The Godfather Effect

Changing Hollywood, America, and Me

Tom Santopietro

Thomas Dunne Books

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A brilliant examination of our forty year obsession with the classic film trilogy—and a personal  reflection on what it means to be Italian-American
 
Forty years and one billion dollars in gross box office receipts after the initial release of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola’s masterful trilogy continues to fascinate viewers old and new. The Godfather Effect skillfully analyzes the reasons behind this ongoing global phenomenon. Packed with behind-the-scenes anecdotes from all three Godfather films, Tom Santopietro explores the historical origins of the Mob and why they thrived in America, how Italian-Americans are portrayed in the media, and how a saga of murderous gangsters captivated audiences around the globe. Laced with stories about Brando,  Pacino, and Sinatra, and interwoven with a funny and poignant memoir about the author’s own experiences growing up with an Italian name in an Anglo world of private schools and country clubs, The Godfather Effect is a book for film lovers, observers of American life, and Italians of all nationalities.

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Book Excerpts

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1     Don Vito in Hollywood

I am willing to sacrifice my best scene to make the film better … anything … I can always put it back. That’s the difference with life—you can’t put it back.
—FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

 
WHEN FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA arrived at Marlon Brando’s home in late 1970 to shoot a “makeup test” for the actor’s role as aging Mafia chieftain Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather, he had exactly one thing on his mind: how to conduct what amounted to a screen test without insulting

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Reviews

Praise for The Godfather Effect

"... a beautiful narrative of the way pop culture shapes our self-image." -The Hollywood Reporter

 

"Slickly told... it's the connections with family that give it a center as sweet as cannoli cream." -Newsday

 

"Engaging...slick...entertaining" -Kirkus Reviews

 

"A fascinating, great read" -Patti LuPone

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THE GODFATHER EFFECT by Tom Santopietro | Kirkus Book Reviews
Read the Kirkus Review of THE GODFATHER EFFECT Changing Hollywood, America, and Me. Amusing fusion of memoir and cultural critique, focusing on the family saga none of us could refuse.
- Kirkus Reviews

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About the Author

Tom Santopietro

Tom Santopietro is the author of The Importance of Being Barbra, Considering Doris Day (A NY Times Editor’s Choice) and Sinatra in Hollywood. He has worked for the past twenty years in New York theater as a manager of more than two dozen Broadway shows.

Tom Santopietro

Photo: Courtesy of the author.
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Available Formats and Book Details

The Godfather Effect
Changing Hollywood, America, and Me
Tom Santopietro

Hardcover

Hardcover
St. Martin's Press
Thomas Dunne Books
January 2012
Hardcover
ISBN: 9781250005137
ISBN10: 1250005132
5 1/2 x 8.25 inches, 336 pages, 1 frontispiece
$25.99
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e-Book Agency

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e-Book Agency
St. Martin's Press
Thomas Dunne Books
January 2012
e-Book Agency
ISBN: 9781429952620
ISBN10: 1429952628
320 pages, 1 frontispiece
$12.99
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