazing film came together. And just in case you haven’t seen the film, DO SO by next week! Here’s a trailer to whet your appetite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DO-nDW43Ik

Copyright © Diane Lake

03May20

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com