Godfather (1972) GPS locations

By 1972, the world cinematheque was replenished with the seminal cult movie "The Godfather". The crime drama was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who wrote the screenplay with co-writer Mario Piuso.

The film starred Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando.

The plot of the criminal saga tells about the life of the Corleone mafia clan. The head of the family conducts business by brutal methods. He dreams of handing over the reins to his son, who returned from the war. However, Michael does not want to engage in family business. Don Corleone is guided by the old rules, but there comes a generation that wants to change the established orders. An assassination attempt is made on the head of the mafia.

Filming locations

To tell the story of "The Godfather", to shoot the cult American picture had to be in several places - California, New York, Nevada, Italy, Sicily.

The sets were locations of various places in the city. Natural shooting was also conducted near the village of Taormina (37.85167504828445, 15.284724868913365).

Today, viewers and admirers of this film genre have the opportunity to make a fascinating excursion into the world of cinema, get acquainted with those iconic places where, according to the scriptwriters, lived characters, actions reflected in the movie.

Mansion on Longfellow Avenue (40.844986125922404, -73.8217848410338)

In this mansion was filmed the wedding of the daughter of a mobster, from the scenes of which the picture began.

The luxurious mansion is located in the richest neighborhood of the city. However, for filming the villa had to be slightly modernized, to give it a more modern design. A team of workers erected a temporary wall that separated the large estate from neighboring buildings. The solution yielded results - the location and exterior of the estate corresponded to the powerful and authoritative family of its owners - the Corleones.

Old St. Patrick's Cathedral (40.72378539843479, -73.9952094978115)

The scene of the baptism of Corleone's grandson Anthony was filmed at the Old St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York's Manhattan. The cathedral with 200 years of history served as the seat of the Archdiocese of New York.

The Mietz Building (40.71859907249639, -73.9959432308717)

This location has become the site of mob deals. At the fruit store across the street, mercenaries shot Corleone. The building was used for outdoor filming, and the warehouse next door became an olive processing plant.

Radio City Music Hall (40.760097869843015, -73.9792691001801)

Manhattan's Music Hall is New York City's most recognizable venue. It is where the scene was filmed when Michael Corleone and his wife leave the building. The facility is perfectly preserved.

The George Hotel

The hotel building was constructed in Brooklyn in 1885. In one of the many bars of this establishment, two people meet - Virgila Solozzo, an enemy of the Corleone clan - Vito's enforcer, and Luca Brasi. The meeting ends with the tragic death of the latter. The exterior of the building has remained the same since the filming.

The St. Regis New York (40.76161728374913, -73.97405490388705)

The hotel in Manhattan is depicted in the scene when the couple - Michael and Kay Corleone - arrive in the city, intending to stay here.

Inside the hotel, footage was filmed of Willie Cicci entering a barbershop and then opening fire in an elevator.

Calvary Cemetery

In this location filmed the darkest scene of the film - the funeral of Mr. Corleone. The funeral cortege enters the cemetery territory - the burial place of the head of the mafia clan.

New York mayors, senators, governors are buried in Calvary Cemetery.

Mitchell Field Road

Crime drama filled with scenes of murder, threats, violence. A full-scale war begins between the families. The eldest son Vito falls into an ambush organized by relatives. For filming the incident involved the runway of one of the air force bases.

Beverly Hills (34.07380466884008, -118.40365377310715)

A huge Californian estate became the shooting location for a creepy scene where the head of a dead horse was found in Jack Woltz's bed in the morning. The mansion has changed several owners, but no one buys it after the filming of the picture.

Sicily

Michael Corleone fled to Sicily. In a bar in the town of Savoke filmed a scene where he asks for the hand of Apollonia. Their marriage is then celebrated in St. Mary's Cathedral in Forza d'Angiò.

The young wife's death takes place at Castello Ursino in Catania (37.4996940330084, 15.086681882588167).

During the tour, viewers will be able to experience the locations where the iconic scenes of the crime drama were filmed.