Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather

Written by Mark Seal

Narrated by Phil Thron

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

This “wickedly pacey page-turner” (Total Film) unfurls the behind-the-scenes story of the making of The Godfather, fifty years after the classic film’s original release.

The story of how The Godfather was made is as dramatic, operatic, and entertaining as the film itself. Over the years, many versions of various aspects of the movie’s fiery creation have been told—sometimes conflicting, but always compelling. Mark Seal sifts through the evidence, has extensive new conversations with director Francis Ford Coppola and several heretofore silent sources, and complements them with colorful interviews with key players including actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Talia Shire, and others to write “the definitive look at the making of an American classic” (Library Journal, starred review).

On top of the usual complications of filmmaking, the creators of The Godfather had to contend with the real-life members of its subject matter: the Mob. During production of the movie, location permits were inexplicably revoked, author Mario Puzo got into a public brawl with an irate Frank Sinatra, producer Al Ruddy’s car was found riddled with bullets, men with “connections” vied to be in the cast, and some were given film roles.

As Seal notes, this is the tale of a “movie that revolutionized filmmaking, saved Paramount Pictures, minted a new generation of movie stars, made its struggling author Mario Puzo rich and famous, and sparked a war between two of the mightiest powers in America: the sharks of Hollywood and the highest echelons of the Mob.”

“For fans of books about moviemaking, this is a definite must-read” (Booklist).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Oct 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781797132785

Mark Seal

Mark Seal joined Vanity Fair as a contributing editor in 2003, covering stories as varied as the Bernie Madoff scandal, Ghislaine Maxwell, Tiger Woods, the fall of Olympian Oscar Pistorius, the making of classic films such as Pulp Fiction, and many more. His 2016 Vanity Fair article “The Over the Hill Gang,” about a gang of retired thieves who pulled off the biggest jewel heist in British history, was the basis of the 2018 film, King of Thieves, starring Michael Caine. In addition to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli, he is the author of the books Wildflower and The Man in the Rockefeller Suit. His website is Mark-Seal.com.

Reviews for Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli

[Andrew Farnsworth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An exhaustive look at the inspirations and making of, of one of the best films ever produced. Loads of fascinating facts, production squabbles anf anecdotes from behind the scenes that the author picked up from countless interviews. A must for any film fan.

[Ohcrap91 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Epic movie, epic book, epic story! Loved every minute of it.

[Robyn Franks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow!! I can’t wait to re-read book and watch movie

[Steven Stankevitz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It told things I didn’t know so now will watch again

[jim · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the offer movie ? great wonderful must read

[Alex Withrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good listen. This book is essentially an amalgamation of Godfather stories from multiple sources. If you’re a fan of the movie, you’ve likely heard all this before. But it’s cool to hear it all in one place.

[Cleary Kristin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found it a better, faster read than listen. I wasn’t bored from all the details which were interesting enough; the narrator was good. The audio was bogged down by too much information. Good but not a great read.