Yet Part II almost didn't happen at all. Beleaguered by the first film's shoot, writer/director Francis Ford Coppola was not interested in diving back into the studio-led chaos with sparring partner and uber-producer Robert Evans. Fortunately, Paramount changed Coppola's mind and gave him the artistic freedom to create an enduring classic about organized crime, family loyalty, and the American Dream.

1.Francis Ford Coppola Suggested That Martin Scorsese Direct The Godfather Part II, but the Studio Wasn't Interested

After The Godfather's tumultuous production, Francis Ford Coppola wasn't excited about diving back into the world of the Corleone family, but the studio wanted a sequel. So Coppola suggested they hire up-and-comer Martin Scorsese, who was fresh off of Mean Streets, to direct the sequel. "I knew this was a really smart idea. He was such a natural," Coppola later said of his pick.

Paramount disagreed, and eventually got Coppola to direct the sequel by letting him tell parallel stories that featured flashbacks into Vito Corleone's early life—and by agreeing to pay the director the (then) outrageous sum of $1 million (or just over $5 million in today's dollars), which Coppola had asked for as a bluff.

2. Robert De Niro had auditioned to Play Sonny Corleone

Robert De Niro made an indelible impact playing a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, but he almost played a far different role in the first film: Sonny Corleone. His audition is a far cry from how James Caan ended up playing the character in The Godfather, but it's still an amazing bit of acting bravado distilled into a markedly short amount of time. Producer Robert Evans was set on Caan getting the role, Coppola was set on Pacino playing Michael, and both castings became a compromise, leaving that De Niro kid out of the (original) picture.

3. Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro Are the Only Actors to Win Oscars for Playing the Same Character

In 1975, Robert De Niro won his first Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor. Coppola accepted the statuette on De Niro's behalf, calling it a "richly deserved award," without recognizing publicly that history had just been made. It's a record that remains. Actors like John Wayne and Jeff Bridges have been nominated for playing the same character (Rooster Cogburn between two versions of True Grit), but Brando and De Niro are the only ones to ever win for portraying the same figure.

4. An Actor Pulled a Gun on Francis Ford Coppola During an Audition

After turning down the role of Luca Brasi in the first film, oddball actor Timothy Carey auditioned at Paramount Pictures where he pulled a gun out of a pastry box and shot Coppola. The director reportedly loved it, but Carey didn't end up getting the part.

5. Robert De Niro Only Speaks Eight Words of English

De Niro spent months studying the Sicilian dialect to play the role of Vito, since the character almost exclusively speaks in it. He also visited Sicily for research, saying, " Sicilianshave a way of watching without watching; they'll scrutinize you thoroughly and you won't even know it."

6. An Extra Had the Guts to Improvise an Important Moment

During a scene in which Vito talks with Signor Roberto while walking down the street, a neighbor jumps in to greet Vito. The actor was Carmelo Russo, who was an extra and who was not supposed to talk. Coppola wasn't happy. It stayed in because De Niro found it endearing, a moment that showed the locals respected Vito and added texture to the scene.

7. The Ship That Carried Vito to America in The Godfather Part II is now a Restaurant in Philadelphia

The Moshulu was built in Scotland in 1904, used to haul all sorts of goods all over the world, and was even taken over by Nazi pirates who used it to store weapons and ammunition. It eventually made its way into movies like Rocky and The Godfather Part II, where it can be seen porting Vito from Sicily to Ellis Island. Now it's a dining destination on the Delaware River.

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