On this episode of Our American Stories, in honor of Coppola's birthday, we tell the story of how The Godfather came to be—against all odds. At the time, Coppola was just a renegade filmmaker who had never made a profitable picture. The producer was hired because he could stay under budget. The star had a reputation for being difficult. A formula for disaster? No—the makings of one of the greatest films of all time. Here to tell the story is Harlan Lebo, author of The Godfather Legacy.

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