The Poster Memorabilia blog

Screen Legends Reunite for The Godfather

A rookie editor, three legends in one interview room, and a Godfather poster passed hand to hand.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

Being an entertainment journalist is hard work, but it does have its perks. My favorite is getting access to movie stars, even screen legends. Let me tell you the story of how I met and even got autographs from the iconic cast of The Godfather.

I had just gotten promoted to editor of our movie magazine, and one of my first assignments was to cover the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. The bosses must've really loved me back then, because it included attending the 45th anniversary event for The Godfather, which reunited most of its main cast and Francis Ford Coppola.

The reunion was the finale of the festival, but my fellow editor and I got to interview them prior to the event. There I was, fresh out of my promotion, and suddenly face to face with the likes of Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and Talia Shire. Other reporters, including my colleague, got to Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, and James Caan first, but I wasn't complaining. These three are absolute legends, too, and I even got Michael Corleone himself on my side.

For the life of me, I can't even remember what I asked them. That night overwhelmed me so much that it’s all a blur now. What I do recall was how nice they were. My senior editors had interacted with Pacino and Keaton countless times, and they all told me they were some of the kindest movie stars in Hollywood.

I initially thought they were exaggerating, or maybe blinded by their admiration, but I didn't know they were actually holding back. Pacino and Keaton weren't just nice; they were downright generous with their time and answers. They and Shire—who was also very nice, if I may add—spoke to me without a hint of ego. I was probably the third interviewer asking them the same old questions about The Godfather that night, but they were far from annoyed.

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There were times that Pacino and Keaton would giggle as they reminisced on their time on set. At one point, Shire reflected on how she was surrounded by family since Coppola cast her own brother and many relatives as extras. And they all had different but similarly insightful views on how the movie changed the cinematic landscape, their own careers, and what became of the movie gangster genre.

What I personally enjoyed the most, however, was getting their autographs. Despite it being my first assignment, I decided to shoot my shot, brought a copy of the iconic Godfather movie poster, and asked them to sign it.

“Keaton led the charge, flashing her big, iconic smile at me and saying, ‘Why not?’”

The three even smiled as they said yes. I can't tell you how relieved I was when they weren't annoyed. Keaton led the charge, flashing her big, iconic smile at me and saying, “Why not?” as she reached out her hand for my poster. And after she signed it, she immediately handed her pen to Pacino, as if she forced him to do it, too. Without missing a beat, Pacino signed it and handed it to Shire, who was the last to sign.

To say that that moment was a major highlight is an understatement. These people are legends, some of the best and most respected actors to ever perform on the big screen. Just getting to interview them was already major for me, but getting their autographs too? Insane!

Later, at the actual reunion event, I didn't have the courage to ask the other cast members for their autographs. De Niro, Duvall, and Caan were just as intimidating in real life as they were as young Vito, Hagen, and Sonny. But I did get Coppola, though, who was just as nice about signing my poster as his sister was.

Looking back on it now, there will never be anything quite like The Godfather, especially its iconic cast. And with Diane Keaton no longer with us, that memory of her leading the charge, pen in hand, means more to me than ever. I'm proud to have gotten a little piece of their legacy from when I covered their reunion all those years ago.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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