IN HISTORY. >> LEAVE THE GUN.
TAKE THE CANNOLI. >> Reporter: "THE GODFATHER."
I WAS TELLING MY FRIENDS IN THE OFFICE, AND ASIDE OF THEIR
JEALOUSY, THEY WERE SURPRISED TO
HEAR IT WAS 45 YEARS. DOES IT FEEL LIKE THAT, AL?
>> EVERYTHING FEELS LONG TO ME NOW.
EVERYTHING IS IN THE DISTANCE AND I QUESTION WHETHER I DID IT
OR NOT. THAT KIND OF THING.
IT'S FINE. IT DOESN'T FEEL THAT LONG
BECAUSE IT'S IN -- SOMEWHAT IN THE IN CONSCIOUS LIFE, IT'S
REFERRED TO A LOT. IT'S EVER-PRESENT, THOSE MOVIES.
>> Reporter: "THE GODFATHER" FOLLOWS THE EPIC RISE AND FALL
OF THE CORLEONE CRIME FAMILY. >> DON'T TAKE SIDES WITH ANYONE
AGAINST THE FAMILY AGAIN. >> Reporter: AT THE HELM,
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, WHO SEAMLESSLY WEAVED TOGETHER
HORROR AND HEARTBREAK. >> LOOK AT THE MESS OF MY BOY.
>> THIS MAY NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. AND IT'S ALL REALLY DUE TO
FRANCIS. >> Reporter: THE DIRECTOR.
YOUR BROTHER. >> HE'S MY BROTHER.
>> THE STORY I READ, HE DIDN'T WANT YOU IN THE MOVIE BECAUSE HE
DIDN'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO WITNESS SOME OF WHAT HE WAS
GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN THAT MOVIE.
>> AND IT'S ALL TRUE. IT'S ALL TRUE.
BECAUSE HE COULD HAVE BEEN FIRED AT ANY MINUTE.
APPARENTLY, THE DAILIES CAME IN VERY DARK.
VERY DARK. AT A CERTAIN MOMENT AFTER TWO
WEEKS, THEY CUT IT TOGETHER AND WENT, THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY
GREAT HERE. >> Reporter: WAS THE STUDIO IN
FAVOR OF YOU GETTING CAST AS MICHAEL CORLEONE?
>> NO. >> AS SOMEBODY SAID THERE,
BRANDO, PACINO, OVER MY DEAD BODY.
>> Reporter: THE WEDDING SCENE STICKS IN MY MIND HERE.
JUST DESCRIBE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE SHOOTING A SCENE, DANCING AT
WHAT WAS YOUR WEDDING, WITH MARLON BRANDO.
>> I WAS OVERWHELMED. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHEN HE CAME
TOWARDS ME. VERY HANDSOME MAN.
I'M DANCING WITH HIM. I'M TRIPPING.
HE WAS SO KIND. >> Reporter: YOU'RE DANCING WITH
MARLON BRANDO. >> I KNOW.
>> Reporter: THE MOVIE PREMIERED IN 1972 AND BECAME THE
HIGHEST-GROSSING MOVIE OF ITS TIME.
BUT DURING FILMING, NOT EVERYONE WAS SO SURE OF ITS SUCCESS.
THE STORY GOES OUT, A COUPLE WEEKS IN, ACTUALLY AFTER THE
WEDDING SCENE WAS SHOT, YOU AND DIANE KEATON GO OUT, YOU HAVE A
COUPLE OF DRINKS AND YOU SAY, THIS MOVIE'S GOING TO SUCK.
THIS HAS BEEN A FLOP. >> BUT ALSO, COMPANY.
>> NOT ME. >> Reporter: YOU DIDN'T THINK
SO. YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A HIT?
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> Reporter: WHY DID YOU THINK
IT WAS GOING TO BE A HIT? >> GREAT SCRIPT, ACTUALLY.
BUT THE WHOLE ENVIRONMENT OF SHOOTING -- FILMING SOMETHING,
AT THE TIME, SO YOUNG. AND INEXPERIENCED.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT FILMMAKING WAS.
YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DOING SCENES AND YOU HEAR PEOPLE
SNICKERING FROM THE OTHER END. WELL, THIS ISN'T GOING WELL.
WHEN IS THE BALL GOING TO FALL? ANYWAY, FRANCIS, BEING AS CLEVER
AS HE IS, GETS THE SCHEDULE CHANGED AND PUTS THE SILOTSO
SCENE, SO THAT HE WILL BE IN A POSITION TO SHOW THE STUDIO
THIS, IS WHAT PACINO CAN DO. >> Reporter: COPPOLA'S BOLD
STYLE OPENED A DOOR TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF FILMMAKING.
HIS ORIGINAL MASTER'S THE AND ITS EQUALLY ACCLAIMED SEE SEEK
WILL. >> FIRST WAS A BIG HIT.
THE SECOND WAS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF PLAYING BRANDO
WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, IT WAS GREAT.
>> Reporter: NO TREPIDATIONS OF THAT?
TAKING ON A SAME VERSION OF THE VITO CORLEONE ROLE?
>> NO. >> Reporter: WAS THE SEQUEL
BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL? JAMES CAAN MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING
TO SAY ABOUT THAT. >> NO.
EXCEPT I WASN'T IN IT. >> IT WAS DIFFERENT.
I THINK FRANCIS WAS FRYING TO EXPRESS SOMETHING THERE THAT HE
WAS REALLY TALKING ABOUT AND THINKING OF MICHAEL AS THE --
>> BOTH WERE BETTER THAN THE THIRD ONE.
>> Reporter: "THE GODFATHER PART II" WAS THE FIRST FILM STARRING
AIL PACINO AND ROBERT DE NIRO. THEY NEVER SHARED A SCENE.
BUT THEIR APPEARANCE SPARKED RUMORS OF A RIVALRY.
ANY TRUTH TO IT? >> WE HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR
A LONG TIME. WE WERE UP FOR THE SAME PARTS.
>> WE GREW UP TOGETHER. >> YEAH.
>> ONCE I TOLD HIM, I REMEMBER, WHAT WAS THE THING WITH DePALMA?
>> "SCAR FACE." >> I SAID, IF YOU DON'T DO IT, I
MIGHT DO IT. >> THAT MOTIVATED ME.
>> Reporter: YOU GUYS ARE GREAT. HAPPY 45th ANNIVERSARY.
AND THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS GROUP TOGETHER.
>> YEAH. >> BOBBY DE NIRO MADE IT ALL
HAPPEN. >> HE DID IT.
>> HEAR IT FOR DE NIRO. >> THANK YOU, TRIBECA.
>> VERY COOL. >> SOMEWHERE, MATT IS STILL
PINCHING HIMSELF. THAT HAPPENED?
>> I THINK HE'S WATCHING. I THINK THIS MORNING HE WOKE UP
AND WATCHED THAT SEGMENT. >> HOW EXCITING.
>> IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR JAMES CAAN ECHO A SENTIMENT BY
EVERYONE WHO HAS SEEN THE TRILOGY.
THEY WERE BETTER THAN THE THIRD. >> LITTLE-KNOWN FACT, DYLAN
WATCHES THIS MOVIE EVERY CHRISTMAS.
>> IT'S ALWAYS ON. THAT MUSIC, IT GIVES ME CHILLS.
>> BY THE WAY, IF YOU CAN'T GET ENOUGH, MATT WILL HAVE