We take a minute and say happy birthday to The Godfather.  It opened on this day in 1972 and took the country by storm.

In my opinion, Gone with the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1941), and The Godfather from 1972 are the three greatest American movies ever.

Some of you will agree or disagree or select different movies.  However, it's hard to argue that The Godfather took violence, revenge, and even brotherly love to a new level.

Furthermore, The Godfather is just as good today as it was many years ago.  My sons were born in the late 1980s, and they enjoy the movie as much as I do.  (This is also true of Casablanca and Gone with the Wind.)

I know that there was a little "too much blood" in The Godfather, but the movie was well written and the acting was superb.

My favorite scene is the one about the horse head. Who came up with the idea of putting that horse head on the bed?  Brilliant!

My second is when Michael goes to the restaurant and kills the two guys after finding the gun in the bathroom.  I love when they are speaking in Italian.  Great stuff!

What makes those two scenes so wonderful is that you have no clue what's coming.  Great stuff!

Great movie.  It's also a great family story.

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Image: Komers Real via Flickr.