Godfather 1 seemed to have some serious editing errors: for instance, did anybody notice that while Tom is sitting at Woltz's dinner table, Tom's glass of wine is filled once, and then right over again? Likewise, when Mike is sitting at the table with Moe Green, Mike reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cigarettes and lighter. When the camera shifts to Moe's point of view, Mike digs back in his pockets and pulls out his cigarettes and lighter all over again. I suppose this keeps pace with Green's drink during this scene, which transports itself all over the table without ever visibly being touched by Green.

1973 - Godfather gets the Oscar Nomination for Best Editing.

Well, nothing can eclipse the face on Michael in the funeral scene.

What you are talking about is called "continuity." There is actually a specific crew on a movie set who's sole purpose is to make sure that there is continuity when re-shooting certain scenes.

If an actor lights a cigarette at the start of the shoot of a certain scene, and the director yells cut, and there is 1 minute lapse before re-shooting that scene, those who are in charge of continuity will usually make sure the actor does not have that same cigarette once the re-shoot starts. Those in charge of continuity will have the actor Re-light a new cigarette at the start of the re-shoot.

This way if they want to splice together part of film from the first shoot in that scene with another part of film from the re-shoot in that same scene (maybe the same scene shot at a different angle), they will have continuity in that scene when the two seperate pieces of film showing shots from different angles, but from the same scene, are spliced together.



Don Cardi

Don Cardi is right on target about continuity in motion pictures. There are people whose job it is to look after every little detail between takes.

Unfortunately, mistakes do get made. As far as GF1, check out this page at the Internet Movie Database:

Godfather Goofs

Signor V.

A friend of mine, a former minor league ballplayer was an extra in one of the Major League movies. He told me they filmed a scene, in which a player hit a homerun. He casually remarked that the actor, who portrayed the third base umpire, who was in the scene and ran down the line to determine if it was fair or foul, signalled "fair." He noted in a real game the umpire would signal "homerun" bymoving his index finger in a circular motion above his head. Hearing this, an assistant informed the director, who reshot the scene.

I don't know if it made the movie.

Neat webpage, Vitelli. Although, I did find the following on the webpage:

"Continuity: When Luca Brasi goes to negotiate with Sollozzo and Bruno Tattaglia, "The Turk" pins Luca's left hand to the bar with a knife. When the camera cuts back to Luca's face, however, you see that his right hand is now pinned to the bar."

Apparently, the continuity error webpage has some errors of its own.

As I and others have posted here:
--The bulletholes in Sonny's '41 Lincoln Continental appear, disappear, and reappear in no orderly sequence during the tollbooth scene.
--The bullethole in McCluskey's head appears before he's shot in the head.

Am I the only one that refuses to read movie "goofs" such as these? I'd rather not notice them and when someone points out a mistake, especially in continuity, that is all I can see each and every time I watch the movie.

Actually the same goes with dvd bonus features with behind the scene stuff. I just can't watch certain scenes afterwards without thinking "I know how they did that!" or whatever. I'm probably the minority though

You have a good point Blib. It infrequently affects it for me, but it does sometimes. I stay aware from such fare. But, again, the face at the funeral is so salient, I don't know how in the world the editors missed it.

Sometimes when they tell you what they goofed up in the movie it kind of ruins it,and sometimes it's like,"That really doesn't matter at all...."
So the goofs in the Godfather don't matter 'cause it's is so good you can't even tell,and you don't care anyway.

One of my favorite "ggofs" is in the novel Robinson Crusoe where Crusoe removes his clothing, swims to his wrecked ship and gathers food by stuffing his pockets.

Haha, was that in the book? Or was there a Robin Crusoe movie I don't know about?

You sure those were pockets???

I actually thought this was a threadt about drinking problems and cigarettes, not a mistake thread....there are lots of drimking and smoking issues in the trilogy...

1) Fredo is drunk at Connie's wedding.

2) Tom "needs a drink" before he talks to sollozzo and before he tells Vito about Sonny's death.

3) To impress Mike, the first thing Merle says is "Can I have a drink or something?"

4) Fredo drinks a cuba libre in the daytime and then a bunch of them that night, after which he says he needs to get a "real drink."

5) Vito greatly increases his wine consumption in his old age, and Mike encourages it.

6) Mike lights up every time he is about to say something important.

7) Pentangeli insults Mike because he drinks champagne coctails, and Mike excuses Pentangeli because he's an old man who had too much wine.

Kay pours a daytime drink after Mike tells her he didnt kill Carlo.

9) The first thing Johnny Ola asks for is an anisette.

10) Kay smokes while she is eating her lasagna.

11) Clemenza drinks wine right from the pitcher.

Stuff like this happens all the time in even the best of movies. When several takes of a scene are done and from different angles it's just inevitable. Another instance is at Mike & Kay's table at Connie's wedding...something with her cigarette where she goes back & forth to holding/not holding it between her fingers.

I believe that Oscar nomination for editing was the result of far more important details than that.

Apple

Apple, you're back. Buono!

Also, Ola doesn't ask for an anisette. Actually, he answers Mike's when Mike asks him what he wants to drink.

He could have said "nothing," or "water," or "club soda" but he asked for Anisette.

I seem to remember someone or something in here pointing at the fact that Ola tries to 'play on the past' with the order of anisette. The book says Vito used to get a huge bottle of the best 'something' every christmas from one of his 'friends.' I think it's anisette.

The novel states a gallon of homemade wine was sometimes a gift to the Don to show respect. Also, the wedding liquors were all supplied by friends of the Don.

Again, Ola doesn't ask for a drink. Michael asks Ola "What are you drinking?" In reply Ola says "Anisette."

As opposed to 'asking' for a Bud Light (or a champagne cocktail) he 'asks' for anisette.

I wish I could find the thread where the signifigance of the anisette is discussed but the search engine is out of gas.

EDIT-Since DC is such good pals w/ Chianese maybe he could find out.

I believe the significance is that Johnny Ola happened to like anisette.

Although, speaking of drinks...it is significant in my opinion that when Merle dares to ask for a drink, receives that icy glare from Michael and is accomodated only when Connie shouts an order to Al...he is NEVER asked exactly WHAT kind of drink he'd like!!

So, exactly how does Al know what to serve Merle from the bar???

I have surmized that unbeknownst to either Michael or Connie, Neri and Merle are old friends who have been conspiring in secret to take over the Corleone Empire. Their plan is to have Michael assasinated by end of the evening. Merle, being Connie's current 'fiance' can easily acquire a position of prominence almost immediately upon arrival.

Their only problem is that Ola/Roth have a similar plan and beat them to the punch via those pesky opened bedroom drapes.
When this happens, a really pissed off Merle promptly kills Roth's 'would-be' assasins, realizes that this kind of life is far too risky for him, promptly dumps Connie and heads for Mexico. She never hears from him again...and eventually realizes that the only man in her life is to be her brother, Don Corleone...which is why she eventually offers to 'take care' of him.

So you see, that's the ONLY way Neri could've know what kind've drink to offer Merle without asking. They had already been out drinking before.



Apple

See Apple, taking time off from the Board did wonders for your analytical ability. Now it's the equal of early bi-peds.