Differences between the movies and the book

Some of the major differences between the movie storylines and the book include:

• Sonny (as a young kid) saw Vito kill Fanucci in the book....not so in the movie
  
  Calo was killed along with Apollonia in the book....not so in the movie
  
  Sonny and Tom Hagen were 35 years old in 1945 (according to the book), but were only 29 years old in that year (according to the movie).

[ July 15, 2001: Message edited by: SC ]

Another major difference is when Moe Green is killed. In the movie it is the same time as the murders of the heads of the 5 families, while in the book it was before that, maybe an entire year, I can't remember exactly.

[ July 15, 2001: Message edited by: Neri ]

If I remember correctly, Mike had two sons from Kay in the novel. Not a son and a daughter (movie).

Michael speaks directly to Apollonia's father in the novel but in the movie its translated for him.

[ July 16, 2001: Message edited by: Joey ]

[ July 16, 2001: Message edited by: Joey ]

In the novel there is a main part about Johnny Fontane and his wifes and problems etc. Not in the film.
There is also a part in the novel were Bonasera is in court which is not in the film.
Also there is a part were Nazorine realizes that he has to go to Don Corleone to make sure Enzo can stay in America.

* In the novel, Fredo was big, but stupid; in the movie, he is small and stupid.

* In the movie, the heads of the 5 families are killed, with Rocco and Clemenza heavily involved; in the book, only Barzini is killed, with other killings happening as a result of the death. (The novel makes more sense)

* In the book, there is a bigger age difference between Sonny and Michael. They seem to be relatively close together in the movie, but the book implies they were fairly far apart in age.

* In the movie, a knife is stuck through Luca Brasi's hand to prevent him from moving while being garrotted, in the novel, he is just held.

* In the novel, Appolonia was pregnant, I don't believe that is mentioned in the movie.

* In GF2, the Vito back story ends after the killing of the Sicilian Don. In the novel, there is a lot of detail starting from the formation of Genco oil importing to the beginning of the 5-families war.

* In the novel, there is a scene at Genco's death bed that is not in the movie.

* The novel gives a lot of background info about Luca Brasi and Al Neri that is omitted from the movie.

* In the novel, Kay leaves Michael fairly early (right after the Carlo hit, if I remember correctly), but comes back later. Kay stays with Michael for at least the years between GF1 and GF2.

* In the movie, Michael's "Don't take sides against the family" line is to Fredo alone (with Tom). In the novel, Moe Green is in the room at the time (making the movie more powerful because of the foreshadowing of the betrayal in GF2).

* In the novel, someone cloned dinosaur DNA and created a theme park and . . . (whoops, wrong book)

I'm sure there's more, but I can't remember anymore off the top of my head.

Let's not forget Fabrizzio -

In the book, he was shot to death in his pizza parlor...This scene was originally filmed for Part I (with Michael using the same shotgun that Fabrizzio had guarded him with in Sicily), but was never included in the final film. In the special releases, Fabrizzio is blown up in his car (car bomb), and is killed.

gusmahler -

All good points, except that one of the other Bosses (Phillip Tattaglia) was killed in the book also (along with Barzini).

(Rocco Lampone shot Tattaglia).

The point you mentioned which stated that there is a scene in the novel by Genco's bedside and there is not in the movie is only half true. The regular version of GF1 has no such scene, but the Saga and Trilogy(I think) have a similar scene to that of the novel.

In the movies, Lucy had a child by Sonny, Vincent. In the book, Lucy could not get pregnant. The book also goes into much more detail of her life and using her as a key character in Vegas. In the movies, she is just one of Sonny's toys with a "bastard".

John

Connie quickly forgives Michael for Carlo's murder and marries 'a fine young fellow. . . from a reliable Italian family"

In the novel, Vito utters "..Life is (so) beautiful..." just before he dies. (What a statement to make before death.....I just decided to change my signature.)

I think that's one of the best lines in the entire novel. How lucky he was to have lived a life in which he was the one to "pull the strings", and to die in such a peaceful manner.

