PUZO, MARIO. The Godfather. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1969.

8vo. Original cloth boards, dust jacket with price. Some wear and creasing to edges, paper loss at upper and lower spine.

FIRST EDITION. Signed by Francis Ford Coppola on the front free endpaper, producer Robert Evans and uncredited script doctor Robert Towne on reverse of front free endpaper, Al Pacino on the half title page, Mario Puzo on title page, and Diane Keaton (as Kate: “They all lied!”) on the rear free end paper.

An extraordinary association copy of the book that was the basis of two enduring American film classics, the first of which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. 

Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel about the Corleone crime family was an instant commercial hit, selling over nine million copies in two years and remaining on The New York Times Best Seller list for 67 weeks. Upon its publication, the Times’ critic Roger Jellinek wrote that The Godfather was “…a voyeur’s dream, a skillful fantasy of violent personal power without consequences. … You never glimpse regular people in the book, let alone meet them, so there is no opportunity to sympathize with anyone but the old patriarch, as he makes the world safe for his beloved ‘family.’” 

The story of how it was converted into two award-winning films is not only equally compelling, but legendary, and is currently the subject of an original TV miniseries, The Offer. Puzo co-wrote both screenplays, each of which retained the title of the book, but for the first movie, the plot was condensed to focus on the transformation of Vito Corleone’s youngest son, Michael, from returned war hero to Mafia don. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, James Caan, and Diane Keaton, it was released in 1972 to rave reviews, was the highest-grossing film that year, and won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Puzo and Coppola); Pacino, Caan, and Duvall were each nominated for Best Supporting Actor (quite likely canceling each other out), and Coppola for Best Director. The Godfather Part II, released in 1974, included the rest of the book’s original narrative, and became the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, in addition to five other Oscars, including Best Director (Coppola), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Coppola and Puzo). To date, both films together have totaled nearly $400 million in sales worldwide, and in 1990 and 1993 they were selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the U. S. National Film Registry, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” 

This particular first edition copy of The Godfather has been uniquely connected to the film versions by the author Lawrence Grobel, who personally obtained all the inscriptions present, the first of which was Al Pacino’s. Grobel already knew Pacino, and had written a book about him, but when he asked him to sign the book, he only expected a simple autograph; instead, the actor filled the half title page, echoing a line from the third movie iteration the Godfather saga, “Dear Larry, Please try to understand! Al Pacino.” He then garnered the signatures of Robert Evans, the film’s producer; Robert Towne, who script-doctored the hospital scene between Michael and Vito in Part I; and Puzo, when the author came to Los Angeles on a book promotion tour. Grobel had met Diane Keaton in the 1970s when she was dating Pacino, and after the couple separated, their friendship continued to grow, to the point where they regularly saw each other on a social basis, and his daughters babysat for her. When he presented Keaton with the book, she looked at the signatures in the front, then flipped to the rear endpapers, writing, “They all lied!,” and signing both her name and that of her character Kay underneath.  

The only major film personality remaining at that point was Francis Ford Coppola. Grobel had met Coppola several times previously, and had his email, so he asked if the director would also be willing to sign the book, and Coppola agreed. Fearing the book might be lost if he mailed it to Coppola in San Francisco, Grobel asked his daughter, who resided in Northern California, to bring the book by hand to Coppola’s Napa home, and though it took some time to coordinate, the last signature was finally added, and this singular piece of literary and cinematic history was complete. 

Overall: 8.5 x 6 x 2 in; 21.59 x 15.24 x 5.08 cm

For a condition report, please email [email protected] more than 48 hours before the auction.

Please note: The absence of information regarding condition in this lot description does not indicate that no condition issues are present. Please contact us for a condition report, and with any questions prior to bidding. It is the bidder's responsibility to request a condition report in order to determine their own opinions on condition, provenance, and validity before placing bids. Condition reports are rendered as an opinion by the staff of Julien's Auctions and not as statements of fact, we are not responsible for any discrepancies between this information and other opinions. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy to assist you in assessing the condition of the lot. In accordance with the terms and conditions of sale, as agreed to by bidders upon registering for an auction, all sales are final and all lots are sold "as-is."