A Western Icon Was Paramount's First Choice To Direct The Godfather
SlashFilmStory by staff@slashfilm.com (Jeremy Smith)
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Paramount's surprising first pick to direct The Godfather: an iconic Western filmmaker
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- Legendary director John Ford was Paramount's top choice to adapt Mario Puzo's novel for the big screen before Francis Ford Coppola landed the gig
- Coppola's vision ultimately won out, but the studio's initial interest in Ford, known for classics like Stagecoach and The Searchers, shows how close The Godfather came to having a very different feel
call sheet
John Ford, Francis Ford Coppola, Paramount, The Godfather