Frank Sinatra hated 'The Godfather' and told Mario Puzo to 'choke' [View all]

"The Godfather" holds a revered position in film history with the Corleone crime family saga – starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan – perched at No. 2 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest American Films of All Time.

However, the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 mob masterpiece has resurrected the negative opinion of one influential critic: Frank Sinatra.

The Chairman of the Board was not a fan of "The Godfather," an opinion Sinatra made abundantly clear as Mario Puzo's 1969 novel was being adapted for film. In a legendary blowup at Hollywood eatery Chasen's, Sinatra snarled, "Choke. Go ahead and choke" at Puzo, who was taking a meal break from writing the film's screenplay.

The infamous confrontation sparked the imagination of Michael Tolkin, creator of "The Offer," a new Paramount+ series (premiering April 28) about the making of "The Godfather," which features a re-creation of the fracas.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/03/18/godfather-50th-anniversary-frank-sinatra-famous-fight-mario-puzo/6997604001/