About This Quiz
Mario Puzo was born in New York City and grew up with a love for books. He published his first written works in the 1950s, and like most authors, he wanted to write high-brow literature. He didn't want to be known for writing genre fiction, but his literature wasn't as great as he thought it was. He ultimately found his work wasn't selling.
After borrowing money and just barely getting by, Puzo decided to crossover and write a commercial work of fiction. In 1965, he began writing a Mafia crime drama about the fictional Corleone family. After three years, he finished and sold the rights for the 2019 equivalent of $3 million. It was one of the wealthiest publishing contracts in history, and it went on to be one of the fastest-selling books of all time.ÂÂ
Before it was even finished, Paramount optioned the movie rights. To add to Puzo's success, he was given a chance to write the screenplay. Very rarely do Hollywood studios let novelists write screenplays. Still, Puzo co-wrote it with director Francis Ford Coppola, and it won the 1973 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.ÂÂ
That screenplay is full of some of the most classic lines in cinema history, and the "Godfather" trilogy is filled with timeless lessons. Can you match the classic quote to the "Godfather" film?
The Sicilian message is a dead fish wrapped in Luca Brasi's bulletproof vest and bundled together with paper. Luca Brasi was sent to get revenge on the people who shot the Godfather five times. The Godfather ultimately survived the attack.
Don Corleone agrees to do a favor for Amerigo Bonasera after his daughter was recently assaulted. Don Corleone doesn't want any money, but tells Amerigo to expect to repay the favor. When Sonny dies, Amerigo, who's an undertaker, gets a chance to repay the favor.
Mary Corleone is Michael and Kay's youngest daughter and Michael's favorite child. His top priority in life is keeping her away from the criminal world. Mary is portrayed in the third film by the director's daughter, Sofia Coppola.
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Don Vito Corleone teaches this lesson to Johnny Fontaine and everybody else who is in the room when he says it. He glares at his son, Sonny, when he utters the line. Fontaine is in town to ask his godfather for a favor.
Amerigo Bonasera asks the Godfather for a favor, but the Godfather doesn't like the request. He says Amerigo hasn't invited him over for coffee in years and has avoided him at all costs. Amerigo offers to do anything, but the Godfather only asks that he call him Godfather.
The Godfather never wanted Michael to be involved in the family business, but Michael eventually had no choice. He always promised to go legitimate since he first took over. About three decades later, when he thinks things are about to turn, he realizes he may never get out of the life.
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Michael's bedroom gets shot up seconds after his wife asks him this question. The hit was set up by the film's main antagonist, Hyman Roth, who was tipped off by Fredo. Michael later finds out he was betrayed by his older brother.
Sollozzo creeps up on Tom Hagen to inform him the Godfather was shot and killed, although the Godfather ultimately survives the attack. Sollozzo wants to make peace with the Corleone family and utters this quote to Tom Hagen.
These are the Godfather's first words in the movie franchise. The undertaker, Amerigo Bonasera, is telling the story of his daughter's assault and how he handled the situation. Don Corleone agrees to justice and tells Amerigo he'll call on him for a favor one day.
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These are the very first words of the "Godfather" film franchise. The man who believes in America is Amerigo Bonasera and he's an Italian-American undertaker in NYC. The story begins with him asking the Godfather for a favor.
Vincent, Sonny's illegitimate son, is played by Andy Garcia in the film's third installment. He and Michael are sharing a helicopter ride above the city when Vincent begins talking about one of their enemies.
Fredo broke Michael's heart by betraying the family and selling him out to Hyman Roth. The information led to an attack on Michael and his wife while they were in their bedroom, so Michael decides he must kill his weaker, older brother.
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This classic quote is uttered by Don Corleone in the opening scene of the trilogy. He tells Amerigo Bonasera that his daughter's attackers would have already suffered justice if he had just befriended him and called him Godfather.
Kay says this to Michael in another one of their arguments about his affairs. Michael has been trying to turn his family empire into a legitimate business since the first film, and he continues to do so for the entire trilogy.