I remember reading (just after the movie was released) that the writers were "pressured" to delete that quote from the movie because it was feared it would make the character of Don Vito "too human".

"Leave the gun, take the canolis" isn't in the novel

* Sollazzo needs $2 million in the novel, and $1 million in the movie.

* In the novel, Sonny first suspects that Clemenza sold out the Don along with Paulie. In the film, there appears to be no question of Clemenza's loyalty.

* In the film, Michael just magically returns from Sicily. I like the explanation in the book of the death row guy admitting to the Bronx killings. Hence, clearing Michael's name.

* In the film, Kay goes to Vegas after the baptism and Michael was supposed to go to. In the novel, Michael and Kay never planned to go to Vegas.

Don Corleone dies with an orange peel in his mouth in the movie, while picking tomatoes in the book. Yet, this was a Brando ab-lib and it was one of the only improvement changes from book to movie. Personally, I enjoyed the book more. Just me maybe.

It is just plain "Tessio" in the book. He is never referred to by the first name "Sal"


The book states that Vito changed his last name from Andolini to Corleone as one of the few sentimentalities in his life. GF II, of course, has an immigration official mistakenly and arbritrarily give Vito 'heart of lion'

[ August 12, 2001: Message edited by: Dr Jules Segal ]

It seems to me that the flashback sequence where young Vito kills Fanucci varies a bit from book to film, does it not? I can't remember the details of the book at the moment.

I think the biggest difference between the fanucci scene in GF2 and The novel is of Vito's suspicions. For in the novel Young Vito realizes that fanucci is more bark than bite. Where as in the movie it was trimmed down so where Vito's suspicions were omitted.

Any comments on this?

Roland

In the movie, Michael's "Don't take sides against the family" line is to Fredo alone (with Tom). In the novel, Moe Green is in the room at the time (making the movie more powerful because of the foreshadowing of the betrayal in GF2).

I could've sworn Moe Green had left the room as well in the movie.

Here's a big difference:

Sonny was planning the execution of the heads of the Five Families.
He also knows that he was handicapped by the mellowing of Tessio and the declining passion of Clemenza, but he couldn't do anything about that, nor could he replace Tom.

Moe Green had left the room. No way would Michael have said that infront of him.

Moe Greene definitely had left the room. He went to go get his tongue kicked out. Plus he needed a new plaid sports jacket.

[ August 17, 2001: Message edited by: Don Rico ]

To Don's Advisor :


As for the Corleones never suspecting Clemenza in the movie as compared to the book, you are right in reffering to the original Godfather I movie. However, in one of the special features, there is a scene, after the Don is shot, when Michael arrives at the Don's home, and Clemenza is sitting outside the Don's office while Sonny and Tessio are inside the office talking about who set up the Don. After Michael insists on sitting with them in this meeting, Sonny jokingly says to him something like " OK College boy, if your so smart, who set up the old man, Clemenza or Paulie? and Mike replies that it was Paulie, that Clemenza would never set up the old man. Sonny replies that he is right, and that it was Paulie because they had the Phones taped and found out that it was Paulie. I think that this was an important scene, and never should have been cut out from the original movie!

Don Cardi

" He's got me waiting in a lobby!"

Many of the differences that have been referred to are things that could only be explained in a book and not in a film and there is little that can be done to add these parts to the film.

In the movie, where everyone is gathered in the Don's office(?) after the assassination attempt, you can hear Clemenza and Tessio making up that list if you listen closely. Tattaglia's name is almost definitely mentioned. Their talking gets almost drowned out by Sonny, but it is there. So I think the planned hit on the heads of the 5 Families is in the movie as well.

Difference:

Genco Olive Oil Company and the early days of GF2 are in Hells Kitchen, NYC (Around West 34th-39th Street and 9th/10th avenue) in the Book, but in Lower East Side, NYC in the film (around West 2nd-6th St). (Puzo grew up in Hells Kitchen).


