The Big Picture

• Frank Sinatra had a grudge against The Godfather due to the character Johnny Fontane, whom he felt was a commentary on his own career.
• Johnny Fontane is a famous singer and the godson of Don Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone crime family.
• Fontane's character in The Godfather is believed to be based on Frank Sinatra, although the author denies it, and Sinatra confronted the author over it.

Today, most members of the filmmaking community recognize The Godfather as one of the greatest films of all time. Still, one of the entertainment industry's biggest stars, Frank Sinatra, did not initially share that opinion. Following The Godfather novel's massive popularity, Sinatra developed a grudge against the story due to one character: Johnny Fontane.

The distaste that the star had for the novel's alleged commentary on his career became so severe that Sinatra and The Godfather author and screenwriter even had a public confrontation at a restaurant, taking place while development on the feature film adaptation was beginning. It is a contentious character whose history and inspiration are still debated and disputed by film scholars to this day, given the character's uncanny similarities to Frank Sinatra (as well as to Sinatra "Rat Pack" co-member Dean Martin).

Who Is Johnny Fontane in 'The Godfather'?

So, who exactly is Johnny Fontane? Well, he may seem like a relatively minor character in the epic tale of the Corleone crime family, but in actuality, Johnny provides the namesake for the entire franchise. That's because Johnny Fontane (played by Al Martino in the film) is the literal godson of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) himself, who is the head of the feared Corleone crime family. We first meet the character very early in the film, when Fontane visits his godfather on the day of his daughter's wedding to see if he can make him an offer he can't refuse.

While Constanzia "Connie" Corleone-Rizzi (Talia Shire) is celebrating her wedding day, she is delighted to see that an old friend has shown up to the celebration. Johnny is not just a childhood friend to the Corleone children but is also a famous singer, soon becoming the life of the party at one that isn't even his own. The adoring crowds convince Johnny to sing a song for him and, perhaps unable to resist a chance to play for a large group of fans, obliges them. The brief time in the spotlight is nice, but it isn't the reason that Fontane came to the wedding.

Fontane may have fans at the wedding, but he doesn't really have them anywhere else, with his once-blossoming career on a downward spiral. Desperate for a comeback, Johnny comes to his godfather Don Vito to ask for a favor: to help him become a star again by any means necessary. It's essentially a deal with the devil, but one that Don Vito agrees to. This, of course, leads into the following first act of the film, featuring iconic sequences like the decapitated horse head in the bed to showcase the work the Corleone family indulges in regularly.

'The Godfather's Johnny Fontane Is Very Similar to Frank Sinatra

So to summarize, Johnny Fontane is a famous Italian singer who entered a rough patch during the midpoint of his career. Sound familiar? That character's path sounds eerily similar to the real-life story of Frank Sinatra. Hang on, Frank Sinatra having a rough patch? That doesn't sound right. Isn't he among the most celebrated and recognizable musicians ever? Well, yes. Sinatra had an incredible career in his early days and an even better one in his later years, but the midpoint of his career generated many challenges for the entertainer. He was no longer the young heartthrob that he used to be, and, despite his remarkable talent, Sinatra's popularity was beginning to wane.

This leads to the most controversial and contentious aspect of Frank Sinatra's life: his ties to the Italian mob. Sinatra's alleged ties to the Mafia were so significant that the singer was put under FBI surveillance. The claims against Sinatra and his ties to organized crime range from reasonably plausible to utter conspiracy. However, when Mario Puzo officially released The Godfather novel, it added another story about Sinatra's mob ties that the star did not appreciate.

Frank Sinatra Told Off 'The Godfather' Writer at a Restaurant

Mario Puzo, the author and screenwriter of The Godfather (and later the first Superman film) consistently and vehemently denied the claims that Johnny Fontane is based on Frank Sinatra, saying he's a totally original character. This did little to stop comparisons, and according to Puzo himself in his 1972 op-ed, Sinatra's representatives even went as far as to request copies of the novel's manuscript before it was released in 1969. This was also indirectly disputed by director Francis Ford Coppola, who definitely viewed Fontane as a Sinatra-esque character. Whether Puzo intended for the character from his fictional story to be based on "Old Blue Eyes" or not, he would have an awkward encounter with the man himself after The Godfather became a hit.

According to The Godfather author in a piece from New York Magazine, Mario Puzo was introduced to Frank Sinatra by a "millionaire" friend in a restaurant. Puzo could tell immediately that Sinatra was not keen on speaking to him, and that was confirmed not much later when the singer declined to meet the author. That's probably when Puzo should have made a tactical retreat, but he tried to make amends by saying the millionaire's introduction wasn't his idea. This rang the boxing bell for Sinatra, and though the confrontation never got physical, he did hurl insults at the author and say he would "beat the hell" out of Puzo if he was a bit younger. Puzo would also go on to say he was "hurt" by the encounter because he and Sinatra are both of Italian descent.

Frank Sinatra being based on Johnny Fontane has always been the most common theory, but another member of the Rat Pack could also be a potential inspiration. Dean Martin is another hugely prominent and influential Italian singer, actor, and comedian. Like Johnny Fontane, Martin also had some bumpy spots in his career yet was still a hugely influential figure, who also had struggles breaking into the film industry. However, what Dean lacks is an explicit connection to the mob, and the FBI file on Frank Sinatra alone makes a much more likely and compelling case that the character of Johnny Fontane was at least somewhat inspired by Frank Sinatra.

The Godfather is available to watch on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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