‘The Godfather’: 10 Classic Lines from the Legendary Film

The Godfather was released in theaters nationwide on March 24, 1972. Decades after its release, it remains one of the most revered and quoted films in cinema history. A Brief History of The Godfather The 1972 film was based on the novel of the same name, which was released in 1969 and written by Mario Puzo. While the book is a novel, significant parts of it are based on actual people. Notably, Johnny Fontane is based on Frank Sinatra, and, of course, the "Five Families" are based on the actual five Mafia families of New York City. The New York Times notes Paramount Pictures bought the film rights to The Godfather for $80,000. The outlet states, "Mr. Puzo actually sold his book for $10,000 to Paramount on the strength of an outline and two or three chapters. Escalator clauses eventually brought the price up to $80,000." Puzo co-wrote the film screenplay with Francis Ford Coppola, who also directed the film. Anchored by Marlon Brando, The Godfather featured an all-star, before-they-were-superstars cast of Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte and Diane Keaton. Simply put: The film was a massive hit, both commercially and critically. According to Box Office Mojo, the film was made on a budget of $6 million. It ended up grossing $250 million worldwide. Once you adjust for inflation, that's the equivalent of $1.87 billion in 2024. Critically speaking, The Godfather was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. It ended up winning three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay. It's also been named to several "Best Of" lists from the American Film Institute. Additionally, the classic film was added to the United States National Film Registry in 1990. Films added to the registry are considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In honor of its anniversary, here are ten classic lines from The Godfather. (WARNING: Some NSFW content ahead)