美国国家公共电台 NPR--Imagine 'The Godfather' with a completely different cast? Could've happened

Imagine 'The Godfather' with a completely different cast? Could've happened

Transcript¹

It's impossible today to imagine any other actor playing Don Vito Corleone. But Marlon Brando was seen as a washed-up, temperamental diva by Paramount² Picture's suits.

"They wanted anybody but Brando," says Mark Seal, author of Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic³ Story of the Making of The Godfather. In fact, he says, studio executives were deeply opposed to the entire cast handpicked by director Francis Ford⁴ Coppola. "They wanted Ernest Borgnine or Carlo Ponti, the husband of Sophia Loren. Danny Thomas wanted to buy the project from Paramount and star in it himself."

Other names floating around to play the Godfather ranged from Charles Bronson to Burt Lancaster to Orson Welles, who tried to convince Mario Puzo he was perfect for the role. "The author of The Godfather had written a letter to Brando saying, 'You're the only actor who could play this role with the quiet intensity⁵ that it deserves or requires,'" Seal adds.

It's still fun to imagine Orson Welles, the auteur who directed Citizen Kane at the tender age of 25, vibing on The Godfather's set with Coppola, who was 29 when filming started. Coppola was dead set on directing Al Pacino and Diane Keaton in what would become their first major film roles, as well as the more established screen actors Robert Duvall and James Caan (who was originally considered by Paramount for Michael Corleone).

Over the course of his research, Seal found the studio's original casting list. Potential candidates for Michael included the era's most bankable stars, including Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Ryan O'Neal and Jack⁶ Nicholson. "Martin Sheen was considered," Seal says. "Frank Langella. Nobody wanted Al Pacino, except for Coppola. Coppola said every time he thought about those scenes in Sicily, he saw the face of Al Pacino flash before his mind."

But back then, Pacino was primarily known as a New York theater actor. He was too obscure and at 5'6", the studio thought, too short – shorter than Diane Keaton, who ended up playing his love interest, Kay. (Paramount worried she was too offbeat⁷, and pushed Karen Black, Tuesday Weld, Blythe Danner and Michelle Phillips instead.)

"This was the hottest movie of its day, even though Paramount at the beginning didn't know — and nobody expected it to be — this touchstone," Seal explains. "But at the same time, so many people wanted to play all these roles because Mario Puzo's novel was racing⁸ up the bestseller list."

In some ways, Seal adds, that novel was the real star. But that did not stop Paramount from spending around $400,000 on screen tests in New York and Los Angeles to see who would be best for the roles – even though the studio ended up going back to Coppola's original choices. For the price of four corned beef sandwiches, James Caan once cracked, Paramount could have perfectly⁹ cast their movie right from the very beginning.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

3 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

4 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

5 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 offbeat   

adj.不平常的，离奇的

参考例句：

• She adores old,offbeat antiques.她非常喜欢那些稀奇古怪的老古董。
• His style is offbeat but highly creative.他的风格很不寻常但非常有创造力。

8 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

9 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。