“I in Turn Served as His Clown.” James Caan Was Horrified on the Set of The Godfather When He Thought He Had Annoyed Marlon Brando

As a fan of classic cinema, I must say that the story of James Caan and his nut-cracking mishap during the filming of The Godfather is simply captivating. It’s a testament to the power of improvisation and the unpredictability of human interactions, even in the most high-pressure situations.


The Godfather stands as a cinematic classic, masterfully directed by Francis Ford Coppola, with Marlon Brando undeniably shining brightest among the stars. Alongside Brando, the film also showcased acting talents like Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and James Caan, who portrayed Vito Corleone’s oldest son Sonny in this groundbreaking production. His performance significantly boosted his reputation within Hollywood.

During an interview with the A.V. Club, on the 50th anniversary of the famous movie “Godfather”, Caan discussed his preferred scene from the film, which wasn’t necessarily a cherished moment from set filming. You see, while shooting this scene, the actor felt he may have upset Marlon Brando because he believed he had made him angry. It’s noteworthy that this was one of their initial scenes together on set, so Caan was eager to make a positive impact on his co-star as they had many more scenes to work on together. It was crucial for him to maintain a good relationship with Brando, as they still had much collaboration ahead.

Coppola motivated the cast of The Godfather to ad-lib their lines, allowing them to delve deeper into their characters and act spontaneously according to their instincts. During one of his preferred scenes, Caan indeed chose to improvise.

In this particular scene, Robert Duvall returns following the horse’s head incident, and we find ourselves in the living room with Marlon Brando and Bobby (presumably Robert De Niro). Brando or Bobby is conversing with Duvall about the horse’s head event. As I take my seat, this is one of the earliest scenes I filmed with Brando. There’s a bowl of walnuts to my left on a small table, and I lean forward as I listen intently.

He had an uneasy feeling that he may have annoyed the multitalented Brando by making noise with the nut.

In that situation, I unintentionally overshadowed him. I hadn’t planned it; it just happened. There wasn’t any noise from my end. I found myself in an awkward predicament, holding this prop (a nut), and I didn’t know quite how to handle it, especially since it was Marlon Brando. Brando gave me a look, and then I realized I had to continue. So, in the quietest manner possible, I opened it up slightly and took a tiny bite, bit by bit. When he yelled “cut,” Brando began punching his fist and chuckled, saying, “That was great.” I was puzzled because he seemed to be referring to Sonny’s character, suggesting that he wasn’t fit to be a Don due to his scattered mind and distractions with women. The fact that I was playing with the prop nut during such a serious discussion only highlighted this point. In the end, it all worked out well, and we ended up capturing a good scene.

On the set of “The Godfather,” an incident that might’ve been considered a blunder surprisingly led to a brilliant idea, which Marlon Brando found favorable. The actor playing Sonny didn’t respond to Caan as expected, and interestingly enough, he often amused his on-screen father with antics during filming.

I have a soft spot for Brando; he was truly exceptional. In a strange twist of events, I often found myself acting as his jester, prompting him to laugh at almost everything I said or did. It was a constant stream of laughter from him – simply hilarious!

It’s clear that making impromptu choices can occasionally result in wonderful outcomes. Yet, Caan seemed excessively fearful of his acting partner.

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2024-11-14 14:02