![]() His second, 1965’s “The Fortunate Pilgrim,” just $3,000. Puzo’s first novel, 1955’s “The Dark Arena,” earned him $3,500. He was told by teachers it was good enough to be published.Īs an adult, he wrote adventure stories for a pulpy men’s magazine published by the owner of Marvel Comics. ![]() ![]() While a student at Commerce High School, Puzo’s writing drew notice. Once just a struggling pulp writer, Mario Puzo (above, in glasses) gained comfort for his family and an adapted-screenplay Oscar. Puzo’s stern mother kept him clear of the gangs that dominated the neighborhood back then, and the young man spent his free time reading books checked out from the public library. (He was later diagnosed with a mental illness.) His father worked for the railroad and abandoned the family when Mario was 12. The Mafia tale had its roots in rough Hell’s Kitchen, where Puzo was raised by Italian immigrants. The result was “ The Godfather,” published 50 years ago next week, and a book that, as he promised his children, did indeed become a best-seller - and then some. Or at least enough money to pay off his mounting debts. He put his highbrow literary aspirations aside and set out to pen a big, honking, commercial book that would bring him fame and fortune. His previous two novels were well-reviewed but had sold about enough copies to fill a modest station wagon. Their father’s claim was so laughable because, at that point, Puzo was a long way from the best-seller list. The kids rolled their eyes and snickered. “He’d say, ‘Keep it down, I’m writing a best-seller,'” Puzo’s eldest child, Tony, tells The Post. The basement also held a pool table, and while Puzo typed away, his five children would come down and play loud games, forcing Puzo to admonish the brood. The broom-closet-like space beneath his Long Island house had enough room for a desk, a typewriter and little more. In the late 1960s, Mario Puzo retreated to the basement nook that served as his office to work on a new book. 'The Godfather' not welcome at famed San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy Meet the sausage 'queen' of NYC's San Gennaro Feast Loose lips lead to lawsuits over allegations from 'The Godfather' set Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.'Godfather' director Francis Ford Coppola's island lists for $2.2M The first three episodes of “The Offer” are currently streaming on Paramount+. “I did not want to do an impersonation of Mario, but rather use his work as a road map,” he said. As he prepared, Gallo prioritized reading Puzo’s writing, choosing to develop his own version of the man based on what his work revealed. Him being from New York, you think he’d be saying, ‘I just want to go back! I want to get the hell out of here! Get these people off me!’ But he said, ‘The people out in California, they’re great!’”Įven if “The Godfather” was not the author’s best work, Gallo developed a deep respect for Puzo while researching for the role. He loved all the people that he interacted with in Hollywood. “I think what was surprising to me was him being such an artist, but he also really loved Hollywood. Gallo was surprised to learn the details of Puzo’s Hollywood endeavors, and says he believes it was place where the author truly thrived. Puzo primarily wrote the novel out of financial obligations, but it also served as Puzo’s gateway into Hollywood. Oscars 2023: Best International Feature Film Predictions Sylvester Stallone Was Rejected as an Extra for 'The Godfather,' Told He's 'Not the Type'įrancis Ford Coppola, Rob Reiner, and More Pen Tributes to James Caan: A 'Menacing, Magnificent Actor'ĥ0 Directors' Favorite Horror Movies: Bong Joon Ho, Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro, and More The film is just genius, and it’s just a spectacular example of filmmaking and true storytelling.” I think the book was written so the film could be birthed. And I don’t think Puzo thought the book was great either. The book is good, I don’t think the book is great. “I didn’t read the book until many years after seeing the film, which I think is probably true for a lot of people,” Gallo said. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Patrick Gallo, who plays Mario Puzo on the Paramount+ show, opened up about the way his different relationships with the book and the film influenced his performance. ![]() But a new miniseries about the making of the film, “ The Offer,” has brought new attention to the differences between the book and the film. Hollywood history is filled with stories of movies surpassing the books that inspired them, but perhaps none loom larger than “ The Godfather.” Francis Ford Coppola’s film is so beloved that it is easy to forget that Mario Puzo’s novel was not nearly as well received.
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