The iconic Hollywood classic The Godfather has left fans stunned as they’ve discovered that one of the film’s most memorable moments was not scripted. Starring Hollywood heroes Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, the movie, hailed as a cinematic masterpiece, bagged Academy Awards for Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Astonishingly, viewers were taken aback to learn about the extent of improvisation in the 1972 hit – particularly an early scene featuring James Caan. The silver screen legend, who earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Sonny Corleone, revealed the scene unfolded without prior planning.
On the r/Godfather subreddit, enthusiasts applauded Caan for his spur-of-the-moment brilliance during the sequence. One post read: “Supposedly James Caan improvised this whole scene. The money thrown on the ground is such a gangster move.”
In the discussed scene, Caan smashes a camera against the floor, followed by tossing a couple of banknotes to cover the damages. This led one intrigued fan to speculate about the extent of Caan’s impromptu performance.
They posted: “Yes, Sonny talking to the FBI men outside is in the script, but him roughing up the photographer while he walks back inside is not. So he may well have improvised it on the day.”
Fans have been reminiscing about James Caan’s iconic performance as Sonny Corleone, with one fan drawing comparisons to Andy Garcia’s role in the 1990 sequel.
They commented: “What’s great about Sonny is that simmering rage. Always boiling under the surface, 0-60 in a snap but not bombastic or yelling or screaming.
“The gritting his teeth when he pushes Clemenza against the wall after Vito is shot, the whisper yelling at Tom in the hallway after Vito comes home. Caan underplayed the anger but made it that much more effective.
“I liked Garcia in GF3 but felt like he tried too hard to convey that temper by yelling at Zaza and in the kitchen arguing with Michael. Michael mentioned the temper during the Zaza scene and it was all too-on-the-nose. Caan didn’t need to yell for you to know he was p***ed.”
James Caan himself confirmed that one of his most memorable scenes was actually improvised, revealing years later: “I grabbed that camera and I smashed that camera.”
Caan explained that his impromptu action was because his character “realised that in my neighborhood I did wrong, and I took out $20 and threw it on the street.” Despite being unplanned, director Francis Ford Coppola kept this genuine moment in the film.
Another Reddit user expressed admiration for the cameraman in the same scene, comparing him to a “stunt man” due to his impressive reaction to Caan’s unexpected move.
One social media user pondered: “I wonder if the photographer was a stunt man. He took that hit really well and didn’t slip off the car and on to the ground at the end.”