As Michael is talking with his wife Kay, he comes to terms with all the things he has done in his life. He spends the entire film reconciling with his actions and trying to become a legitimate professional.
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Clemenza takes pride in his method of altering guns so they can't be traced. After his associate kills the guy who helped set up the Godfather's assassination attempt, Clemenza tells the associate to leave the gun behind. They had just bought some fresh cannolis, so they take them.
This quote is spoken in Italian by Don Tommasino when Michael and his associates are in Sicily for a business meeting. The group realizes their problems in the underworld extend all the way to the top politicians in the government.
When Vincent and Don Lucchesi are talking about forming a partnership, Don Lucchesi drops this classic line. Vincent doesn't know much about finance and politics, so Don Lucchesi explains them in terms Vincent can understand.
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Michael promised to turn his family into a legitimate business soon after he took over. Nothing has gone as planned, and the harder he has tried to go legit, the more corrupt things have become. He realizes he can never get out of the life.
The Godfather's godson, Johnny Fontaine, wants the lead role in a movie but gets turned down by a Hollywood big shot. The Godfather drops this classic quote, and we later see the Hollywood big shot waking up with a horse's head in his bed.
When Michael finally flies to Miami to cut a deal with Hyman Roth, Roth is watching football. He begins the conversation by telling Mike how he likes football and baseball alike and drops this little quip.
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Robert De Niro portrayed the younger Don Corleone in this film and won the 1975 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The film begins with him running away from Don Ciccio and his men. In this scene, he returns to exact his revenge.
Corleone consigliere Tom Hagen is one of the most level-headed characters in the story. When he fears Michael may be getting a little too trigger happy, Michael assures him that's not the case. The Corleone family just happens to have a lot of enemies.
This is the scene where Michael decides he's going to kill a cop, and Sonny tells him he's taking things too personal. This scene is when Michael not only joins the family business, but arguably becomes the Godfather.
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Michael tells Kay he tried his hardest to protect her and his family from the horrors of the criminal underworld, but it didn't work out. Kay responds by telling Michael she dreads him. She also calls out his hypocrisy before leaving the room.
When Tom Hagen tells Michael that killing his main rival would be like trying to kill the president, Michael responds by saying nothing is impossible. He then goes on to explain that history says anyone can be killed
Michael tells this to his nephew Vincent, who's portrayed by Andy Garcia in the third movie. Vincent wants to wipe out one the family's enemies and lets his frustrations be known. The scene pays homage to a scene from the first film when Don Vito tells his son, Sonny, a similar message.
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Moe Greene yells at Michael when Michael tries taking over Greene's properties. Greene threatens to do a deal with a rival family and storms out of the Vegas hotel room. Michael's older brother, Fredo, takes Greene's side and Michael warns him to never do it again.
In the second film, Kay revealed to Michael that her miscarriage was really an abortion, and she didn't want to have kids with him. In the first film, Michael had promised her he'd turn his family empire into a legitimate business.
Michael ends up killing his sister's husband and his sister tells Michael's wife. His wife repeatedly asks him if it's true, and he repeatedly tells her to stop asking about his business. Michael finally lets her ask but doesn't tell the truth when she does.
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After Sonny gets killed, Michael is tasked with discovering who betrayed the family, and all roads lead to his sister's new husband, Carlo. Carlo finally admits he betrayed the family and Michael has him killed, which he later denies doing.
Michael drops this line after someone tries to kill him. He tells an assistant to befriend the enemy to keep him close. It was a lesson taught to him by his father in the same room he teaches it to his underling.
Sonny drops this quote to Michael during a family dinner celebrating Don Vito's birthday. The dinner is shown through a flashback scene where Michael reveals he has enlisted in the Army and isn't going to college.
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We see this scene as a flashback as the Corleone family prepares to celebrate Don Vito's birthday. Michael is preparing to break his father's heart as he reveals he has enlisted in the Marines and plans to fight in WWII. His brother Sonny doesn't like the decision.
This is a classic foreshadowing of Michael and Fredo's relationship. Fredo was warned once, but he didn't listen. He always wanted to play a larger role in family operations, but nobody believed he was capable of doing so.