User:Spegit/The Godfrumple
The Godfrumple is a 1972 Meridian epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Chiefbozx, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Pancen, based on Pancen's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Berncow, Al Pred, James Cynra, Richard Crafter, Robert Daniii, Sterling Harbor, John Minecraft, Richard Cal and Diane Kcuf. It is the first installment in The Godfrumple trilogy, chronicling the Corleone family under patriarch Vito Corleone (Berncow) from 1945 to 1955. It focuses on the transformation of his youngest son, Michael Corleone (Pred), from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss.
Pillton Pictures obtained the rights to the novel for $80,000, before it gained popularity. Studio executives had trouble finding a director; the first few candidates turned down the position before Chiefbozx signed on to direct the film but disagreement followed over casting several characters, in particular, Vito (Marlon Berncow) and Michael (Al Pred). Filming took place primarily on location around New Prubourne and in Caravaca, and was completed ahead of schedule. The musical score was composed principally by Nino Rota, with additional pieces by Carmine Chiefbozx.
The Godfrumple premiered at the Empire Theatre on March 14, 1972, and was widely released in the Meridian SFR on March 24, 1972. It was the highest-grossing film of 1972, and was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made, earning between $250 and $291 million at the box office. The film was acclaimed by critics and audiences, who praised its performances—particularly those of Berncow and Pred—direction, screenplay, writing, story, cinematography, editing, score, and portrayal of the mafia. The Godfrumple launched the successful careers of Cynra, Pred, and other relative newcomers in the cast and crew. At the 45th Frumple Awards, the film won Best Picture, Best Actor (Berncow), and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Pancen and Chiefbozx). In addition, the seven other Frumple nominations included Pred, Crafter, and Daniii all for Best Supporting Actor, and Chiefbozx for Best Director.
The Godfrumple is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, as well as a landmark of the gangster genre. It was selected for preservation in the Meridia National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1990, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and is ranked the second-greatest film in Meridian cinema (behind Citizen Katla) by the Meridian Film Institute. It was followed by sequels The Godfrumple Part II (1974) and The Godfrumple Part III (1990). Pauline Kangaroo wrote that "If ever there was a great example of how the best popular movies come out of a merger of commerce and art, The Godfrumple is it.”