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Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli
- The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather
- Narrated by: Phil Thron
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Art
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What listeners say about Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-07-22
Bada-bing
If you like the Godfather ..you’ll love this insight into the making of perhaps one of the best films ever made 👌🏼
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- Kindle Customer
- 12-05-22
Very well researched
A very worthy book about the greatest film ever made.
Great performance and the book is so well researched.
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- Mr. Paul Byrne
- 11-04-22
A Book You Shouldn't Refuse
Just loved every second of this fascinating, meticulously researched account of a perfect film. BADA-BOOM!
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- Ian Waxman
- 28-11-21
The story behind the greatest of films
For anyone like me who places the Godfather (and no doubt GF2) at the very top of their all time best films lists, this is a fascinating journey into how the film came about (and almost didn’t). Learn how everyone played their part - the writer, director, producers, film studio, the actors and even the mob. Perfectly narrated. Enlightening and enjoyable.
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- DARBY KERN
- 11-04-22
A great book that draws from many, many sources
Every time I find the definitive book, someone comes out with another.
Because the film is now fifty years old many of the creators are no longer with us. At the Academy Awards this year even Francis is showing his age, but he graciously gave credit to Robert Evans publicly for the movie coming together. If you want to know why that was a monumental moment in the history of cinema- or at least this terrific movie, this book will help. The author almost certainly did some interviews himself, but he openly admits that he has drawn from fifty (or more) years of interviews, articles and documentary information. Mark Seal has delivered an authoritative history of one of the greatest films in cinema history.
The detail is amazing, even before the film is a thought in anyones mind. He tells a detailed, yet still concise history of Mario Puzo creation of the novel, the deals he went through, risks he took, and recklessness he embraced. It's a great story even before a brilliant, yet still young and untried, director named Francis Ford Coppola entered the picture.
If you're a fan of The Godfather, cinema history, or filmmaking in general this book will be right up your alley. It's well told and detailed. It surpasses The Godfather Legacy by Harlan Lebo (a darn good book in it's own right) and uses it as a primary source. Then it includes 25 more years of scholarship to create the definitive book on the subject- and maybe the last one while several key players are still with us.
The narration was well done. Phil Thron didn't do impressions, but he changed his voice enough to match the characters he was quoting- those who have a distinctive cadence or voice.
I know I'll listen to it again, probably on my next long road trip. There are lots of great stories associated with this film. If we're very lucky Mark Seal will have culled enough material for books on G2 and G3 as well.
4 people found this helpful
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- DF
- 25-06-22
Great story. Compelling characters.
Breezed through it. Great supplement to a rewatching of The Godfather. Do it. It won't waste your time.
2 people found this helpful
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- Susan
- 13-06-22
Made me feel like the movie producer!
Great story about the making of one of the epic movies of all time. Mark Seal does a great job of putting the reader right on the movie set!
2 people found this helpful
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- Robert
- 07-04-22
One of the best listens
One of the best listens. You'll want to watch the movie again after this listen.
2 people found this helpful
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- Stanner
- 16-11-21
An ofter you can’t refuse
I loved the movie and loved this book too. All of the behind the scenes stories and just how difficult it was to bring it all together is entertaining and fascinating. I keep hindsight is 20 20, but the thought of anyone BUT Brando, Pacino, Caan, Duvall and Keaton in the roles and the Nino Rota soundtrack is hard to imagine.
2 people found this helpful
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- Barbara Capozzi
- 16-08-22
Perfect! Truly did not want it to end
Fabulous book about a classic movie, The Godfather! Rich in details and never known stories, i can’t wait to watch the movie again to see all that i missed! well worth the time to listen! barbara capozzi
1 person found this helpful
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- KathrynVB
- 31-07-22
Absolutely wonderful
I listened to this book while my husband oohed and aahed over "The Offer", the Netflix story of Al Ruddy's experience as producer of "The Godfather". When I finished the book, my husband started reading it. He couldn't say enough about how much more of the story is here, in this book by Mark Seal. Fantastic reporting and great narration.
1 person found this helpful
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- LC
- 19-07-22
Thoroughly enjoyable & enlightening!
What a great adventure I experienced listening to Take the Gun Leave the Canoli.
I was transported back in time and I learned so many interesting behind the scene stories.
The only bad part was that it had to end!!
1 person found this helpful
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- Ray Bergen
- 17-07-22
sensational audio of how The Godfather came to be.
Great audio book with all the background into the making of this fabulous book and film. Terrific narration, too.
1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 11-07-22
Fascinating!
Fun behind the scenes look at the struggle to bring this bestselling book to the screen. The characters involved in the making of the movie are as complicated and interesting as the story itself.
1 person found this helpful