‘Godfather’ actor Gianni Russo on mob ties to JFK, Marilyn Monroe deaths

The beating of Carlo in The Godfather (1972) feels out of control, but Gianni Russo said the scene was rehearsed for a day and a half before filming.

James Caan improvised the whole scene in The Godfather (1972). He was bored, saw Gianni Russo dressed as Carlo, and started beating him in the street while the cameras were rolling. Coppola liked it so much that he decided to keep it in.