Roberto the landlord returns to Young Vito's home in the book, and to Genco Company in the film.

The film is nice look at and I like the acting of course, but I find the book far superior in content and details, it's just the type of novel you cant put down once you pick it up.

True i'm with you on that one Joey. I'm always a defender of the book.

?? Not in the GF1 I saw! And one of the most memorable scenes too. Sollazzo stabs Brasi's hand while Bruno Tattaglia holds the other one -then the garrot.

Just to be a pain in the @$$, it was not a knife, it was an icepick. And I hardly see Luca being "held", while strangled. Seems a bit off to me

How did you know that they were 29 in the movie?

Its been established that they were born in 1916, and the opening scene of the movie (Connie's wedding) took place in 1945.

There have been many discussions here on these boards on this subject, plus Geoff's website with a timeline backs up these dates.

Anthony Coppola becomes Francesco Nippi in the movie, it was deleted of course.

Luca is NOT effective AT ALL in the movie, he looks like a BIG wuss who got choked out, he didn't shit the floor in the movie.

Sonny didn't plan to kill 5 families or Barzini. In the movie, he says (Deleted, of course) Philip Tattaglia, Bruno Tattaglia, Joe Tattaglia, Solozzo. He wants them all dead. He got his way with Bruno. Cuneo and were supposed to die in he elevator in the script.

As for Take the gun, leave the canoli, that wasn't even in the script let alone the book, that was pure Richard Castellano right there.

Tom and Sandra don't hook up in the movie.

Solozzo isn't big and scary in the movie. Tom thinks "He has BALLS!"

In the book Genco had two daughters, and no son. But Dominic Abbandando from GF3 is his son? Was Mrs. abbandando pregnant when he died? I think not!

So according to Puzo there's NO Vincent and NO Mary. hmm, Francis..Ford...ucci. I wonder where that came from?

But in GF2 (DELETED, Of Course) Anthony Coppola's father, also Carmine Corleone's father, Angelo Coppola appears as the gunsmith, was Hyman roth in the book in the flashbacks or anything anywhere? Or was he a product of FFC's imagination? or pUzo's imagiantion?

When Luca Brasi is garotted, he lossens his bowels and shits all over the floor.

There are so many more details and people in the novel:
--The Don's rise to power in his war with "Maranzalla."
--Luca ordering the gruesome death of his newborn son.
--The Bocchicchio Family and how they provided Michael's passport back from Sicily.
--Sonny extending his protection to Long Beach.
--How Neri got recruited by the Corleones.
--Johnny's singer pal, Nino, and his brief Hollywood career.
--Dr. Jules Siegel and Lucy Mancini.
On and on.

garbone is mentioned in the movie on Sonny's hit list, i found it interesting that the same guy who played genco Abbandando, Frank Sivero, played Franki Carbone in Goodfellas. What a coincidence?

Differetn Dons in the book, Panza, Forlenza, Tramonti, Molinari, and Falcone. No Hyman Roth

Paulie went spiked knuckles on two kids balls!

neither FFC or Puzo gave a damn about Bruno. One sentence summed up his death. "We hit Bruno tattaglia at 4 Am" That's ALL! Poor bruno.

Frank Sivero also is in GFI. He's one of the bystanders in the scene where Sonny beats up Carlo.

When do Tom and Sandra hook up in the book? By the way, I think Sandra doesn't get enough credit for being a great looking woman.

it wasn't in the book but rather the part of the original uncut script for GFII.

Sandra is VERY sexy. They don't actually hook up, but they feel the mutual attraction.

in the book, Kay made contant inquires about Michael which eventually reunited her with him after his exile to Sicily. in the flick, he returns for her.

in the novel, Vito Corleone states to Signora Colomba's landlord that he is not too fond of animals, yet in the movie, we see him quite fond of his cat (could be a Brando preference)

in the book, Michael had two sons. in the flick, he has a son and a daughter.

in the book, none of the Don's grandchildren have names, as opposed to the movie.