The Godfather

Written in Francis Ford Coppola's hand, here we have a list of potential cast members for The Godfather from one of the filmmaker's notepads. It's difficult to imagine a different set of actors playing the parts eventually taken by Brando, Pacino, Caan and Duvall, but it so easily could've happened.

I'm presuming the numbers on the left are the characters' ages. As for the asterisks, I'm unsure.

Transcript follows. Image kindly supplied by Henry, who tells me the original is on display at Coppola's Winery in California.

Image: Henry

Transcript

CAST

Don Corleone:

Marlon Brando
Laurence Olivier
*Frank Dekova
John Marley
Carlo Ponti

Michael Corleone:

*Al Pacino
*Scott Marlowe
Mike Margota
(Richard Romanos)
Jimmy Caan
Martin Sheen
Robert di Niro
Art Genovese
Dustin Hoffman
Mike Parks

SONNY CORLEONE:

*Jimmy Caan
Carmine Caridi
*Scott Marlowe
*Don Gordon
*(Tony Zerbe)
*Lou Antonio
(Paul Banteo)
Robert Viharo
(Rudy Solari)
John Saxon
John Brascia
Johnny Sette (7)
Adam Roake
Ben Gazzara
Harry Guardino
Tony Lo Bianco
Peter Falk
Al Letteiri

TOM HAGEN:

Ben Piazza
*Robert Duvall
Tony Zerbe
*Peter Donat