Is Johnny Fontane from The Godfather really based on Frank Sinatra? (And what the legendary singer thought of the character)

Johnny Fontane (Al Martino) appears in The godfather as the godson of Vito (Marlon Brando), and his similarities to real-life singer Frank Sinatra did not go unnoticed by the legendary pop star. First-time viewers The godfather It would be smart to keep a casting guide open while watching Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece film franchise based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name. Taking place over decades and with characters portrayed by different actors and new characters introduced to replace old ones, it can be easy to get confused.

The godfather and The Godfather Part II are arguably two of the greatest films of all time and have made their way into every corner of culture. Even young viewers who have never seen the films are now aware of their place in pop culture, thanks to a scathing and hilariously accurate reference in Barbie. Everyone has heard The godfatherSo when a movie character, no matter how obscure, seems to have a real-life inspiration, like Johnny Fontane and Frank Sinatra, Sinatra will be very concerned about how the public perceives his replacement.

Who is Johnny Fontane in The Godfather?

Johnny is an aging Hollywood star with mob connections

Johnny Fontane is Vito Corleone’s godson in both the novel and the film. An Italian singer, Johnny is a total heartthrob, and just his arrival at Connie’s (Talia Shire) wedding makes the women swoon. Johnny owes his career to Vito, who once used Luca Brasi to threaten a bandleader into releasing Johnny from a contract and letting him move on to bigger things. On the surface, Johnny seems like a cool, collected individual, but When his career begins to plummet, he turns into a spoiled, tearful star who runs to his powerful godfather for help..

After stealing a girl from a powerful Hollywood executive, Jack Woltz, Johnny was blacklisted from the industry. He goes to Vito in tears and the godfather slaps him on the head for not taking responsibility for his actions. Of course, Vito still helps his godson and sends Tom Hagen to negotiate. The intransigent Woltz finally becomes convinced of Corleone’s position after waking up with the severed head of his favorite horse under the sheets and Johnny gets his film. Johnny shows how far Vito’s hand can reach when he wants to extend it.

Godfather author Mario Puzo denied that Johnny Fontane is based on Frank Sinatra

Puzo stated that the character was a composite of a handful of characters

Johnny Fontane isn’t an evil character, but he is shallow and would be a little embarrassing for anyone to be compared to. In fact, there are many similarities between Johnny and Frank Sinatra. Johnny is clearly inspired by the Italian singers of the time, of which Sinatra was the most notable. Sinatra also had famous mob ties, and it has long been suggested that Sinatra’s mob connections earned him his role in the From here to eternity (through DenOfGeek). Despite the similarities, Puzo has long maintained that Johnny was a composite character, not based on one person.

Frank Sinatra allegedly confronted Mario Puzo in a restaurant

Puzo and Sinatra had a heated argument

Regardless of what Puzo claimed, Sinatra reportedly found Johnny Fontane’s characterization an affront. Apparently, many people assumed that Johnny was based on Sinatra, and before the book was even published, Sinatra ran into Puzo at a Los Angeles restaurant, Chasen. Allegedly, Sinatra refused an introduction to Puzo by a mutual acquaintance, which upset the acquaintance. Puzo replied: “It’s not my fault” which Sinatra interpreted as Puzo admitting that he based Johnny Fontane on Sinatra, prompting the lounge singer to hurl insults at the author before storming off. It could have been a scene straight out of The godfather.