Would he have been as good as James Caan was? I think it would've been cool to have DeNiro and Pacino as brothers, their father being Marlon Brando.

But then again, DeNiro did a masterful job in pt. 2 as Vito.

http://www.jgeoff.com/godfather/gf1/gf1quots.html

You can find an audio clip of DeNiro auditioning for the part of Sonny at that link.

The video clip, which is on the "extras" disc of the DVD set (in the short feature, "The Godfather Family") is amazing, electrifying. DeNiro was still in his Johnny Boy persona from "Mean Streets," one of his finest roles.

I made a tobic about it month back

You know something Turnbull? When I watched that video clip of DeNiro reading for the part of Sonny, I also saw that Johnny Boy from Mean Streets persona, but while thinking that, I pictured him playing a good Fredo with that Johnny Boy persona!

I also posted in another thread recently that while watching the movie Nitti The Enforcer, I thought that Anthony Lapaglia acting as Nitti reminded me very much of DeNiro playing young Vito, and could see LaPaglia playing the part of young Vito.


Don Cardi

WOW they actually have the video clip?? I need to get that DVD...

honest to god i think they got the best cast in the right roles. for some reason i think that de niro was better off with the vito role then the sonny role.

I think De Niro is perfect for both roles. As a matter of fact, I think he is perfect to play as Michael, Fredo, even as Apollonia's father.
Just out of my curiousity, anybody knows why FFC picked James Caan who is not Italian, instead of De Niro as Sonny? Was James Caan more famous / better acting reputation back then?
Thank God GF made a great success, otherwise there would not be any sequels / GF II, and De Niro would have no parts in this saga.

They have quite a few screen tests, including Pachino's.

I think De Niro, being the superb actor he is, would be an excellent Sonny (would be an excellent everyone, in my opinion). But I agree with those who said we are somehow biased by great actors' performances, so it is difficult to imagine Sonny without Caan's face or Scarlett O'Hara without Vivian Leigh's face.

Well, Robert DeNiro is only 1/4 Italian...

Any with Marlon Brando?

And for those who say Robert DeNiro could play any part in any movie, that is absolutely true. Marlon Brando was a great actor and had the best role in the history of movies as Don Vito Corleone, but Robert DeNiro is the best actor of all time. Nobody can completely divulge himself into a character like he can. Not even Brando or Pacino.

I haven't wathced in it a while, but I think there is a very brief scene with Brando getting into character, without any sound. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I agree with you that DeNiro can divulge himself into a character with great ability. However I think that Pacino is just as good!

Godfather : Goes from a carefree young innocent man to a cold and calculationg killer. While you like the character, you also hate what he has become.

Serpico : A character that made you feel the pain of wanting to do the right thing.


Dog Day Afternoon : A simple bungling, no confidence, miscalculating homosexual, who you can't help but like and wind up hoping that he gets away with what he is doing, no matter how many times you watch the movie and really know the end result.


Cruising : A character that takesyou on ajourney into a different world, making you feel the fear that he felt, while at the same time making you enjoy the journey. Then at the end, you become a bit disgusted at what he became!


Author Author : This one he is comedic and convincing at it. THe veiwer enjoys his humor and at the same time feels the love that his character feels for these kids.

Scarface : While he is somewhat of a turnoff for the way that he treats woman, and people in general, you also admire the trait that he has of doing whatever he wanted to get to where he wanted and had no qualms of telling someone to go F**k themselves. Deep down we rooted for this guy because he made you love him and despise him all at once!


Frankie and Johnny : Very convincing as a down and outer who just wants to love and be loved by someone in his life. He makes you feel his desire for love.

Scent Of A Woman : You really thought that this guy was a blind man! Nuff Said!

Devil's Advocate : Not a great movie by any means, but you defiantely thought that he really was the devil. Without his convincing role in that movie, it really bombs!


I know that there are many other roles that he has played convincingly, but the bottom line is that out of all the ones that I mentioned, he was a different character in each one and you forget from one movie to the next that Michael and Serpico, or Col. Frank Slade and Tony Montana were played by the same actor. Nah, Pacino is just as good as DeNiro.

Just ask Zia!


Don Cardi

This post gave me an idea for a new thread...

FFC wqas quoted as saying that DeNiro's Sonny was a killer and "
Sonny as a killer was something I could never sell" Also,from what Ive heard, De Niro replaced Pacino in a differnt movie so that Pacino could play Michael

Very interesting. Reminds me of something, in the DVD bonus disc it shows Martin Sheen auditioning for Michael's role.
FFC might have put Sheen in his waiting list, just as he did to De Niro. And then when FFC made Apocalypse Now, and Pacino rejected to play the main character, Sheen came up as the replacement. Sheen's role in that movie reminds me with the character of Pacino's Michael though...

Yea, it was for "The Gang that couldn't shoot straight". I think it was MGM who signed Pacino for that role, but FFC insisted for having Pacino as Michael, and MGM hired De Niro for Pacinos role in "The Gang...."

But im glad that De Niro didnt play Sonny, cuz even if he was a REALLY GOOD sonny, he wouldve never played young Vito, and James Caan was the perfect actor for Sonny...and we will always remember Sonny thinkin of Caans face