The Godfather Saga

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The Godfather Saga
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Produced by Albert S. Ruddy
Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Mario Puzo
Francis Ford Coppola
Starring Marlon Brando,
Al Pacino,
James Caan
Robert Duvall,
Diane Keaton,
Robert De Niro,
John Cazale,
Talia Shire
Release date(s) 1977
Running time 434 min.
Language English
Budget $20,000,000

The Godfather Saga is a 1977 TV movie that combines The Godfather Part I and The Godfather Part II into one movie playing in chronological order. It aired on NBC.

Francis Ford Coppola re-edited the two movies together, in chronological order (adding some previously unseen footage but also toning down the violence), into one long saga for TV broadcast, entitled The Godfather Saga (aka The Godfather: The Complete Novel For Television and The Godfather 1902-1959: The Complete Epic). Coppola reportedly did this project to raise money for Apocalypse Now, which was severely over-budget at the time.

In particular this version shows how Tom Hagen came to be "adopted" by Vito Corleone, which was not shown or explained in the original films.

Coppola would again re-edit all three movies in chronological order to be dubbed: The Godfather Trilogy 1901-1980. This version would not only incorporate The Godfather Part III but other deleted scenes not originally included in the first re-edit.


The Godfather

Films

The GodfatherThe Godfather Part IIThe Godfather Part IIIThe Godfather Saga

Novels

The Godfather (novel)The SicilianThe Godfather ReturnsThe Godfather's Revenge

Corleone family

Vito CorleoneCarmella CorleoneTom HagenSonny CorleoneFredo CorleoneMichael CorleoneConnie Corleone-RizziApollonia Vitelli-CorleoneKay AdamsAnthony CorleoneMary CorleoneVinnie Mancini-Corleone

Other families

Emilio BarziniOttilio CuneoVictor StracciBruno TattagliaPhilip Tattaglia

Other characters

Don AltobelloLuca BrasiWillie CicciDon CiccioPete ClemenzaDon FanucciJohnny FontanePaulie GattoSenator Pat GearyArchbishop GildayMoe GreeneFrederick KeinszigCardinal LambertoRocco LamponeLicio LucchesiLucy ManciniAl NeriJohnny OlaFrank PentangeliHyman RothCarlo RizziVirgil SollozzoSal TessioDon TommasinoJack WoltzJoey Zasa

Related

Mario PuzoFrancis Ford CoppolaAlbert RuddyNino RotaCrime filmOrganized crimeMafiaLa Cosa NostraFive FamiliesSicilyCorleoneThe Godfather (soundtrack)The Godfather Part II (soundtrack)The Godfather Part III (soundtrack)The Godfather: The Game