1 week Ago By Ewan Gleadow, John O'Sullivan
An unforgettable scene from the Hollywood blockbuster, The Godfather, was actually an unplanned moment that fortuitously got caught on camera. This particular scene is etched in the memories of the film's fans, often cited as one of the most memorable moments in the movie, which still holds a huge cultural cache with fans still regularly discussing the 1972 hit, positing theories, such as one word is never used throughout the entire movie . However, its filming was spontaneous, catching even the star, Marlon Brando, off guard.
Brando - whose performance was said to have been informed by real-life anger - later won the Academy Award for his role in the film – a ceremony he did not attend. His performance in the film is hailed as one of the greatest in cinematic history. While many scenes showcased his exceptional acting prowess, this specific part seemed to be a stroke of pure luck.
The credit goes to Coppola's instinctive understanding of what suited the scene, as he didn't utter a word to Brando when the unexpected incident took place, reports the Express . The cat, seen lounging in Don Corleone's (Brando's character) lap, wasn't supposed to be there. Apparently, a stray had meandered onto the set and ended up featuring in one of the biggest films in Hollywood history.
Coppola reminisced about the moment he decided to include the cat in the scene – and the ensuing chaos during the cat's first shoot. He revealed: "The cat in Marlon's hands was not planned for. I saw the cat running around the studio, and took it and put it in his hands without a word.
" Insider reports that during the iconic take, Brando's lines were nearly drowned out by the cat's enthusiastic purring. Movie buffs are charmed by this behind-the-scenes tidbit, while some suggest the cat had already cozied up to Brando off-camera, leading to its impromptu casting. A savvy r/TodayILearned subreddit user shared their take, saying: "I had heard the same story, but the cat wasn't just any stray.
The director and Marlon had both taken a liking to the cat, who had been hanging around the set for days. Then when the scene was being shot the cat jumped up on Brando's lap and he just rolled with it. Super classy, makes the scene so much more alive.
" The legendary exchange between Brando's Don Corleone and Salvatore Corsitto's Bonasera is etched in cinematic lore as one of the most memorable scenes ever. YouTube viewers watching the scene couldn't help but express their delight at the cat's unexpected cameo, with some musing that the kitty was blissfully unaware of its brush with fame. One viewer commented: "The cat has no idea he's in the greatest film of all time.
" Another quipped: "The cat never broke character, stunning self-control." And a third praised: "That cat gave one hell of a performance." This revelation comes as folks are just now discovering that one particular word is never spoken in The Godfather.
You really do learn something new every day! DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter..
